Adding Weight

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James Little

James Little

Member Since 2020
Hello,

Our cat Jada is 16 years old. She is diabetic, has a thyroid condition and has no teeth. She eats 4 cans of Fancy Feast per day. She has been loosing weight, Over the last 2 years she has dropped from 12 pounds to 9 pounds today. Jada's thyroid is under control as is her diabetes. Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to help with weight gain?

Thanks
 
I'm very interested in what everyone has to say on this, as my 17 year old Dixie is in the same boat as Jada (with the added bonus of kidney disease).

I talked to my vet about Dixie's weight last week and they said that putting on fat isn't the goal and that it is more about maintaining their existing muscle mass. Knowing this has just made it extra stressful whenever Dixie vomits or goes through a period of not wanting to eat very much.

I'm still trying to get a little bit more weight on her so that she can get to the proper range, so I've been weighing out how much she actually eats each day and encouraging her to eat throughout the day. I'm thinking of adding more dry treats as well throughout the day, but it's hard to find diabetic-friendly, high calorie ones. Ideas, anyone?

Have you calculated how many calories Jada is getting per day? The calories/can should be listed either on the can or on the Fancy Feast website. The calories can vary quite a bit between flavours.

Do you have a spreadsheet of Jada's recent blood sugar values? Losing weight despite eating all the time is an indicator of unregulated diabetes.
 
The obvious answer is to give your cat more food. The other option is to look for a food that is higher in calories than what you're currently feeding your cat(s). Many of the low carb foods, such as Tiki Cat, are almost all protein and are relatively low in calories. I would comb through Dr. Lisa's food chart for foods that are higher in protein and calories.
 
FarmKitty said:
I'm very interested in what everyone has to say on this, as my 17 year old Dixie is in the same boat as Jada (with the added bonus of kidney disease).

I talked to my vet about Dixie's weight last week and they said that putting on fat isn't the goal and that it is more about maintaining their existing muscle mass. Knowing this has just made it extra stressful whenever Dixie vomits or goes through a period of not wanting to eat very much.

I'm still trying to get a little bit more weight on her so that she can get to the proper range, so I've been weighing out how much she actually eats each day and encouraging her to eat throughout the day. I'm thinking of adding more dry treats as well throughout the day, but it's hard to find diabetic-friendly, high calorie ones. Ideas, anyone?

Have you calculated how many calories Jada is getting per day? The calories/can should be listed either on the can or on the Fancy Feast website. The calories can vary quite a bit between flavours.

Do you have a spreadsheet of Jada's recent blood sugar values? Losing weight despite eating all the time is an indicator of unregulated diabetes.
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I have not calculated how many calories she eats per day. I do know she is always hungry. We keep a journal on her BG
 
The other thought I have is whether Jada may be hyperthyroid. You may want to see if your vet has run a thyroid panel the last time your cat was in for a physical or if the vet thinks getting a thyroid panel would be indicated.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
The other thought I have is whether Jada may be hyperthyroid. You may want to see if your vet has run a thyroid panel the last time your cat was in for a physical or if the vet thinks getting a thyroid panel would be indicated.
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That is correct. Jada is Hyperthyroid. She takes methimazole twice a day. The Vet runs the thyroid panel when we take her in for a visit. The last time it was within normal range.
 
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