Still losing weight

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Bobbie And Bubba

Bobbie And Bubba

Member Since 2015
He has lost again. Was 14.5 on the vets scales and at home it looks like he lost another 1/2 lb. He was 25 prior to DX and has lost a total 9.5 lbs. He is always hungry, up on the counters now where he never was before. Should I feed him extra to stop the continuing weight drop?
 
I'm absolutely not an expert here, but with our first diabetic kitty, weight loss was a huge issue too. He was a big boy prior to DX as well (23lbs), and lost about as much as Bubba, and all three vets that we saw at our regular practice, and when he landed at NCSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital for some unrelated issues and was reviewed by multiple vets and students, they all said to *just feed him*. Make it the best food for his diagnosis, assuming he is eating. And of course if he ever stops eating (which I am sure makes you laugh because that isn't even on your radar at this point if he is like my boy was!), then feed him whatever he will eat. Unless you are feeding something like straight boiled chicken...which might be a good option to supplement calories and bulk...then he is getting more carbs then he would have normally and you should just adapt insulin accordingly.

They were all worried that weight loss added another variable to the equation, he could become weaker, and it also adds stress to his little kitty life being on a continuous hunt for food.

I would love to hear other opinions, but I just wanted to share what my vets had said.

Best,
Sandi.
 
Thanks for your input, I am really worried about the weight loss. The boiled chicken sounds like a good idea. He is a big cat and looks bony to me now.
 
Sandi & Whisper said:
...all three vets that we saw at our regular practice, and when he landed at NCSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital for some unrelated issues and was reviewed by multiple vets and students, they all said to *just feed him*.
Click to expand...

I agree, Bobbie. I don't worry too much about Squallie gaining a lot of weight., since he was diagnose it seems like keeping weight on is more of a problem. If he's hungry, I increase his food. If he's not finishing meals, I decrease a little bit, unless he's losing weight, in which case I just offer more, smaller meals. (He has never liked to eat a lot at a time)
 
Bubba is Maine Coon, isn't he?
What was his weight when you considered him to be slender, rather than bony like he is now?
That's the weight you'd want to shoot for - so maybe you need to increase his main morning & evening rations until you get him back to his "optimum" weight. When you're actively trying to either get a kitty to gain or lose, my vet told me that the cat should be weighed daily (away from the time right after getting a belly-full of food, though). Then, when kitty is at the proper weight for his frame, weigh once a week.
 
I think he looked best at 18-20 lbs. He is a very large cat, huge feet and very long. He looks like Maine Coon but, because he is not a papered feline, he is considered a long hair domestic. He continued to grow up to the age of 5 like Maine Coons do.( maybe it was more like 3-4 years old) He has the ear tuffs and the toe points and the rectangular body style, the mild temperament and the kitten like meow.
 
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I think we can safely assume that he's Maine Coon, even without the "official pedigree.":rolleyes: Yep, I'd say he needs some more low-carb food.
Isn't it BJ @BJM who has that savvy method to calculate how much to feed based on target weight?
 
Bobbie, I have a non-pedigreed Maine Coon, too, my Vinnie. He ate a lot of food until he was up to his proper weight (he was a rescue) and once he got there, stopped eating as much. He maintains his weight now, pretty well without problems. But of course, he doesn't have any health issues to challenge him, either.
 
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