Why is my cat underweight, not eating, and acting picky with food?

Question

My cat has become extremely thin and underweight (5.5 pounds.) He is picky with his food and refuses to eat much, often crying at me after I pour him food. I've tried to introduce other brands of food and he reacts the same. He won't eat enough. He's been tested for diabetes in the last year and was negative. His last visit he had a UTI which he got a shot for. Last visit he was also thin (6.5 pounds in October) but the vet told me it was just the UTI. What might be going on with him? Pet's info: Cat | Persian | Male | neutered | 15 years and 3 months old | 5.5 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Hi there. Possible causes of weight loss and decreased appetite in an older cat like this could include chronic kidney or liver disease, a GI problem such as inflammatory bowel disease or pancreatitis, a thyroid problem, dental disease, or even some type of cancer. Further diagnostic testing such as additional blood work, abdominal x-rays and ultrasound, and possibly intestinal biopsies would likely be needed to get a diagnosis. If this isn't possible, there are medication options that could be tried depending on his lab results so far, so I would recommend discussing the situation with your veterinarian to see what he/she recommends as the next step from here. Altneratively, you could seek a second opinion from another vet in your area, or request referral to an internal medicine specialist for more advanced diagnostic and treatment options.

Why is my cat underweight, not eating, and acting picky with food?

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