Oliver the cat is losing weight and eating alot

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Oliver's mom

Member Since 2013
Oliver is about 11 years old. He was a rescue so we are not entirely sure of his age but we've had him for 9 years and he was likely about 1 or 2 years when we found him hungry and homeless.

I just spent over 500.00 on 2 of my cats (Oliver and George) to try and figure out why Oliver is losing so much weight and why both boys are coughing. A year and a half ago they both had this cough and George had it worse so I brought him to the vet and he had a PCR test done via throat swab which came back positive for mycoplasma. The vet sent George home with Doxycycline and enough for Oliver as well. After a few weeks of treatment the coughing stopped but about 6 months later it returned. The vet prescribed another round for both cats and again it seemed to cure the cough but within a few months it was back. We tried another drug that did not seem to have much of an effect and then I tried to treat it holistically with Olive Leaf powder for a few months but it didn't work. Oliver has been losing weight over this entire period but it did seem to improve each time with the doxycycline treatments so I thought the weight loss was associated with the potential mycoplasma.

I just took them to a new vet a few weeks ago and they did exams on both cats (George is a large cat and not losing weight but Oliver is very thin and continuing to lose weight). They did a PCR test on both but this time it was a blood serum test rather than a throat swab and CBC's on both cats and a T-4 on Oliver to check his thyroid. I should have had them run full geriatric panels on both cats, especially Oliver but I did not have the extra 120.00 to cover that. The tests came back negative for mycoplasma and the CBC's for both cats was normal and Oliver's thyroid level was normal. The vet sent me with Doxycycline for both cats for a full month because that is what has worked in the past but it just does not seem to be the answer, especially since they just tested negative for mycoplasma. The vet suggested xrays or ultrasound as the next step.


When I got home I started looking online and now I'm worried about diabetes. They couldn't do a urinalysis at the time on Oliver because he peed in his kennel because he was so scared and I wish the vet had suggested that we specifically check for diabetes but she didn't talk about it. I'm going to call on Monday morning to see if there was anything in the bloodwork that could indicate diabetes although I don't think any of the blood work run was geared towards that. I will also ask if I could bring in a urine sample using the Nosorb urine collection product. Or I may have to bring Oliver in for a blood test. This vet charges 79.00 for an exam but I'm hoping that maybe I can just bring him in and have the tech draw the blood and send it off for testing.

But I'm also wondering about EPI for Oliver now that I've been learning more about it. He eats and eats and eats and is getting thinner and thinner. I read on this site and on others that EPI can often go hand in hand with diabetes for cats and I hope this is not the case but need to find out. They are both indoor cats but to be safe, I dewormed them with Strongid last week and will retreat in 1 week's time.

We do not have heartworm where we live so I am fairly certain this is not the problem.

The other thought I had was that perhaps the coughing is from acid reflux. I actually have a cough myself that acts up when I have acid reflux. And I think I read that acid reflux can be associated with EPI so maybe it is all connected.

He does vomit from time to time but it is usually when he eats too quickly because he is so voracious about eating. So I have found that if I give him smaller portions at a time it helps with this.

There do seem to be more pee balls in the box than usual so I'm again worried about the diabetes and I'm filling their water dish more often than usual. I think my best bet is to get his blood or urine tested for diabetes and for EPI.

I wish vet bills weren't so astronomical. It's hard to get everything done for them that needs doing.

Just wanted to post to see if anyone here has cats with similar symptoms (weight loss, voracious eating, some vomiting, and coughing) and hoping for advice. Thanks!
 
Hello and welcome to FDMB,

Gosh, you've got a lot going on there, and I'm afraid I know nothing at all about some of the illnesses you're mentioning... Sorry...

But I do know a little bit about diabetes. And there are a couple of things you could do yourself before taking your cat back to the vet. You can test for glucose in your cat's urine quite cheaply by using Diastix from a pharmacy. Or you could get Ketodiastix which test for both ketones and glucose.

If the strips show that no glucose is present then that doesn't rule out diabetes. It may just mean that the glucose levels aren't high enough to spill into the urine.

If glucose is present in the urine then that could be indicative of diabetes (or another conditon that causes high glucose).

You can also test your cat's blood glucose levels. Do you have any family members or friends who are diabetic who could lend you a meter and a few test strips? Otherwise you'd need to buy a meter and strips. Testing your cats blood glucose isn't difficult to learn and we could help you do that.

