HoneyBun --- Is he eating TOO much???

[jennielynn1970]

My FIV+ boy has a vet appointment next Thursday. He's looking very shabby lately, and I'm not sure what is going on with him. He sits hunched up a lot of the time, he's skin and bones (even with extra servings of yummy food bought especially for him), and his fur is dry and brittle. I'm thinking thyroid, at least I hope that's all it is. I dunno. If he's not sitting hunched up, he's on my lap in front of the computer giving me lovies.

Please say a prayer for my dear old man, that there's nothing seriously wrong with him (other than the FIV) and that he'll be ok with a few meds and maybe another suggestion for him to put some weight on. Right now I'm feeding him Science Diet Kitten and Sensitive stomach formulas (kitten because Sebastian is still under a year old), plus every day he gets the Pet Selects raw/refrigerated food that you can get in the supermarket in the pet aisle, but it's in a refrigerator. I thought it might have some extra good stuff in it for him. He loves it soooo much!

[katladyd]

Sending good thoughts and prayers HoneyBun's way.

[Freedom]

If it is thyroid, he may need some fluids just now as well. Can you tell if he is dehydrated at all? I thin kyou know how to check this right? Pinch the skin on his back and see if it goes right back in place or just hangs there in the pinched up shape.

I found a good canned food at PetCo, Soulistic Sunrise Harvest, which has a LOT of fluid in it. I am using that for my Sparkle just now, who is early stage CRF, and so far so good she is not needing the sub q fluids.

You may want to add some canned to up his fluid intake until the vet visit. Just a thought.

[jennielynn1970]

Pinched his skin, and it went right back into place, so don't think fluids are an issue. He drinks a lot too. Pees a lot too. He's one of my out of the box pee-ers and poopers, unfortunately. I thought maybe the box was too high, so I got lower ones, that didn't alleviate anything. He does it a lot to be spiteful, never thought a cat would do that, but he does!!

He's just so bone thin. If I give him canned food, it goes right through him and he has really nasty, messy, and unformed poops. These pet select things have been working really well for him, and keeping the poops normal.

I just hate seeing him go down hill. I know he's not going to be with me much longer, he's old and his FIV status is against him. I just think he has a few more months if not years left in him. I just want to make them the best for him, no matter how long he will be with me. He's my HoneyBun!!

Oh, there's something going on with his mouth too... so that may be part of the losing weight deal. Either there is something wrong with the teeth he has left, or there is a lump in his mouth. Not sure which he won't let me get anywhere near his mouth, but something is going on in there.

[TommyCat]

You mentioned he's peeing and drinking a lot. My kitty had been drinking and peeing alot, and she was diagnosed with feline diabetes. Cats do tend to lose weight with this condition before diagnosed. I do hope it's not feline diabetes. Good luck at the Vet, and hope it's nothing serious.

[phesina]

Prayers for HoneyBun and you too, Jenn.

[Medusa]

Oh dear, let's hope his weight loss is just that HoneyBun is getting older. We'll send up good prayers just in case, though. Keep the faythe, Jen.

[jennielynn1970]

I was finally able to schedule an appt for Honeybun to get his dental surgery done. He will be going to the vet on the evening of the 18th, because I go to work so early and can't drop him off in the AM before school. He will have surgery on the 19th and get at least 5 teeth removed. I'm nervous about his reaction to the anesthesia due to his age, and hoping he will recover well after the surgery. He's been heck to pill, and hasn't gotten much of his anti-biotic because he hides most of the time when I am at home (I'm the evil one who pills him...).

Please keep my boy in your thoughts, and I'll update more as we get nearer to the date. I'm hoping also that with the anesthesia blood work we get some other answers as to why he is losing so much weight, and whether he has a thyroid problem.

[Medusa]

Of course, more prayers on the way for HoneyBun and you, Jen. Keep the faythe.

[Catty1]

More prayers for HoneyBun! I hope they can give him a Convenia injection so you don't have to pill him afterwards.

I am sure he will feel much better after surgery. And maybe he will eat more and gain some weight back too.

[lvpets2002]

Awee poor baby boy Honeybun.. I sure hope your surgery goes good & well.. Sending Lots of Prayers & Huggss.. Keep us posted ok..

[phesina]

More prayers for HoneyBun and for you all who love him, Jenn.

[jennielynn1970]

Well, I just dropped my YOWLING old man off at the vet for his surgery tomorrow. They were very nice about allowing me to drop off the night before because they don't open till 9am, and I'm at work by 7:30am.

The estimate for the entire shebang is $385.00. They had a breakdown, but I didn't look at it very closely. $125.00 for the cleaning, $90 for the extractions. I totally forgot that they "clean" the teeth when they do extractions, so I wasn't expecting that amount in there. Oh well. I guess it is only right to do it, lol. Silly me just doesn't think sometimes.

There was an option to not do bloodwork, but I want to know how he's doing, so they're doing a senior blood panel on him. There was also an option to NOT give post surgical pain meds. How could anyone refuse their animal pain meds after surgery is beyond me!! I can't even imagine the poor creatures wondering what they did so wrong that they have to hurt so badly. It should be mandatory, not an option. That's just my opinion.

So, say a prayer for my boy, that he comes through this ok. I know he's old and frail, I just want to hold him again and know he'll be feeling better.

Just want to thank Honey's special angel for her generous donation toward his surgery. I won't say her name, but she's one in a million.

[phesina]

Prayers that HoneyBun's surgery goes well tomorrow!

[Freedom]

Prayers for Honeybun! Sure hope he feels better after this (and a reasonable recovery time of a day or 2).

There was also an option to NOT give post surgical pain meds. How could anyone refuse their animal pain meds after surgery is beyond me!! I can't even imagine the poor creatures wondering what they did so wrong that they have to hurt so badly. It should be mandatory, not an option. That's just my opinion.

Don't think I've EVER seen that! UGH! I have seen the option of them giving a pain med injection, for folks /pets who don't do pills well. I'm with you, should NOT be optional!