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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Any owners of older cats around?

40 replies

ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 17/03/2011 19:22

Our lovely bagpuss of a cat is 14 years old and has had no health worries so far in her life (she is overweight but aside from that has always been very healthy)

the last couple of weeks she has been having difficulty jumping, onto the bed, onto the sofa etc. Now about 5 years ago we cut a hole in the bottom of the garden gate because she could no longer get over it but thought no more about it.

Seen the vet today, he has found a clear heart murmur and the mobility of her hips and lower back is significantly painful.

He wants us to go tomorrow and pick up some antiinflamitary/painkilling drugs tomorrow and then on Tuesday he wants her in for the day to take bloods and blood pressure

He is wanting to check liver, kidney, thyroid function.

I went in there thinking we would come away with kitty codliver oil tablets. Now it looks scarey and serious.

If anyone has knowledge or experience I would be grateful for any advice. Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 17/03/2011 19:46

bump?

OP posts:
bookkeeperisarubbishword · 17/03/2011 19:55

My two cats are of a similar age, and vets are very keen to start prescribing expensive tablets for elderly cats.
I think you'll know whether your cat is suffering. If she is, then take the vets advice.
If you feel she's ok, then follow your heart.

Our male cat lost alot of weight about 18 months ago so took him to the vets. They diagnosed kidney failure (very common in old cats) and said he had about a year to live. He said we could put him on expensice tablets or just feed him senior cat food to help support his kidneys and feed him as much as he wants. So I did, and he's fit, well and has put the weight back on. He drinks more than usual and eats more than usual but he is not suffering. As soon as I feel he is, I will have to consider the next move.

My female cat also got handed a death sentance by the vet after having two lumps removed 3 years ago. She too is fit, well and hasn't lost and weight. She just won't go out in the cold anymore!

Joolyjoolyjoo · 17/03/2011 20:08

Hi ByThePower, I'm a vet and will try to help if I can Smile

First of all, please don't panic! The fact that the vet wants to do these tests is NOT indicative that he/ she thinks there is something serious going on. Lots of older cats get arthritis, and the good thing is that owners and vets seem to be getting better at picking it up and treating it. Cats (and dogs) don't tend to really advertise the fact that they are in pain, so the little signs (like the difficulty jumping onto the bed etc) are clues. Anti-inflammatories will help control the inflammation and pain in his joints, just as in humans)

the downside to non-steroidals in cats is that cats are prone to renal failure as they older, as bookkeeper said, and as these drugs are excreted mainly by the kidneys, we want to know how well they are working before we put any added strain on them, that's all. It's routine to also look at liver enzymes in these guys for similar reasons, and because it can indicate any other problems. the presence of a heart murmur in an older cat is very often associated with increased production of thyroid hormone, hence the reason they are checking that.

chances are if liver/ kidney/ thyroid are all ok, the vet will offer you non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (usually a liquid called metacam) to see if it helps your old boy with his mobility and joints. I always think you don't know how much pain etc an animal is in until you do something to counteract the pain and see if it helps!

If his thyroid hormone is raised, there are various options to try to bring the levels down, but most commonly tablets are used. His heart murmur will be monitored, but IME cats do very well with mild heart murmurs, as they don't tend to stress or overexert themselves! Hope this helps, and let us have any updates!

Original poster
ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 17/03/2011 20:37

thanks both, DH and I have just read responses and it has been really helpful,
The vet did say most of what you said but it was hard to take it in when Lucy hates being there and was trying to grapple her way off the table and my 4 year old was trying to escape out of the door!

I feel a bit calmer now - she is one of my oldest friends, and it started to break my heart to think that it was the beginning of the end. Sad

OP posts:
Joolyjoolyjoo · 17/03/2011 22:07

Glad to help- I don't see it as the beginning of the end at all Smile All you are doing here is trying to enhance her quality of life by ensuring she's not sore. Hope it goes well on your next visit- keep us posted!

Lizcat · 18/03/2011 16:27

Just wanted to add my personal experience here. Because I am a bad cat mummy vet I had failed to notice that the beautiful moggy girl was having difficulty with her back legs until she tried to jump on to the counter for her tea and fell in a heap on a floor Blush.
That was 2 years ago she has been on metacam daily ever since. She is a much happier girl and some of the things even I had put down to being older were actually due to pain. She now sits with me in the evenings ( I thought she was pissed off by posh boys arrival), she sleeps on my bed again and she has started playing with toys again.
At the beginning of this year I again noticed that she was drinking more it could be the sitting permanently in a sink waiting for he tap to be turned on that gave it away Hmm. So she is now hyperthyroid too, but she takes her tablets each day and is doing really well.
Many cats live on these medications very happily for several years so it could be the beginning of a new happy phase of her life.
Point of interest beautiful girls kidney enzymes actually have improved on metacam as she is now more active.

Joolyjoolyjoo · 18/03/2011 16:36

Grin at Liz- vets' own pets always seem to go to the back of the queue, don't they? What is they say about cobblers' children...

I totally agree with the fact that it's only when you treat them with painkillers that you realise how much it affected them. it's a bit like with their teeth- owners tell me that "they don't bother him", but once they have had a dental they realise just how much they were actually bothering them!

Glad your cat is feeling better. I am worse than you- my old dog is on metacam and I often forget to give him it Blush

stealthsquiggle · 18/03/2011 16:40

DCat is 19, and I am dreading anything like this as she loathes cars, or vets, and is down on the vets system as psycho-nutter-cat (I am sure it is more polite than that Grin) which translates to them making us lose fingers/blood trying to get tablets down her because they don't want to (spot on flea and worm treatments are the best thing ever...) - having her on daily meds would be a nightmare.

