Kitty Looks Thinner But Is Maintaining Weight?

[basilleaves]

Hi. This forum has helped a lot over the past few years of lurking, but it's been nothing short of a total lifeline this month. I need somewhere to pour my anxieties. Future developments will be kept to this thread despite its specific title.

Anya (9 F DSH) lost about 1-1.5 lbs this summer after we switched to a kibble that didn't agree with her. We took her in for blood work on August 12 and came out with hypercalcemia. We then returned on August 16 for an enema and a malignancy panel for which we are still awaiting results. It tests iodized calcium and parathyroid levels (a specific combination of these values can apparently point to cancer) and I intend to call tomorrow if I don't hear anything by the afternoon. Her kidneys, BCs, and thyroid are all fine. Her teeth are great. The vet did hear something on Enema Day that sounded like a developing URI, but nothing came up on the x-ray and she hasn't shown further symptoms of a URI...?

We changed her kibble to something she loves and she's been gobbling it up with a burning passion. She has also been extremely thirsty; I did notice that my little boy (1 M) has also significantly upped his water intake so there may be a sodium shift involved with this new food.

According to the rudimentary bathroom scale (I know), Anya hasn't lost -- and has possibly gained -- weight over the last ten days. She also feels noticeably heavier. The issue is that her spine seems much knobbier than it did and her waist is now so segmented that she totally resembles a giant black ant when she walks. I can't see her ribs through her fur but I can feel them. Even her arms look... pokey.

How can this be? Is it possible to maintain/gain weight while simultaneously losing fat or muscle? And if so, what can cause this? Food can't possibly weigh this much and she's been pooping well.

Am I imagining the extreme boniness? Is this hypochondria? Can cats retain a substantial amount of water weight? Can a skeleton get larger?!

I know I'm talking to the vet tomorrow but I can't sleep or think about anything else. I've been pacing for days. Anya's also at a comparatively "healthy" weight so I don't know if my concerns will even get addressed without a few differential diagnoses. I'm terrified.

Thanks for listening, you guys. I truly hope that the next update to this thread will be "oh results are back, she's fine and accidentally getting fat."

 

[catsknowme]

No advice from me at this point, just a sympathetic ear - my daughter is having similar issues although her problems began with extreme weight loss & IBD symptoms. Now she has regained weight yet still is bony; it isn't muscle gain. Sometimes I get my best answers from observing veterinary cases!

 

[MissClouseau]

Obviously only a vet can tell for sure but all mammals I can think of change their look and fat distribution as they get older. This is one of the things we also see sometimes when we look at a dog or a cat and assume it's a senior or adult cat, etc That doesn't mean there is something medically wrong with them. Just their looks is changing.

Also, are you sure what you are feeling isn't water? You say that he drinks more water lately after the food change. If he's like my cat and holds his pee & poop for hours too, you will probably see and weigh water.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Hi, basilleaves - I am so sorry you are going through this, I would be pacing for days, too! Did the vet give you an estimate of the time when the results from the malignancy panel would be available? Are the expected results late, or are they expected by tomorrow? It's so hard to wait, I really feel for you. It's scary, too. If it were me, I would call the vet today even just to give an update on anything you are seeing go on with Anja that is disturbing you or that you think the vet should know (the change in food/kibble, the increase in water-drinking, the sense that she feels heavier to you but seems bonier, etc.). If she has hypercalcemia, these are all things that could help the vet know if it's "mild" or getting more advanced. Knowing what your cat is exhibiting at home would be really helpful for the vet to know -- a lot of cats act a lot differently in a vet's exam room (many get so scared, they barely want to move or act in their "normal" ways) and if there are things you are seeing that are going on, it cannot hurt to email or call the vet with the details.

 

[basilleaves]

PushPurrCatPaws
The sample was sent to Mich State and had a 7-10 day turnaround. I just called and the results came in over the weekend -- the vet is going to review them and hopefully get back to me this evening. Waiting is so hard.

catsknowme
I'm sorry you're going through a similar situation did it turn out to be diagnosed IBD? Have you figured out where the weight is going to?

MissClouseau
I'm not sure if it's water. It's possible. She drinks often but doesn't seem to surpass one cup a day, and her pee is only slightly more voluminous than my boy's. It's also possible that she's starting to bulk up again with a more mature weight distribution, which is what I really really hope is happening. I'll run it all by the vet when she calls.

I have such a cruddy feeling about this.

 

[basilleaves]

We've been diagnosed with ideopathic hypercalcemia. I bought a baby scale to monitor her weight and we go back in three months for a follow-up panel (unless her weight further declines). Vet doesn't want to hunt for cancer until we have more reason to suspect it. I guess this is good news?

If she loses any more, or if her appetite suddenly changes, I will seek a second opinion from a cat-only practice. Sigh.

Thanks everyone for your responses. Here's to hoping this will be the last of this thread.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

I'm definitely pulling for you and your kitty, I hope things go well!


I think it might be a great idea to contact the vet asap, or head straight to another vet for a second opinion, if you notice any vomiting or constipation, or any other issues! This would be with a good idea any type of health issue, too.

How are you doing?