Helping Elderly Cat Gain Weight

[weemomma]

I forget if I already asked. How’s her teeth?

Her teeth are awesome! She's back to her normal self in that regard. She had two teeth pulled on the left side and healed up nicely within the week. She dropped her weight during that time, which is understandable. We're still floating right at 7.15 and 8.00. Today she was down to 7.11.

 

[weemomma]

I started dividing out her kibbles between her two bowls during the day. That seems to help her eating the first round. At night, we've been doing 1/4 a 3 oz can of wet food. Tonight, I gave her the lickable treat she likes with some added water. She is on straight kitten food at the moment but next month i'm transitioning her to a high protein food from Iams to see if that helps. It's less fat than kitten food.

 

[daftcat75]

Cats weight can fluctuate daily just like people. People scales don't have great precision. For both of those reasons, I only weigh Krista weekly. I don't put too much trust or worry into any given number but rather track the trend. Krista's stable since I brought her home from her last dental two weeks ago. Maybe now that she seems to be getting through her food quicker and more easily, perhaps we'll see the trend rise over the next several weeks.

 

[daftcat75]

I think she'll do best on highly digestible, high protein wet food, and exercise. It's not enough just to fatten your kitty up with fat and calories but to also restore lost lean body weight. For that she needs more protein, more highly digestible animal-based protein. Does she like bonito fish flakes? I find the easiest way to get Krista to exercise is to put fish flakes throughout her environment. These also serve as protein supplement. Though really, there's not enough substance to them. However, they do stimulate her appetite as highly available meat-based protein will do.

 

[weemomma]

Cats weight can fluctuate daily just like people. People scales don't have great precision. For both of those reasons, I only weigh Krista weekly. I don't put too much trust or worry into any given number but rather track the trend. Krista's stable since I brought her home from her last dental two weeks ago. Maybe now that she seems to be getting through her food quicker and more easily, perhaps we'll see the trend rise over the next several weeks.

I know I obsess over my girl's weight. We went through histoplamosis together and she got down to 4lbs. It was very scary for the both of us but we came back from it together.

I keep thinking of all of the bad things that she might have, I've considered lymphoma, but her most recent blood work (a month ago) had NO signs of it. The only thing it showed was higher kidney function, but only slightly. The vet didn't think that we were at the stage that she needed heart medicines or additional fluids. In fact, she was convinced that her problem might be solved by the dental work she was having done.

I just wish that I could see a positive gain. The hovering is what bothers me. Why won't she gain weight on a richer food and some canned food?

 

[daftcat75]

Is she getting B-12? For as much weight as she's lost, she should probably be on B-12 whether she needs it or not. If she needs it, it will make a world of difference. If she doesn't, it's mildly expensive pee. Less so if you buy your own bottle, syringes, and disposal from the vet and have a tech show you how to do it.

The other thing is that you're working against age and your soldiers are the wrong ones for this battle.

Like people, as cats age, their digestion speed and efficiency goes down. Cats who could eat kibble all their life start having problems with it. Maybe they eat less of it because it doesn't treat them as well. Or maybe they still eat the same but they still lose weight because they aren't extracting the same amount of nutrition from it as before.

If you want your elderly cat to gain weight, you need protein, meat-based protein, highly digestible protein, and some exercise. Calories, carbohydrates, and fat alone won't do. You're not trying to get skinny fat. You want to first stop the loss (feed a more digestible food) and then restore lost muscle mass (extra protein and exercise.) That's considerably harder than just putting on chub.

Your best bet to put weight back on will be a raw diet. That's going to have plenty of the most digestible protein. Your next best bet will be a low vegetable/no vegetable, meat-based wet food. High carb, high grain/vegetable/plant-based dry foods will be your worst soldiers in this battle. You may not even be able to keep up with the protein requirements when you figure for the poor digestibility of dry food and reduced digestive function of age.

If you really want to obsess over something, figure out how much protein she is eating per day and target for 6-8.5 grams / kilogram body weight (roughly 3 to 4 grams / pound) of high quality animal protein per day. Make sure she's getting enough protein to maintain and hopefully gain weight.

Exercise can be achieved through play, hunting treats like fish flakes, or even just moving her food dish around.

Insights into Veterinary Endocrinology: Optimal Protein Requirements for Older Cats and Cats with Hyperthyroidism

 

[weemomma]

Not a single piece of kibble eaten last night. She slept with me all night and her bowl was just as we left it. She didn't even want her treat in the other bowl.

I took away her pet grass this morning and gave her half kitten kibble and half her usual kibble. She wanted wet food and I gave her the last quarter of a can, but she turned her nose up at it and walked away, even after I warmed it up.

How long do I fight her before I call the vet?

 

[Furballsmom]

...not much longer, can you get her back in tomorrow, maybe even today?
As mentioned ask about B12.

 

[weemomma]

As I was closing her in her room to let the kitten roam, she was at the wet food bowl. I have to be gone all afternoon, so we’ll see if she eats any kibbles. I’ll gice her to the end of the week. I can’t take her in at all this week between both of my jobs.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hang in there!!

 

[weemomma]

Well, things changed quickly. I walked in and discovered a huge puddle of vomit. So, I changed all of my plans and she's going to the vet at 3:45.

I'm absolutely beside myself.

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh my word!!

 

[daftcat75]

Well, things changed quickly. I walked in and discovered a huge puddle of vomit. So, I changed all of my plans and she's going to the vet at 3:45.

I'm absolutely beside myself.

Test for fPL (pancreatitis) because that's not a standard test, it often gets overlooked, and the add-on is cheaper than an ultrasound by far. Also test for B-12 since that's a fasting test and she's been fasting, unfortunately. As long as she is going into the vet, you may as well tack on a couple non-standard tests so you don't have to come back for them later.

 

[weemomma]

She was diagnosed with higher kidney levels than the last blood work two months ago. She’s not feel well, and not eating like she should.

 

[Furballsmom]

Did she get B12 or any other appetite stimulant!

 

[weemomma]

She got a nausea injection and she’s got some cerenia to take home.

 

[Furballsmom]