Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: Desley (booktigger) on December 19, 2010, 11:07:45 AM
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Have had a bad day with Zi and need some advice on what to do next. Here is her history just in case
http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,29108.0.html
She has been grumpy for the past couple of days, which sometimes is just her, but sometimes that things are hurting a bit. Since last night, she keeps losing her balance and stumbling/falling over, even if she is sitting down. I don't know if it is arthritis or kidney related - I think her arthritis is fairly bad, she doesn't often stand/sit/walk on her front paws, she walks on the bit between her paw and the first joint (managed to get a pic of it last night) I really don't know whether to put her through more tests to see if it is something we can treat (bearing in mind she has other conditions that impact on her quality of life, so I could put her through pain/stress of tests and treating one thing for her to decline anyway with something else), or accept she is 20 with multiple issues and has defied both mine and the vets thoughts of how long she would have, and that she has had enough of fighting. The other thing she did last night that concerned me was something she has done randomly for a few months, but never in the same room as me - she normally makes an awful yowl when she is upstairs and I am downstairs, but last night she did it when we were both in the front room. She had her back to me, was in front of the water bowl and just looked at it and yowled about 3 times, before shutting up and having a drink, so now I don't know if that is what she has been yowling at the last few months and what that is a sign of. She has also decided not to bother eating this morning, she looks at the food bowl, and then decides to ignore it, even when I it it in front of her.
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The yowling sounds like dementia. Oh Desley, poor Zi - she does sound in a bad way. :care: I don't know what to suggest in all honesty.
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I thought it was dementia, but have only ever heard her from downstairs, never seen her actually do it, and it wasn't nice, especially as she fell over after moving away from the food bowl.
Ironically, I have been saying since last Dec that she wouldnt see this Christmas, but this past couple of weeks, as we have been getting closer, I have let myself think she would, but she has lost her balance quite a bit this morning, which could explain why she hasn't really moved for the past 2 hours. I would love to think it is something simple that could be treated, but deep down I dont really think it is.
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Sorry to hear Zi is not well :hug:. My Oska has IBD and he does the yowling as well. Again it is when he is upstairs and we are downstairs. Originally I put it down to dementia [he is 13]. He has had IBD for years and this week his sister has been poorly and it seems too that she has IBD. {We are waiting on one test result to rule out a parasite, but a virus is not the cause}. To a lesser extent Sassie does the yowling as well, again when we are in different parts of the house. I'm wondering now if it is due to the IBD instead.
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ear infection? minor stroke?
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I have considered an ear infection, but she has reluctantly let me check her ears (she hates being prodded, and so far today I have had to pull some clumps of fur out, check her mouth and her ears - have left the gungy eyt till later). All she has had to eat today is 3 temptations and about 10 pieces of dry renal. She has been drinking a bit more this week too, although I have had the heating on more cos of the weather. She is definitely looking her age, bless her.
Cazzer, not sure why IDB would cause yowling, although my IBD boy is quite vocal.
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Mogs used to howl and fall over before she was diagnosed with high blood pressue if that helps. It was as though her back legs had given up. She was ok on the tablets though
I hope shes ok
love
Tab
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Thanks Tab, how big were the tablets, as Zi isn't good at being medicated and I Can't hide things in her food?
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Poor Zi :hug:
It's probably best to ask the vet and just her checked over it may something simple like an ear infection, she may be getting ear pain and with being unsteady or it could be dementia or something else.
A couple of our older cats have yowled though. When Squeaky got older he'd go into another room and yowl and if we called him he'd run in to the room we were in, he mainly did that though when we'd been out all day a bit of attention thing I thought. Schui used to go outside and yowl a few times every day then come back inside.
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Kocka yowled and was demetia and it sounds horrible. She also had many other things wrong.
The falling over I suspect is more serious and usually caused by loss of balance which is usually ear related but often untreatable and they end up with a head tilt cos a virus affects the brain to ear messages.
Could be a stroke also and sounds like she needs to see a vet
Sending lots of good wishes to Zi and you :hug: :hug: :hug:
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The yowling doesn't bother me that much, it is only about once a fortnight at the most. It is the balance and not wanting to eat that concerns me, she certainly doesn't have a head tilt. I will ring the vets to see if the owner is working this week, as she has sen Zi the most, and is the most thorough, the others might just dismiss things as age, but I know she doesn't work Tues (well, she does, but it is for RSPCA), so the earliest I will be able to see her is Wed. I might have to see who is on on Tues, but we are due more snow on Tues. My main concern is that if it is her arthritis (although she can still get on and off the bed) we are out of options
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The head tilt comes later Des and really dont think its arthritus :hug: :hug:
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Why would you say that Gill? We know she has not only arthritis in her front leg, but her hip has been damaged at some point in her life, and is out of line, so she has a funny gait.
