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OK my weird Vet is at it again

post #1 of 18
5/11/11 at 12:53pm
Thread Starter 
We are the ones with the kitten with the weight problem. She is huge and no matter how little we feed her she just keeps gaining. My other cat is about to starve to death because if Sniggles doesn't eat Punky won't eat (they are so strange).

Anyway, took Snigg to the vet yesterday and he said she's suffering from malnuritment due to some hormonal problem and that we need to feed her 1 (one) Jack Mackarel a day or 1/4 lb. of raw hamburger a day, until she refuses to eat them anymore - this on top of her other food.

I think, possibly he's lost his mind. He's one of those good old country vets who does pigs and horses and cattle mostly but will see small animals. Ya think I should maybe take her elsewhere and see what they think?
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post #2 of 18
5/11/11 at 12:57pm
Definitely have another vet take a look at her, never hurts to get a 2nd opinion.
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post #3 of 18
5/11/11 at 1:44pm
It sounds like you've already answered your own question. If you aren't comfortable with your vets advice, then a visit to a different vet will help you.

Good luck!
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post #4 of 18
5/11/11 at 1:52pm
I think you need another opinion. At the very least, I think a different solution is in order.
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post #5 of 18
5/11/11 at 1:56pm
Yep, I agree with the consensus here that you should seek a second opinion. Good luck!
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post #6 of 18
5/11/11 at 6:36pm
It sounds like you need a second opinion for both.
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post #7 of 18
5/11/11 at 8:16pm
Thread Starter 
I guess what I meant to ask but didn't is what do you think of the advice? Have you ever heard anything like this?

I understand eating because you're missing something, it happens to me with bananas if my water pill works too well. I crave them, like I crave spinach and liver when I get anemic. But she's getting fat because she's malnourished?

I don't know, we're going to go see another vet and see if she's just fat because she's fat and eats too much or if she's missing something.
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post #8 of 18
5/12/11 at 4:33am
What food are you feeding? If she is getting food high in carbs, but low in other nutrients, then yes, it is highly feasible for her to gain, but be malnourished. No different than if you ate McDonalds every day, you'd get fat, but be low of essential nutrients from fruits and veggies.
Vets are taught how to scale body condition, check for deficiencies, perform surgery, etc, but unfortunately nutrition is usually only a tiny part of the mix. The thing that concerns me is that he said she has a hormone problem, but did not recommend any hormone supplements or other tests for it. Did he tell you what vitamin/mineral she was short on? In that case, I would simply buy a supplemental powder or treat to add to her diet instead of a whole fish as that would probably just make her gain more.

Have you tried feeding a small amount of food to both at the same time, several times a day instead of withholding food from Sniggles for hours? Sometimes withholding food can lead to binging which could be another cause for her constant weight gain.
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post #9 of 18
5/12/11 at 4:42am
Absolutely another vet is needed.

I agree with the above poster who asked what you are feeding, maybe we can help you get Snigg on a better food. However there is a condition called prader-willi syndrome where the sufferer is missing a gene that shuts off appetite when the body is sated.

I have been looking for info on this about cats for a long time, because I am convinced my mother's cat Mikey has this syndrome. It was my mother's vet who first suggested it, but we haven't been able to come up with anything about it related to cats.

Now my Jennie tends to get chubby and wants to eat ALL the time, (I feel so bad for her) but she has food anxiety from being a stray for so long. I have managed to keep her from getting obese with scheduled feeding and being The Dreaded Cat Food Police. She is doing great on Merrick Before Grain canned foods. You might try that food for Snigg. It's 96% meat, the only other things added are the vitamins and minerals needed for a balanced feline diet.
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post #10 of 18
5/12/11 at 5:09am
What kind of food are you feeding? I agree with what Minka wrote. Also I totally agree that a second opinion is probably needed. But then you already know that Your issue ranks right up there in the strangest I've seen. In particularly the way both cats eat. Meezers... dontcha' just love 'em ;-D
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post #11 of 18
5/12/11 at 11:45pm
Thread Starter 
I'll probably get flack for this, but we're kind of in financial problems right now so we're feeding them Purina One mixed with Goodlife Healthy Recipe. My cats have absolutely adored this Goodlife food, but my Vet calls it cat food candy, well he says anything off the shelf is cat food candy. I should be feeding them raw meat mostly. :-\\ I know there are proponents of that, but we just can't afford to feed ourselves these days let alone them with a lot of meat.

