11 Year Old Cat Listless and Losing Weight w/ Bad Coat and getting Boney
Billy
recently is becoming more tired and listless.
Has anyone seen these symptoms below and what was your cat's diagnosis
and solution?
Over the past Year:
> She used to be 16 - 17 lbs and now is about 13.5 to 14 lbs. This loss of lbs was over about 6 months to a year.
Over the Past Month:
> She is still eating and drinking regularly but much less it seems.
> No vomiting but we noticed some constipation and small little poops instead of standard length.
> Most notable is that her ***coat*** does not feel normal and he back-bone spine feels "bone-ey".
> She also hiding more under the bed lately.
> She definitely does not seem herself.
It seems that whatever it is - it's very slight and gradual over the
course of the past year. It is becoming more prominent over the past
month, but I cant say she seems real sick, just "mope-ey and "off".
She turns 11 this Monday but just 6 months to a year ago she was much
more playful, fat, and happy.
cybercat
"Billy" <Use...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:2c33992d-6f3a-4c9a...@z5g2000vba.googlegroups.com...
I don't know, but for fuck's sake don't take the poor animal to the vet.
That might save her life. I'd keep asking around on the Internet.
MaryL
"Billy" <Use...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:2c33992d-6f3a-4c9a...@z5g2000vba.googlegroups.com...
This may not be the answer you wanted, but this newsgroup is not where you
should be seeking a diagnois. Your cat should be seen by a vet, and that
should have been done 6 months ago. Since you cannot go backward in time,
please get your cat to a vet *immediately.* At a minimum, you need a full
panel of blood work and also check for possible thyroid problems. There are
a whole host of problems that could probably fit this pattern, ranging from
serious to very mild, but you have already waited much too long. A minor,
easily treated problem can quickly grow into a serious, difficult-to-treat
problem. It it were my cat, I would have an appointment with the vet as
soon as I noticed *any* weight loss or any of the other symptoms you
mentioned.
MaryL
Linda Boucher
you should have a blood test done to check her kidneys..
the same thing happen to my cat two years ago she was 11 years old at the
time her kidneys where going..
i had to have her put to sleep not long after that
she stop eating and would take any food at all..
it may not be to late for your cat if you get her check right away
Linda
kraut
Just a thought but the first thing most people think about is illness,
bloodwork, ETC which is all fine.
A friend of mine had an elderly cat that developed many of the same
symptons (SP) and asked if I would take to the vet cause they could
not drive any longer. I asked which vet they used and well come to
find out the cat had not been to vet since it was nuetered as a
kitten. They said it was never really sick (Which may be but --).
Come to find out it never had dental work either!! It had to have 4
teeth extracted plus 2 roots from old teeth. He could not eat because
evidently his mouth was sore thus he lost weight and did not go much
because he was not taking anything in to pass through!! After his
mouth healed it was recommended he get just canned food for a while.
Well eventually he started eating and putting on weight and "pooping".
You would be surprised at how many people never think of their pets
needing dental work and cleaning. Just like people's teeth they need
care!! If your pet has continual bad breath I would recommend having
their teeth checked as a precaution.
Biggest recommendation is to have pets seen by a vet on a regular
basis and not just when they are sick!!
PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!
Matthew
cybercat
"Matthew" <iamacat...@proudtoserve.com> wrote in message news:4a21418c$0$21136$9a6e...@unlimited.newshosting.com...VET RIGHT NOW
Matthew
"cybercat" <cyber...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:gvrj51$1i9$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
Granby
"Billy" <Use...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:2c33992d-6f3a-4c9a...@z5g2000vba.googlegroups.com...
Billy
> What part of "This cat needs to see a VET" don't you understand?????"Billy" <UseN...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> - Show quoted text -
If some would have been as nice to ask as they others were to offer
advise then I would have told you that we take very good care of the
two cats that we have - they go to the vet annually and the doc does a
thourough exam every year. This cat is extremely difficult to check
because she is hyper-sensitive to the touch and she is big and can be
quite aggressive. Blood tests were not recommended by the vet.....not
yet that is. If we do tests, the cat will need to be sedated due to
her aggressiveness and we dont take that risk lightly unless uterrly
neccesary which "yea" is about now . The last checkup was the annual
September visit back in 2008. We mentioned the very mild weight loss
that developed over quite a bit of time and the vet took a "wait and
watch" approach. She suspected that if it continued we should check
for Thyroid or Diebetes. Never a mention to the kidney issue that one
spoke about but I'm sure thats a possibilitity. All I was seeking was
some common sypmtoms and causes to kind of get an idea of what we
should expect on the cats re-visit to the vet which btw *will* occur
*this week*. She is not dying overnight, I dont think I made it sound
that way. She is however symptomatic of some underlying likely age
related disorder. Thanks for all those responding, there were a few
good stories of their cats symptoms and experiences.
MaryL
Please keep in mind that people who respond on this group are very concerned
about the welfare of cats, and nowhere in your original message did you
indicate that your cat had been seen by a vet. You mentioned weight loss
that occurred over a period of 6 months to a year, and you mentioned various
symptoms that most of us recognize as signs to get to a vet ASAP. I am very
pleased to hear that you have plans to take your cat to a vet this week. If
your cat were healthy, then an annual checkup is what most of us would
recommend. In light of what seems to be a continually deteriorating
condition, though, it is important not to delay. What your vet saw in
September was probably very different than what will be seen this week.
