Old cat yowling and losing weight

by Barbara Gregory
(Johannesburg, South Africa)

Hi Kate,

My cat is 15 years old, neutered, and has always been extremely healthy. She is a tortoiseshell cat.
For the last year or so she has taken to yowling a lot, for no apparent reason. She also became very determined to sit on my lap whenever possible.
But now, for the last two months or so, she has lost a phenomenal amount of weight, and cannot defecate without vomiting immediately afterward. She drinks a lot of water - much more than my other two cats put together!!
She is now very lethargic, hardly eats at all - but is bright eyed, and responsive.
I've had her to the vet who has done blood tests and found her blood sugar level at 11, and her potassium low. He's prescribed medication, but it's made virtually no difference, except that she's a little hungrier. But she's still lethargic, and still vomiting. She seems to be drinking a little less water. I give her milk to drink, too.
Sometimes it seems to me that she produces too much saliva, because she swallows and swallows and licks her lips too much.

Have you any ideas what could be wrong with her? The vet has ruled out stomach cancer or sore/rotten teeth. He's also checked her kidney function and says it's OK.

thanks!
Barbara


Answer by Kate
Hi

Did your vet also check her thyroid levels? i say this as some of her symptoms do sound similar to my old cat, who lost, weight, eat a lot and drunk water like there was no tomorrow. Its just a thought.

Apart from that i cannot suggest anything else as most of the checks have been done by your vet. i hesitate to say that it could be just old age setting in i'm afraid. sometimes there is no one definite thing causing the problems but a general all over aging. However i would ask the vet about her thyroid too just to be on the safe side.

Also medication can take some time to work if it is for conditions such as diabetes or thyroid problems. It took months before my cat recovered from her symptoms when she was diagnosed with thyroid problems.

I know how you feel when you have an older cat and things like this happen, I have been there too and it can be very worrying.

best wishes Kate

---