A couple of months ago mom took me to the V.E.T. because I was having a lot of diarreah and was very stinky. I was also loosing some weight. Actually, alot of weight - in April I weighed 12# and a month ago I weighed a little over 9#. In April when I went in, we saw a doctor who had never met me before - he picked me up and at 12#, that seemed like a big cat to him. He didn't know that I used to be a manly cat and weigh 17#. He gave mom some icky cherry tasting anti-biotics to try to stop the trotts - that worked for a while, but I kept getting thinner, so she took me back and asked if we could see Dr. Todd Perry, who has taken care of me since I was a baby. When Dr. Todd picked me up last month, he was really shaken because I had lost so-o-o much weight. They vampired some of my blood and found that I had hyperthyroidism.
Mom looked it up on the computer and this disease is actually very common among us middle aged (I am 12) kitties - I have had to take a pill twice a day for the last month, and maybe for the rest of my life. I don't really like taking pills - sometimes I spit them out - patuey! Mom has found them on the floor and on top of the washer machine (she tricks me to come in for food and then wraps me in a towel - I think that she said it had something to to with having her arms shredded to ribbons, what ever that means...)
We went to see "Dr. Todd" today - he weighed me - I have lost another 1.5# and he vampired some more of my blood. Besides weight loss and drinking a lot of water some kitties have diarrhea - and I've had that problem on and off for the last three months - it was "on" this week - mom called me Mr. Stinky! I don't think that's very nice at all, do you? Anyhow, Dr. Todd trimmed some of my furs off my butt so I'm not so stinky now. I didn't like it when he was doing it, but I'm glad he did.
Mom & Todd talked about changing me from pills to a liquid medicine (that way she would know I wasn't spitting it out). It will be mixed 'specially for me and will be chicken flavored. Beats the heck out of the cherry flavored anti-biotics they are making me take again. I think mom is related to that Nurse Ratched lady...
Nurse Ratched, I mean, Mom here - They don't really know what causes Hyperthyroidism in cats, but statistically it has been found that cats fed a diet of fish-based cat food develop more hyperthyroidism and other glandular ailments. This may be due to rancid polyunsaturated fats found in poorer animal-quality fish products. The feeding of cat foods in pull-top cans seems to also be associated with this disease in some inexplicable way. They think up to 30% of cats may have this disease and some think that the incidence of Hyperthyroidism has increased in the last 25 years, and others say that vets have just learned how to diagnose it, so there are more cats diagnosed with it.
It makes me very sad, because all this time, I thought I was feeding them a very good quality food that they liked - (and was easy and affordable, etc.) Chances are that, if Neelix will settle in and likes this "Chicken flavored medicine" and if he stops loosing weight (!) he will live a few more years. I've been trying to find foods that he likes to tempt him to eat (Like Sheba Chicken & Duck - looks just like canned chicken) - Todd suggested giving him a little bit of pumpkin every day for fiber. Lord only knows, we have a freezer FULL of frozen pumpkin - if he'll eat some of that, I'd be greatful!
So, please think good thoughts about our little fellow. He'll know you're thinking about him and his mom will appreciate it.
13 comments:
I dopn't know if you want to go this route, but one of my co-worker's kitties has hyperthyroidism too and would not take her medicine. They ended up removing her thyroid and she gained back her weight and has been fine for several years. Apparently cats don't need synthroid if they don't have a thyroid. Good luck!
R&T Mom
I know it's hard when the little ones are ill. So scary. My thoughts and prayers are with you and Neelix. I understand how you feel too. We try to do the absolute best that we can afford to do for them, and then sometimes later find out there was a hidden danger. It just doesn't seem right, but it's a prevalent problem in 'human food' too. (Something I'm getting a crash course in, since Mom had her heart surgery). I also question all the vaccinations that we give our pets as well. Between myself, and other family members, there just seems to be a high incidence of losing pets to cancer of various forms, with several dying quite young. (These were mostly cats, but a few dogs, and all inside, and 'protected' from the big bad world...). Anyway, we just do the best we can. I know having a loving, caring home is the most important thing and your critters definately have that! Take care, Tina, and hopefully Neelix will get to feeling better soon.
Tammy
I'll say a prayer for Nelix.
Bless you for being such a wonderful "Mom" to him!
Neelix I am very worried too. Ordinarily I would recommend non-cooperation, but I think you need this one.
Mom borrowed your photo to put on my blog. She wants the Cat Blogopshere to be purring and praying for you. Just like I am.
It's so hard when they can't talk to you, and you can't explain to them that they really really need to eat the icky cherry stuff.... (I have to say I'm sympathetic -- cherry-tasting medicine always makes me gag, even though I love cherries.....) (Maybe he'd like bubblegum better? ;-) )
I don't know about cats, but a friend of mine has been successful getting medicine down an elderly dog with a reduced-size esophagus by mixing it with cooked liver mashed in the water the liver was boiled in.....
Neelix, you eat those pills!
Good boy.
And a hug for mom.
I am glad to hear you'll be swtiching to the liquid...so you will be assurred that Neelix will have taken his meds nad not spit them out again and again.
You know all of us here are purraying for both of you.And Neelix...you be a good man-cat and take your medicine for your Mum!
All our love and prayers,
Kathy, Ralph and "The Mob"
(Shadow, Pixel, Europa, Ziggy, Max (deep breath) Daisy May, Moose, Rascal, Groucho, Dottie, Dora and Pippi...
and all the sheep, too!)
(((((((((((Tina & Neelix)))))))))))
That's a lot of good information about cats and hyperthyroidism. I didn't realize that about the cat food.
I've heard that pumpkin is really helpful for cats with diarrhea. Let me know how it works!
Poor Nelix, I hope he can be stabilised on the thyroid medicine. The thyroidectomy operation is often a very effective way of dealing with this problem. Also it means that the need for daily medicine is gone. My sister had this operation and has done very well since. My human has read that there has been a huge increase in feline hyperthyroidism since the early 1980s. Before that it was a very rare condition. We wonder if that fits in with the information about "rancid polyunsaturated fats" in the diet? Maybe some law changed so they could suddenly put this rubbish into cat food then?
Sending Nelix some big rumbly healing purrs xx
Poor Nelix. We hope he feels better really soon. Purrrrrrrrrrs for him and for you.
Poor Nelix please take you meds and stay well ...
We will be purring for you...
Purrs
Abby
Boo
Ping
Jinx
and Gracie
What did I read about the linings of cans for canned foods containing the same toxins and the plastic bottles. I wonder if there's a connection - makes ya wonder, doesn't it? You think you're doing the right thing, and then....
No matter how hard we try, there are just too many hidden dangers in dealing with food today. You did your best according to the knowledge you had then.
We came by from Rascal's to leave purrs and tail wags for Neelix.
We are purring for Neelix to feel better!
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