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Because balance loss usually isnt usually arthritus and you said that it happens even when she is sitting.
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So sorry to hear Zi is having a bad time. :hug:
Just a quick thought about the way she she has been walking for some time, it sounds like plantigrade posture (see www.lbah.com/feline/diabetes.htm - its an article about diabetes but if you scroll down you’ll find a picture). This can be caused by low potassium levels and if the levels got very low she would lose balance as well). Low potassium is not uncommon in older cats especially if they have kidney issues and of course uraemia is one of the prime causes of howling.
I don’t envy you your decision but I think I would be loathe to put her through a lot of investigations given her age and the fact that she is so difficult to medicate. :hug:
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Thanks CArol - she unfortunately does that on her front legs too. I just can't remember if she was doing that when she last saw the vet in Sep or not. Low potassium is what I was referring to when I said it could be kidney related. Interestingly, I have just popped onto the CRF site to see what the treatment would be (ie would she accept it) and howling is a side effect of CRF too. We dont have many options left for managing her CRF either.
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II have an unopened bottle of Kaminox (liquid) that you can have if the vet thinks low potassium is an issue.
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HyperT is another cause of yowling?
The comment about a correlation between IBD and yowling is something I had never considered. Alice's yowling has improved quite a lot recently, so I wonder if her change in diet and improvement in symptoms (ie blood in poo) are connected?
I had assumed the yowling was dementia as well. Apparently Omega-3 is supposed to help with dementia; one of the reasons I like Alice to have some salmon.
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Interestingly, I have just popped onto the CRF site to see what the treatment would be (ie would she accept it) and howling is a side effect of CRF too. We dont have many options left for managing her CRF either.
Yep, Metoo (RIP) used to howl at the drinking bowl during the late stages of his CRF. :(
Sorry to hear this is happening to Zi.
:hug:
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Thanks Carol, I doubt she would take too kindly to it though. She has barely eaten her tea, which is a shame as it is pilchards - the vet said the darker the fish, the more it should be avoided in CRF cats, these dont look too dark to me, and it is cat pilchards rather than human ones.
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Mogs had 1/4 tablet of Instin (?) for HBP so very small. She only yowled at night or when she had an attack so not all the time. In fact I had decided she had dementia as it was only at night until the one time she did it in the day and I went to check and found she was all wobbly at the back end. Took her straight to the vets who kept her in and said HBP. It also affected her eyesight so she always had big eyes.
Its hard to know what to do for the best
love
Tab
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Well, she has eaten a bit more today and stopped preventing me from stroking her head. Her legs have been fine since, but I did see her yowling at the water bowl again last night, I know her kidneys are worse than her last bloods 6 months ago - the irony is that I was going to make an appointment last week to have her bloods rechecked, but now it doesn't seem worth it. I have made an appointment for tomorrow just in case, as I can always cancel if she continues to perk up, unfortunately the vet I prefer is off till the New Year.
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:hug: :hug: i hope she continues to improve Desley.
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Thanks - my sis is coming round soon, she hasn't seen her for a while, so I will get her to look at her, she will notice differences more than I do.
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Have been thinking of Zi Desley and hope she's going to be ok :hug:
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Zi was really resisting her Metacam last night, the night before wasn't as bad, she was just in an awkward place, so it took 3 attempts, but last night took about 6, she is just staying in an awkward place and turning her head so i can't get to her mouth, even once I had convinced her to get out of the awkward place, it still took another two attempts. I really dont know how much longer I can do this to her, but if I dont, I have to let her go, and she seems fairly content apart from it, but she is still reluctant to have her head touched, as she is associating it with being medicated, or her eyes cleaned.
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Last night was a really bad night, I had to climb under the computer desk again, and tried to fuss her first, she was fine with that till she saw the syringe, and immediately moved her head to make it awkward to get to her mouth, clamped her mouth shut, and kept moving her head away from me. While i eventually managed it, I have decided to accept she has had enough of me syringing it into her, i wont give her any tonight, which means I have to let her go tom/Thurs. She hasn't eaten that much overnight or this morning, unless you give her treats, which she can't live on (and they are 10% higher in protein than her renal food, so will put her kidneys under a lot of pressure). She was limping again yesterday too. It is a year tomorrow since we saw the nice vet, although i had suspected it prior to that, so I think we have done amazingly well to get this far, there have been so many times i have thought that I wasn't being fair to her.