Yes, thyroid or diabetes both come to mind, and there are also other
possibilities. Incidentally, if it is either thyroid or diabetes, please
remember that both of those are *very* treatable. In particular, an
all-canned premium cat food with *no grains* (cats do not need and should
not have carbs) can do wonders. Many people have found that cats with
diabetes will go back to normal readings in a relatively short period of
time on an all-canned diet, combined with appropriate testing and
medication. This would also help with weight control if you mean that your
cat is overweight when you said "big" (which could relate to weight or might
simply refer to a larger-type cat). My sister found it very easy to care
for her cat with hyperthyroidism (which is very common as cats age).
Please keep us updated. We *do* care what happens to our cats and to those
of others on the newsgroup (and elsewhere).
MaryL
Photos of Duffy and Holly: >'o'<
Duffy: http://tinyurl.com/cslwf
Holly: http://tinyurl.com/9t68o
Duffy and Holly together: http://tinyurl.com/8b47e
cybercat
"MaryL" <stan...@yahoo.comTAKE-OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote
> Please keep in mind that people who respond on this group are very
> concerned about the welfare of cats, and nowhere in your original message
> did you indicate that your cat had been seen by a vet. You mentioned
> weight loss that occurred over a period of 6 months to a year, and you
> mentioned various symptoms that most of us recognize as signs to get to a
> vet ASAP.
No, no, it must be our fault. We are just so mean. Billy needed to be ASKED
if his cat had seen the vet.
spot
He was loosing weight and we had all kinds of tests ran and everything
came back normal. He had a tooth that looked a bit iffy and the vet
didn't think it was a problem. He didn't even have any mouth odor which
is common with bad teeth so it never occurred to us that it was the
whole problem. In a last ditch effort to fix what was wrong the tooth
was pulled along with one more she found was bad when doing the other
extraction.
Obviously that tooth was causing more of an issue than either of us
realized because now he is eating like a champ and putting back on the
weight he's lost.
Celeste
Matthew
You know I was just thinking how this is about when Peter jumps in and
tells us we are all wrong saying what we said and that we have no idea about
how to care for cats or that we don't have the best interest in for the
cats. That the poster and himself knows more about cats than some of the
people out here.
You know BULLSHIT. I am done being Mr.Nice guy. USE Common freaking
sense. If your vet says lets see what happens. Ok I can agree I would wait
if mine said something but not over 6 months almost a year down the road. A
smart common sense vet would make you come back in no later than 4 to 6
months tops for a full work up to be done and definitely check for more
weight loss.
GET A NEW VET yours just made a big mistake or is it you need learn to be
aggressive and speak up YOUR CAT CAN'T. You continue to see problems but
don't do anything WTF????. But hey it is just your cat. If it was your car
or even your kid you would have done something. Unless you are lying or
misrepresenting about what happened and did not tell the vet what was going
on.
But hey aren't you are the same guy back in August 2007 that came here for a
cat bite thinking it was cancer and still did not really want to listen to
us anyways. Remember your own words ***Lesson Learned:*** Do see a vet and
don't try to self-diagnose, many conditions similarly mimic others.
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.pets.cats.health+behav/browse_thread/thread/7c1e7b65ae78b403/f56be95b62a13817?hl=en#f56be95b62a13817
"She is not dying overnight, I don't think I made it sound that way. She
is however symptomatic of some underlying likely age
related disorder" WHAT YOU A VET NOW BIG BOY!!!!!!. I can name at least 5
different things that could be wrong that are simple and even more that
COULD KILL YOUR CAT OVERNIGHT that are common in felines. And none are age
disorder they strike at any age
>>>> Lets start TOP 10+ POSSIBLE PROBLEMS FROM THE SYMPTOMS YOU DESCRIBED
>>>> <<<<
DIABETES
HYPERTHYROIDISM
KIDNEY FAILURE
FELIV; (this is a way out one) and I know I misspelled it
CANCER
DENTAL PROBLEMS
STOMACH DISORDER
FOOD ALLERGY
VITAMINS NEEDED
HORMONAL IMBALANCE
ALLERGIES
TUMOR or MASS
a simple Google search could turn up any of these problems with the symptoms
described
After reading stuff posted like this. I know I had calmed down quite a
bit and stopped commenting on people out here. Got tired of having to repeat
myself over and over and over and over. TAKE YOUR CAT TO A VET. TAKE YOUR
CAT TO A VET. TAKE YOUR CAT TO A VET. TAKE YOUR CAT TO A VET
I thought to myself people are just plain stupid and nothing you say or
do can help. But in my heart I know I have helped many out here just like
many of the regulars out here have but after reading more and more every
day like this I am a firm believer in that you need a license to have pet
companions and a license to have kids with some one standing over you with a
baseball bat when you don't act with common sense.
Granby
cat and never indicated that you had been in touch with a vet, just scared
the hell out of me. On many of the cat groups someone will write in and
have let horrible thing go on for ages and never once go to a vet. Again, I
responded to what you said, not to what I could have no way of knowing.
