Old Cat advice and support

[TheConstantLurker]

hi, I posted recently about my 18 year old tom. He was diagnosed with over active thyroid and put on Hills y/d dried and tins. He throws up most days-small amounts and poos yellow, very soft, very stinky poo twice three times a day. He is not getting better but not getting worse although he seems to have lost some more weight.
Is there anything I can do to help him? I feel so sorry for my once strong and feisty cat although he seems pretty, well not happy but at least perky.
Every so often I cave and let him have a prawn or a tiny bit of cheese.
My financial resources are very limited so unnecessary vetinery visits are not desirable.

[cozietoesie]

Well my boy is 18 so I know where you are. I have to say that I don't know about thyroid issues but from what you say, his current diet really doesn't suit.

[TheConstantLurker]

He had the digestion problems before he started on the y/d.
I do wonder if there is an alternative.

[cozietoesie]

Sorry - laptop problems so I had to just post that and then go.

Lurker

You'll have to forgive me if I'm blunt but take this as from someone who has an equally old boy.

He's probably not got a whole lot longer to go - so I'd give him what he fancies to eat unless it's going to make him feel awful. (Other posters might wish to comment on thyroid diets but it seems to me that what you're giving him is not working.)

[TheConstantLurker]

Bluntness is appreciated! I've wondered that. I feel like cooking him up some chicken, pureeing it and seeing how he gets on.
Off to google iodine levels in chicken.

[cozietoesie]

Not even sure I'd puree it ! (How are his teeth?) One evening, a few months back, I took a chicken leg from the freezer FOR ME. But forgot about it. (It was on a plate on the bedroom floor.)

Never saw it again. And I looked everywhere. That was a chicken leg with bones in by the way - and Seniorboy only has 4 teeth left.

I think what I'm getting at is that you have to draw a balance. A month or two of enjoyment against a longer time of ......not so much enjoyment.

Mayhap other posters can suggest a happy medium though.

[TheConstantLurker]

I add water to his tinned food as he seems to be keener to lap it up than deal with the thick texture that's why I thought puree. Anyway he has just stepped away from a nearly finished saucer of ground up chicken. Nearly had my hand off Now to see what his digestion makes of it.......

[cozietoesie]

....He's going to go soon as his kidney function is reduced but until then I want him happy. If he dies tonight he's had a great time.......

Quite so.

[cozietoesie]

Sounds like a happy cat now, Lurker.

[TheConstantLurker]

It's very sad watching them get old. I am trying to pay him lots of attention and let him sit on me for as long as he likes (though he pongs)
Thank you for sharing Lunatic.

[cozietoesie]

Sort of sad, yes - but no one in the family thought that Seniorboy would last much beyond the 13 when I got him. (Oneago dropped dead one morning at 8.)

He's snoring at the foot of the bed now. A very happy camper, old though he is.

[QueenStromba]

I agree that you should be spoiling him since he doesn't have much time left. My 15 year old has just scarfed down some sea bream that I brought home in a catty bag from the pub. She also tends to get some of our dinner if it's roast meat and if it's fish I save her some before I cook. I'm just a soft touch and she's had 15 years to perfect the pitiful cries if we're eating something she wants and haven't given her any :)

[cozietoesie]

the pub?

(Sorry - up here, going to a pub is the sign of a fallen woman!)

[QueenStromba]

It's a naice pub that sells Absolut rather than Smirnoff and has things like chargrilled sea bream on the menu if that helps?

[ExitPursuedByABear]

Does he like fish?

I'd give him whatever he fancies

[DoingStuffForHarriet]

Oh please don't give up on him. You've said that your financial resources are limited, but hyperthyroidism in cats can easily be controlled with daily medication, which isn't too expensive, and once he has the right treatment he will be back to his old self very quickly. It's awful for them when they have an untreated overactive thyroid because they suffer from constant panic attacks, and just feel terrified all the time.

Our old girl (17) was very ill indeed last year with an over active thyroid. She became terribly thin and was always distressed. Unfortunately she turned out to be allergic to the medication (this is rare - trust her!) and, as she was deemed too old for surgery, our only options were to have her PTS or pay a small fortune to send her away for 4 weeks for radio iodine therapy, which would cure her completely. We opted for the latter, even though we had to borrow the money and will be paying it back for years.

Best decision we ever made. Our lovely old kitty is now completely back to her former self and seems to have shed several years, behaving like a kitten sometimes. She's sleek and shiny, happy and contented, and has put on 1 kg.

Your boy would probably respond to the medication and he'd end up as good as our girl is. He could still have many years left to him.

[cozietoesie]

That's a useful insight into hyperthyroidism Doing. But when you say 'daily medication which isn't too expensive' what sort of money are you talking about?

[DoingStuffForHarriet]

Well a quick search on the Internet.just brought up a price of £18.50 for 100 Felimazole tablets. Our old girl was prescribed 2 tablets a day, so we are talking roughly £11 per month.

[cozietoesie]

Gawd. The thought of having to give a cat two tablets a day makes me feel ill. Seniorboy has liquid meds (NSAIDs) for his arthritis (they go into his food) but tablets would be a no-no for him.

Thanks anyway, though.

[TheConstantLurker]

Ha! The vet has encountered my cat's 'feistiness' before and true to form he bit and scratched both of us on the last visit. He had to be sedated or blood to be taken and the vet agreed that tablets would be very difficult and stressful (for both of us) to administer. Hence the y/d food.
Having said that I have read a few stories on the net about successfully crushing them into food.
I have my doubts that the hyperthyroidism is causing all of the tummy problems since he has had them awhile and was on a different special food from the vet before the thyroid diagnosis. Colic in old cats is common I believe.

[DoingStuffForHarriet]

It's always a doddle getting tabs down Our Girl because she's addicted to Whiskas treat sticks. I just tear a bit of a stick off and make a hole in it with a skewer. Stick the tablet in, mould the stick over the top, then drop it on the floor and Hey Presto! She just woofs it down without realising that she's been duped into taking a tablet.

I've heard that Greenies Pill Pockets are great for giving tablets to cats but they're difficult to get hold of here.

[Sunnywithshowers]

Our old boy (19 and still going) has to have epilepsy and heart meds daily. We buy a jar of cheapo meat paste every week (Sainsburys' basics - about 30p) and put each pill in a blob of paste. He scarfs them down and chases us if we're late with a dose...