Now Mandy's turn

[Freedom]

This is Mandy. She is 16 years, been with me since 4 months old.

Mandy has few if any teeth. She has all 4 fangs (the canine teeth). Since Dec 15, she has stopped grooming herself. I have brushed her 3 times, I get loads of fur on the brush. Most of the tufts are out, now.

Mandy is not eating any kibble. She licks all the gravy off the can of Friskies shreds, and maybe eats a few shreds. She only poops once every other day; not surprising as she is not eating much. At the moment, she does not feel skinny, I don't think she is losing weight.

All she does is sleep, curled up in this cat house. I pet her, pick her up and snuggle, I can't get a purr. She does not have much energy to fuss when I brush her. She sometimes opens her mouth to complain about the brushing, but she makes no sound. None of this activity - or rather, lack of activity - is normal for this cat.


I lost 2 cats in October, 6 days apart. Crystal, and then Bobby. This is what happens when you have a house of senior pets.

Mandy has a vet appointment for later this morning. It occurred to me folks on here may have some ideas, things to ask about, things for me to try. Wish I'd thought to post for info sooner.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Was Mandy eating kibble before 12/15 without issue? How about canned food? How long has she gone without most of her teeth? Is she drinking OK and peeing normally? Even if her pooping is only occurring every other day, is it of normal consistency, color, and smell? I am asking these questions because the answers could have some bearing on what is going on with her now.

Short of that, the common vet checkup should involve a physical exam, senior bloodwork, and a urinalysis. They are standard for a senior cat, but also a starting point in trying to seek out issues/clues about what might be behind Mandy's recent changes.

It is hard to advise about what you might do without seeing if anything shows up in her exam/tests. She is 16 and by that age, there are a whole host of possible causes.

Let us know what happens at the vet visit.

 

[Freedom]

We are just now back home! To answer your questions, all was normal through Dec 15 / 16. Yes she was eating kibble, and scarfing down 3 Temptations treats each morning. Until Dec 16th, when she wasn't.

The vet found nothing major on exam. Body temp is low, 99 when normal is 101.5. Slightly dehydrated. After discussion, I approved full body xrays. Again, nothing striking showed up. Quite a bit of stool and gas in the intestines and digestive tract. So gave her an enema, fluids, and sent us home with 3 5.5 ounce cans of Hill's a/d urgent care soft food. She should eat one can per day and then go back to the wet food I was using.

Given that nothing is showing up on exam or xrays, I decided not to do blood work at this time. The vet really didn't think that was necessary. He said there is no cure for old age, and some cats go through this cycle of constipation and dehydration. He said I may need to add 1/8th teaspoon of Miralax to her food if this develops again with her.

She did poop in the carrier on the way home; this was expected.

I mixed half a can with some broth, delivered that to Mandy, and she is lapping it up. I am relieved, as I expected to not be bringing her home again.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Tbh, I will honestly never understand vets who just want to blow off a cat's issues to old age. None of my cats experienced constipation and/or dehydration as a routine part of aging.

Cats should have annual bloodwork done, and those who reach their senior years really should have it done twice a year. The idea is that it can help to identify trends that could indicate potential problems, which tend to occur more so with age. This doesn't even take into account not having bloodwork done when a cat is not feeling well.

Nonetheless, I hope Mandy turns around for you with the current plan!

 

[Freedom]

Well, I've had 18 cats, and I do not recall any of them developing this in old age, either. On the other hand, constipation and dehydration can be normal for aging humans. So why not for our pets?

I agree with not doing the blood work at this time. None of the expected things are showing up: hyperthyroid (she GAINED a pound and half since Feb!), diabetes, etc. No indication of any of them. Constipation and dehydration explain the symptoms of not feeling well, not eating, sleeping alot. Turn those around and she may well do fine. I happen to agree with the vet's recommendation which is why I went with it.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I happen to agree with the vet's recommendation which is why I went with it.

And, that my friend, is what counts the most!