Glad you take good care of your cats.news:e2312326-6ce4-4c87...@c36g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...
Billy
We took the cat to the vet on Sunday and had the bloodwork done. The
teeth were checked and no indication of tooth decay - she is a dry
food only cat and her teeth stay cleaner. The vet checked the rectum
and stool felt normal. This likely rules out constipation as I had
also suspected from hard and small litterbox remnants. The vet gave me
the other possibilities as we all knew - kidneys, diabetes, thyroid.
She also mentioned xrays if the blood comes back normal to check for
masses or lumps. Liver (although she is not jaundiced) is also a
possible cause.
She really has not eaten since Saturday but it is so odd, other than
her hiding under the bed more than ususal and not eating along with
the weight loss, she seems fine when she does come out, although this
behavior has to be indicitive of something really wrong. Her coat
looks shiney and good as opposed to last few days when it was nastier
looking so that's maybe a plus. However, she obviously can not survive
going on like this.
The vet practice we go to is the biggest and best in the state, it's
no rinky-dink shop. Money is no object for us to her care. We also
have VPI. The vet is kind of like the one's you would see on Animal
Planet with fully qualified general practitioners, specialists,
surgeons and such. It's not cheap and is top notch. She is a regular
patientof theirs and all her shots and history is known. Our other cat
was operated on at this site before with very successful outcome. The
vet is also a friend of ours and lives in our town, so we trust her
judgement highly.
We get the bloodwork results back today. I'm just worried that if it
comes back normal, adn then if later x-rays are normal, where do we go
from there? If that all pans out as described, I wonder what the vet
will tell us to do! A cat cant survive not eating. If that occurs, I
will ask for tooth xrays as well. Maybe it is some root issue because
when she eats food that we hand to her (she tries so eat so we know
there is some hunger in her) but then she drop it out of mouth. This
is why I have this curious suspicion that it's mouth or teeth related
and going undiagnosed.
The other cat described above was this same exact way years ago, but
he was vomiting in addition to other similar symptoms. They xray-ed
and though they saw something. The next day, his stomach was opened in
an operation to ensure no foriegn objects. The surgeon found nothing,
but mentioned that sometimes when they do this it "lets the bad out" -
a common talked about mysterious surgical theory that I've heard from
others and in web newsgroups. Believe it or not, a few days after
surgey he was back home and back to his good old self with all
symptoms vanished. that was about 6 years ago. He just turned 10 and
is still with us......
On May 31, 9:49 pm, "Granby" <s...@joink.com> wrote:
> I am sorry I didn't mean to be rude but all the things you told about the
> cat and never indicated that you had been in touch with a vet, just scared
> the hell out of me. On many of the cat groups someone will write in and
> have let horrible thing go on for ages and never once go to a vet. Again, I
> responded to what you said, not to what I could have no way of knowing.
> Glad you take good care of your cats."Billy" <UseN...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> good stories of their cats symptoms and experiences.- Hide quoted text -
MaryL
Thanks for your feedback.
We took the cat to the vet on Sunday and had the bloodwork done. The
teeth were checked and no indication of tooth decay - she is a dry
food only cat and her teeth stay cleaner. The vet checked the rectum
and stool felt normal. This likely rules out constipation as I had
also suspected from hard and small litterbox remnants. The vet gave me
the other possibilities as we all knew - kidneys, diabetes, thyroid.
She also mentioned xrays if the blood comes back normal to check for
masses or lumps. Liver (although she is not jaundiced) is also a
possible cause.
She really has not eaten since Saturday but it is so odd, other than
her hiding under the bed more than ususal and not eating along with
the weight loss, she seems fine when she does come out, although this
behavior has to be indicitive of something really wrong. Her coat
looks shiney and good as opposed to last few days when it was nastier
looking so that's maybe a plus. However, she obviously can not survive
going on like this.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Billy,
Thank you for giving us a detailed update. Did your vet say anything about
possibly giving your cat fluids? That can often stimulate an appetite and
would be essential if she is dehydrated.
Years ago, my cat Amber completely lost her appetite. She had some
specifical medical problems--both CRF and IBD. In her case, the problem was
first noticed in routine blood work done as part of her annual exam when she
was age 13. Up until that time, she had appeared to be completely healthy.
Three months later, her readings were dramatically worse and she had lost
weight. I was told that she probably would not live more than a few
weeks -- "three months at the most." She was going through renal failure.
So, her problems were not the same as what you described, but the way I
stimulated her appetite might also be helpful for you. My mother (who grew
up on a farm) told me what her father used to do in those instances, and it
worked very well for Amber. That is, I took chicken pieces (*include* the
skin and bones, for nourishment) and boiled them for a *very* long time.
The point was, I wasn't trying to get the actual chicken; I needed to boil
until I could reduce the liquid and use that. Then I would refrigerate the
liquid. After refrigeration, it would be a gel (if not, it wasn't boiled
long enough or too much water was used in the beginning) and skim off the
fat. Several times a day, I would microwave a tablespoon of that just
enough to melt it and get it slightly warm (*not* hot) and would a
needleless syringe provided by the vet to get some down her throat. Be
careful doing that -- I aimed for the side of her throat, not the center to
avoid choking, and was careful not to use too much. After a couple of days,
this would stimulate her appetite to the point where she returned to her
normal eating pattern and I could discontinue that part of her treatment
(although I would continue to pour a small amount on her food for a couple
of days, then discard the rest).
