First, how urgent is this?
Go now
- Weight loss with a complete refusal to eat.
- Very restless, a fast heart rate, a high body temperature.
- Open-mouth breathing, or obvious effort to breathe.
- Sudden collapse, or unable to stand.
Contact your vet today
- Weight down 5% or more within two weeks.
- Weight down 5% or more over three months.
- In cats over 10, chronic kidney disease affects up to 40%, and needs blood tests to confirm.
- Eating well but still losing weight, and grumpier: over 10, test the thyroid.
- Hong Kong study: 3.93% of cats aged 10 and over had hyperthyroidism.
Record and observe
- Stable weight and normal activity, with only age-related muscle loss.
- Slow loss on a weight-management diet set by the vet.
- Already under vet care: weigh monthly on the same scale, and bring the record to the next visit.
Before you set off
- Each weight with its date, on the same scale where possible.
- How much and what the cat eats, and how often.
- How much it drinks, and how much urine.
- Any vomiting, diarrhoea, bad breath or drooling.
- A list of medicines and supplements, with the time of the last dose.
- Do not add nutrition gels, human supplements or protein powder on your own.
What your vet may ask and do
- Ask: when the weight started falling, and how fast.
- Ask: any change in appetite, drinking, vomiting or stool.
- Do: weight and a muscle condition score.
- Do: blood tests (kidney values, thyroid, glucose, protein) and a urine test.
- Do: blood pressure.
- Do: a mouth and dental exam, with X-rays.
- Do: ultrasound of the kidneys, thyroid and gut, then diet and medication once confirmed.
Where to go in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong 24-hour vet list
- 24-hour emergency, Hong Kong Island
- 24-hour emergency, Kowloon
- 24-hour emergency, New Territories
- Clinics with ultrasound
- Clinics with inpatient care
- What emergency and test fees look like
Call the clinic before you drive over, to confirm tonight's arrangements and the location.