My rescue cats eat a lot but are losing weight. Are they sick?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your foster kitten. His hair coat appears rough and he may have a crust on his nose. Has he experienced any respiratory signs such as coughing or sneezing? This would be unrelated to the diarrhea, but a compounding illness could result in poor weight gain. I would recommend checking him for panleukopenia just to be sure. If the vet will not run bloodwork, you can test a fecal sample with the dog parvovirus test. Otherwise I would consider a new diet if seeking a second opinion is not an option. I like Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Gastrointestinal High Energy canned formula. The veterinarian should be able to write you a prescription for the diet. I hope this information helps!

It is possible that Ugi may still have a worm infection even if he was previously treated. Your veterinarian will be able to prescribe appropriate deworming medications for Ugi. Other possibilities are gastritis or pancreatitis. The course of metronidazole may not have been long enough, the dose may not have been high enough or Ugi may need a different antibiotic all together. Either way, I recommend a visit to your veterinarian right away.

Since she was missing for so long, an exam with your veterinarian would be recommended. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. If she gets a clean bill of health, continue feeding a high quality canned diet until she is back to her normal weight.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would deworm him. Intestinal parasites are almost always present in young animals as they are passed from the milk. He could be getting more lean but this could also be an early warning sign that something is going on. I would collect a stool sample and have him seen for his first vet visit. The Vet can do an exam, test his stool, feline leukemia and FIV test him and consider giving his first vaccination. I wish you and Noah the very best!

Given her age there are several things that cross my mind, but a common issue in these young kittens is parasites. Sometimes their parasite burden can be so high that they cannot maintain adequate glucose levels, and also can become uninterested in food and sometimes will begin vomiting. I would recommend deworming her. Also, it would be important to rule out signs of infection and/or sepsis. I think she needs to be seen by a veterinarian right away. Such a young and small animal can deteriorate quickly even with easy to resolve issues like gastrointestinal parasites.

I definitely think you should have Dahlia examined by your veterinarian. A few diseases that could cause an increased appetite with weight loss include intestinal parasites, diabetes, and hyperthyroidism. Your vet can examine Dahlia and her stool, and may recommend checking lab work if parasites seem unlikely. All of these diseases are very treatable, but it's important to get a diagnosis quickly.

Outdoor kittens will commonly have intestinal parasites. You can try an over the counter pet dewormer, but there are a few intestinal parasites that need to be diagnosed by a veterinarian so a prescription medication can be used (like coccidia and giardia). Also, make sure you are feeding enough and that other cats aren't eating the kitten's food. It is possible that there is other illness causing vomiting or diarrhea that you don't see since he is outdoors, including inflammatory bowel disease, bacterial or viral gastroenteritis (like panleukopenia), congenital disease, among others. I recommend that Felix see a vet for examination to determine if additional testing is needed.