The end result of all this is: I had been told that Amber probably would
not live more than a few weeks ("3 months at most"). Instead, she lived for
another 3 *years,* and they were very good years. My vet was amazed that
she lived for so long and seemed so happy. She needed continuous treatment
(which I did not describe here because it would not relate to your case),
but she remained a happy, loving (and dearly loved!) cat. She did continue
to gradually lose weight, despite all our precautions, and she periodically
needed Ringer's lactate to prevent dehydration. You need to watch carefully
for that -- and act promptly -- especially if your cat develops diarrhea
because a cat can quickly become dehydrated.
Good luck with all this, and please keep us informed.
MaryL
Billy
Here's why I ask.....my cat with this issue, her name is ....well,
ummmm it's Amber.
Anyway, thanks for the advice. I was aware of the dehydration issue,
the cat I talked about below with surgery done was dehydrated when I
broght him in. The intrvenious fluids turned him into a new man (I
mean cat!) before and after surgery. I know that dehydration is a
serious issue. I will check her skin elasticity when I get home but
based on the vets and my observations, along with *no* vomit/diareah
or lack of drinking, I'm gonna guess that I will find it not to be the
case. Rather than lack of spunk all-around as dehyration would cause,
she conversely seems moreso "depressed". That's the whole jist of it,
it's like she's depressed - mentally sick rather thank physically
based on the lack of physical sickness symptoms such as vomit,
diareah, heavy breathing, etc.
One other thought that came to our mind was the possibility of some
heart disorder because of her heavy weight over the years. I have
heard I dont know if a simple exam without ekg or other tests would
difinitively identify this. She has had some odd sounding breathing
and gasps in the pasts on/off.
Just got a call from my wife as im writing, Amber is drinking this
morn and ate a little. Another good sign maybe.
On Jun 2, 12:35 pm, "MaryL" <stanco...@yahoo.comTAKE-OUT-THE-LITTER>
wrote:
> "Billy" <UseN...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
MaryL
Interesting, is this a joke (did you read my old posts?) hahahaha
Here's why I ask.....my cat with this issue, her name is ....well,
ummmm it's Amber.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
No, definitely not a joke. If you go here, you can see a picture of Amber:
http://tinyurl.com/a5tpn
She was 15 at the time this picture was taken (two years after diagnosis),
and she lived another year. She was truly a little angel.
MaryL
Billy
beautiful.
The vet also said this does not rule out cancer, but I thought cancer
causes anemia which is found in the blood but Im no vet.
So at this juncture, we have a decision to make. Wait and see if she
continues to lose weight and not eat too much, or box her down, sedate
her and get the x-rays to check for masses. What masses we are
checking for or what type of cancer this could be I dont know yet
until the vet explains. Hopefully if so then it is treatable. We do
have the VPI special cancer endorsement!
She's on the WD dry food special diet for the past few years. This we
thought contributed to the weight loss since that was it intent when
she weighed in at almost 17 lbs and we started her on it. Weight loss
from perhaps sickness then becomes more confusing to diagnose, but not
eating is plain and simple - there's still something wrong.
I wonder if cats just get sick like humans. I've been sick and didnt
eat too much for several days. She is only at about day 4 of the
somewhat (but not total) hunger strike and hiding/depression-ness.
Like I say, she ate and drink a bit today.
On Jun 2, 1:12 pm, "MaryL" <stanco...@yahoo.comTAKE-OUT-THE-LITTER>
wrote:
> "Billy" <UseN...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
Wingnut
"MaryL" <stan...@yahoo.comTAKE-OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote in message
news:4a255d6a$0$23742$bbae...@news.suddenlink.net...
Oh, she was so beautiful! I have not seen a flame point without tabby
markings. Was she a particular breed?
MaryL
"Wingnut" <throwt...@rottenspammers.com> wrote in message
news:h045ac$vql$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
She really was gorgeous, but she was mixed breed. She obviously had Siamese
in her. She had fairly long fur but not as long as a Himalayan. I always
thought she looked somewhat like a Balinese. I adopted her from people who
had had *all four paws declawed,* and yet they were going to put her
outdoors when they were expecting a second child because "they would not
have room for her." It still hurts me to think that that was done to that
little angel. She had the sweetest face and sweetest personality
imaginable.
MaryL
MaryL
OK, bloodwork is back and all is A-OK. The vet said her blood looks
beautiful.
The vet also said this does not rule out cancer, but I thought cancer
causes anemia which is found in the blood but Im no vet.
So at this juncture, we have a decision to make. Wait and see if she
continues to lose weight and not eat too much, or box her down, sedate
her and get the x-rays to check for masses. What masses we are
checking for or what type of cancer this could be I dont know yet
until the vet explains. Hopefully if so then it is treatable. We do
have the VPI special cancer endorsement!
She's on the WD dry food special diet for the past few years. This we
thought contributed to the weight loss since that was it intent when
she weighed in at almost 17 lbs and we started her on it. Weight loss
from perhaps sickness then becomes more confusing to diagnose, but not
eating is plain and simple - there's still something wrong.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Billy,
I can see that you are trying to give your cats the best of care, and I
would like to make still another suggestion. That is, please discontinue
the dry kibble and move instead to a premium *grains-free* canned food.