Here is a link to a good page of pics and info on urine testing:
http://www.sugarpet.net/urine.html

And here's a good page of pics and info on blood-testing:
http://www.sugarpet.net/bloodtst.html

Another condition that comes to mind that can cause weight loss and coughing is heart disease. But, if I understand your post correctly your cat was examined by a vet recently...? And no heart issues found...?

Edited to add links to urine and blood testing info
 
Is it a dry cough? A wet cough?
Does he have a lot of hairballs?

I have noticed ( in hindsight) that my cat had a lot more hairballs when she was eating dry food . She used to have them every day.

I hope you get a glucose reading sooner.
 
Welcome to FDBM! Don't worry, a urine test at the vet is not how FD is diagnosed. If they ran a CBC, a Chem 25 or Chem 27 is nearly always done at the same time. These are basic tests that are nearly always done first and it is usually done in-house. Ask your vet for a printout of the test results. (It is always a good idea to keep a copy of all the test results.) When you get them look for the glucose results, also check the BUN, Creatinine and phosphorus results as these indicate kidney function. Oliver is young for that but weight loss can be a sign of kidney disease too.

Home testing is always a good idea too. You can get a good, inexpensive meter from Target (Up & Up meter) or Walmart (Relion meter). I know the Up & Up is only about $9 and you can get 25 strips for $10. Both these meters have a very good rating by Consumer Reports,
 
Many things can cause coughs, such as infection, food allergy, general allergy, and heart failure.

With the possibility of diabetes, you may want to examine diet. A good resource is Cat Info. There is a food list you can print out too, and the recommendation is to stay under 10% calories from carbohydrates, with a wet canned or raw food. Ditching any dry food also will help the urinary system to function better and may help prevent diabetes, kidney disease, stones, and bladder infection.

Food allergy signs may include fur loss from the abdomen, excessive licking, and breakouts around the face. Tracking the food being fed and the ingredients may help you identify a culprit. Common allergens include grains, so a 6 week trial of a grain free diet may help you determine if that could be it.

Inhalent allergies may show a seasonal pattern. As with allergenic humans, reducing dust and pollen exposures may help. A HEPA filter on the furnace traps small particulate (cuts down on dusting too!).

Respiratory infections may show congestion and discharge in the eyes and nose. Fever may or may not be present. A common infection, generally suppressed, is Feline Herpes Virus. Adding about 500 mg of lysine to the diet daily has been helpful in some cats who are not able to suppress it. Some folks use powdered lysine and add it to the canned food; there are treats with the lysine in them too (ex Vetri-lysine).
 
Thanks for your responses. I went to the vet clinic yesterday and the vet is out of town until tomorrow. I asked if I could bring Oliver in for bloodwork but skip the cost of the exam since he was just there weeks ago. The receptionist thought it would be okay and will get back to me about it. The test he had done in January was just the CBC and T4 so no chemistry was done unfortunately. She is going to ask the vet if we could remove the urinalysis and T4 from the full panel and if so, the test will be just under 200.00 including collection and shipping.

I think this is the way to go even though we are so short of funds but if they prick his ear to check his level, I'm guessing that the vet will need to run a full test to know exactly where his numbers are to determine how much insulin he would need? Not sure how it all works. And if the pin pricking of the ear showed that he didn't have diabetes, she will probably want to run the bloodwork anyway to be sure and also to rule out anything else with his organs. So I think we should just go ahead with the test. I sure wish I had been using my head and had the full panel done in January and it would have only been an extra 60.00 for Oliver.

I'm worried about his kidneys and heart so I think I should get that tested anyway and they can do the add on fructose test at the same time. The receptionist said the fructose test is what they use to test for diabetes. But I like the idea of being able to use the strips to test the urine. Could I use these if he ends up having diabetes to check him to see if he needs more or less insulin?

Rhiannon, the cough sounds wet to me. He doesn't get hairballs or throw them up for some reason. My other cats seem to throw them up but Oliver never does. Maybe the cough is his attempt to do that? But it never produces anything and he strains his neck out when he does it. It sounds 'rattley'.

