Moggy on his last legs - Visit the Vets vs. The Stress

Mrs.W_2

gettingready wrote: »

Is your OH a vet? I do not quite understand this line?

19.. what a great age for a cat, he must have a lovely life with you ....

All the best

No, my OH is not a vet. He was using google to look up symptoms. The results suggested a thyroid problem.

Moggy has lived a rather high life. He's dragged almost every endangered species from the common into our house. Presented us with stunned magpies that then came to their senses, and flapped around our house. I once came home to find a black head gull in my bathroom, looking a bit tatty after the moggy encouter.

All of these encounters were nothing we encouraged, and we weren't pleased about a single one - but they just show how he's been free to follow his nature and live a very free life.The one thing that brought tears to my eyes was when he gave me a near-dead mole.

Sorry, just thinking about.. Being silly.

ADD: Thank you, Dunroamin, that's something I'll put to the OH. Even if we have to change vets. Should we need such a service, I know we'd both rather it was done at home!

gettingready

Oh so the cat is not diagnosed, it is just a suspicion. I see. You used the word "diagnosed" and I got confused.

My ginger boy Tiger was only around 10 poor thing , had him PTS at home, he had kidney cancer. I so wished he had longer...

Keep thinking of the good times... all the best

Fire_Fox

Please get your cat properly diagnosed and treated or do the kindest thing and PTS. Any rescue or vet will tell you cats are very good at hiding when they are in pain.

Mrs.W_2

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Please get your cat properly diagnosed and treated or do the kindest thing and PTS. Any rescue or vet will tell you cats are very good at hiding when they are in pain.

..Or PTS? Thank you for the choice, Dr Kevorkian. If moggy needs treatment, we'll opt for treatment. Sorry - I was just a bit shocked by the thought we might 'choose' to end moggy's life before he's finished with it.

OK. We've got a new vet, and she offers home visits for small animals.

I spoke with our new vet at length this morning. She asked a great many questions. And, thankfully, she does not think moggy is suffering from anything that needs extensive or immediate treatment. To be on the safe side, she's booked to give moggy a once over on Friday morning.

Thank you all for the advise on this matter!

We'd been with the same vets for years, and did not even know some offered home visits. So, again, thank you for all your help.

ADD: I'll update on Friday, after the vet's visit.
The OH and I really want to know this new vet's opinion on moggy's wellbeing.

doodle-bug_2

Our ancient critter (we have had him 23 years from being a stray - no idea of his true age) has just been diagnosed with an overactive thyroid. The vet suggested pills - we were a bit horrified, not wanting to tie him and all of his twelve struggling legs in a towel to get the pill down his neck twice a day. However - the pills are very small and sugar coated - we just use fresh chicken squished around the pill on the flat of the hand and down it goes - no forcing, no effort. Once the bit of chicken and pill are gone, then he gets a small bowl full of chicken as a reward - twenty days on and it's still working! Costing me in fresh chickens, though.

His heart rate has gone down significantly (it was 260 - he should have exploded) but now is around 180 and steadying out nicely. I know he's on borrowed time but the pills are definitely helping him. It's just a good job that they're so small otherwise I wouldn't want to stress him by forcing them down his throat.

Worth a try. Let us know how you get on.

Fire_Fox

Mrs.W wrote: »

..Or PTS? Thank you for the choice, Dr Kevorkian. If moggy needs treatment, we'll opt for treatment. Sorry - I was just a bit shocked by the thought we might 'choose' to end moggy's life before he's finished with it.

You used the phrases "on his last legs" and "hugely stressful" - my twin suggestions based on your wording and I stand by them. I wish I'd had to option to end my last boy's life before he was finished with it, that I didn't end up having him PTS whilst still under the anaesthetic on the vet's advice. I wish I'd known he was in pain. I am far from alone in that.

spike7451

Mrs.W wrote: »

Thank you all for taking the time to reply.

I should add that moggy's thyroid problem was diagnosed by the OH. Mainly due to moggy starting to drink a little more water than usual and shedding a bit more hair. He's otherwise in level health, eating as usual, sleeping no more or less, hasn't lost any weight. Though he does require more grooming.

Moggy is a somali, and I understand 19 is a good age for that breed.

If the vet was to prescribe pills, god help us all! The last time I needed to give him a pill, the towel used to wrap him and my arms were torn to shreds. And he still managed to regurgitate the thing!

I sympathize with you as my old mate Orbit went thru the same thing in the last few months of his life,however you cannot rely on Google to diagnose a problem like this.
Orbit was drinking more & gaining weight,turned out it was his kidneys & he was retaining the fluid on his body,so the vet put him onto Fortekor & a diaretic to get rid of the fluids.
He lived another year or two after that before passing away from heart failure,at home on his own time.
I used to crush the tablets up & mix them in with some canned tuna,the same as I do with Cinders at the ASSISI.
But seriously,get a vets opinion,chances are a course of Fortekor may be the answer,as to the fur loss,all cats moult,you should see the amount of fur Daisy leaves around the place...

Mrs.W_2

Fire_Fox wrote: »

You used the phrases "on his last legs" and "hugely stressful" - my twin suggestions based on your wording and I stand by them. I wish I'd had to option to end my last boy's life before he was finished with it, that I didn't end up having him PTS whilst still under the anaesthetic on the vet's advice. I wish I'd known he was in pain. I am far from alone in that.

Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry you didn't have that last cuddle, or the opportunity to hold him as he went.

Mrs.W_2

spike7451 wrote: »

I sympathize with you as my old mate Orbit went thru the same thing in the last few months of his life,however you cannot rely on Google to diagnose a problem like this.
Orbit was drinking more & gaining weight,turned out it was his kidneys & he was retaining the fluid on his body,so the vet put him onto Fortekor & a diaretic to get rid of the fluids.
He lived another year or two after that before passing away from heart failure,at home on his own time.
I used to crush the tablets up & mix them in with some canned tuna,the same as I do with Cinders at the ASSISI.
But seriously,get a vets opinion,chances are a course of Fortekor may be the answer,as to the fur loss,all cats moult,you should see the amount of fur Daisy leaves around the place...

Thank you for taking the time to respond. The new vet is visiting moggy on Friday. I'm relieved - and thankful for the advice given here - I really had no idea some vets offered home visits for small animals! The OH is pleased as he'll be at home that day - he's in Scotland at the mo.

Fire_Fox

Mrs.W wrote: »

Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry you didn't have that last cuddle, or the opportunity to hold him as he went.

Thank you. I did go down to the vet, but he didn't know I was there because he was under the anaesthetic. And I didn't say goodbye when I left him that morning because it was just for simple tests.

So pleased your vet offers home visits, that is the ideal solution all round. Do let us know how you get on.