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poor Zi and poor you :hug:
at least she can enjoy her treats now :(
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Have you tried putting a mini bit of metacam on a treat? IKf she still eats it them put the rest in mini bits on other traets :hug: :hug: :hug:
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:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
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Thanks guys - Gill, i would need to give her too many treats to do that, and there is too much of a risk of her not getting a full dose, so she would still struggle.
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Is there any possibility she has a problem with her mouth? This might account for being reluctant to eat and have her head touched.
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FF - she has gingivitis that the vet suspects is calici related.
I let her go this morning - while she had been fairly bright most of yesterday, her limp started really flaring up in the evening, and I had to shut her in the bathroom with her tea for an hour to get her to eat something, so I made the appointment this morning. As soon as the vet shaved her leg, he said her tendons were collapsing, which explains why she has been walking funny - he also managed to get a look in her mouth, and it was incredibly red - but she has had no Metacam for 2 days, so the inflammation was getting worse. She went part way through the injection, so very quick, so i think I got the timing right. RIP little one.
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So sorry Desley :hug: :hug: :hug:
RIP little Zi - no more pain and run free at the bridge :'(
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Very sorry to hear this Desley, hadn't seen this before and didn't know she was so poorly :hug:
What I do know is that she was very lucky to have found you and had such a wonderful retirement home :hug:
RIP Zi, safe and sound at the Bridge by now xx
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I'm so sorry to hear this Desley but as always you put her feelings first and let her go with dignity. My heart goes out to you. :hug: :hug:
Run free at the bridge Zi - free from pain.
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So very sad :hug: :hug:
RIP Zi
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Thanks guys.
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Desley, i am so sorry. :hug: :hug:
RIP Sweetheart.x
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I am so sorry to hear of your loss. You got the timing just right sweetie.
Run free at the bridge Zi xx
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Oh Desley. :care: You and Zi were lucky to have found each other, and she knew so much love with you.
RIP Zi.
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:'( Sorry to read this Desley, I hope it comforts you to know you have given her a last special gift.
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So sorry Des :hug: :hug:
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sorry to hear about poor Zi :hug:
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So sorry for your loss Desley at least she had Christmas with you :hug:
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So sorry for your loss :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
Zi had a wonderful home with you .
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Im so sorry Desley
RIP Zi Play well at the bridge baby
love
Tab
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So sorry Desley :( :hug: :hug:
I'm so pleased you had another Christmas together, but its such a shame she deteriorated so quickly, it does sound like your timing was just right in letting her go :hug:
RIP little one, play hard on the Bridge x
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So very sorry Desley - thinking of you :hug:
RIP Zi - play hard at the bridge little one xxx
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:hug:
RIP Zi
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Sorry to hear this.
Sad news, but sometimes it just has to be this way.
RIP.
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Sorry Des :hug:
I know how hard it is having to make the decision and hoping they will rally :'(
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Thanks everyone - Molly has been acting stranger than I thought she would have done, to say they didn't like each other!!
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:'( I'm so sad to read this :hug:
RIP sweet little Zi xx
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Poor Molly, she will have known Zi was poorly and maybe the loss has made her aware of her own mortality – who knows what cats think. I’m sure you’ll be giving her extra cuddles. :hug:
Cats’ reactions to loss always seem to take me by surprise. Siblings Ginger and Blackst’n were very close and yet when we lost Blackst’n to an RTA Ginger spent a day looking for her then got on with life. On the other hand Rosie, who had lived quite happily as an only cat with my mum until mum came to live with me, went into a long decline when Ginger died, despite the fact that they only tolerated each other at best. She didn’t perk up again until we got Korky two months later.
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I think part of it might have been my fault for bringing the carrier into the room, maybe Molly is waiting for it to come out and be her turn - she does go for her annual bloods next month, and obviously she has cancer.
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Sorry to hear this Desley :hug:
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I think part of it might have been my fault for bringing the carrier into the room, maybe Molly is waiting for it to come out and be her turn - she does go for her annual bloods next month, and obviously she has cancer.
Please don't blame yourself for anything. If Molly is forward-thinking enough to understand that the carrier meant something different to usual, she is clever enough to sense you love her and Zi to the moon and back. :hug: Many cats do not like change, but I bet Molly would feel a lot more unsettled in a home that is not as full of love as yours. :Luv2:
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Agreed. One thing we all know is how much you love your oldies - you would NEVER do anything that you felt would upset them. :hug:
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Agreed. One thing we all know is how much you love your oldies - you would NEVER do anything that you felt would upset them. :hug:
Couldn't agree more :hug: :hug:
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So sorry Desley :(