Hi, I'm Juliet, and I'm new here. I'm looking for some advice regarding my 15.9 year old cat, Meeko.
Meeko was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism at the age of 13. We started him on 5mg of Tapazole daily and he did well - his levels went back to normal, he gained weight, and he didn't have any noticeable side effects.
I should note that Meeko has always been a puker. Since the time I adopted him at 5 wks. old, he's vomited once every week or two. He was tested as a kitten, again a few years later, and then once again a few years after that, and the conclusion has always been that there is nothing medically wrong beyond a sensitive stomach. Prescription foods for sensitive stomachs have never helped him but rather have upset his stomach more causing him to vomit multiple times in a day; the only thing he can eat that doesn't cause him to throw up more often than once every week or two is Blue Buffalo, so that's what he eats.
In February he had his levels tested (this is done every six months) and the vet found that they were extremely high. She doubled his dose of Tapazole to 10mg/day (once in the morning, once at night). Since then, he has been having issues with vomiting, a side effect of the increased dose of Tapazole. He vomits food once or twice daily most days and vomits clear foam two or three times daily basically every day. Obviously I have contacted the vet, and her advice was to simply give him time to adjust to the increased dose. Beyond that, she didn't really offer any advice when I asked.
While he gets used to the new dosage, I would like to do as much as possible to help him keep as much food down as he can and to get as many calories into him as possible. Currently he is eating Blue Buffalo dry food (he has always disliked wet food and refuses to eat it) at 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM (I have six other cats, so leaving food down for him to graze is not an option) and he is offered as much as he wants at each meal (usually he ends up eating around 1/4 of a cup). I have tried offering him additional meals as frequently as every hour, but for some reason he will only eat his cat food at the intervals he is used to (he's been on that schedule for years). So, I have a few questions:
1. In order to minimise vomiting, is it better to give him the Tapazole on an empty stomach, or a full one? If it's better on a full stomach, how long after a meal is it best to give the pill?
2. I'm currently giving him Pepcid AC twice daily (2.5mg in the morning, 2.5mg at night). Same question, to keep him from vomiting is it better to give him the pill on a full or empty stomach, and if full, how long to wait?
3. Again to minimise vomiting, is better to give him the Pepcid AC and the Tapazole at the same time, or different times? If different times is better, how far apart, which first, etc.?
4. What foods are ideal for him to snack on between meals, since he will not eat the cat food (obviously I'd prefer not to give him people food, but at this point, I think it's the lesser of the two evils if it's nothing vs. people food) in order to get as many calories into him as possible?
5. A friend suggested I give him kitten formula, saying it would add calories and would not be harmful - is this true, is it a safe way to get him to eat more calories? If so, how much should I give him and how often should I give it?
6. Are their any supplements (vitamins? etc.) that would help him either in terms of vomiting less or caloric intake?
I want to emphasise that I asked the vet the first three questions and she said it didn't matter. I usually take veterinary advice as the most ideal/superior information, but in this case I find myself wondering if perhaps it does matter. I have a call in asking the latter three questions, but am interested in hearing advice in the meantime (obviously I will still consult with the vet).
Aside from the vomiting and weight loss he is actually doing well. He grooms himself, drinks a normal amount, uses the litter box, hangs out in his usual spots, shows us affection, and even plays. He has a lot of hearing loss and some arthritis (when bending to drink his front legs sometimes buckle a bit) but according to the vet these are common in elderly cats and are just unfortunate realities of aging that don't require treatment. He doesn't seem bothered by the hearing loss and aside from the front legs when bending he doesn't seem to be in pain (he can jump as well as ever, runs, etc.) so I'm not overly concerned either.
Sorry to be so long-winded, and thank you in advance for any knowledge or ideas you might have!
-- Juliet
Meeko was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism at the age of 13. We started him on 5mg of Tapazole daily and he did well - his levels went back to normal, he gained weight, and he didn't have any noticeable side effects.
I should note that Meeko has always been a puker. Since the time I adopted him at 5 wks. old, he's vomited once every week or two. He was tested as a kitten, again a few years later, and then once again a few years after that, and the conclusion has always been that there is nothing medically wrong beyond a sensitive stomach. Prescription foods for sensitive stomachs have never helped him but rather have upset his stomach more causing him to vomit multiple times in a day; the only thing he can eat that doesn't cause him to throw up more often than once every week or two is Blue Buffalo, so that's what he eats.
In February he had his levels tested (this is done every six months) and the vet found that they were extremely high. She doubled his dose of Tapazole to 10mg/day (once in the morning, once at night). Since then, he has been having issues with vomiting, a side effect of the increased dose of Tapazole. He vomits food once or twice daily most days and vomits clear foam two or three times daily basically every day. Obviously I have contacted the vet, and her advice was to simply give him time to adjust to the increased dose. Beyond that, she didn't really offer any advice when I asked.
While he gets used to the new dosage, I would like to do as much as possible to help him keep as much food down as he can and to get as many calories into him as possible. Currently he is eating Blue Buffalo dry food (he has always disliked wet food and refuses to eat it) at 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM (I have six other cats, so leaving food down for him to graze is not an option) and he is offered as much as he wants at each meal (usually he ends up eating around 1/4 of a cup). I have tried offering him additional meals as frequently as every hour, but for some reason he will only eat his cat food at the intervals he is used to (he's been on that schedule for years). So, I have a few questions:
1. In order to minimise vomiting, is it better to give him the Tapazole on an empty stomach, or a full one? If it's better on a full stomach, how long after a meal is it best to give the pill?
2. I'm currently giving him Pepcid AC twice daily (2.5mg in the morning, 2.5mg at night). Same question, to keep him from vomiting is it better to give him the pill on a full or empty stomach, and if full, how long to wait?
3. Again to minimise vomiting, is better to give him the Pepcid AC and the Tapazole at the same time, or different times? If different times is better, how far apart, which first, etc.?
4. What foods are ideal for him to snack on between meals, since he will not eat the cat food (obviously I'd prefer not to give him people food, but at this point, I think it's the lesser of the two evils if it's nothing vs. people food) in order to get as many calories into him as possible?
5. A friend suggested I give him kitten formula, saying it would add calories and would not be harmful - is this true, is it a safe way to get him to eat more calories? If so, how much should I give him and how often should I give it?
6. Are their any supplements (vitamins? etc.) that would help him either in terms of vomiting less or caloric intake?
I want to emphasise that I asked the vet the first three questions and she said it didn't matter. I usually take veterinary advice as the most ideal/superior information, but in this case I find myself wondering if perhaps it does matter. I have a call in asking the latter three questions, but am interested in hearing advice in the meantime (obviously I will still consult with the vet).
Aside from the vomiting and weight loss he is actually doing well. He grooms himself, drinks a normal amount, uses the litter box, hangs out in his usual spots, shows us affection, and even plays. He has a lot of hearing loss and some arthritis (when bending to drink his front legs sometimes buckle a bit) but according to the vet these are common in elderly cats and are just unfortunate realities of aging that don't require treatment. He doesn't seem bothered by the hearing loss and aside from the front legs when bending he doesn't seem to be in pain (he can jump as well as ever, runs, etc.) so I'm not overly concerned either.
Sorry to be so long-winded, and thank you in advance for any knowledge or ideas you might have!
-- Juliet
