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Last week we had to make a hard decision for our much loved clinic cat Oliver. He had multiple problems - diabetes, hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease - and despite our best efforts was fading away to nothing. He has lived at Canberra Cat Vet since almost the day we opened as his owner went into hospital and passed away while he was staying with us. For the last year he has been faithfully medicated and cared for by his staff. However, we discovered that he had a liver mass recently and although he was still as bright as a button and ordering us around as usual, he lost weight rapidly. His kidneys were also deteriorating and he required fluids under the skin every second day - which he hated. Some days he ate well and some days he didn't. Some days he came out of his office to check the hospital was running smoothly and others he stayed on his bed(s) all day. His litter tray was a mess some days and empty others. Just as we would decide that he wasn't enjoying life he would spark up again. We had to ask ourselves the hard questions: Was he having more good days than bad? Was his appetite stable and was he enjoying his meals? Was he responding to us and his surroundings as much as he had just a few months before? Would he tolerate yet more treatment for his kidney disease? Was he staying in his familiar places or moving to unusual places - or was he not moving a lot at all? Was he crying a lot - or quieter than normal? Was he using the litterbox, missing it or soiling his beds? Was he losing weight more rapidly than expected in an elderly cat? How much enjoyment was he really getting out of life? The clincher for Ollie was the regular kidney treatment - he hated being interfered with at the best of times. And he had lost over a kilogram of weight in the last 6 months, despite Nurse Leanne's intensive feeding regime. All of his staff eventually agreed that it was time for Ollie to go. We gathered around him on his favourite bed, and purring loudly, he slid off into a happier hunting ground.

Weight loss in cats is a sensitive indicator of many feline diseases. Because cats don't give us many clues when they are ill we take unexpected weight loss very seriously. If a cat loses weight over a day or so then dehydration from a more rapid onset illness, pancreatitis or a gastrointestinal upset is more likely. We should correct the dehydration as soon as possible so don't hesitate to call us for advice or an appointment. Even if your cat seems otherwise well and happy, weight loss over a month or more could be due to diseases such as hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease or cancer. It is only when these diseases are well advanced that a cat will finally show obvious signs. When your cats come in for a regular exam the first thing we do is weigh them. We take weight loss very seriously and if you haven't been intentionally dieting them we will recommend tests. Hyperthyroidism, diabetes and kidney disease are detected with tests we do in our own laboratory. Results are available within half an hour. If we don't find anything then we discuss the possibility of bowel disease or other more unusual diseases. It is always better to detect and manage disease earlier rather than later. Cats often have chronic ongoing disease. With good management we can improve their quality of life and ensure they live a good long life with you.

Cats often don't give us many clues that they are ill. Perhaps they miss a meal or hide in the cupboard. Perhaps they look for a cuddle; or perhaps they want nothing to do with you. Some will vomit or have diarrhoea. The occasional one will show pain by hunching over or curling up and wanting to be left alone. Many of these vaguely ill cats have pancreatitis, a painful inflammation of the pancreas. The pain and nausea put them off their food. As cats obtain most of their fluids through their food rather than from what they drink they become dehydrated very quickly. The dehydration exacerbates the pain and nausea and so a vicious downward spiral continues. Fortunately most respond to a drip to rehydrate them, and pain relief and anti-nausea medication. Within 2 or 3 days they are back to their normal selves. Pancreatitis is a very common complaint in middle-aged to older cats. If your cat doesn't seem to be her or himself call us sooner rather than later as cats often suffer pancreatitis silently.