Cats are obligate carnivores; they do not need and should not have carbs.
Canned food also provides additional water, which is essential for their
health. There is an old myth that says eating dry food will be better for a
cat's teeth and gums. That would be somewhat like saying that people will
have better teeth if they eat pretzels! In fact, it makes even *less* sense
than that because cats do not chew their food, as people; they "crunch" down
on their food instead.
To get a much better explanation, please look at this web site:
http://catinfo.org/
MaryL
rschw...@kalmbach.com
> I can see that you are trying to give your cats the best of care, and I
> would like to make still another suggestion. That is, please discontinue
> the dry kibble and move instead to a premium *grains-free* canned food.
> Cats are obligate carnivores; they do not need and should not have carbs.
> Canned food also provides additional water, which is essential for their
> health. There is an old myth that says eating dry food will be better for a
> cat's teeth and gums. That would be somewhat like saying that people will
> have better teeth if they eat pretzels! In fact, it makes even *less* sense
> than that because cats do not chew their food, as people; they "crunch" down
> on their food instead.
>
> To get a much better explanation, please look at this web site:http://catinfo.org/
>
> MaryL
I agree completely with MaryL. Some brand examples include Wellness,
Innova Evo, and Nature's Variety canned--all brands I've fed/feed that
are grain free. Warm it up a bit to make it even more appealing.
yng...@aol.com
> Interesting, is this a joke (did you read my old posts?) hahahaha
>
> Here's why I ask.....my cat with this issue, her name is ....well,
> ummmm it's Amber.
>
> Anyway, thanks for the advice. I was aware of the dehydration issue,
> the cat I talked about below with surgery done was dehydrated when I
> broght him in. The intrvenious fluids turned him into a new man (I
> mean cat!) before and after surgery. I know that dehydration is a
> serious issue. I will check her skin elasticity when I get home but
> based on the vets and my observations, along with *no* vomit/diareah
> or lack of drinking, I'm gonna guess that I will find it not to be the
> case. Rather than lack of spunk all-around as dehyration would cause,
> she conversely seems moreso "depressed". That's the whole jist of it,
> it's like she's depressed - mentally sick rather thank physically
> based on the lack of physical sickness symptoms such as vomit,
> diareah, heavy breathing, etc.
>
> One other thought that came to our mind was the possibility of some
> heart disorder because of her heavy weight over the years. I have
> heard I dont know if a simple exam without ekg or other tests would
> difinitively identify this. She has had some odd sounding breathing
> and gasps in the pasts on/off.
>
> Just got a call from my wife as im writing, Amber is drinking this
> morn and ate a little. Another good sign maybe.
>
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the most common kind with cats, blood
tests will usually all be normal and x-ray may not show anything much
until the heart is quite enlarged. The only definitive test is an
echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) to assess heart function.
When cats act as yours does, seeming depressed, something is wrong.
She doesn't feel good, maybe not terrible but just not so good, and
she can't tell you why. We just went through something not dissimilar
with our cat--she was obviously not herself but all her tests were
normal. Then the vet took another look at her chest x-ray and noticed
a change since her last one, and concluded her asthma had gotten
worse. She wasn't coughing and didn't have increased respirations, but
the lip-smacking we all thought indicated nausea was more likely due
to mucus.
It's a good thing that Amber is eating because as you probably know,
it's dangerous for a cat to go without any food for more than 48
hours, especially an overweight cat. They can develop fatty liver
disease.
Another possibility I want to mention to you is pancreatitis. That is
notoriously difficult to diagnose. When our other cat had it, she was
mopey, didn't want to be disturbed because her stomach hurt, and
didn't eat much. Blood tests can be normal with pancreatitis.
It's always a puzzle when a cat is lethargic and just not acting right
but tests are normal. In your cat's case, it's been going on for a
long time and even though it's a challenge, I think your vet needs to
pursue a diagnosis. Maybe a second opinion would help, just to get
another perspective.
-yngver
Billy
We are going to take her in beginning of next week for x-rays to rule
out cancer. She is still eating very little - tiny morsels here and
there. The vet says they will have to "box her down" and sedate her to
get them. We are hoping this is the right decision and that the risk
is minimal. The vet says according to the bloodwork, all should be OK
with the risk involving sedation. I also asked for her to look at the
teeth better because I still have this funny feeling it is something
with her mouth due to the way she goes for food, tries to chew, then
drops it out.
I guess we have no choice because she has to start eating again and
there is no way they will kep her mouth open for any length of time
other then her being "out" for it.
On Jun 2, 9:41 pm, "MaryL" <stanco...@yahoo.comTAKE-OUT-THE-LITTER>
wrote:
> "Billy" <UseN...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
Billy
done, did they have to "box her down"? I want to understand if that's
how they do it with all cats and if this is standard procedure.
MaryL
Thanks for your suggesstions. Your cat was bueatiful.
