Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: fluffybunny on July 23, 2007, 12:34:53 PM
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Hello all! Firstly I should say that my cat is being seen regularly by a vet, I'm just after a bit of a broader perspective and maybe some additional thoughts.
My old boy is nearly 20 and has had some kind of lump in the vicinity of his liver for around 2 years now. Blood tests haven't thrown up anything of too much concern - kidneys functioning ok, liver enzymes slightly raised but not beyond normal 'stress' expected levels. The size of the lump seems to have been kept under control by the use of steroids (these have also helped with his chronic vomiting problems which he has had for the past couple of years also). A few weeks ago, he started vomiting pretty much daily, so we have moved across to steroid by long acting injection as it seems that the tablets may have been irritating his stomach. He didn't vomit for 4 days after swapping so I guess that it has helped to some extent anyway. Then he had a couple of days of vomiting again and was refusing most of his food, so I have been feeding him cooked chicken which he has been eating with great gusto and he hasn't vomited since. Is it possible that the food I've been giving him (RC sensitivity control) is too rich for his old tum? In which case can anyone suggest what else I can try - I'm guessing that whilst cooked chicken is very tasty, it's probably not nutritionally balanced for him.
All suggestions gratefully received - I have another vets appt booked for Thursday so would appreciate any thoughts you may have that I can discuss with the vet then. :thanks:
Edited to say - other than the lump and vomiting, he is behaving quite normally and cheerfully and is not giving me or the vet any other cause for concern. Although he is old, he is not in a condition yet where either of us would suggest PTS.
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Are you feeding wet or dry. Sometimes if it is dry food they ingest more than is good for them, then, once inside the stomach it swells up from the moisture and pops right out again. So if the food you have used is dry then I suggest you move onto wet until his tummy settles. If it is already wet and just too rich, then perhaps some of the science foods designed for sensitive tummies? Fairly sure Hills does one.
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Hills i/d food is good for cats with vomiting, upset tummies or both (and can be fed to cats with sensitive tums) so that might be worth a go. It comes in wet and dry versions. Maybe get a can or 2 from your vet to see if he'll eat it and if he will then VetUK does the prescription foods at a lower cost than the vets usually do, even with postage cost it's still usually cheaper.
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Personally I would continue with the chicken, although you're right that just chicken on its own isnt nutritionally balanced, the addition of a little bit of bonemeal would balance the meat. If you do add bonemeal, I would just add a tiny amount to start with and see how he goes with it before gradually increasing the amount. Cooked chicken won't have enough taurine left because of the cooking process, so you could add a sprinkle of taurine powder or a capsule (its tasteless), but I would again start with a tiny amount and work up. Once he seems ok on that, I would maybe try adding a little bit of cooked rice mixed in with the chicken, but once again try a tiny bit mixed in first, and I wouldnt recommend too much rice anyway - do every stage slowly, so's you can tell at any time, what ingredient, if any doesnt suit him. A squirt of a salmon oil capsule a couple of times a week will provide essential fatty acids.
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Thanks for the replies! Yes it's the royal canin sensitivity control wet food that I've been giving him, although I have also tried one of the hills sensitive ones - which he just flatly refused to eat! I'll see if I can get a couple of the i/d cans to try him on though. The problem I've found with food in general now is that I can either get senior food, or sensitive food, but not sensitive senior food, if you see what I mean!
Please excuse my ignorance, but where would I get things like bonemeal and taurine? Is it something the vet can give me this week if we feel it's best to stay on the chicken for a while?
Thanks for your help (and any further suggestions still welcomed :Luv:)
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Have you tried the 156g i/d cans of Hills food? For some reason, they are moister and go down easier than the 85g ones (ask Hills why.... :-:). They seem high in calories too so only a little a day would be all right. They have all the nutrients you'd need, taurine etc and not terribly high in phosphorus (0.8g per 100g; lower than RC sensitivity). Hope the vomiting is a temporary inflammation and not his liver? The i/d pouches I'd recommend less as they contain more wheat gluten and potential allergens than the canned nosh. However if that's all he'll eat, try what I do with the RC foods which is to blend them. My elderlies don't DO chunks; far too much like hard work,chewing. Ditto dry food, which is also more likely to be vomited as it's less digestible. Although....just a few grains a day = quite a bit more of wet food. I'd def try to stick to wet though.
You could try a can of Hills l/d but if he's picky, well mine think it's revolting (the pork one) as most bods on here know!
Hope his tum settles. Having a nice nosh is one of the only things to enjoy at that age! If he likes chicken and none of the canned foods work, imho just give him what he likes.
