Hello
George is coming up to 14. He’s a normal boy but has an increased appetite. He looks like he’s lost weight in his hind quarters (which I understand can be a sign of aging) otherwise he’s the same old George… affectionate, likes his snoozes in the sunshine etc, and everything working as it should be. Should I be worried?
I would suspect hyperthyroidism - very treatable, but can be dangerous if left untreated. I would make a vet appointment for blood tests ASAP - his age, increased appetite and weight/muscle loss are all indicative of HT, and it would be sensible to rule it out and to check for any of the other diseases that can affect older cats.
Hi, thank you for your reply. I’ve been reading online and wondered the same, apparently it’s quite common.
Am trying not to panic about it being cancer, just read the symptoms and he doesn’t seem to have those, only weight loss but generally it’s through lack of appetite.
Am going to ring the vets tomorrow
In hyperthyroidism you will hear it referred to as a "tumour" which immediately triggers the thought cancer, but only 2% of thyroid tumours in cats are cancerous and even those are very treatable too.
A simple blood test should reveal the cause for certain.
I would say it is much more likely to be HT than cancer, given the symptoms. Both Mollycat and I have seen spectacular results from radio iodine treatment - it is expensive but almost guarantees a complete cure. There are other treatment options - drugs in the short term, a special diet if it fits your circumstances, surgery - but all that is something to discuss with your vet if the blood tests confirm HT.
I'll agree with getting him a full vet check and blood works done, but it could just be age. I've had a couple of cats who when they got into their teens lost weight even though they were eating plenty. Vet checks couldn't pick up anything wrong. Both cats lived for a number of years afterwards, and while they lost some muscle definition, particularly their sideways stability in the back legs, they could still get around fine for the most part, it was only the higher jumps that they couldn't make any more. I would suggest that regular health checks might be worth dong for George every 6 months or so, as it can mean the vets can pick up anything quickly which means you have a better chance to treat it, sometimes the changes are slow enough that when we see them each day we don't notice them.
Thank you all for your replies.
We’re just back from the vets who gave him a good check over and said he appears to be in good health.
They’re doing blood tests just to make sure in case there is an underlying issue, which I’m pleased about.
George, on the other hand, isn’t… he’s sulking and has refused peace offerings of ham and chicken
Is George usually straight back to normal after a vet visit? Has he had bloods done before? And did they take him out of the room to draw the blood, or did they take it from the paw in front of you?
He might be a bit outraged at the indignity of it all but unless he's worrying at his neck I wouldn't think he should be in any discomfort. It's supposed to be much less stressful from the neck but scary for owners, though I always ask them to take it in the consulting room because I won't let Molly out of my sight if I can possibly help it. If you've ever seen a cat struggle to pull its paw away, the neck really is surprisingly completely still and calm. I'm glad I did so the first time because I am completely reassured that it really is much less stressful for the cat.
