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Cat Underweight
Cats that are underweight or have lost weight usually are not receiving enough calories. If your pet is burning up more calories than usual (by living in a hot environment, exercising more, or becoming excited over nearby female in heat), eating a new food that may not be as digestible or eating less food(and therefore fewer calories), it can lose weight. If you have moved recently, brought another new pet home, or had a baby, your cat may be upset and may not eat well. But weight loss can occur from medical problems as well. In certain diseases of the thyroid, pancreas, liver, and intestines, food is not absorbed properly (diarrhea and/or vomiting will be present also). A weight loss accompanied by increased urination and water intake may indicate the presence of hyperthyroidism, diabetes, or kidney disease. Heart disease (such as cardiomyopathy or heart-valve disease) can cause a weight loss called cardiac cachexia, in which the body does not get the proper nutrition because of poor circulation forms can steal the nutrition your cat's body needs. The list of medical problems that can cause weight loss is endless, so an examination by your veterinarian is essential. There is nothing really wrong with being just a little underweight, however. Healthy pets that are on the lean side seem to have fewer joint, heart, lung, and pancreatic problems. To find out your cat's proper weight, consult your veterinarian. Cat Underweight Home Remedies If your cat is alert, active, and does not seem ill, you could try increasing the caloric intake. Check the weight desired, the caloric needs and the amount of food necessary to maintain that weight, and weigh your pet weekly. Cat Underweight Treatment If the weight loss is accompanied by signs of illness or if no weight gain is seen with the increased food intake, you must visit a see veterinarian. Complete history and physical examination will be done, and your cat's dietary and bowel patterns will be scrutinized. Blood tests, including the FLV and FTLV tests, a stool sample, a urinalysis, an electrocardiogram, an echocardiogram, endoscope, biopsies, and X-rays maybe necessary to find the underlying cause for the weight loss. There is an increased incidence of hyperthyroidism in cats over seven years of age. Cat Underweight Information As a cat owner you must be eager to now whether your dear little cat is obese or thin, under weight or over weight or simply enjoying an ideal weight. The following information on the physical appearance of various weighted cats would help you to get a fair idea of how your cat should look like ideally. Thin Cat – In a thin cat you would find the ribs, lumber vertebrae and pelvic bones can be easily noticed. The cat would have very thin neck and a narrow slender waist along with abdominal tuck. You will also find no fat deposits in the flank folds. In fact, in a thin cat there are no flank folds at all. Under weight cats – The ribs can easily be seen. The body of the pet would have less fat covering and when viewed from above a slight waist can be seen. The abdomen can be seen to be lightly tucked.
In an ideal weighted cat the ribs can be felt if touched but can be seen. When viewed from above a waist can be seen along with flank folds.
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