Here is what their website says about their food.
http://www.thegoodliferecipe.com/who...pare-tool.aspx

Poor little Sniggles, she just looks so uncomfortable. We're moving soon to the deep country and she'll get to be outdoors and chase chipmunks and stuff, so maybe that will help her some.
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post #12 of 18
5/13/11 at 2:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by PunkyPurrbottom View Post
I'll probably get flack for this, but we're kind of in financial problems right now so we're feeding them Purina One mixed with Goodlife Healthy Recipe. My cats have absolutely adored this Goodlife food, but my Vet calls it cat food candy, well he says anything off the shelf is cat food candy. I should be feeding them raw meat mostly. :-\\ I know there are proponents of that, but we just can't afford to feed ourselves these days let alone them with a lot of meat.

Here is what their website says about their food.
http://www.thegoodliferecipe.com/who...pare-tool.aspx

Poor little Sniggles, she just looks so uncomfortable. We're moving soon to the deep country and she'll get to be outdoors and chase chipmunks and stuff, so maybe that will help her some.
Don't think that because your vet recommend raw that he's crazy or anything. Be happy that he's actually educated on nutrition unlike most other vets. (Honestly on this info alone, I would stay with the vet you have.. xD)

Also don't think that because Goodlife's website says they are nutritious, that it means they are. On all four of the flavors they carry the first two ingredients are corn and chicken by-product meal.

I would be careful with letting her out to the wilderness right away, simply because she's so heavy, so might not be able to get away from a roaming dog/hawk/etc.

Luckily, there are solutions for giving a better diet without breaking the bank. I don't know if you have a Petsmart near you, but they carry a brand called Authority and it's pretty good food surprisingly. It's first ingredients are all meat and the only grain/veggie it contains is a bit of brewer's rice so it's low in carbs. That on top of the fact that it's only 75cents a can makes for a happy you and a happy kitty.

If you Don't have a Petsmart near you, next time you go out for food, just find some cheap brands and list em here and we can let you know what we think of the ingredients.
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post #13 of 18
5/13/11 at 6:40am
Thread Starter 
Oh I don't mind the raw suggestion, I don't have a problem with that. It was just surprising!

We don't feed wet food, only dry food.
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post #14 of 18
5/13/11 at 6:59am
Dry food is a huge problem for cats who tend to gain weight. Most dry foods are full of junk, fillers and carbohydrates, which is what makes cats fat.

Switching the kitten to a canned diet, or at least partially canned diet, with scheduled feedings and measured high quality kibble as only a part of the day's total food intake will go a long way toward helping kitty stay at a healthy weight.
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post #15 of 18
5/15/11 at 2:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PunkyPurrbottom View Post
I'll probably get flack for this, but we're kind of in financial problems right now so we're feeding them Purina One mixed with Goodlife Healthy Recipe. My cats have absolutely adored this Goodlife food, but my Vet calls it cat food candy, well he says anything off the shelf is cat food candy. I should be feeding them raw meat mostly. :-\\ I know there are proponents of that, but we just can't afford to feed ourselves these days let alone them with a lot of meat.

Here is what their website says about their food.
http://www.thegoodliferecipe.com/who...pare-tool.aspx

Poor little Sniggles, she just looks so uncomfortable. We're moving soon to the deep country and she'll get to be outdoors and chase chipmunks and stuff, so maybe that will help her some.
Purina One just recently came out with a product called Purina One Beyond, which seems to be pretty decent ingredients, and not much more expensive then the regular Purina One. Another thing you need to consider is the higher quality food you feed them, the smaller portion sizes they need.

