Question about weight loss

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Steph and Java(GA)

Steph and Java(GA)

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I haven't been around here much because when Java went OTJ he seemed to be doing really well. but lately he has lost a lot of weight and I am getting concerned. His monthly BG's seem to stay around 100-115, sometimes dipping under. He eats FF classic and recently we had a terrible lot of vomiting. He has IBD and is on budesenide but I have a hard time getting his meds in him. I stopped giving him beef and the vomiting stopped. He also isnt a great water drinker although I add water to the food.
My question is this, does anyone have any ideas for a higher cal food? I looked at janet and binkys charts and all the food I found didnt really have a lot more cal, just a bigger can. What about innova evo cat and kitten dry? 8 carbs per cup? I am taking him to the vet this week but I need to do something.
thanks
steph
 
hi steph! sorry to hear java isn't feeling so hot - that's yucky.

is he willing to eat on his own? does he start eating and then stop, or lick his lips?

i wouldn't switch him to dry or you'll likely end up back on insulin with him. once a diabetic, always a diabetic, he's just diet-controlled at this point.

have you tried the tricks to tempt him? if he likes kibble, you can pulverize it in a coffee grinder and sprinkle it on the canned. oregano, parmesan cheese, warming up the food. fortiflora is pretty yummy to most cats.

does he act like his tummy hurts when you pick him up? pancreatitis is pretty common in diabetic cats - has he had that before?
 
no he eats well. he just doesnt seem to be absorbing the calories if that makes sense. there were a couple days where he didnt eat that great but I gave him tuna which in the past he has turned up his nose at and that seemed to stimulate him. No, appetite is good. I just dont know. I thought of the dry because innova evo dry cat and kitten was listed to have 8 carbs so that wouldnt be bad, would it?
 
HI Steph, there are a couple of foods you can get at the vet to try. One food is Hills A/D - it has liver in it so its pretty smelly which some cats like. Its also really mushy so if you have to assist feed you can get it in a syringe. Royal Canin also has a canned food call Recovery which is higher calorie and I think its listed on Janet & Binkys as 8% carbs (not super low but not really high either). I recently found a Royal Canin canned food called High Energy Gastroenterolgic used for cats who have GI issues. It is higher in carbs but its also a high calorie food. I've been giving it to my cat who seems to also need a higher calorie intake to keep her weight up. I've always had younger cats who had the opposite issue of being chunky so now having an old cat who loses weight easily is real challenge for me :). Jan
 
i have seen others on the Tr forum discuss low carb higher cal foods, but not paid attention as i have a hoover, you know. punkin hasn't changed, he still will eat as much a i put out.

let me see if i can get some suggestions for high cal low carb for you - but i am thinking this is a vet visit. what about his thyroid - if i remember correctly, hyper t can cause weight loss. has his thyroid been checked in the past 3 months?
 
Hi, I've had to work hard to get Tess to put a little weight back on too. Have you tried Wellness, it's about 40kcal/oz. most FF is 30 to 32. If you buy the 12.5oz cans it is about the same price as FF. Blue Wilderness, EVO 95% and Nature's Variety Instinct are in the 40s too. The highest carb food I've found is Nature's Variety Instinct raw Organic Chicken at 65 kcal/oz.

I got a small digital scale that is accurate to 1/100th of an ounce. It's only about $12 at Harbor Freight.

All that said, if he is losing weight but still eating well it should be checked out by your vet. I don't think just upping the calories is the answer. Julie has a good suggestion the have the thyroid tested.
 
I do think the first step is a vet appointment to make sure there's nothing medically going on.

Wellness and EVO 95% tends to be higher in calories than several of the other low carb foods. You may also want to try novel proteins. EVO 95% comes in duck and in venison. You may have better luck with these than the usual varieties for a cat with IBD.
 
Hi Steph,
I agree with Sienne that you should have him tested at the vet. Thyroid problems can cause weight loss. Ask your vet to do the T4 and the free T4 tests. Stu lost a lot of weight, vomited frequently, and pulled out his fur while grooming. But he always had a good appetite. It turned out that he had Hyper T. This condition is treatable.

I hope you find out what is bothering your boy,

Ella & Rusty
 
Just thought I would post a little update. My vet thinks iis a flareup of his IBD so we are increasing the budesonide to .4ml. His thyroid was completely normal as was the rest of his labs. His Eosiniphil count was high (19%) which also can be an indicator of IBD issues. He was mildly dehydrated and his urine was dilute so possible beginnings of chronic renal failure. I did pick up a little bag of the innova/evo dry 8% carbs and am giving it sparingly. I am also monitoring his BG more frequently to be sure we dont spike up. We are going to recheck in 2-3 weeks and at that point discuss a surgical biopsy. Thanks for all the suggestions, I am going to check into some of the foods you have listed because I am really not crazy about giving him the dry.

thanks
steph
 
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