The vet will palpate his kidney and abdominal area, but propably won't be able to tell much without a full blood panel and urinalysis. Its not cheap, but I learned the hard way that once a cat is 10, it should be done annually. You are doing the right thing by being observant about your cats weightloss and behavior. Give your vet as much info as you can, ei: what his average weight had been, if you know. Usually when cats have a monster hairball gumming up the works, they tend to be either totally constipated, or have a litte runny diarrhea, along with a lot of barfing.

If nothing in the bloods turns up, then the vet might need to take a sonogram.

LF

You are right, it could be any number of things. Because he seems lethargic, I'd doubt it's his thyroid. My cat was antsy and unbearable to be around when her hyper thyroid developed.

My vet always says that the big 3 are thyroid, kidneys, and liver, so I'd guess that your vet would probably look that direction as well as checking to see if he has some kind of obstruction. A lot will depend on whether your vet has a shotgun or conservative approach. When my kitty started losing weight, the vet was conservative and only did blood work at the initial visit- with the idea that we could come back if the blood work didn't answer the question. In retrospect, I think she strongly suspected that the blood work would give us at least some definite answers.

Best of luck. Prayers for something simple.

Sounds like possibly kidney issues to me. Definitely insist on a full blood panel if your vet doesn't suggest it first. A full blood panel will tell you much about kidney and liver function, systemic infection, electrolyte imbalances, and a number of other important issues. A CBC and urinalysis are often diagnostically useful tests, too.

The symptoms you have described are not consistent with the most common symptoms of hyperthyroidism, so I don't think I'd request a thyroid test unless your vet palpates an abnormality on the thyroid gland itself.

I hope you receive a treatable, or at least manageable, diagnosis next week.

Laurie

Hmm, I thought I posted earlier, but it didn't seem to go through?

When my kitty was losing weight, my vet only did a blood test for starters- as well as feeling her abdomen for masses/blockages. She is conservative in her approach and I suspect she already kind of knew what the problem probably was. Her idea was to start with blood and if that didn't reveal any firm answers, move on to other tests.

So what will be done will probably depend on whether your vet is conservative or likes to run the full gamut of tests for starters.

Thanks for all your responses!!!
I think my vet is more on the conservative side, as far as testing goes. Although when my dog developed SARDS and then started having bloody noses, she was very aggressive and we went for a cat scan. (He had a brain tumor and eventually had to be put to sleep). My cat is still purring and perks up around food time. I am just hoping for something non-fatal that can be managed. I am thinking about trying to bring in a urine sample with me on Monday, if I can get one from him on Sunday. I'll let you guys know what happens, and thanks again!

Has your cat been drinking more than usual?
What does he eat?
Losing weight despite having a ravenous appetite can be signs of diabetes.

My cat was diagnosed with diabetes in March and now with treatment, he's doing great.

Hoping everything turns out fine for your kitty.

anytime a cat is losing wieght something is wrong unless it is on a diet, go seek medical assistance from your vet

I am worried about the hard abdomen being a tumor. Animals with cancer often lose weight, it's called cachexia. The first thing the vet will do is a physical exam. The next diagnostic steps depend on the results of the PE and could include bloodwork, urinalysis, radiographs, ultrasound, exploratory surgery, etc.

Please keep us posted on your kitty.

Worst possible news. Ever. It's a tumor. She said it was very large and that is why he didn't seem as skinny as he actually is. That, and his fluffy coat. He was a little dehydrated so he was given some fluids and now I am deciding if I should pursue an ultrasound. Basically, from what I understand, if it's his kidney, they could possibly operate. I'm not really sure what to do. I'm barely over my dog, and now this. It sucks.

I just don't know how far I want to push the little guy, my vet wasn't too optimistic.

So so sorry to hear that. I had a bad feeling because what you discribed was similar to the symptoms of my late cat Otis. He was a huge fellow (26lbs at his healthy weight)and so by the time the weight loss was noticable and his energy level had visibly diminished, it was too late to do much. I did have an ultrasound taken just to make sure that the tumor was inoperable.

For the rest of his life (about 6 months...Otis was around 13 when he was diagnosed, so the tumor had been growing for a while), the vet treated him with prednisone which beefed up his appetite and his energy level. I fed him whatever he would eat (Fancy Feast,treats,Meow Mix, tuna, canned salmon...anything so long as he would ingest the calories). The only problem with the Pred is that prolonged treatment can cause diabetes...but because of the nature of the illness, that was not our concern.

Hopefully, you caught the condition earlier than I did, and will have your guy around longer...and who knows, perhaps his tumor will be removeable. I hope so.

LF

I am so sorry. An ultrasound may be able to tell which organ is affected and if the tumor has spread, which may change your decision to operate or not. They could also get an aspirate of the tumor and knowing what it is, be able to give you a better idea on the prognosis. I've certainly seen some big tumors successfully removed in older cats, some cats did really well and others not. I don't think your decision is wrong no matter what you choose, as long as you can get him feeling well enough to eat.

I'm so sorry. I have no advice. Just do what you feel in your heart.

(((HUGS)))

Well... this is so strange. I can no longer feel the tumor. His abdomen is no longer hard. It just feel squishy like a regular cat belly. I made an appointment for first thing tomorrow. He's not really eating much at all, but I was able to get him to drink some water last night. Not sure if I'll have to put him to sleep, or if they can give him fluids and tell me what is going on with the tumor. Is it possible it isn't a tumor?! Can a tumor burst?! I am so confused. I don't want him to be in any pain.

Splenic tumors often burst and cause bleeding into the abdomen, which would feel squishy. I'd take him in now; they can bleed to death very rapidly if that is what happened. I'm so sorry.

Well, I was able to feel it again, it was just a bit smaller. Anyways, we put him to sleep this morning. He went very peacefully, and my Vet was awesome. I found Smoke by the roadside in California when I was 19. He was out by my mailbox in the desert. I searched for a momma cat or other kittens, but it was just him. I took him home, and then 6 months later drove across country back home to Rhode Island with him. He was just the goofiest cat, and I laughed at his antics all the time. He will be missed.

I'm sorry.

You did the final, hardest thing a pet lover has to do, but it's the thing we sign up for when we take one into our hearts.

I'm glad you had him for so long, & he was lucky to have had you for so long.

I am so sorry. Smoke was a lucky kitty to have such a loving and caring owner all these years.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

ditto

(((HUGS)))

I am so sorry. Our animals are part of the fabric of our lives, a thread pulled form our hearts. (((((hugs)))))

cat is losing too much weight. had 6 kitties 5 weeks ago and is now attacking my other housecats which are nice calm and fixed. she is attacking very wild. she has been separated since Sunday to wean the kitties. I need help. I already took her to the vet with the kitties, no bugs, worms, and very clean cat, cleans herself, normal poop. i even gave her appetite stimulant for pets to get her to gain. she also gets panic stricken in a car and nervous during thunder storms pacing wildly. HELP ME

First of all, kittens should NOT be weaned before eight weeks of age. Twelve weeks is even better. Put the mother back in with her babies for at least three more weeks before even beginning to wean them again.

Nursing mothers require a huge number of calories in order to produce milk and support their own bodies. Six kittens is a large litter, so your female will need a lot of supplemental nutrition. Feed the mother as much as she wants to eat of a very high quality kitten food (higher in nutrients than adult cat food), along with a vitamin/mineral supplement (you can get a suitable supplement from your vet or a pet store).

Queens can become very protective of their kittens, which probably explains the mother's aggressiveness toward your other cats. Keep her and her litter in a separate room together so that she doesn't feel the need to defend her babies from the other animals.

Laurie