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hi, my 10 year old cat has been making 'crunching' noises when eating soft food all of last week, the last few days hes hardly eaten or drinking & hes acting like hes lost his voice! he looks SO thin! he dont want fuss & has no intrest in moving off chair....what could this be? Tracy.
Hello,I am sorry to hear your boy is having some trouble. I would love to help I just have a few questions so I can better assist you. Please understand I try to ask all relevant questions at one time, however your reply may prompt a few more. Since I am unable to see your pet I must rely on information.How long has he been loosing weight?Any increase in his drinking or urination?Is he eating at all?If you look in his mouth do you see any redness or swelling of the gums?When was he last seen by a vet?
hes been loosing weight over last 4 months since we moved house, he has acted different since move but nothing to concern me too much. hes hardly drinking at all or urinating, today he has only eaten 2 tiny bits of fresh chicken, last visit to vet was aprox 4 months ago when his behavior was weird, he started being naughty!. iv just TRIED to check inside his mouth but cant see much, couldnt see any redness or swelling
Thank you for the additional information.I actually think there could be a combination of things going on here. A crunching noise when eating is most often due to a bad tooth. Dental disease is very common in cats especially senior kitties. This can also lead to infection in the throat causing the change in voice.Weight loss in a senior cat is very concerning and is most often due to an underlining medical condition.The most common causes of weight loss in senior cats are * Kidney Disease. The leading cause of death in cats is kidney disease. Normally this problem is not diagnosed until the later stages of this disease. When one kidney begins to fail the other kidney over compensates and we may not see changes in the blood work until 75% of kidney function is lost. When this is the problem you may see weight loss, increased drinking and urination, vomiting, loss of appetite constipation and lack of grooming with a dull hair coat. Here is a great video that covers this condition extensively* Hyperthyroidism . This is another condition commonly seen in older cats. With this condition you may notice weight loss, increased eating ,changes in behavior or sudden aggression, dull unkempt hair coat, increased drinking and urination and voice change. Click here * Diabetes. With this we will normally see excessive drinking, urinating, increased appetite and weight loss. As this goes untreated loss of appetite will occur Click here At this point it really is time to get some blood work and a full senior exam including the dental exam. As long as he is eating I do not think you have to rush to the ER but he should be seen by your regular vet first thing on Monday. Should he stop eating completely or decline in any way then he should be seen at the ER. Until then try offering things like canned tuna or chicken baby food ( no onions or garlic in the ingredients) you can also try a liquid diet such as CatSure which is available at your local pet store.I hope this helps and he gets better soon. Please reply back if you have additional questions or concerns and I will be more then happy to assist you further. Candy
Experience: Practicing Veterinary Technician for 23 years.Former Veterinary Practice Owner, Technician Trainer
thank you, XXXXX XXXXX book him in monday. great to know an expert is there to help.
You are very welcome. I will be on all weekend and all follow up is at no charge so please if any thing new comes up or he has you worried do not hesitate to come back to this thread and I will be glad to help.