We are going to take her in beginning of next week for x-rays to rule
out cancer. She is still eating very little - tiny morsels here and
there. The vet says they will have to "box her down" and sedate her to
get them. We are hoping this is the right decision and that the risk
is minimal. The vet says according to the bloodwork, all should be OK
with the risk involving sedation. I also asked for her to look at the
teeth better because I still have this funny feeling it is something
with her mouth due to the way she goes for food, tries to chew, then
drops it out.
I guess we have no choice because she has to start eating again and
there is no way they will kep her mouth open for any length of time
other then her being "out" for it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- -
Thanks for the update, Billy. Your description is still another reason why
it would be a good idea to move to a premium canned food. If your cat
really is having trouble chewing, a good-quality canned food would help
enormously. Just be sure that it is *grains free.* I use Wellness, but
there are also other good choices--for example, Innovo EVO or Nature's
Variety.
MaryL
Billy
trying to eat something without success yesterday, she was sticking
out her tounge really far and was I guess lip smacking, like after she
ate a really good meal but more pronounced. Her tounge was all over
the place *outside* her mouth for about a minute. I would call it
looking like she was licking her lips, but not the normal way.
I wonder if this is mucous related and contributing to her not able to
chew the food properly.
She has had a very noticable weezing here and there for years now but
it was never diagnosed because it never seemed to be a significant
issue. I wonder if this condition she is feeling is respitory related
and/or heart related but I dont know how or why this would cause not
eating. I'm going to discuss this possibility with the vet.
This also makes me more oncerned to get her sedated for the x-rays
bacause I think that if she has a heart issue that it could be more of
a risk to anethesize her that way.
I know about the fatty liver thing so we will watch out for that.
> -yngver- Hide quoted text -
MaryL
Another suggestion, to add to what I wrote earlier: Why not try some baby
food. Get plain, unseasoned beef, chicken, or turkey. That is very soft
and might be something that your cat could eat if the problem really is pain
when she tries to chew. (Note: Be *very sure* there is no onion in the
food. That can be toxic to cats.)
MaryL
cyberpurrs
>How interesting that you say the thing about the lip smacking. After
>trying to eat something without success yesterday, she was sticking
>out her tounge really far and was I guess lip smacking, like after she
>ate a really good meal but more pronounced. Her tounge was all over
>the place *outside* her mouth for about a minute. I would call it
>looking like she was licking her lips, but not the normal way.
Billy, this is troubling, because this is what our cat, whom we just lost to
oral cancer, started doing just before she was diagnosed. Her coat also
became unkempt because I think it hurt her to groom and the disease caused
her to drool and such. She was 14. I hope this is not what it is, but I
wanted to mention it.
Billy
we warmed up some drumsticks chicken on the bone, pulled some pieces
off and she ate some, not much but some. I guess the smell of it she
could not resist.
One big thing I forgot to mention to the vet or on this group is that
her sides appear very "fat". It's like she looks like a cow with fat
sides, it's weird. A little more boney around the butt and nexk/
shoulders, but with fat sides.
On Jun 4, 11:55 am, "MaryL" <stanco...@yahoo.comTAKE-OUT-THE-LITTER>
wrote:
> "Billy" <UseN...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
Billy
and a large mass was found under the rib cage suspicion is by the
kidneys or adrenal gland.
Latest symptoms was she was acting more normal, less hiding but not
eating for now a week. She lost 1 more pound this past week too. There
still was no vomiting or anything else. Odd thing is she does not seem
in pain and still seems a bit happy!
We are having an ultrasound and aspiration done this evening to
determine the cancer which is the suspicion now. Whatever it is, the
vet assumes it is aggressive based on the loss of weight.
It sounded from the vet that we are going to lose her, if we do
exploratory the vet thinks it may be too risky based on the size of
the mass.
We now have to weigh our options - it's either exploratory soon to
determine a definitive cause and try a last ditch effort to do
something or let her waste away a bit more while we spend our last
days with her. Any ideas or suggestions based on similar experiences
would be appreciated. We really dont know what to do.
On Jun 4, 2:09 pm, "cyberpurrs" <cyberpu...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> "Billy" <UseN...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
Granby
say, think of it in terms of what you would want done to
you..
You loved her and were loved in return. Purrs and prayers you can think of
what is best for her.
"Billy" <Use...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:31d20147-465f-4d94...@r3g2000vbp.googlegroups.com...
cyberpurrs
"Billy" <Use...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>We now have to weigh our options - it's either exploratory soon to
>determine a definitive cause and try a last ditch effort to do
>something or let her waste away a bit more while we spend our last
>days with her. Any ideas or suggestions based on similar experiences
>would be appreciated. We really dont know what to do.
I'm so sorry, Billy. We saw our responsibility as to not allow her to suffer
just because we wanted her with us longer. Cats are so stoic, you really
have to read between the lines. With something like cancer, you can't just
let nature take its course, that is for sure. And that is where the hard
decision has to be made. I can tell you love her. I think if the vet thinks
there is a chance the exploratory might reveal treatable cancer, go for it,
but prepare yourself. One thing on your side, 11 is not so old. She is
stronger than say, a 15-year old might be. In our case, the vet said oral
cancers are almost always fatal no matter how early you discover them. Our
Boo was suffering because it interfered with her eating and she did love her
food. But also, there was pain from the cancer going into her jaw bone.
