Questions.... Fister's upcoming vet visit

[Randi]

I’m going to take Fister for his annual check at the vet on tuesday and I want to remember everything to ask, because it’s such a hassle getting him there. Fister will 11 on May 20th.

The last few months he seems to have lost a bit of weight, but he is as active as ever, racing around in the evenings, and ordering me to come to bed if he thinks I’m too late. However, I’m not sure if he’s trying to tell me something, as he is more talkative lately. Perhaps he just wants more cuddles. After sitting with him for 5-10 min. he’ll relax again.

I’ve given him Hills SD/WD mixed for quite some time, but he was getting a bit fed up with it, so last month I bought Royal Canin Vetenary Diet S/O Dry (KIdney & Osteo). He likes it, but eats more of it, so it’s probably not as filling as Hills.

I intend to have the following checked:

Weight
Teeth - they look OK though, and his breath has got better.
Bloodtests - kidney, liver and Glucose
Possibly a vaccination, but not sure. The vet says it’s not neccesary every year, unless he will be with other cats. These days, he’s always inside.

I’d like to have his heart checked too, and lungs.

Is there anything else I should ask to have checked? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Oh, and when I got the appontment, I asked the secretary whether they had heard about all the recalled food - she said all she had heard was that Eukanuba had been recalled and that they don’t get food products from China. I will ask my vet also.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Lizzie]

Considering Fister's age, and the possibility of a little weight loss, and an increase in appetite, I would add a thyroid check to the blood test. I ask for a geriatric blood panel for cats over 10 which always includes thyroid levels. The lab usually keeps a little of the blood sample after they send the results to the vet so more specialized tests can be done if any levels are a little high. So, if the thyroid level is in the high end, they will do a further T4 (?sp) which is very specific to thyroid levels. Hyperthryroidism is easily treated, as you have probably read from those of us who have gone through it with our cats.

I feed Taranis the Royal Canin SO and consider it definitely a more fattening food than Hills WD. I hate the fact that she has to be on it since she's always had a weight problem. Fister may just enjoy the R.C. SO more than the Hills, it certainly has better ingredients and I know my cats would steal it from Taranis if I let them. Or it could be an early thryoid issues as mentioned above.

Poor Fister. He looks so very relaxed in the photos you have shown of him recently and he's about to get a reality check with a visit to the vet. Good luck with the check-up.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Randi, I was also going to suggest that you have his thyroid checked out. You may also want another urinalysis done. My vet recommends that a cat with crystal problems should have one done at least every 6 months.

Storm turned 11 in Jan. and he had lost some weight due to a UTI. I took him to my new vet and had another urinalysis, bloodwork and thyroid check. His bloodwork showed that he had high calcium levels in his blood again so she did another blood test and luckily Storm's fine. He also eats the Royal Canin Urinary S/O dry and wet and loves it. He's now at 14.5lbs which is a good weight for him because he's a very large cat. I measure out his food and he only eats about 1/2 cup of dry at the most. He prefers to eat his wet food over the dry. Good luck. I hope that everything checks out fine with Fister.

[Logan]

Randi, after Lilly died, I took Butter back to Dr. Robinson (he had been seeing a wonderful cat vet, previously, for about two years). Scott and I decided that we needed to support Dr. Robinson's practice since they have been so good to us over the years.

Anyway, he was due all of his annual shots, apply his Revolution treatment, plus needed his steroid shot to stop the itching problem. Dr. Robinson did a full blood panel on him, checked him all over, gave him his shots and was able to report to me that he is in excellent condition. He said he wished his own blood work looked that good! That made me feel better. I was concerned about his weight because he appeared to be too thin to me, but he was a healthy 11+ pounds, which is what he usually weighs. Dr. Robinson had to gas him to get the necessary blood, but he clipped his claws and checked him thoroughly while he was under. It was incredibly expensive, but he wanted a baseline to have on hand if Butter were to have some problems in the future. He also told me that we won't need to do that extensive bloodwork every year, just every now and then. We think that Butter is probably around 10 years old at this point, so he and Fister are close to the same age. I hope Fister will get a good report like Butter did. I know as Mimi aged, she became much thinner (and she couldn't spare any extra pounds since she was 6 lbs at the most in her healthiest days). We never did the "senior" bloodwork on Mimi, I don't think, but I told Scott that I feel better doing it, just in case, on Butter. I want/need Butter to stay around here for a long, long time. I will say that no amount of bloodwork would have extended Mimi's life. She had a wonderful 17+ years with me and I do miss her so much.

