I went to put Putty's food down last night, and realized she couldn't find it. She's always had a terrible sense of smell, I'll put a piece of food on the ground and she frantically looks for it even though it's inches from her nose).
But I checked her out, and she's blind as a bat!
Her eyes are a bit cloudy, but I didn't really notice a slow progression, it seems pretty sudden.
She's 18 or so, she's been slowing down and sleeping more, but until now, otherwise in good health. She has a high metabolism, she's always skinny and pretty skittish (in spite of being born here and never even close to mistreated by anyone).
I don't think she's taking it well, she's bumping into things, her instincts are not great for finding her way around. She's been curled up on top of a heat vent in the kitchen -- her usual spot come fall and winter, which is why nothing seemed amiss when she stopped jumping up to sleep on her chair.
I'm assuming it's Feline Hypertension judging from the feedback to date, and because a few weeks ago she did have blood in her eye. I was going to take her in then, but it disappeared the next day.
I could be wrong, but I suspect a thyroid problem only because at her previous 'senior cat' check up, two years ago now (I guess I skipped the 'annual', time flies when you're have fun). I seem to remember the vet mentioning a slightly 'off' thyroid reading, but it was dismissed, she was deemed very healthy. (Wish they would have mentioned the possible complications to watch out for).
If it was diabetes, would she be drinking a lot? She did just take a loooong drink, but I think that was more of an inability to find her water bowl before I put it down in front of her.
She's always been a very skinny, skittish cat. I recently started giving her NutriCal because she was eating her daughter's diet food.
I have to balance her diet with her daughter's -- her daughter is obese and allergic to EVERYTHING, I finally found a wet/dry combo that works for her (Felidae dry, Wellness Turkey and Technical Weight Control wet). They all pick at their food (especially Putty, who never eats much when you first put it down) and eat each other's, so that part has been a nightmare. (I have a third gimped cat as well).
I'm thinking it may be time to introduce a raw food diet. Of course this is all happening when I'm FLAT broke (for the first time in years). But one must expect these things with old and gimped kitties. I've been relatively lucky to date.
I'm torn between going back to the vet who has her records, and going to another one that may be more asute. I started going to this clinic because they had a great vet there, but she's moved away, now the owner (who I think is a bozo) is the only one left.
My immediate question is what to feed her tonight and in the morning before going to the Vet.
Is canned better than dry? (If it matters, I have a little Feilidae left and Calif. Natural). If canned, would the Wellness Turkey better than the TechniCal Weight Control?
They don't list sodium content as far as I can tell.
The Vet with her records is a Science Diet cultist, he pushes the stuff like an evangelist, but I won't believe anybody who's being paid by the company, and this seems to be the case with most of the vets).
I'll add that Putty's daughter (a master food thief) can't eat anything with fish, and something else I can't quite figure out what it is, but it isn't in the Wellness Turkey, Techni-Cal Weight Control or the Felindae Kitten and Cat Chicken and Rice dry food. I have tried EVERYTHING else.
All feedback appreciated!
sas and putty
But I checked her out, and she's blind as a bat!
Her eyes are a bit cloudy, but I didn't really notice a slow progression, it seems pretty sudden.
She's 18 or so, she's been slowing down and sleeping more, but until now, otherwise in good health. She has a high metabolism, she's always skinny and pretty skittish (in spite of being born here and never even close to mistreated by anyone).
I don't think she's taking it well, she's bumping into things, her instincts are not great for finding her way around. She's been curled up on top of a heat vent in the kitchen -- her usual spot come fall and winter, which is why nothing seemed amiss when she stopped jumping up to sleep on her chair.
I'm assuming it's Feline Hypertension judging from the feedback to date, and because a few weeks ago she did have blood in her eye. I was going to take her in then, but it disappeared the next day.
I could be wrong, but I suspect a thyroid problem only because at her previous 'senior cat' check up, two years ago now (I guess I skipped the 'annual', time flies when you're have fun). I seem to remember the vet mentioning a slightly 'off' thyroid reading, but it was dismissed, she was deemed very healthy. (Wish they would have mentioned the possible complications to watch out for).
If it was diabetes, would she be drinking a lot? She did just take a loooong drink, but I think that was more of an inability to find her water bowl before I put it down in front of her.
She's always been a very skinny, skittish cat. I recently started giving her NutriCal because she was eating her daughter's diet food.
I have to balance her diet with her daughter's -- her daughter is obese and allergic to EVERYTHING, I finally found a wet/dry combo that works for her (Felidae dry, Wellness Turkey and Technical Weight Control wet). They all pick at their food (especially Putty, who never eats much when you first put it down) and eat each other's, so that part has been a nightmare. (I have a third gimped cat as well).
I'm thinking it may be time to introduce a raw food diet. Of course this is all happening when I'm FLAT broke (for the first time in years). But one must expect these things with old and gimped kitties. I've been relatively lucky to date.
I'm torn between going back to the vet who has her records, and going to another one that may be more asute. I started going to this clinic because they had a great vet there, but she's moved away, now the owner (who I think is a bozo) is the only one left.
My immediate question is what to feed her tonight and in the morning before going to the Vet.
Is canned better than dry? (If it matters, I have a little Feilidae left and Calif. Natural). If canned, would the Wellness Turkey better than the TechniCal Weight Control?
They don't list sodium content as far as I can tell.
The Vet with her records is a Science Diet cultist, he pushes the stuff like an evangelist, but I won't believe anybody who's being paid by the company, and this seems to be the case with most of the vets).
I'll add that Putty's daughter (a master food thief) can't eat anything with fish, and something else I can't quite figure out what it is, but it isn't in the Wellness Turkey, Techni-Cal Weight Control or the Felindae Kitten and Cat Chicken and Rice dry food. I have tried EVERYTHING else.
All feedback appreciated!
sas and putty