Options for muscle wasting in older cat?
Hello, I am a vet student looking for some outside perspective on my cat’s condition. I got Oliver, MN DMH, in 2021 from a shelter. I was told at the time that he was around 4-5yr at the time, but had a few vets determine that he was older than that due to poor dental health and eye changes. I’ll never know how old he actually is, but I am working under the impression that he is between 11-13yrs old. Ollie has had somewhat progressive muscle wasting along his spine and limbs. At this point, there is very little muscle along his back, his scapular spines are very prominent on palpation, and his back legs have very little muscle tone/definition. He’s never been a big eater and tends to graze throughout the day. He was about 10lbs when I adopted him and he’s down to 9lbs. He has had bloodwork annually since I got him and aside from a few elevated SDMA results (15 and 16) years ago, he’s shown no other abnormalities. He does have (suspected) feline herpes based on recurrent URI signs and the years he spent in a cattery.
I would like to know if there is anything I can do to either promote muscle gain or stop further muscle loss. I’m currently feeding Royal Canine senior cat food. I’ve tried putting him on Dasaquin in the past, but he wouldn’t eat his food when I sprinkled it on. He’s currently being treated with Azithromycin and Cyproheptadine PRN for a herpes flare. And I am taking him to get updated bloodwork and possibly radiographs at the end of the week.