help needed for older cat
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:05 pm
Hello. I would appreciate it if anyone could recommend the proper
remedy to help my ailing cat. I attempted to look up remedies
myself, but I'm not to sure how to relate the symptoms to animal
care, since she can't tell me much.
She is 16 years old. Has been pretty healthy most of her life, a few
UTI's several years ago until I switched her to low acid cat food.
Last summer, she suddenly lost weight which we attributed to the
heat. She never regained it. This year she has lost even more and
is now just skin and bones.
We have been travelling alot this summer so haven't paid real close
attention to her, have had a relative coming over and taking care of
her several times a day. Upon our return last week, she looked very
weak and sickly, so in desparation, we took her to our local vet.
There is no homeopathic vet available to us.
She had heavy mucus in her throat, making it very difficult to
swallow, hence the weight loss and dehydration. She also had right
ear and right eye infections. The vet treated her with amoxicillin
orally and injection, also used drops in her eye and ear. She spent
6 days in his care while we travelled yet again. On our return, she
has shown some improvement, but is certainly not well.
Ongoing symptoms...
She generally keeps her right third eyelid up, and the eye is not
usually opened fully, and the pupil is almost fully dilated.
She still has difficulty swallowing, evident by the fact that she
twists her head while chewing and swallowing...though we have
switched her to soft food. Her swallowing is incomplete causing a lot
of food to backwash into her water when she drinks. Also, when she
does try to wash her face, she generally looks worse afterwards,
rather than better.
Her nose and lips are very pale. Lips look like her gums are
receding. She still has her teeth, which we thought might be her
problem, but apparently not.
She is still very thin and weak, even to the point of trembling often
when she walks. She occasionally attempts to groom herself
(something she was not doing before), but seems to just not have the
strength, or the saliva, to do it well.
Before treatment, she would not even try to jump up on anything.
Now, she will jump up on the couch. She has always been a lap cat,
wanting to be held as much as possible. Now, when I try to sit and
hold her, she gets down..unless I am sitting on her favorite couch,
where she will curl up beside me.
She was always very vocal, now rarely meows. She also appears to be
deaf as of the last year or so. Maybe that is why she
doesn't "speak" much, b/c she can't hear us talking to her.
She has been very well housebroken (an indoor/outdoor cat) since she
was very young. Last year, she started wetting on the bathroom rug,
like she thought that was what she was supposed to do. Maybe
depression, or anger with us for being gone so much? Now, she rarely
wets at all. We are pleased when she wets the rug. How crazy is
that?? She is very dehydrated.
The vet did not find anything seriously wrong with her..no tumors or
major illness, just age.
I would truly appreciate any help you can give. I don't feel like
she has anything that can not be overcome.
Thanks so much!!
remedy to help my ailing cat. I attempted to look up remedies
myself, but I'm not to sure how to relate the symptoms to animal
care, since she can't tell me much.
She is 16 years old. Has been pretty healthy most of her life, a few
UTI's several years ago until I switched her to low acid cat food.
Last summer, she suddenly lost weight which we attributed to the
heat. She never regained it. This year she has lost even more and
is now just skin and bones.
We have been travelling alot this summer so haven't paid real close
attention to her, have had a relative coming over and taking care of
her several times a day. Upon our return last week, she looked very
weak and sickly, so in desparation, we took her to our local vet.
There is no homeopathic vet available to us.
She had heavy mucus in her throat, making it very difficult to
swallow, hence the weight loss and dehydration. She also had right
ear and right eye infections. The vet treated her with amoxicillin
orally and injection, also used drops in her eye and ear. She spent
6 days in his care while we travelled yet again. On our return, she
has shown some improvement, but is certainly not well.
Ongoing symptoms...
She generally keeps her right third eyelid up, and the eye is not
usually opened fully, and the pupil is almost fully dilated.
She still has difficulty swallowing, evident by the fact that she
twists her head while chewing and swallowing...though we have
switched her to soft food. Her swallowing is incomplete causing a lot
of food to backwash into her water when she drinks. Also, when she
does try to wash her face, she generally looks worse afterwards,
rather than better.
Her nose and lips are very pale. Lips look like her gums are
receding. She still has her teeth, which we thought might be her
problem, but apparently not.
She is still very thin and weak, even to the point of trembling often
when she walks. She occasionally attempts to groom herself
(something she was not doing before), but seems to just not have the
strength, or the saliva, to do it well.
Before treatment, she would not even try to jump up on anything.
Now, she will jump up on the couch. She has always been a lap cat,
wanting to be held as much as possible. Now, when I try to sit and
hold her, she gets down..unless I am sitting on her favorite couch,
where she will curl up beside me.
She was always very vocal, now rarely meows. She also appears to be
deaf as of the last year or so. Maybe that is why she
doesn't "speak" much, b/c she can't hear us talking to her.
She has been very well housebroken (an indoor/outdoor cat) since she
was very young. Last year, she started wetting on the bathroom rug,
like she thought that was what she was supposed to do. Maybe
depression, or anger with us for being gone so much? Now, she rarely
wets at all. We are pleased when she wets the rug. How crazy is
that?? She is very dehydrated.
The vet did not find anything seriously wrong with her..no tumors or
major illness, just age.
I would truly appreciate any help you can give. I don't feel like
she has anything that can not be overcome.
Thanks so much!!