Interesting that senior food helps support their kidneys - she has seemed much happier (and is getting fatter) since I switched her onto senior food a few years ago. However, she seems to have decided she is bored of it ATM and just yells at me to give her something else....Hmm (she has definitely embraced the idea that old people are allowed to express their opinions, loudly and repeatedly, with no consideration for others).

stealthsquiggle · 18/03/2011 16:41

ooops - damn '*'s - it was easier when they only did one word.

LittleNicci · 18/03/2011 22:37

Mine is 20 and has definitely slowed down a lot in the past 12 months. She always used to try and run up the stairs before us, but now she does a step at a time. She's had a few of seizures which seem to have been triggered by loud noises, but has always rallied round and gone back to her usual vocal self. I've had her tested at the vets and her kidneys aren't up to scratch any more ~ she's on a special renal diet but she hates the food so I sometimes slip her a little tin of gourmet food which she loves. Her nails grow really quickly and can curl into the pads if not checked, which the vet says can be a sign of thyroid problems. Also, she doesn't seem to be able to groom her coat very well now, so I spend a lot of time trimming off little matts in her fur. She sleeps for most of the day, but seems happy enough and has has spent the last few days dozing in the spring sun on the patio (when she's hasn't been trying to get on my lap and headbut my laptop onto the floor).

Hopefully your little bagpuss has a few more years left in her yet :)

Original poster
ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 19/03/2011 10:52

thanks for your responses ladies,

DH has been doing some googling on metacam and is very worried about her taking it. people talking about cat dying of renal failure very quickly (within days) of taking it.

It is good to hear of cats takingit abd being happier but can anyone tell me if these side effects are really something for us to be worried about?

OP posts:
Original poster
ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 20/03/2011 10:40

bump

OP posts:
Joolyjoolyjoo · 20/03/2011 13:22

Hi, ByThePower, I think if the cat's kidneys are checked before medication started and are fine, and you stick to the lower doses, there probably isn't much to worry about. Lots and lots of cats are now on these drugs. For years we tended to ignore arthritis in cats, for fear of the potential side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories with their kidneys, but newer drugs have been well researched- it is only recently that these drugs have become licensed for longer-term use in cats, as tests would seem to indicate they are relatively safe. In our practice, we check their kidney parameters fairly regularly when they are on drugs like metacam, so would stop at the first sign of things deteriorating.

I would have a chat to your vet, outlining your worries. It may be that her blood results will show she is not a suitable candidate for the treatment, and you will have worried for nothing. If she is, your vet should be able to give you more information about how they monitor these guys.

Every drug admittedly has potential side effects, but stories like the one lizcat told show how they really can make a difference to an animals quality of life, so the pros usually outweigh the potential cons. But don't feel pressured to accept any treatment you aren't comfortable with! Hope it goes well- let us know!

FourFortyFour · 20/03/2011 13:26

My cat has recently been diagnosed with the start of kidney failure and I blubbed in the vets last week Blush.

I hope your cat is okay.

Original poster
ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 20/03/2011 13:36

Oh dear, FFF so sorry to hear that, I too would have blubbed, they hold such a part in our hearts Sad

I hope you manage to enjoy the time you still have together. x

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Joolyjoolyjoo · 20/03/2011 14:22

Sorry to hear that, FFF. But if it's been picked up in the early days, there's a good chance he/she could still be fine for quite some time. Fingers crossed.

(And blubbing is fine- we are used to it!!)

FourFortyFour · 20/03/2011 17:14

I have seen 3 vets with my cat. One said we had picked it up early. The next 2 have told me different things about her food. The latest one gave me the results and said that was what we already knew so I felt very stupid crying.

She is spending more time out of the lounge which is stressing me out as I want to be able to see her all the time Blush.

spanky2 · 20/03/2011 19:42

My cat has had to take metacam. He has science diet j/d as he has arthritis. He has also had his cruciate ligament repaired. There is also cat cod liver oil, he won't take it mixed with food. My other cat had kidney failure. I really feel for you fff. I blubbed at the vet too. We think she had it for some time (over a year.) She was very ill when we found out. She was put on blood pressure tablets which really helped and was given an appetite stimulant. We had three months to spoil her before we had her put to sleep. However one of my Mum's friends cat had kidney failure and she lasted for at least three years. Make sure you leave bowls of water in all her places as they get very thirsty.

FourFortyFour · 20/03/2011 20:13

I am a bit potty over my cat so with 3 days in a week of a lot of water being drunk I was on the phone to the vet Blush and they have said they caught it early.

I am worrying now as my MIL said she staggered yesterday and she does seem to have a problem with balance/getting up but I assumed her legs had gone to sleep with her being curled up for so long. That wasn't the case when she staggered yesterday when she walked in though Sad.

Original poster
ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 22/03/2011 08:41

eek she is goin in for her bloods and blood pressure today, she is cross with me already because she wasn't allowed any breakfast.

hope everyone's lovely old ladies and gents are well today.

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FourFortyFour · 22/03/2011 11:07

Good luck Greyskull. I hope the results are good.

Original poster
ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 22/03/2011 12:23

thanks fff
hows your lovely cat today?

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FourFortyFour · 22/03/2011 12:24

I noticed she has been drinking a lot again and she was wobbly at the weekend. Sad

OhYouBadBadKitten · 22/03/2011 12:29

four :(

We found that metacam made our cat throw up repeatedly after a few days. (We think it was the metacam but are reluctant to try it again in case) It made such a rapid difference to her. Thinking about trying her on a half dose?

FourFortyFour · 22/03/2011 13:57

Mine is on something else.

I can't advise as I don't know, sorry.

Could you ring and ask the vet?