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Have you tried any of the tinned chicken that you can get for cats? Applaws, almo nature, gourmet make one and even tesco. ;D
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was gonna suggest swampmaxmum as your best bet for advice i think but she bet me to it ;)
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Please excuse my ignorance, but where would I get things like bonemeal and taurine? Is it something the vet can give me this week if we feel it's best to stay on the chicken for a while?
Thanks for your help (and any further suggestions still welcomed :Luv:)
I get my bonemeal from here http://www.k9capers.com/shop/products.asp?cat=69 and taurine powder or capsules from here http://www.good4you.co.uk/store.asp?pid=67&catID=13 - but it won't hurt if you don't add these things straight away.
Hope that helps.
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Having a nice nosh is one of the only things to enjoy at that age! If he likes chicken and none of the canned foods work, imho just give him what he likes.
Hear hear!
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Well I came home from work this evening to discover that he has been bugging my hubby all day (who has been trying to work from home!) because he has decided that he doesn't like organic chicken thighs :rofl: So this evening he has had fresh cod for dinner. I totally agree, at his age I'm happy for him to eat chicken, turkey or cod, but if there's an easy-ish way to supplement it to make it better for him, then I'll give that a go too :wow:
I suspect that the vomiting is at least partly liver related, although it does now seem to have stopped through the change in diet and injected steroids so it's obviously not so severe that it's going to carry on regardless of treatment.
I'll let you know how he gets on back at the vets on Thursday.
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I think that when a cat gets to the wonderful age of 20, they deserve to eat what they enjoy the most but if you can get them to suplement it by anything thats better for them, thats gotta be good ;D
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Theres probably a powdered vitamin supplement around or in treat form. What a bad mummy you are expecting your poor boy to eat organic chicken several days running ;)
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Might be worth trying some slippery elm bark with the food. It seemed to help Clapton's nausea as when it gets wet, it turns into a snotty sort of substance than lines the stomach. I tried it sprinkled on his food and he ate it no problem. I asked the vet about it. He wasn't convinced that it was beneficial but said he thought it came under the "harmless" category. You can get the capsules in holland & barrett. Best to get own brand as they are pure - the Potter's one has something else added (can't remember what it was but it was ginger I think)
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when mine are feeling poorly they get trout poached in milk - you could at least try :rofl: :rofl:
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Fingers crossed for him.
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Well I've been to the vets and she was delighted with his progress :wow: She's suggested I try him on James Wellbeloved food to see how that goes. He's also had bloods taken today (over £100 *thud*) as she said she could feel his thyroid a little and he hasn't had any done since October. So we'll wait and see what that comes back with I guess.
I can't predict the outcome of the blood tests but I could have a pretty good guess at what my hubby is going to say when he sees the credit card statement :rofl:
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Good to hear the vet was pleased with him ;D My lot love JWB, if you want a round shape biscuit for him then get the turkey and rice flavour ;)
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Am glad the vet is happy with him, and fingers crossed for the bloods. If you go on JWB website, you can get free samples of all their flavours.
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Here's me with my usual suggestion: treat him for furball and allow him to eat grass.
Although it's likely that his problem has nothing whatsoever to do with fur, this is always a good first line of treatment for a vomitting cat. Do it gently though, considering his other problems.
As for food: avoid anything strong like game and stick to mild favoured foods and white meat.
:hug: Big hug for the old fella.
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Spoke too soon, I think Sooty may have had a stroke this morning. I spoke to the emergency vet but she said that as my own practice opens shortly, I'd be better off waiting for them to open and taking him straight there. I'll be off soon. Sooty is ok at the moment, he is standing and walking on his own but his head is hanging low and his ears aren't pointing the way they usually do. I may be wrong but I suspect a stroke :'(
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Fingers crossed it isnt' a stroke and is something treatable. Will be thinking of you and Sooty today.
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Poor Sooty, will be thinking of you both :hug:
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Sending Sooty a big cuddle. Good luck at the vets.
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Sending you positive vibes for the vets today :hug:
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Just got back from the vets, they've kept him in and put him on a drip as he was pretty dehydrated and weak. The vet seemed to think that it was pointing to at least in part, a potassium deficiency, so has popped him on the drip and we are now just waiting for the blood test results to come back at some point today, then we will be in a better position to decide what to do :(
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fingers crossed he ralleys back and they can make him feel better,
Hypokalemia which is low pot levels can be caused by multiple vomiting sessions so i'd think if he was low in pot it would be caused by the vomiting and not the other way around.
