Something's changed - help!

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 05-06-2002, 04:20 PM

I don't have much time since things have been crazy here all weekend and up until we leave for vacation, but I wanted to let you know Peanut's results from the vet.

First of all, she was such a good girl. She panicked when I put her in her carrier, but I was rushed and tried to soothe her as best I could as I ran out the door with her. By the time we got to the vet and in a room, she was calmed down and let the vet do what he had to do. By the end of the visit she was so calm she was starting to sniff around a little instead of cowering in my arms. The ride home was uneventful and when I opened her carrier, she came out but didn't immediately go and hide. That is the best she's ever been with the carrier. I was surprised and pleased and was thinking maybe she knew we were only trying to help so she calmed down.

Anyway, I told the vet the whole story, he checked her out and checked her history and said his opinion was she had allergies. He said it's likely she's had allergies all along, they just weren't bad enough for me to notice. Then since the pollen counts are so extremely high this year, it really brought them out and made it noticible. As for Tubby sniffing at her, he said that when cats have allergies, their skin tends to produce more oil, which of course gets trapped on their fur and tends to get rancid since they can't keep up in the cleaning department. He said this is probably what Tubby was noticing when he was sniffing at her. Allergies would explain the tummy licked clean and the spot on her ear that mysteriously appeared a few weeks ago - which wasn't fleas, btw. And other than that he said she's in excellent health for her age.

So, his solution was to give her cortisone pills, one a day for ten days, then 1/2 one for 7 days, then hopefully tapering off to 1/2 one every other day until the season changes or the pollen counts go down, or the hair starts growing back and she starts feeling better.

So between blocking the windows so they can't see any outside cats (until I find some sort of repellant) and controlling her allergies, she should be good as new again!

Terry had to tease me that both my "kids" take after me. Tubby has to take Pecid like I do, and Peanut has to take allergy medicine like I do. Like mother like child, right?

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 05-06-2002, 04:22 PM

Originally posted by AmberLee
Info found: I just came across this article on behavior changes in aging cats at the Dr.s Foster and Johnson website. Not sure if it's a lot of help, but it might give you questions to ask your vet when you see him/her next...

Good luck!

Thanks Amberlee! Looks like a great site, but I won't have time to really check it out until we get back. Then it will be very intereting to find out that everything my two do these days is because they're getting old.

**Sara luvs her Tinky** · 05-06-2002, 07:30 PM

So glad to hear that it is nothing serious!!!! Hope you guys have a good vacation!!!

**please give Peanut a BIG HUG for being such a good girl at the vet, and give em both a hug for just bein Tubby and Peanut**

**AvaJoy** · 05-06-2002, 08:41 PM

What good news, and I'm sure you are both relieved and can now enjoy your vacation! The meds should help with her allergies, and I'm so glad it wasn't anything more serious.

Thanks for the link, Amberlee! Since I'm going through behavioral changes with Lily I was very interested in what the website had to say about aging felines . . . sure put my mind at ease, and was quite informative!

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 05-07-2002, 09:45 AM

Another small little update. Terry was working out of the home office yesterday and twice he noticed Tubby licking Peanut's head. One time she let him lick it a few times, then put her head back down and went to sleep again. The second time she let him lick it two or three times - then swatted him away.

But what that tells me is that she is feeling better and is more tolerant of his sniffing - even to the point of letting him clean her head a bit! Oh, what a good brother he is.

It's funny but I can definitely relate since I have allergies myself. If I don't take my Claritin, forget, everybody just stay away and leave me alone. But with the Claritin life is good and I can cope with so much more.

And so far anyway, she takes her pill so good. Doesn't like it, but lets me open her mouth and just pop it in. Sooooo much easier than Tubby.

So the good news continues, and yes, we it definitely relieves my anxieties about leaving them alone for a few days.

Thanks for all the well wishes and nice comments. See you all in a few days!

Former User · 05-07-2002, 09:53 AM

Aww, so sweet from Tubby! And I'm glad Peanut allowed him to do that.
Have a good time Debbie!

**wolflady** · 05-07-2002, 11:04 AM

I'm so happy to hear things are going better! Allergies!! Who woulda thunk?? LOL LOL Do you know what she's allergic to? Is it food or something in the air?
What a good pill taker she is! What a relief, huh?? **hugs**

Have a good time!

**krazyaboutkatz** · 05-08-2002, 12:20 AM

I'm so glad that there was nothing seriously wrong with Peanut. All three of my cats have food allergies. They are allergic to fish. Now you can have fun on your vacation with no worries.

**Gio** · 05-08-2002, 06:33 AM

I'm pleased that you have found out what's causing the trouble and that there is nothing seriously wrong with Peanut.

Now enjoy your holiday, we are all waiting to hear from you when you get back.

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 05-15-2002, 05:09 PM

Well, the boss left for the day so I thought I'd post a quick update. Everything is much calmer around our house these days, and Peanut's hair is growing back on her tummy and her legs. We have a pet sitter come in while we're away, and she made sure to give Peanut her allergy pills everyday as prescribed, and I would say that it seems to be working! The pet sitter also brushes them more than I do to give them attention, and between the allergy pills working, and the brushing, Peanut is so nice and soft and fluffy, and still the little sweetheart she's always been. Tubby has, for the most part, stopped sniffing at her, but I did notice him up on the top of the couch with her last night, real near to her, and he had that guilty look on his face so I don't know if he was sniffing her or licking her. Either way she didn't seem to mind so I let Tubby be.

Terry has also seen a strange black and white cat in the back yard since we've been back, so maybe that's who was coming around and causing some of the stress. I put paper over the windows at night so my two can't see out, and I take some of it down during the day so they don't get too bored.

So I'm glad to report that life in Tubby and Peanut land is getting back to normal and it would be nice if life in Debbie land would get that way too.

To make a long story short, we are a small electrical contractor with 6 guys, my boss and me. Our lead foreman was on vacation last week, I was on vacation for most of the week, our second foreman found out he has cancer and has to go for chemo and radiation so he only works when he's feeling ok, and to top it all off, my boss ran over his foot and is hobbling around on crutches! All this while our two biggest jobs are really ramping up and everything would be hectic without the added vacations, illnesses and injuries.

So I want to say thanks to everyone for all your suggestions and support on the Tubby and Peanut situation, and I might be a bit scarce for awhile, but I'll pop in as often as possible. I'll give Tubby and Peanut extra hugs, smoochies and scritchies from you all tonight, just because it's good to be back!

**krazyaboutkatz** · 05-15-2002, 09:36 PM

I'm so glad that Peanut is doing so well and that the Tubby and Peanut situation is finally under control. I sure hope your work situation becomes more normal too. Thanks for the update.