Also, yes, there's a possibility that it the issue could be that you're feeding your cat a food that's high in fat and low in nutrients, but even the worst cat foods shouldn't make your cat bulk up when they hardly eat it. Not only do I think you need to see another vet, I think they need to investigate some sort of disease. It could be that she needs a certain nutrient or not have a certain something for her to maintain a particular weight, or it could be something other than just fat that's making her look, well, fat.

Anyway, good luck with your sweethearts!
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post #16 of 18
5/15/11 at 2:20pm
Also, I agree with Minka- PetSmart's Authority is a great food. It's a little bit pricier than the One Beyond, but, like I said before, the cat will need to eat less of it.
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post #17 of 18
5/15/11 at 11:21pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by EmilyAnne12 View Post
or it could be something other than just fat that's making her look, well, fat.

Anyway, good luck with your sweethearts!
Her fat is fat, not swollen belly from FLV for FIP (I can't remember which does this) - it's solid lumpy bumpy fat dangling off her belly. This came about after her spay. Now, my other cat is spayed, is big too, but she's an all over huge cat, she never was fat - her head almost reaches my knee!!

Sniggles doesn't like to move around a lot, she never did. Which of course is totally cat like - Punky doesn't do a whole lot either. We're really hoping this move to the country (where they will be safe from predators, it's hard to explain the region will be in, but it's safe) - will help them with getting them interested in being outside and running around and playing with their new housemates. Now, those two are in and out all the time playing and running and fighting with each other and have a ball. They climb trees and chase voles and eat one once awhile.

I doubt that we'll switch to canned food, I've had such horrible problems with cats on wet food that I'm just leary of it.
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post #18 of 18
5/16/11 at 12:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by EmilyAnne12 View Post
Purina One just recently came out with a product called Purina One Beyond, which seems to be pretty decent ingredients, and not much more expensive then the regular Purina One. Another thing you need to consider is the higher quality food you feed them, the smaller portion sizes they need.
Purina ONE is not a good food.
First of all, it contains soy which causes hyperthyroidism in cats.
Secondly, it contains dyes, and not even natural ones.
Thirdly, and worst of all, it contains Menadione. A toxic form of vitamin K that has been banned for consumption by humans, but remains in pet food from manufacturers that don't care. http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=menadione

Quote:
Also, yes, there's a possibility that it the issue could be that you're feeding your cat a food that's high in fat and low in nutrients, but even the worst cat foods shouldn't make your cat bulk up when they hardly eat it. Not only do I think you need to see another vet, I think they need to investigate some sort of disease. It could be that she needs a certain nutrient or not have a certain something for her to maintain a particular weight, or it could be something other than just fat that's making her look, well, fat.
Not true at all. One of the most common things said by people with overweight pets is 'but s/he hardly eats anything at all!'
If all you ate was small amounts of McDonalds (the equivalent of 'the worst cat foods'), you would not only get fat, but also be at risk for scurvy.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PunkyPurrbottom View Post
Her fat is fat, not swollen belly from FLV for FIP (I can't remember which does this) - it's solid lumpy bumpy fat dangling off her belly. This came about after her spay. Now, my other cat is spayed, is big too, but she's an all over huge cat, she never was fat - her head almost reaches my knee!!
After spaying, cats typically need 1/2 - 2/3 less food than they did before the spay.

Quote:
I doubt that we'll switch to canned food, I've had such horrible problems with cats on wet food that I'm just leary of it.
Which canned foods did you try? If you tried something like Friskies, or Fancy Feast, then I don't blame you for not wanting to go back.
Brands like Evo, Wellness, Before Grain, Natural Balance and a few others however, are actually made specifically for a cat's diet. High in protein and low in carbs, they will make any cat look better than they ever have. Shiny coats, glossy eyes, trim waists, and energy like kittens again. I switched to all wet just last month and I will never look back.
If you are up for a read, I Highly recommend this website: http://www.catinfo.org/
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