The health of my older cat

[erinnyes]

Hello again! Thank you for all your advice! I read and wrote down a lot of the suggestions. As far as tempting her to eat different foods, I have tried, but she seems to only really want to snack on greasy or salty things, like cooked chicken skin and popcorn, and those are out for the obvious reasons. I have bumped up her vet appointment to Monday because she's freaking me out a little, losing very large clumps of fur on her underbelly and legs. I have been watching her very carefully (easy to do when her favorite hangout is a pillow on my bed), but I've pretty convinced it's not a case of overgrooming, she just seems to be losing big chunks of fur. To compensate I've put a space heater in my room to make sure my skinny kitty doesn't get any chills, so I hope that's helping rather than making more hair fall out.

I've written down to suggest the t4 and vitamin b12 to the vet. Those seem like good ideas, and I can't recall if she's been checked for thyroid health before or not. I want to say she has, but I will find out when I see the vet. I'll also try some chicken baby food and maybe organic canned foods and see if those entice her a little more. She eats her current K/D food with great disdain.

Thanks for all the thoughts! I will let everyone know what happens on Monday!

[kb2yjx]

Npw that you mention the Woobie eats K/D(canned???), our Tina Peepers, who was eating Royal Canin canned Duck for allergies, was put on the canned K/D when her labs came back indicating early kidney disease. THEN I noticed that Tina was pulling out her fur(which had grown back nicely while she was on the Royal Canin Duck). I decided that at 12 and a half years, I want her to be comfortable and not itching to death, so despite the little higher protein in the RC duck, I switched her from the K/D to the RC duck. She is considerably LESS itchy and her fur is growing back. My vet agreed with the switch. Maybe your Woobie is allergic to the K/D....please let us know what happens at the vet!!! Sorry I was so wordy...

[funny felines]

I don't know if it is the same for cats, as with humans but if she vomits and can't eat at times, I wonder if it could be a problem with her intestines? ask your vet...
good luck I hope she gets better soon.

[erinnyes]

Okay, I just got Woobie's results today from the vet. He told me that everything looked normal and stable, after he did the blood test for kidney and thyroid function. He said Kidney was slightly elevated, but only by one or two points, so very minorly. So after he assured me all that was fine, I'm like "... So why is she pulling her hair out?" I asked if she should be taken in for x-rays now, but my vet said it wasn't necessary. Yet I feel dissatisfied... I have been going to this vet for years and truly trust his judgment, yet I read on this very site the story of someone who's vet said the same thing to them about the same problem, and it turned out it was a larger issue.

So, I guess I'm looking for a little advice? The other vet in town is thorough and very expensive. Should I trust my vet or get the second opinion, potentially to find nothing?

So confused!!

[Catlady711]

Okay, I just got Woobie's results today from the vet. He told me that everything looked normal and stable, after he did the blood test for kidney and thyroid function. He said Kidney was slightly elevated, but only by one or two points, so very minorly. So after he assured me all that was fine, I'm like "... So why is she pulling her hair out?" I asked if she should be taken in for x-rays now, but my vet said it wasn't necessary. Yet I feel dissatisfied... I have been going to this vet for years and truly trust his judgment, yet I read on this very site the story of someone who's vet said the same thing to them about the same problem, and it turned out it was a larger issue.

So, I guess I'm looking for a little advice? The other vet in town is thorough and very expensive. Should I trust my vet or get the second opinion, potentially to find nothing?

So confused!!

While the other vet may be expensive you've already said he/she is very thorough.
If it was my cat I'd try the other vet for a second opinion, be sure to get the records faxed over there so they don't have to repeat any lab work which will save you a bit of money.

Sometimes you get what you pay for in a vet. Some vets are cheap but they lack the higher tech equipment to find things, and some lack the more up to date information on current heath topics, which may be why they are cheaper.

Since your current vet has given you no information as to why your cat seems scruffy looking, hair loss, weight loss, and did not offer thyroid testing up front without you suggesting it first, I'd strongly want a second opionon if it was me.

While you may trust your vet with other issues you've already expressed doubt on this issue and it may be that your vet simply lacks the experience to deal with this particular issue on this particular cat.

If the second vet costs more and also finds nothing but reassures you as to what is causing the issue being a normal part of aging, wouldn't that extra cost be worth the peace of mind? To me it would.

Good luck.

[GILL]

I agree go for a second or even third opinion. Our ET was taken to a very high priced vet that we had used for over 30 years, but something didn't seem right. I took her to another that was highly recommended. After 3 visits and two different vets at the new clinic. She passed and we found out it was cancer. I at lest know that I tried.
We have had hair loss and it almost always comes back to diet. Good luck and please let us know how she does.

[moosmom]

My Mollie Rose, who will be 16 on Mother's day is VERY thin. Her bloodwork came back normal and the vet said it was due to age. I make her scrambled eggs with cheese and turkey every morning, and she noshes on that throughout the day. I also give her most of a can of cat food at night (splitting the remains between the other 4 cats). She's doing fine. She does drink alot of water and pees alot. But the vet didn't seem worried about it. If she stops eating or drinking water then I'll worry.