Billy
> You are in the roughest stage of being a cat slave. As my friend Lee would
> say, think of it in terms of what you would want done to
> you..
>
> You loved her and were loved in return. Purrs and prayers you can think of
> what is best for her.
>
>
> news:31d20147-465f-4d94...@r3g2000vbp.googlegroups.com...
> Thank you for mentioning the similar story. Amber had the x-rays today
> and a large mass was found under the rib cage suspicion is by the
> kidneys or adrenal gland.
>
> Latest symptoms was she was acting more normal, less hiding but not
> eating for now a week. She lost 1 more pound this past week too. There
> still was no vomiting or anything else. Odd thing is she does not seem
> in pain and still seems a bit happy!
>
> We are having an ultrasound and aspiration done this evening to
> determine the cancer which is the suspicion now. Whatever it is, the
> vet assumes it is aggressive based on the loss of weight.
>
> It sounded from the vet that we are going to lose her, if we do
> exploratory the vet thinks it may be too risky based on the size of
> the mass.
>
> We now have to weigh our options - it's either exploratory soon to
> determine a definitive cause and try a last ditch effort to do
> something or let her waste away a bit more while we spend our last
> days with her. Any ideas or suggestions based on similar experiences
> would be appreciated. We really dont know what to do.
>
> On Jun 4, 2:09 pm, "cyberpurrs" <cyberpu...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > "Billy" <UseN...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> >news:9f2dc695-971e-48de...@q2g2000vbr.googlegroups.com...
suspected to be on the pancreas. They determined from the ultrasound
and will better confirm when aspiration results are in. We are
surprised and devestated because they say there is no treatment or
cure and due to its size, inoperabe. She came home still seeming
herself but I suspect the end is near. My 5 & 8 year old cried all the
way home from the vet. Luckily, our other cat didn't seem majorly
affected when she wasaway for the tests. The hardest part is knowing
when to take her down. It just seems so bizarre that she isn't
vomiting or doing *all* the things a sick cat i thought would do.
Netmask
> Our 11 year old cat has lost about 2 lbs in the past 6 months and just
> recently is becoming more tired and listless.
>
> Has anyone seen these symptoms below and what was your cat's diagnosis
> and solution?
>
> Over the past Year:
>> She used to be 16 - 17 lbs and now is about 13.5 to 14 lbs. This loss of lbs was over about 6 months to a year.
>
> Over the Past Month:
>> She is still eating and drinking regularly but much less it seems.
>> No vomiting but we noticed some constipation and small little poops instead of standard length.
>> Most notable is that her ***coat*** does not feel normal and he back-bone spine feels "bone-ey".
>> She also hiding more under the bed lately.
>> She definitely does not seem herself.
>
> It seems that whatever it is - it's very slight and gradual over the
> course of the past year. It is becoming more prominent over the past
> month, but I cant say she seems real sick, just "mope-ey and "off".
>
> She turns 11 this Monday but just 6 months to a year ago she was much
> more playful, fat, and happy.
My dear Max (14 years and 4 days) died from the affect of a brain tumour
- I had all the tests done including a CT scan but finally he had a
cardiac arrest and I decided not to take any action. He died cradled in
my arms assisted by a little anaesthetic from my vet.
Had I had my time over I think I would have put him to sleep 3 days
earlier and not had the final tests - the problem we humans have is cats
are just so stoic and it is very hard to tell whats happening.
In my living will I have instructions not to attempt recovery if I have
a massive seizure that would result in me losing my quality of life I
think that is the least we can do for our four footed friends.
I hope for a miracle for you.
dgk
wrote:
>>
>> >news:9f2dc695-971e-48de...@q2g2000vbr.googlegroups.com...
>Thanks for the tidbits of advice all. The vet says the mass is
>suspected to be on the pancreas. They determined from the ultrasound
>and will better confirm when aspiration results are in. We are
>surprised and devestated because they say there is no treatment or
>cure and due to its size, inoperabe. She came home still seeming
>herself but I suspect the end is near. My 5 & 8 year old cried all the
>way home from the vet. Luckily, our other cat didn't seem majorly
>affected when she wasaway for the tests. The hardest part is knowing
>when to take her down. It just seems so bizarre that she isn't
>vomiting or doing *all* the things a sick cat i thought would do.
>
>
>> > >How interesting that you say the thing about the lip smacking. After
She's doing the main thing that a cat can do to signal that the end is
near, she isn't eating.
You can't win this one (I know from experience). Either you are going
to fear that you put her to sleep too soon or you're going to be sorry
that you dragged it out and made her suffer. In a horrible way, it's
better that there is nothing that they can do. When Nico had cancer I
made him take some powerful pill that I had to wear gloves when giving
him.
He never climbed the cat tree again, probably because he was nauseous.
He may have lived six more months but it was constant trips to the vet
and lots of different events that likely made his last few months
miserable.
I promised that when the time came again that I was not going to drag
it out. When it happens, I'll likely feel that I did it too fast. This
is one of those times when live is just rotten. I'm very sorry.
Billy
what other cat lovers would do.