Keep us posted and let us know what the vet has to say.

[Cinder & Smoke]

I want to remember everything to ask, because it’s such a hassle getting him there.

I intend to have the following checked:

Weight
Teeth - they look OK though, and his breath has got better.
Blood tests - kidney, liver and Glucose
Possibly a vaccination, but not sure. The vet says it’s not necessary every year, unless he will be with other cats. These days, he’s always inside.

I’d like to have his heart checked too, and lungs.

Heart & Lung sounds are normally always checked as part of the basic check-up.
*Ears - a quick peek with an otoscope to look for foreign critters or infection
*Rear end departments:
** Urine Test - tells a lot about his general health
** Fecal Test - check for critters

* Check & Trim nails - let him be at the Vet, not you!
* Palpate all over - feeling for lumps, bumps, sore spots

**Getting "samples" ...
Poohs are pretty easy - pick 'em up and BAGGIE a couple pieces.
Double-bag and store in refrigerator till time to go.

Pee Sample is a bit more challenging.
Practice with a piece of plastic wrap - place on top of his litter and see if he'll still "go"
on top of the wrap ... if so, let him *pee* then shoo him away whilst you attempt
to finish "collecting" the sample. Have an open Baggie ready and proped up
in the sink.
Then gather the corners of the plastic wrap, and attempt to pour the sample
from the wrap into the Baggie. Third and fourth hands are handy here!

Again, store in the Fridge till time to go.

(Oh fur gosh sakes - a lil pee & pooh IN BAGGIES won't hurt your fridge!)

Have a *PHUNN* Trip!

[Felicia's Mom]

The best of luck at the vets.

[catmandu]

Thats A Good Thing Taht You Are Having Fister Checked Out Thoroughly At 11 As They Can Often Find Serious Things That Are Wrong And Nip Them In The Bud Before They Get Too Bad.
Thats What My Vet Calls Preventive Vet Care And Its Worked Wonders For My Senior Kittyzens.
Michael And Princess Are 16 But Still Have A Kitten In Thier Tank.
We Are So Glad That Big Fisters All Right.
Hes One Of The Favorites On Pet Talk At The Hotel.

[Freedom]

Randi, sounds like everyone has listed what I could think of and more besides. Thyroid is the biggy for aging cats. There are "rumors" among some cat forums that Science Diet may actually contribute to it. That would be the regular kibble. The rumors were the reason I looked into foods in January and then based on my research I changed food after 12 years.

Oh Gary, "kittyzens" for the senior cats? I LOVE it!

[slick]

Randi:
When Max was 10 he was in for a vet checkup and at that time I had Speckles on the reduced protein food for her kidneys. I asked the vet if it would be a problem putting Max on it at well and he said it's a good idea for older cats to be eating reduced protein. Max now eats that everyday. I'd like to think it's a good preventative way of reducing chances of kidney failure. You may want to address this issue.

[Randi]

Thanks for your ideas. I will ask my vet about Thyroid also. I don’t know how important an urinalysis is, because he had the BIG operation and can’t block up anymore. However, my vet said that he can still form crystals, so I will ask about that too.

Fister has eaten eiher Hills S/D, S/D mixed with W/D, or C/D - with the occasional treat and very small amounts of wet food a few times a week. When I feed him wet food, I sprinkle a tiny spoonful (comes in the jar) of Plague Off on it. I believe it’s working. Fister is not a cat who over eats, so he has access to his dry food all the time. However, in the last month, his dry food did come up one time, it seemed that it was not chewed at all, so he probably just ate too fast. I have also seen him kind of “burp/hiccup” a few times recently.

When it comes to clipping his nails, I have full control now - although sometimes he’ll only let me clip one or two at a time - but I can wait until the next day.

Phred, yes I suppose his heart and lungs are checked every time, but in any case I will ask. His ears are looking pretty good and he has no lumps, bumbs or sore spots. Poo sample, yes that would be straight forward.... and pee sample, that could be a challenge! I will ask the vet whether he wants one.

Logan, I’m glad to hear Butter’s bloodwork looked so good. I’m sure you’ll have him for quite some time yet.

Slick, I didn’t know about the reduced protein, but I’m sure the right food can prevent lots of things, so I will definately have a chat about that!

[rg_girlca]

Wishing Fister the best of luck with his vet appointment.