Why is my senior cat losing weight and vomiting with normal bloodwork?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 16 years and 10 months old
hello, my calico cat is 16 years old. up to last year she weight 17 pounds and now she is down to 4.. accoriding to my veterinarian her blood work is normal, her lungs are clear, her hearth is good, no discharge from eyes or nose , no ear infection her thyroid is a bit low but he said it is only 2 points which is nothing much to be overly concern but will check again soon, she is on prescribe diet yet she vomits a lot.. any ideas or help will be appreciated very very much.. helen kotur
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on November 6th, 2016
Poor Checker! This is a huge amount of weight to have lost in a year, so I would say that something is definitely wrong. In older cats with significant weight loss like this and normal blood work, the most common possible causes would be an intestinal absorption issue like inflammatory bowel disease (which can be present even if she is not having diarrhea), or some type of abdominal cancer. The next diagnostic steps would be abdominal x-rays and ultrasound, with exploratory surgery and intestinal biopsies if needed to get a definite diagnosis. If this isn't possible for financial reasons, a trial course of oral steroids and injectable vitamin B12 might be helpful - I would suggest discussing these options with your vet to see what he/she recommends.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
-
Published on February 6th, 2018
Hi there! Yes, I would definitely suggest taking Harley to the vet for an exam and some lab work when you get a chance. It's common for cats to develop health issues as they get older, like chronic kidney disease or hyperthyroidism, that can cause appetite changes and weight loss as well as occasional vomiting. Some of these problems are very treatable with medication, so it's worth trying to get a diagnosis if you can. Your veterinarian should be able to advise you on what treatment options might be helpful depending on the results of his blood work.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
-
Published on November 25th, 2017
Poor Piaf sounds very ill at the moment! It's quite concerning that she has no appetite for food and water, and this can quickly lead to a fatty liver (which cats develop when they don't eat for more than 72 hours) and dehydration. A fatty liver is fatal without treatment, so it needs to be avoided. It sounds like you have had some blood work done if she has very mildly elevated liver enzymes, but there may be something more going on with her such as cancer, which sometimes doesn't show up on blood work. I recommend further tests asap with the vet, such as x-rays and repeat blood work to start. She may also benefit from an appetitive stimulant and IV fluids to prevent dehydration. I would take her back into a vet immediately for treatment.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
-
Published on August 16th, 2017
Poor Sarah! No this is not age-related, and she sounds quite ill. She needs to see a vet right away to get a diagnosis and come up with a treatment plan to get her feeling better. She needs to have bloodwork done, as well as abdominal xrays to start with. This will tell your vet if she has a metabolic disease going on like diabetes or hyperthyroidism, both of which are treatable. She may have an upper respiratory tract infection as well causing the breathing issues, and I suspect she needs to be on antibiotics and anti inflammatory medication to make her feel better. Hope that helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
My cat Rambo (9 yrs old) has been sick for almost two months, but in the past week his health is getting noticeable worse. There has been a lot of life changes for him so I thought it was stress and possibly back pain (he's happy where we live now).
I have an 8yr old male cat.Hes always been in good health until a few months ago when he caught ear mites which made him very poorly.I medicated his ears and 2/3 months have passed and they are nice and clean again now. I'm concerned though because f
My mom has a cat who is about 14 years old now. She's lost a lot of weight and has an increase in appetite, but if she eats too much, she vomits. Took her to the vet, they did blood work and I just got off the phone with them. Her levels are normal a
Hello, i have a 6 year old cat. At one point he would throw up everyday but continued eating and using his box normally so i figured her may have ate too quickly. Recently he lost A LOT of weight and won't eat or drink water. He only gives his food a
Our 14yo cat has recently begun urinating and dedicating in different areas of the house, as well as in her litter box. She is also drinking a ton and urinating 12-20 times per day. Bloodwork and x-rays were completely clear. Vet did not see cancer
Grace does not put on weight even though she eats a lot she doesn't eat dry food. She vomits like once every other day. What shall I do?
Diarea over 2 years. All blood tests come back ok. Thyroid ok. Cat acts normal.Loses weight, but was stable for over 6 months.Started again Vet has been giving Depomedral shot, after a few days seemed to work.Not this time. At wits end
Male cat 10yrs old, last year lost half his body weight. Over last month gets bad bouts of very watery mustard yellow v. Smelly diarrhoea. Eats well doesn’t put weight on. Vets said he’d been tested for obvious pancreatic, thyroid and cancer. Any ide
My cat is 15 yrs old, female, has lost all her teeth, last tooth recently, and has vomited nearly daily for almost a year now. She eats right afterwards although she has lost weight and has also drunk soapy dish suds frequently in the recent past unt
My 17 year old female cat is what seems to be now vomiting every other day and having frequent loose stool. She is losing more weight. But after vomiting and having loose stool, she is hungry and wanting to eat again. Can I bring a stool sample to m
Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.