BJM, do you think a food allergy could cause weight loss? I never thought of that. I have another cat who is very allergic although I haven't had her tested so don't know exactly to what but she has been eating Hills D/D Venison and Green Pea for a year and a half now. It's not perfect, she still licks her belly and pulls her fur out but not as much as when she eats anything else. My other cat George was tested using VARL testing which sure was expensive! This was many years ago, back in 2005. His results came back with allergies to: wheat, dairy, pork, rice, turkey and catfish! He eats the D/D too. But I never thought of it for Oliver because he doesn't overgroom like Stinky and doesn't have breathing problems like George did (through his nose which is what prompted us to have the VARL test done). But maybe the cough and the weight loss could be due to an allergy. I've taken him off dry kibble altogether and he hasn't had that for over a week now. He's just eating wet food but all kinds (chicken, turkey, seafood) and usually Friskies or Fancy Feast. And most recently I bought a can of A/D at the vet with high calories to help him gain weight. But maybe I need to start eliminating things and see if it helps.

Oliver doesn't have any discharge from his eyes or nose but he does have the herpes virus. George and Stinky too. They are indoor only cats and for the most part the virus lays dormant but if they get stressed it breaks out and I treat them with Lysine for a week or two depending on how bad it is. Usually just a week clears it up though. The last year has been very stressful because our house was for sale and we had to pack up the cats and dogs for lots of showings and then we just moved into a rental and they are adjusting to it but it too is for sale and we've had 4 showings for the landlord in the last 2 months! We are moving in a few weeks as we just bought a place and hopefully we can settle in and the stress will stop. I haven't read anywhere that herpes causes a cough but I have always wondered that.
 
That's a lot of allergies. I have heard the way to go is to switch to a novel protein.
I've been giving my cat canned rabbit from nature's variety ( when she'll eat it)
http://www.naturesvariety.com/Instinct/cat/can/all
They also have a limited ingredient variety of lamb or duck at the bottom of the page. I didn't see those in your allergic list.
My Petco sells this.

I like this brand because it's low carb and lower phosphorus than most of the others. If I could get Shadow to eat it daily, I would.
They also have freeze dried as well as frozen raw.


Just pricking the ear won't necessarily tell you Oliver is diabetic but it would give you an indicator. We had a cat here previously
who I would randomly test and before I took away her dry food, she was high in numbers and the food change helped her ( she had other issues)
If Oliver does turn out to be diabetic, the stix aren't enough.
It sounds like you dread the testing but it does get easier with practice. It's just another hurdle to get thru and you will want to
test daily if Oliver needs insulin to keep him safe.
We'll all gladly help you learn.
It's a hurdle we have all been thru.

will be watching for your test results.
 
Hi Rhiannon, thanks for the info on the hypoallergic foods. Just a note to say that all the allergies listed in my previous post belong to George, not Oliver. I don't know if Oliver has allergies but I am wondering.
 
Wet cough and weight loss ... I think you might ask your vet to rule out congestive heart disease, lung tumor, and pneumonia.

Weight loss - are the stools runny? That can happen in food allergy, inflammatory bowel disease, and gastrointestinal lymphoma.
 
I've got Oliver booked into the vet for 11:30 on Friday morning. He is going to get the full blood panel test and fructose test and the vet said she really wanted to get a urinalysis done to check his kidney function.

BJM, would anything show up on the bloodwork for pneumonia? Or can that only be determined by an xray? Nothing showed up on the CBC last month and she listened to his lungs and heart with a stethoscope. But he very likely did have mycoplasma and possibly on more than one occasion and was treated for it with Doxycycline but I've read that pneumonia can be a complication of mycoplasma. I'll google it now to see if weight loss is associated with pneumonia.

I watched Oliver closely today and he drank water from his bowl many times and for a few minutes each time. He does not nomrally do this so I'm pretty concerned. We'll know more by Saturday when the results come in. Thanks again for all the responses. I'm so worried. :sad:
 
If a lung infection hasn't entered into the blood stream, you might not see any systemic indicators of infection. Once it does get into the bloodstream, you'd expect to see increased white blood cells as they fight infection. X-ray may identify problems before they get systemic.

Impaire renal function may result in fluid retention if severe and urination stops; generally, though, you see lots of urination and drinking.
 
Just wanted to post an update on Oliver. I took him to the vet and they did some bloodwork and a urinalysis. The vet called a few days later to say that Oliver is not diabetic but he is showing some renal insufficiency. His urine specific gravity was 1.011 but she said it should be around 1.045 and 1.050. I don't know alot about this so I'll have to do some online reading. I've had a cat who was diagnosed with this who seemed fine but it was picked up on some pre-dental bloodwork, otherwise we would not have known. She went on to live for many more years until she got progressively worse and stopped eating but she was 21. But this was 10 years ago so maybe there is more info to learn these days.