I can either euthanize my cat which likely is not too long from now or
take a risk and go for surgery. The vet that did all the diagnostics
thinks it would be worthless, she claims it's a big ugly tumor at
6.55cm2, I think which seems to convert to 2.5 inches. However, I
always felt while she seems a definite good vet, she has always been a
pessamist. I'm not in denial, I understand she is dying, but I dont
give up easy, and from how i see my cat, she does not want to give up
either - she wants to still eat but cant. She is not refusing food,
she is just unable to chew it. She is trying hard.
I can also talk the the surgeon and/or oncologists at the vet practice
and see their opinion. If they see a possibility to operate for
exploratory to see if the cancer is definitively untreatable, would
you do it?
I look at it like if she dies in surgery then at least we tried. Like
someone said, she is 11, not 15, and definitely has some spunk left in
her. She was 16 lbs at one time. Now she is 12.6 lbs, still somewhat
beefy.
On Jun 8, 10:26 pm, "cyberpurrs" <cyberpu...@yahoo.com> wrote:
cybercat
"Billy" <Use...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>I can also talk the the surgeon and/or oncologists at the vet practice
>and see their opinion. If they see a possibility to operate for
>exploratory to see if the cancer is definitively untreatable, would
>you do it?
I would.
Matthew
Get a second and third opinion it is only money for something you love IT IS
WORTH IT
"Billy" <Use...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:c71dc893-4ca5-4650...@h23g2000vbc.googlegroups.com...
cyberpurrs
"Netmask" <netma...@gmail.com> wrote
> My dear Max (14 years and 4 days) died from the affect of a brain tumour -
> I had all the tests done including a CT scan but finally he had a cardiac
> arrest and I decided not to take any action. He died cradled in my arms
> assisted by a little anaesthetic from my vet.
>
> Had I had my time over I think I would have put him to sleep 3 days
> earlier and not had the final tests - the problem we humans have is cats
> are just so stoic and it is very hard to tell whats happening.
Exactly. I feel the same way. I let my first cat suffer, I was in denial. I
regret it deeply.
Granby
children, and I think you said you did, go there and check it out then, show
it to the kids. Purrs and prayers for you all.news:5d56fdee-ccf5-412f...@t11g2000vbc.googlegroups.com...
Granby
lived for 6 months, no he existed. In the end, you know your cat best and
have to make the decision.
"cyberpurrs" <cyber...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:utXXl.508$7C4...@newsfe04.iad...
Billy
* Day 13 without more than a few bites of food here and there.
Literally maybe 5 fingernail sizes of chicken and some treats in these
past 13 days
* Vet Intern called a few days ago and says nothing can be done to
cure this, it is most probably Pancreatic Cancer which affects < 1% of
cats. It is a large tumor and inoperable.
* Talked to the chief Surgeon two days ago and he says it is most
probable this is Pancreatic Cancer. We can cut, but it better be fast,
time is critical. The outcome is *not* very optimistic, sounds more
exploratory in nature
* I visited the Oncologist at the practice yesterday and he says it is
most probable that this is Pancreatic Cancer and is not curable. He is
the most optimistic of the three however, prescibing an injectable
dose of anti-nasuea meds and seperate pills for anti-nasuea and
appetite stimulant. This is all in prep for possible chemotherapy to
shrink or stop the spread of the cancerous tumor, and is all just to
ease her suffering and possibly extend her life by several months. I
liked the word "shrink" as a possibility. 1/2 hour after her
injection, I get a whopper at burger king because Im starving, the cat
is banging her head on the carrier cage to eat. She takes two pieces
of the burger and gobbles it down (not the normal food I give her
btw), but then she refuses more. Bizzare.
The cat is now on day 1 of her anti-naseau and appetite stimulant
pills, still no real appetite and def seeming more sick. The doc said
the appetite stimulant (if this is the issue) will not kick in until
Monday. If it was naseau, then she should be eating by now. She is
not, so I suspect it was not from naseau. If she begins eating, he
will recommend chemo because she is still 11.9 lbs. He said that her
weight is the one positive here, because she was so big, she is still
a candidate for the chemo because she is not yet "wasted away". She
went from 12.6 to 11.9 in one week, less of a drop than the week
before from 14.8 to 12.6.
I guess the struggle I have now is what if the docs are wrong and this
is not pancreatic cancer? What if the chemo provides results better
than expected? This is really wishful thinking is not miracle wishing,
but if I dont at least try that then we may never know. I think it may
be a good in-between other than surgery risks and after-pain or the
other option which is to euthanize. I feel if we dont try the chemo,
then we should cut to confirm that everyone is not wrong with the
prognosis.
We just now have to see if she eats. I think that it will tell us
which way we are to go.....chemo or the other and we know what that
is. I guess I want the chemo to prove or disprove all the tests which
are not 100% because there no biopsy.
On Jun 8, 10:26 pm, "cyberpurrs" <cyberpu...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Billy
could be wrong, just that the type of cancer and where it is all have
said that w/o biospsy, it's not 100% of where it is. Therefore, by
some slim chance it's not on the pancreas and it shrinks, maybe her
time will be more. Slim chance, but so is the possibility of
pancreatic cancer since it affects < 1% of cats. Even the primary doc
says it could be elsewhere (ie: abdomen, liver, etc.)
> > food. But also, there was pain from the cancer going into her jaw bone.- Hide quoted text -