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He's gone. He didn't improve on the drip and has been sitting with his head in the corner; his bloods came back kidney enzymes 5* higher than top end normal and liver 8* higher than top end normal so we decided that at his age it was kinder to let him go. When we got him, he just lay down on the table, curled up and stared at me, so I think he was ready to give up. I'm glad I had the bloods done yesterday though as at least it made the decision easier today, knowing those results.
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I am so very sorry to hear this, it sounds like he was ready to go though, and you can at least know you were doing the right thing by him due to those results. RIP little one, much loved and missed.
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Alison im so sorry to hear that :hug: :hug: :hug:
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So sorry to hear this :( RIP Sooty :hug:
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So sorry :'(
It must have been so hard for you but I think you did the right thing by putting sooty first and sparing him any more suffering. :hug:
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I'm so sorry to hear about Sooty, it sounds as though he was ready to go, so sad for you though :hug:
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So sorry to hear the sad news, it's a terrible decision to have to make but I'm sure you did the best thing for him :hug: He'll be at the Bridge by now, my Tiggy will take care of him until you are ready to collect him :hug:
The Greatest Gift
I always knew this time would come,
From the very instant our eyes first met.
How I loved you then! How I love you now!
I made a promise then, and I will keep that promise now...
You will not suffer from a pain that will not heal;
You will not know the loss of a life remembered, now gone.
It is for me alone to make this decision,
The price for the bright joy and pure laughter
You brought me during the time we shared.
I am the only one who can decide when it is time.
When my hope dies, and my fear rides high,
Just when I need you most, I must let you go.
It is for you alone to tell me when you are ready
For without your guidance, I will not know
When to lay my grief, my guilt, my anger
My sorrow and my selfish heart aside
And give you this last gift, this greatest gift.
Your eyes will speak to mine, and I will know.
The pain of this moment is excruciating.
Tears stream down my face in a river of sorrow.
And my heart drowns in a pool of grief.
For you have spoken and I have listened,
And unlike other decisions I have made
This one brings no relief...no comfort...no peace.
For if there´s one thing you´ve taught me,
If there´s only one thing I´ve learned...
Unconditional love has a condition after all,
I must be willing to let you go, when you speak to me
I must be willing to help you go, if you cannot go alone.
And I must accept my pain so you can be free of yours.
Go easily now, go quickly now,
Do not linger here, it is time for you to leave.
Go find your strength, go find your youth.
Go find the ones who've gone before you.
You are free to leave me now, free to let your spirit soar
Rest easy now, your pain will soon be gone.
I pray I will find comfort in my memories...
In the dark and lonely days ahead.
I cannot say I will not miss you, I cannot say I will not cry.
For only my tears can heal my broken heart.
But, I promise you this; as long as I live,
You will live, alive in my mind, forever in my heart.
So I give you this last gift, all I have left to give,
And this will be my greatest gift...sending you away.
It is the measure of my unconditional love...
For only the greatest love can say,
"Good-bye, go find the bridge, we'll meet again,
Loving you has been the greatest gift of all."
Forever and Always... Until Rainbow bridge....
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so sorry :hug:
rip Sooty.
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I am so sorry.
C
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So sorry. :( RIP, Sooty.
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RIP Sooty ..... big hugs to you :hug: :hug:
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I am so sorry. However by allowing him to have bloods etc you did give Sooty every chance and then made the right decision for the final act of kindness.
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So sorry to hear about Sooty :hug: You did everything you could for him but it was his time to go and play at rainbow bridge. RIP Sooty. I know it doesn't make it any easier, but at least he had a good, long life and a human slave who loved him.
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Not sure if other on here are familiar with this but I saw this today :'(
IF IT SHOULD BE
If it should be that I grow weak
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then you must do what must be done,
For this last battle cannot be won.
You will be sad, I understand.
Don't let your grief then stay your hand.
For this day, more than all the rest,
Your love for me must stand the test.
We've had so many happy years.
What is to come can hold no fears.
You'd not want me to suffer so;
The time has come -- please let me go.
Take me where my need they'll tend,
And please stay with me till the end.
Hold me firm and speak to me,
Until my eyes no longer see.
I know in time that you will see
The kindness that you did for me.
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I've been saved.
Please do not grieve -- it must be you
Who had this painful thing to do.
We've been so close, we two, these years;
Don't let your heart hold back its tears
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I'm so sorry about Sooty. I'm sure you did the right thing to stop him suffering. Hugs to you, RIP little Sooty.
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So sorry to hear this sad news - rest in peace Sooty
:RIP: :candle: :RIP: