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Taz, you are such a handsome boy! You stripes are VERY dark, way darker than I thought( I love darker striped kitties)! Just as Handsome as can be !
I am glad that he is gonna see a vet. If nothing is wrong, GREAT! If there is something, well atleast you caught it fast. I will continue to look for updates!
Cindy, I reviewed my notes on Nicholas(we had 9 cats, and it was easier to keep track of things if I wrote about each cat. I use the composition notebooks(trust me, it is a nurse thing)). He was doing the same thing, eating a little then not eating. I know you will keep a close watch on your Taz! Sandra
Thank you Katie!! :D :D
Sandra, please do not think I was brushing off what you told me. After I posted I sat here and thought about it and immediately picked up the phone and made him an appointment for next Tuesday. So I will have a bunch of tests done. I appreciate your information a LOT.
Can you (or anyone) tell me what I should have him tested for?
I know diabetes, thyroid, kidney and liver. Is there anything I'm missing?
I am not ready to lose my guy. He is not even 13 yet, and I want him to live to be 20 (or older!). So if I can prevent anything I want to do it. :)
Your vet will know what tests to run, that's why they have a degree. lol
Seriously if you explain to them everything you've noticed (be sure to include the bigger size pee clumps in the litterbox) they will know which tests to run to find the problem.
Asking for a specific test which may or may not be the issue not only wastes your money, but takes extra time and manpower for the vet to run them just to make a client happy. Some will do it if it's a good paying client that absolutely insists but frequently it's not necessary.
Usually a minimum general screening would usually include:
CBC (counts blood cells, looks for infections etc)
Glucose (checks blood sugar)
BUN & Creatinine (checks kidney functions)
ALKP (alkiline phosphates) (checks liver bile function)
ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) (liver test)
TP (total protien) (checks liver and kidneys)
Additional tests may include:
T3 or T4 (thyroid checks)
There are many additional tests to check on pancreas, cortisol, etc the list of possible tests is quite extensive. The above ones are usually the standards for basic blood work with other tests added as the symptoms call for it.
Keep us posted as to what the vet says.
There is a nice site that I found. It helps you understand what each of the tests mean. The site is: www.pets.ca/articels/article-labtests. If that does not work, try putting " lab tests for cats" into your search engine, you will see this site. Good luck and please keep us posted on how Taz does!!!
Awesome! Thank you Catlady and Sandra for all the info. I will be studying up on this over the weekend. :)
You guys are awesome, and I mean anyone and everyone who even read my thread. LOL :D :D :D
The pee clumps aside - could the erratic eating have anything to do with his teeth? Might as well get them checked while they're at it.
HUGS and I hope Taz gets well soon! :)
That is a great thougth Catty1!!! A good physical exam by the vet is a good start to finding out what is going on with Taz!!! The more you learn the better!! GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!
I don't think it's his teeth, because when he does eat he seems to be okay. He did have one of his "fangs" pulled a few years back so he always eats a little weird. But I will definitely have the doc check out the teefies. :) It doesn't hurt to look. Well, not me anyway, lol.
Thanks Catty1.
How did Taz do over the weekend??? Hope all is well....
Thanks for asking about him Sandra. :)
He appears to be getting thin again. :( And Bruce said he didn't eat as much as normal over the weekend. I fed him dinner last night (much later than normal too) and he didn't eat but like a 1/4 of it. He did eat most of his breakfast this morning though.
So, I am very glad he will be going to the vet tomorrow night so I can see if anything is wrong. Oh, Bruce mentioned to me that maybe it's his teeth again. He said he was "smacking" at his food. I told Bruce that is actually normal since he had the one tooth removed. But I will definitely be having the doc take a look at the teeth.
[[[[[hugs To Taz]]]]]
Needles and pins until you post about Taz' vet visit!!!! Hang in there fellow and Mom, too!!!!
I hope the vet finds a simple solution and gets Taz back to eating regular and normal again. Keep us posted, thanks for the updates.
Max has had several toofies removed and he is missing fangs on one side of his mouth. He "smacks" at his food too!! At first I was afraid there was a problem but when I called the vet he said it was normal.
Still we all worry and getting it checked out is a wise thing to do. Prayers on the way for little Taz. I hope Taz doesn't get "stabbed" too many times. Ouch!