VET appointment for Fister...update!

[Randi]

... thursday at 14.45. I will have him vaccinated (he wasn’t last year) and tested for the usual things. I’m not sure what else to ask for - I guess the vet will know.

Fister will be 12 years old in May. He is not eating much lately, and I feel he has lost a bit of weight. I buy his food from the vet, and a while ago, his assistant gave me two free bags of Hills Scence Diet Senior 7+ chicken flavour and Hills S/D that was on the limit of the expired date, but he's not very interested. Then, my vet gave me a bag of Royal Canin Renal, which he seems to like a little better. The vet said that older cats lose weight (muscle mass), but still, I worry. Fister calls me quite often and leads me to the bed, where he wants me to just lay next to him and cuddle.

I give him a bit of wet food occasionally, he loves that. I cover the can and put it in the fridge, but the next day, he's not very interested. He gets the odd piece of raw meat or fish too, that goes down fast! I guess he's just a picky eater.

I also try to get him to drink more, I take a glass of water to where he lays, and then he'll often drink while I hold it.

Other than that, he seems OK - poo and pee fairly normal. His fur is shiny and he does run around occasionally, but it takes quite some effort to get him to play.

I'm wondering what other tests he could have, so if you have suggestions, I'd like to hear them.

Fister’s numbers were as follows in...

2006 Urea 8,7 (normal = 5,7-12,9)
Alat 64 UL ( normal = 12-130)
Glucose 16,49 (normal = 3.94-8,83) - high number due to anaesthesia vet said.

2007 Urea 9,5 (normal = 5,7-12,9)
Alat 61 UL ( normal = 12-130)
Glucose 6,88 (normal = 3.94-8,83)

I will update with the new ones below.

Next week my neighbor will have him in her flat, as I'm going to visit John's family in England. She's had him before and is a very calm person, so hopefully all will go well!

Please send some good thoughts to Fister tomorrow.

[Killearn Kitties]

Lots of positive thoughts heading fister's way. I hope he will be a good boy for the vet tomorrow.

[Freedom]

I give him a bit of wet food occasionally, he loves that. I cover the can and put it in the fridge, but the next day, he's not very interested. He gets the odd piece of raw meat or fish too, that goes down fast! I guess he's just a picky eater.

I also try to get him to drink more, I take a glass of water to where he lays, and then he'll often drink while I hold it.

Please send some good thoughts to Fister tomorrow.

Wet food: when you remove from fridge, put the amount you are giving him in a dish / bowl and microwave it 15 to 20 seconds. May need to add a drop or 2 of water before hand, give it a try each way. Cats don't normally like cold food. Stir it around too.

Drink: if he needs to drink more, add some chicken broth or tuna water to the water bowl.

tests: I usually get the Senior CBC, covers everything. Pricey, so be prepared or ask first.
Prayers for Mister Fister!

[Bengalz]

I agree with Freedom - cats don't like leftover cold food. I usually put a couple of drops of warm water into Eve's when it's cold, mix it well and let it sit to warm for a few minutes before offering it to her. Also it smells different than when it's first opened She turns her pretty little nose up at leftovers

We will definitely keep our fingers crossed for Fister and pray for a good outcome with the vet. Fister is still in his prime - 12 years is not "old"; it's distinguished He is quieter and more subdued and perhaps that's a function of his age however, I'm sure he has many good years ahead of him

Also, I hope your visit is fun and pleasant for you. It's always nice to get away and spend time with people you don't often see. Your neighbour sounds wonderful and I'm sure she and Fister will also have a good visit together.

Stay well, don't worry too much and let us know how the Vet appointment goes.

Hugs to you and Fister, Betty

[Randi]

Thank you! I forgot to say that I do not give him cold food, I let it stand for half an hour, or put a few drops of boiled water in - and now that I've got a microwave, I have tried to heat it up a bit in there.

I've just fed hím a bit of Specific Senior FGD - one at a time, he seemed to like that, but then, he'll probably eat anything that is opened 2 min. ago.

Let's hope the trip to the vet doesn't stress him out too much!

[catmandu]

Oh No , Not Our Dear Friend Fister.
When The Older Found Cats Do Not Eat Hear, I Always Fall Back On The Fancy Feast Or The Ones That Never Falls Tuna Fish, Or Roast Chicken From The Deli.
We Are Hoping And Praying For Fister.
Please Eat Something , Our Dear Friend And Amke Our Meeeowmie Happy.

