[harleymaxx]

Hi I have a 13yo male long hair cat who is losing a lot of weight. Otherwise his health is OK. He doesn't do much so he has no reason to be losing weight. I have treated him for worms twice in four weeks, and that hasn't helped.
He means so very much to me, but unfortuneately at this time I do not have enough money to take him to a vet. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[JudyKayTee]

I've seen animals made really, really sick by over-the-counter worming medications. Why have you wormed him twice, particularly in such a short period?

Weight loss, particularly when it's sudden, is usually not a good thing (obviously). Is he urinating, excessively thirsty?

As a side issue you posted on a Monday that you had had unprotected sex on the previous Friday and thought you might be pregnant because you felt like you were.

How did that work out? https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/pregna...ml#post1942766

[harleymaxx]

Because his weight loss is so drastic and he hasn't been wormed I did it twice I am not sure whether it was as close as a month. His weight loss has been a gradual thing. I have thought about feline diabetes. Is is common in elderly cats? It is causing me such distress.
In regards to being pregnant. That is a mystery I did a test it came up positive, then did another and it came up negative. I had some symptoms then they vanished... we are still trying

[morgaine300]

Yes, diabetes is common in older cats, and is caused by the high carb dry foods we tend to feed them their whole lives. Dry food can also contribute to kidney problems. Both of these diseases have symptoms in common.

I know I've written some stuff about this in the past. Let me see what I can dig up instead of writing it all over again. ;)

Well here's one, but this person already had a cat diagnosed with diabetes, so note that my post is directed at what she said, but it still applies if that's what your cat has.
https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cats/c...ar-218804.html

Well, I can't find the other one, so I guess I'll have to repeat some of it.

Really, the best way to determine what is going on is the vet's, sorry. Everyone is always looking for a solution to something that requires a vet, without the vet. You really can't diagnose kidney problems without blood work. And for diabetes, it sure helps. However, I can give you one suggestion, which is to get glucose test strips at the pharmacy, if you can afford that. They don't require a prescription. When the glucose level gets up to approximately 250 they start spilling it into their urine, so if glucose is showing up in their urine they are more than likely diabetic. And that test you can do at home. However, it's a good idea to get a confirmation with blood testing.

If you read the above link, I talked about blood glucose testing at home. If I were near you, I could actually come over and test your cat myself for glucose level. (Can't do a blood workup, no, but I can test just blood glucose.) If I knew where you were, I might know someone near enough that could come do this. That would actually only confirm high glucose levels, because certain diseases and stress can make their glucose go whacky too. If it's really high, it's probably diabetes though. (You can PM me and let me know where you are so I can check if you like.)

And there are other things that cause weight loss. It would be nice to have an answer to the question about the drinking and urinating a lot, and also any other clinical symptoms, such as appetite problems, vomiting, constipation, scruffy fur, anything that seems different or unusual to you. With diabetes, usually what happens is eating a TON but still losing weight anyway - that's a classic symptom. If it's just the weight loss, that could be other stuff.

And this stuff does need to be treated. There are some things you can only treat to an extent. Other things (like diabetes) can be totally controlled and would not prevent the cat to continue to live a full life. I know of some resources and you might even be able to get certain supplies and stuff from other people, but you still need to get into a vet to find out what is going on.

Let us hear back what other symptoms might be going on and see if we can figure out where you can go from there.

[Sariss]

He needs to go to the vet. It could be anything from diabetes to hyperthyroidism to renal failure, all of which are common in older cats.

[JudyKayTee]

Here's my concern - you've had this cat for 13 years, he's sick and you know it, you are resorting to self help, you can't afford Vet care - and you are trying to get pregnant?

The cat needs Vet care. It could be your child who needs medical care. Doesn't make sense to me -

[morgaine300]

Trying to get pregnant? How does one afford a baby if they can't afford a trip to the vet?