The vet said his BUN was slightly elevated and his creatinine was creeping up but still in a normal-ish range. His white blood cell count was normal but his monocytes were a little higher than should be indicating some 'inflammation' somewhere.

It seems so surprising that he could lose so much weight just from kidney issues. His hip points are sticking out and I can feel his spine. The vet felt that this could be the reason though and we can't seem to find any other reason. I'm supposed to limit his protein but it seems like a catch 22 because he needs to also gain weight. The vet said I should focus on a high quality protein and to give him some probiotics. I asked her about giving him Hills K/D for kidney issues and she said he wasn't there yet and didn't need that diet as of now.

I'm relieved that he does not have diabetes and relieved that he doesn't have serious renal problems yet but I'm still very worried about how skinny he is and he eats so much! She said that is one of the problems with kidney issues like this because the body doesn't use the protein the way it should.

Well, I'd better get researching here and find out what high quality proteins are out there so I can help get Oliver straightened out. I want to check out the CRF site felinecrf.com. It has quite a bit of info available. Thanks for all of the ideas and suggestions.
 
Someone can correct me... but I believe with any kidney issues you want to find the lower phosphorus foods... 250 or less.

Fancy feast classics are not low in phosphorus...


http://catinfo.org/
see the topics on the right side of the page... feline nutrition...
there is a phosphorus chart ( look at the 4th number in the columns )
Even though Oliver isn't diabetic, I'd also pay attention to the carb values... try to stay with the lower ones , you don't want to be giving
him 20% carbs.... prevent him from becoming diabetic...
 
What did the blood test results show for phosphorous?
And what were the BUN and Creatinine values and the ranges. Also what was the PCV or HCT?
A USG or 1.011 is very low and shows more that some renal insufficiencey
 
I just called the vet and asked if they could fax me Oliver's blood and urinalysis results and I'll post the numbers when I receive them as I'm not sure at this point.

I actually called the vet this morning because I've been so focused on my cat Oliver that I didn't notice that my other cat George is drinking more water than Oliver is. But George is a big guy and doesn't appear to be losing weight. So I'm wondering about diabetes for him. I asked the clinic if I could bring in a urine sample collected with NoSorb pellets but they said that they can only do a cysto to collect a clean urine sample and that they will want to do the complete panel as they just did on Oliver. I've spent just under 800.00 on both cats in the last 2 months and I will have to save up to have the same tests run on George.

It's possible that they both have kidney damage from some Doxycycline they were prescribed about a year and a half ago at the same time to treat mycoplasma. I didn't realize that the tablets were faded which likely meant they were expired, until they were prescribed another week's worth and the new tablets were a much brighter orange. The clinic assured me it was fine (which I was hoping was correct since I'd already given them all the faded tablets) but upon researching it I learned that expired Doxy can cause kidney damage. And both boys are drinking a ton of water and this is all happening at the same time.

I know I will have to get George tested to know exactly what is going on but I need to save up first. Hopefully I can do this in the next month.
 
The Doxycycline wiki includes:
Expired tetracyclines or tetracyclines allowed to stand at a pH less than 2 are reported to be nephrotoxic due to the formation of a degradation product, anhydro-4-epitetracycline[26][27] causing Fanconi syndrome.[28] In the case of doxycycline, the absence of a hydroxyl group in C-6 prevents the formation of the nephrotoxic compound.[27] Nevertheless, tetracyclines and doxycycline itself have to be taken with precaution in patients with kidney injury, as they can worsen azotemia due to catabolic effects.[28]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxycycline

If you home test blood glucose level you can test George's blood glucose level.
 
Larry and Kitties said:
What did the blood test results show for phosphorous?
And what were the BUN and Creatinine values and the ranges. Also what was the PCV or HCT?
A USG or 1.011 is very low and shows more that some renal insufficiencey
Click to expand...

Hi, sorry to take so long to respond. Just picked up the copies of the records from the vet yesterday. I'll post them below:

Phosphorous: 1.72 (range used: 1.03-2.10)
BUN: 16.8 and was listed as 'out of range' with the letter H next to the out of range wording and the range used is: 6.0-14.0
Creatinine: 182.5 (range used: 89.0-189.0)
Bun/Creatinin Ratio: 92
HCT: 0.419 (range used: 0.330-0.520)

I can't find PCV on the results. There is MCV which is: 51.2 (range used 39-52).