[Catty1]

HI, Randi - I found my boys liked the flavour of Royal Canin better. They now get it as their wet food - and I just mix it with a fork with very hot water from the faucet. These days they are getting Omega 3 - 6 oil in with it. It's about a 1/2 tsp of water, and they get more moisture that way too - even though they have no kidney problems as yet.

Maybe mixing just a tiny bit of "stinky" food in with it would tempt him?

Good luck at the vet's..I hope his appetite perks up.

[Randi]

It's not like he's starving to death, it's just... he quickly seems to be fed up with any dry food after a while - except perhaps Royal Canin for YOUNG MALES! I don't want to give him too much of that, I'm sure it's not good for him. He get's it as treats in the evening - just about 10 pieces. I will of course ask my vet about which food he should have regularly.

I will ask about Omega 3 too and what else there is. He may need some supplements of some sort. Sometimes, when I've changed his litter, he will try to eat it.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Randi, I hope that everything will go well with Fister's vet visit. My Storm is now 12 years old too and sometimes he can be very picky with his food. Most cats do prefer their wet food at room temperature or the left overs warmed up but not my Storm. He prefers everything cold. I have to be sure to have plenty of cans of wet food in my refrigerator. Luckily the rest of my cats have gotten used to cold wet food so it hasn't been a problem. Both Storm and Sunny are going to the vets this Sunday for their annual exams so I also hope for the best. Good luck.

[kimlovescats]

Randi, it looks like all of his recent labs have been great! They were right in the middle of the normal ranges! He probably is just starting to slow down a bit with normal aging! Try not to worry about him too much! It sounds like your vet is very thorough with all of the labs so I would just tell him / her what you've noticed and I'm sure they will cover anything else that needs to be checked! Keep us posted on the results!

Kim

[phesina]

Best wishes for Fister with his exam.. we are all praying for great numbers.

Sounds like he is probably just slowing down a bit with age, but you are very wise to get him checked out. That way you and he can keep on top of anything going on with him.

Your visit to John's family sounds like it will be very pleasant. I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing, healing time.

Pat

[Randi]

Fister was such a brave boy at the vets. He was weighed (6,93 kg) and then had the blood tests, they were all fine. See below!

He was also vaccinated and his eyes, ears and mouth checked. Some of his gums were a bit red, but it wasn’t bad. His heart sounded fine too - and the vet didn’t think he was too skinny. So all in all a good check-up.

I’m glad to say that he’s allowed to eat any Senior food, and even Royal Canin’s Young Male for treats.

Getting him there went smoothy too, I had planned for my friend to go up the kitchen staircase and stay in the kitchen keeping quiet behind the door so he could close it quickly, in case Fister escaped, but I didn’t have to worry. He was sleeping on my bed unaware what was going to happen, and I went to grab him and carried him all the way to the kitchen without bloodshed. Whew, I’m glad it’s over!

Fister has been busy washing himself and eaten some treats, now he’s resting. He even let me cuddle a bit, so he’s not that mad at me.

These are his numbers:

2006 Urea 8,7 (normal = 5,7-12,9)
Alat 64 UL ( normal = 12-130)
Glucose 16,49 (normal = 3.94-8,83) - high number due to anaesthesia vet said.

2007 Urea 9,5 (normal = 5,7-12,9)
Alat 61 UL ( normal = 12-130)
Glucose 6,88 (normal = 3.94-8,83)

2008 Urea 9,9 (normal = 5,7-12,9)
Alat 46 UL ( normal = 12-130)
Glucose 5,90 (normal = 3.94-8,83)

[Killearn Kitties]

Good boy Fister! I'm glad to know that your tests went well.
Now you make sure that you eat your meals up like a good boy and stop worrying meowmie.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so glad to hear that everything went well and that his blood test results are all normal. I forgot to add that when Storm was on a prescription diet that he liked Royal Canin Urinary S/O in both dry and wet form the best. Maybe Fister could also try this out. Right now Storm's able to eat what the rest of my furkids are eating as long as I give him plenty of wet food mixed with extra water to help keep him hydrated. He's eating Innova Evo wet and dry with some Evanger's Turkey & Butternut Squash Dinner mixed in.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Good Boy, Fister!!! Glad your tests and vet visit all went well!!! AND you don't have to eat that icky Science Digest any more.

All 4 of my cats absolutely refuse to eat that stuff. They try to bury it.