Vets Conflict of Opinion

[Mercurial123]

I've posted several times about my older cat, she's 16. She has kidney and thyroid issues. I refused thyroidechtomy due to her age and she hates all kidney/thyroid food.

Agreed with vet to let her enjoy her remaining time on her regular diet (Royal Canine 12+ dry food, Friskies wet food and freeze dried salmon as a treat). Her medical notes states she's in palliative care.

Saw a new vet today. She wasn't concerned about the thyroid issues and not eating the special diet. In fact she reckons my cat can live for years but could have a detached retina in the future.

Obviously, I'm delighted that she's gone from 6 months to years but who do I believe?

I take her in twice a month for fluids. She's still active and very happy. Just sleeps more than usual. Her weight is stable.

A cat that goes in twice a month for fluids doesn't have years.

Some medical and vetinary professionals just can't help themselves and are over optimistic.

Sheer common sense is that your cat has outlived the average age for a cat, and is not a well cat.

I agree with the PP. that is false hope. The vets told me my cats acute kidney failure could be treated. She already has severe heart disease. There was no way it would have been fair to her to treat her. And kidney disease is a one way street. TBH I wouldn't even be giving my cat fluids as Kidney disease makes them feel so I'll.

Thanks for your replies. I agree, she isn't well. I guess I was just happy to hear she is healthier than she actually is.

Her blood tests show her kidney disease has improved. It's the thyroid issue which is the biggest concern and as she refuses the meds it will just get worse. I'll go with the 6 months and any additional time is a bonus.

Thanks again for the reality check.

I guess you have tried everything to get the meds in already but I kept my thyroid cat going by inserting the meds in a bit of Lidl cat stick (Lidl specifically as they are squishier than Webbox). She'd then just eat them off the ground like a treat. Any other method was just traumatizing.

OK, we did find escapee tablets from time to time but she got a good 90%. The transformation in her was miraculous.

Good luck to you and your cat. Mine had an extra 2 years of happiness with meds before she died suddenly out of the blue. My renal cat had no truck with the special food either (bizarrely the kitten ate them!) and we also decided that fed was best.

Yes, have tried everything. The pill pockets worked once but she was not happy after she realised there was a pill in the treats.

We never found the pill pockets worked, I think the cat sticks were higher value food!

However she was an extremely food motivated cat which helped.

It does help, my cat only loves treats. She's obsessed with the freeze dried salmon.

Have you considered the transdermal cream that you apply to the inner ear. Unlicensed, but effective, but expensive.

I've had cats for the past 42 years.
One of mine had an overactive thyroid and she was on medication for the last year or 2 of her life - she was 18 when she was PTS. She had a cream stuff that I rubbed into the actual skin of her ear, to treat the thyroid problem.

She also had a problem with her kidneys, and had a liquid that I used to squirt into her mouth. No tablets at all for anything, and it was so much easier for her and me as well.

THIS is what I meant

Thanks, we are overseas and getting medication is difficult. The transdermal cream was impossible. I did try to get from the US and UK but the prescription had to written by a vet in UK or US. I could only get the tablets which she refuses.

Have you tried the Thyronorm liquid? I gave my cat this for approx 4 years. First few days of giving it to her I ended up with scars, but she soon learnt that she needed to have it and was fairly accepting of it.