I have a cat that is 22 lbs. I promise you, I feed the cat half of what the vet tells me…
Having an overweight cat can be extremely frustrating, especially when you are trying so hard to get him to lose weight. I first try to evaluate each cat on his body condition score, not just on weight. In a cat with an ideal weight and body condition score, you should be able to feel his ribs and spine with a gentle amount of pressure and visualize a waist and slight tuck on his tummy in profile. There is no perfect weight. Your 22 pound cat’s perfect weight may be 17 pounds if he has a large frame while a petite cat’s ideal weight may be 7 pounds.
To answer your main question, hypothyroid disease in cats is extremely rare..and I mean extremely. Is it possible, sure…is it likely, NO. It would not hurt to have some labs checked on him just to be absolutely sure. His flaky skin is likely due to decreased grooming due to his weight. Work with your veterinarian on his weight. Perhaps there is a more appropriate diet for him and be sure your veterinarian is figuring out his caloric needs and not just guessing. Even a little bit of exercise can help too. Keep working on it…it’ll be worth it! Good luck!
Original post by Cat Advice (Emotional): Purina® Cat Chow® Mentor Amy Shojai and software by Elliott Back
