Is there anything else I can do for Toby's weight?

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Becky and Toby

Member Since 2013
Hello,

He's not been checked in a few weeks, but last time Toby was weighed he was around 3.6kg (around 8lb), and he's not really feeling any plumper to me. The heaviest I remember him from his youth is around 5.2kg (around 11.5lb). He's not a huge nor a tiny cat, and I feel both of those weights are wrong for him... he should probably be about halfway between the two, around 4.4kg/9.5lb.

He eats Bozita and Catz Finefood whenever he wants it, at just a tablespoon or two at a time. He's less hungry than he was when his BG was really high, but I'd still like a bit of weight on him. I do understand that older cats tend to lean out a bit anyway, however.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me, or is it more of a waiting game?

Thanks :smile:
 
Dusty used to weigh 19 lbs before his diabetes and then dropped to 10 lbs. Today he's OTJ and his weight has stabilized at 11.5 lbs and since being swapped to wet food he doesn't pig out like he used to. Wet food with its high protein satisfies them more so they don't eat as much. I wouldn't try to force Toby to eat more or gain more weight, that might be his ideal weight, just make sure he's lot loosing any weight. Now if you really want him to gain, guess you could feed him more treats between meals, just make sure they're low in carbs.
 
Hi Becky,

Yes, it is quite common for older cats to sometimes lose weight and muscle mass as part of the aging process (just as happens with older people sometimes. (Is it called 'sarcopenia'...or something like that...?))

Diabetes, hyperthyroid and kidney problems are also common causes of weight loss in older cats.

If Toby is otherwise healthy then is seems likely that the weight loss has been caused by his diabetes (or maybe due to aging too); but it is very possible he will regain some weight now that his blood glucose levels are better.

The foods you're feeding now, Bozita and Catz, are good high protein foods, and should help to increase muscle mass. Some people also give snacks of minced raw meat, or add minced meat to the regular food, as a high protein boost. Although it's not a 'complete food' it is quite OK to supplement the diet with this. ('Supplementary foods' can form up to a fifth of the diet, I think; ie the equivalent of one meal out of five). This would also, of course, reduce the carb content of any food it is added to.

If Toby likes egg yolks, those too would make an acceptable high protein treat. And some people increase the fat content of the diet a tad (ie by adding a little chicken fat or chopped raw chicken skin, or duck/goose fat (available in jars)).
I've been told that older cats can be deficient in B group vitamins, and supplementing these may help with digestion.

Sometimes older cats need encouragement to eat too. I know someone who wakes her cat up to feed him snacks.

Try not to worry, Becky. It may just be that Toby needs a bit more time on the new food.

Eliz
 

He's definitely a little below his ideal... I don't expect him to go back to 5.2kg (I don't want him to, he was a little porker :razz: ), I'd just like a little more cushion on him... he looks like we don't feed him at the moment =/ I think he'll get behind the 'more treats' idea, thanks for the suggestion.


Google says it is called sarcopenia, yes :razz: Sorry, I didn't make it clear... I'm almost 100% sure that it is just a combination of aging and diabetes, I just hoped that he'd put a bit on a little easier. At one point when he was on the dose that was trying to kill him, the vet said he'd put on a couple hundred grams and was quite happy with that, so I'd just hope to see a little more now that his diabetes is under much better control.

Since he's been on wet for a while, it hadn't occurred to me that he's pretty much just gone on high protein food... hopefully that will make a difference. I like the other ideas, too, especially the B vitamins... his digestion and his weight are the only things that I feel are still lagging a bit behind, so that'd be great if we could help both.

I'd say he's eating quite normally now... asking for food a little more than the girls do, but not ridiculously more often like he used to. It's why I wondered if I could just slip some more calories his way, because I think his current eating habits would be very good if he wasn't already really quite skinny.

I wouldn't say I was worrying... well, okay, maybe a little... it's just that it's cold here now and he could do with some more padding! :lol:

Thanks for the advice :-D
 
Once our diabetic cats have lost the weight, it does seem harder to get them to gain it back. That is what has happened with my foster sugardude Wink. He lost 2 pounds ( almost a kilo) in less than a month. The vets and shelter were not worried, but I was. It has taken me almost 8 months to get him to gain 8 ounces (1/5 of a kilo).

Mainly, that was by sticking to feeding him the higher protein foods, plus upping his food intake by a tablespoon or two a day. Sometimes, it's by crumbling some freeze dried treats over his canned food to tempt him to eat them better.

Because my schedule allows me to, I also meal feed. That way, he is really hungry when I put the food down and tucks right into it and gobbles it up.
 
Deb & Wink said:
Once our diabetic cats have lost the weight, it does seem harder to get them to gain it back. That is what has happened with my foster sugardude Wink. He lost 2 pounds ( almost a kilo) in less than a month. The vets and shelter were not worried, but I was. It has taken me almost 8 months to get him to gain 8 ounces (1/5 of a kilo).

Mainly, that was by sticking to feeding him the higher protein foods, plus upping his food intake by a tablespoon or two a day. Sometimes, it's by crumbling some freeze dried treats over his canned food to tempt him to eat them better.

Because my schedule allows me to, I also meal feed. That way, he is really hungry when I put the food down and tucks right into it and gobbles it up.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I can up his intake... however much I put down, he'll just stop eating when he's done now. Then again, if I put something novelty down, maybe he will eat that even without hunger. It's reassuring to know it took even a younger little man a good long while to put weight on, everyone else seems to put it on really easily. Thanks :smile:
 
Hi Becky, just a quick addition to what others have said - you will probably find that Toby starts eating more than usual now anyway with the change to colder weather :YMSIGH: so maybe you can tempt him with bigger portions of novelty favourite foods? maybe put some in the same dish as some cooked chicken or ham? Most cats go mad for those,
Good luck.
Diana
 
Diana&Tom said:
Hi Becky, just a quick addition to what others have said - you will probably find that Toby starts eating more than usual now anyway with the change to colder weather :YMSIGH: so maybe you can tempt him with bigger portions of novelty favourite foods? maybe put some in the same dish as some cooked chicken or ham? Most cats go mad for those,
Good luck.
Diana
Click to expand...

It hadn't occurred to me that he might go on a bulk... like the rest of us :razz: I'm quite sure he'd eat chicken or ham even if he wasn't hungry, yes, so it's good to know I can do that.
Thanks :-D


(I was quite sad to see a pink this morning, after a run of yellows, but then we got a green at +4 :o He sure likes to keep me guessing.)
 
Surprise! We'll, Toby is the one leading in this dance, we are just following along the best we can. Our extra sweet kitties love changing up the dance steps. One cycle, it's a slow dance, then it's a rumba or maybe some salsa. They sure do keep us hopping to keep up with them. :o :shock: :o
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top