Cole had his checkup today

[Karen]

Aww, hopefully all this will help!

[Catty1]

Thanks, Karen. I had really been measuring his food - and that of the other cats - and felt badly. That so much of the weight gain could be caused by the arthritis which becomes its own vicious circle was somewhat of a relief to me. Easing or stopping the pain may break that cycle and allow Cole to get healthier. And of course, no pain is a real gain for my fluffy boy!

Next week Oscar goes in. A small wart-like growth on his neck/chin area was checked last year and we decided to keep an eye on it. I noticed recently that it has about tripled in size. It doesn't bother him at all, even if I touch it while giving chin rubs. I can afford for the vet to use a general for about 10 minutes to scoop it out and stitch Oscar up. Of course, that nasty lump will be sent away for tests. I guess older cats - and people too - get funny bumps here and there.

[phesina]

Hi Candace, I hope the new food and the Metacam will help Cole feel better and lose weight.

And best wishes that Oscar's growth will prove to be benign.

[Queen of Poop]

The metacam should make Cole feel better. Hoping Oscar's little lump is nothing serious. Hugs for all your babies.

[smokey the elder]

Please be careful with the Metacam. It can be toxic for cats over the long term.

[Pinot's Mom]

Hope Cole feels better and that Oscar's check up comes out fine. {{{hugs}}} all 'round.

[Catty1]

smokey, I did know that - actually, thanks to Pet Talk, I know a LOT of things to ask my vet! Pet Talk rocks!

So I mentioned it to her. We are going to reduce his dose after a time - perhaps the wild salmon oil will do the job by then (as it did for Oscar). What my vet said is that while Metacam won't actually cause problems by itself, if and when kidney/liver issues develop the Metacam will make it worse.

We'll see how Cole does; this is kind of an emergency use in this case to get his weight down by easing the pain. My vet is not a med pusher and we have good discussions about how to proceed.

As for Oscar, this growth does not bother him at all. I'll be glad to have it gone though, if it's just gonna keep growing. Thanks for the good thoughts; I'll keep you posted.