my kitty is ill :(

[kage no neko]

About two weeks back, we took both the cats in for checkups.. Tora for a suspected UTI (confirmed, a minor one) and Kitty for weight loss.

Conclusion was that (besides having lost 3 pounds over the past two years or so) she has hyperthyroid problems. So she's been on this medicine to help her with that..

:'( Then recently I don't think she's been eating much, if at all. She's even started refusing treats. And puking up a lot of nothing. So we return to the vet in an hour (poor her, I think she knows, she heard me on the phone).

I know she's an older kitty, but she still has plenty of years left, I insist! She's still my baby kitten!  

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

hyperthyroidism is extremely common in cats. But it's treatable. It's just a matter of getting your cat on the right dose of her meds. This means for the next few months, you MIGHT need to repeat the T4 blood test a few times. Her thyroid is overactive, the drugs are meant to inhibit her thyroid, but every cat is different so getting those meds just right takes a bit of guesswork and then some adjusting. Don't be shy to call your vet, update them on your cat's symptoms. Watch her appetite and her thirst and urine output.

Ask your vet about your options. Ask them if they carry hill y/d I know some cats that have managed the disease just on the food and it has less adverse symptoms. Try to stay away from salty foods/treats but most importantly keep her eating. Even if it means offering yummy table scraps.

keep us posted!  

[kage no neko]

Went in and she got more blood taken. Was told to stop her medicine and get some pepcid ac, that it'd help settle her tummy. I gave her some, she disappeared to sulk for a bit while I napped.. when I woke up she was much more perky and her food bowl much less full! biggrin

So we'll find out what the blood tests say later.
I'm just glad they're willing to let me pay as I can. Already back up to about $300 owed. *sigh*  

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

If you free feed then make a point of measuring how much food you put in the bowl and before refilling it, measure how much was eaten. Write it down! Don't assume you'll remember. It's important in cases like these to know how much exactly they eat so you can pick up when their appetite changes even subtly.

Also I hope he plans to get her BACK on meds soon. Maybe start with the lowest dose and work your way up. Or maybe you can try the y/d food but the only disadvantage is you would have to separate and meal feed the cats.

Ask if he has an in house test for the thyroid or if it's all sent out. You can possible call different vets and ask the same. Compare prices for blood tests because like I said, the first few months she may need a few. Long term she'll need to be tested at least once a year.  

[kage no neko]

I think the test cost $80, because our due was at $200 and it's now up to $280..

He says he's concerned if it was upsetting her tummy, or maybe something else was. So for me to try the pepcid ac with the thyroid medicine, see if that helps her keep her appetite. And right now I think she is on one of the lower doses.. I've got this tiny pill that she gets half twice a day.

The test results came back.. he said her levels weren't that high to begin with, but it went from a 7 to a 3.5 or so.. So if the thyroid medicine doesn't work with her, he wants to do other tests to rule other possibilities out before jumping to the more expensive thyroid solutions. X-rays to rule out things like cancer and ecg to rule out heart problems..

Also, yes, we free feed.. They're not that big of bowls, and they each have their own bowl, and their own food. They don't like each others food so it's relatively easy to keep track of the levels for each of them.

I'm just glad she's perking up. Last night she sat against my hip and we shared some icecream. I missed her begging and sharing my food, lol. Still not back to herself though, since I gave her a tiny bit and she was fine with it, not begging for lots more.. But it's better than her not wanting anything to eat at all.  

[miaxloveless210]

hope ur kitty feels better smile