His platelet count is out of range and is: 73.2 (range used: 300-700). The vet never mentioned this. Seems drastically low! Any idea what this could mean?
Monocytes show a number os : 6 and then it is posted out of range as: 0.45 H (I guess H is for 'high')and the vet has circled this. (range used: 0.0-0.42)

The notes on the bloodwork are:
"Marginally high monocytes- significance? possible low grade chronic inflammation. BUN/USG- renal insuff. Normoglycmia, fructosamine normal. Nothing to explain we. loss. GI lesion? "
There are also notes that read: " Platelet numbers are adequate. Platelets clumped, this will interfere with the accuracy of the platelet count and underestimate the number of platelets present. Moderate echinocytosis present. Moderate acanthocytosis present.
I did some googling on the low platelet count and one of the symptoms of it is 'excessive coughing'!! The coughing is why I brought Oliver into the clinic in the first place 2 months ago. But I guess the lab notes explain that the low platelets are now actually accurate.

I'm really noticing a sweet smell from the litter box so I don't know if it's from Oliver and a kidney related issue or from George who may have a diabetes issue. I have to get George tested next. He is a heavy guy. But Oliver is still skinny. I'm feeding him mostly wet food, a mixture of Wellness Chicken, and Max Cat Chicken and Lamb Formula and Fancy Feast chicken varities. He really doesn't like the grainfree wet or dry. I think he likes the junk food. :sad: He is always hungry but will turn his nose up to food he doesn't find appealing. And is still skinny.
 
Hi, sorry to take so long to respond. Just picked up the copies of the records from the vet yesterday. I'll post them below:

Phosphorous: 1.72 (range used: 1.03-2.10)
That is a little high. Shuld be near the lower limit
BUN: 16.8 and was listed as 'out of range' with the letter H next to the out of range wording and the range used is: 6.0-14.0
Is high but really not a good indicator iof renal problems since a high protein diet raises the BUN
Creatinine: 182.5 (range used: 89.0-189.0)
Indicates a renal problem
Bun/Creatinin Ratio: 92
HCT: 0.419 (range used: 0.330-0.520)
Such a high value indicates dehydration

I can't find PCV on the results. There is MCV which is: 51.2 (range used 39-52).
PVC is equivalent to HTC, just measured differently

His platelet count is out of range and is: 73.2 (range used: 300-700). The vet never mentioned this. Seems drastically low! Any idea what this could mean?
The notes below explain why it is low. It is not an issue. Platelet clumping is common in cats
Monocytes show a number os : 6 and then it is posted out of range as: 0.45 H (I guess H is for 'high')and the vet has circled this. (range used: 0.0-0.42)
"Marginally high monocytes- significance? possible low grade chronic inflammation. Maybe an infection? IDB?

The notes on the bloodwork are:"Marginally high monocytes- significance? possible low grade chronic inflammation.. BUN/USG- renal insuff. Normoglycmia, fructosamine normal. Nothing to explain we. loss. GI lesion? "
There are also notes that read: " Platelet numbers are adequate. Platelets clumped, this will interfere with the accuracy of the platelet count and underestimate the number of platelets present. Moderate echinocytosis present. Moderate acanthocytosis present.
I did some googling on the low platelet count and one of the symptoms of it is 'excessive coughing'!! The coughing is why I brought Oliver into the clinic in the first place 2 months ago. But I guess the lab notes explain that the low platelets are now actually accurate.

I'm really noticing a sweet smell from the litter box so I don't know if it's from Oliver and a kidney related issue or from George who may have a diabetes issue. I have to get George tested next. He is a heavy guy. But Oliver is still skinny. I'm feeding him mostly wet food, a mixture of Wellness Chicken, and Max Cat Chicken and Lamb Formula and Fancy Feast chicken varities. He really doesn't like the grainfree wet or dry. I think he likes the junk food. :sad: He is always hungry but will turn his nose up to food he doesn't find appealing. And is still skinny.[/quote]
 
Thanks for the feedback on the results. Oliver had not been on a high protein diet prior to the bloodwork. He mostly ate Purina Cat Chow and a bit of Friskies wet food each day. But since the bloodwork he is on wet only with a mix of various brands. After about a week on wet only, and extra servings, he does seem to be putting on a little weight.

The HCT count is: 0.419 (range used: 0.330-0.520)
 
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