Vet check up today

[solusumbra]

First I got to vent, I wish like heck the vet office would of told me of the new way they do things so I would of come better prepared! They don't allow any owners inside, fine, they make everyone even the pets wait outside, not fine! unlike 99.9% of the US world, I have no AC in my truck ( its back from 1988). I have never seen cats pant so hard before! I was so scarred! I even called inside and told them they needed to do something and they acted like it was nothing!

Ok so, first off weight. Meow Meow went from 7 to 8 pounds which is great, she has always been border line to skinny from not eating enough. Tom on the other hand went from 15 to 17 pounds and this has left me confused. To help him lose weight and to slow down on eating I got him a food ball. Food ball
It has been great, he doesn't vomit up his food any more but he has found that instead of using his paw, he can just lay down and use his nose. The vet told me to start feeding him as if he was a 10 pound cat; I have 2 problems with this. 1. He is NEVER going to be a 10 pound cat! He is a big cat! I could see aiming for 14 pounds. And also when he doesn't get enough food he starts picking on Meow Meow bad enough to give her little scabs. I asked about using lavender in my diffuser which I was told in the past was fine (and Tom seemed to like) and I was told no, to stay away from essential oils..... and to get a product called Feliway.

Next and possible adding to Tom not losing weight is he now has arthritis in both his back hips. Its not a big surprise when we found him as a stray about 10 years ago he had alot of problem with that area. I've been giving him joint supplements for years but it seems to be getting worse. He wont jump up into his cat tree anymore, he (someday I want a video its so sad yet so funny) stretches up so his front legs are on the first ledge and then does a pull up, very little use of his back legs. Hes pretty buff, haha... anyways. The vet gave me some of the supplements they recommend and I came a crossed some problems there. The bag has no ingredient list so I couldn't compare with what I was already giving him. So I called the vet to find out and they haven't called me back yet. I looked it up online and I think hands down want him giving him is much better, but want a second opinion so I'm going to post a link to the two here and hope for some feedback. What I've been giving : What the Vet gave me

Which if what I've been giving is better then what should I do to help him? I asked about baby aspirin and they said no and recommend a pill they have that is $5 a pill!!!!

Anyways thanks for advice in advance. PS: all this happened while I was fighting a migraine that started at 4am.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Here's my take on it.

First, probably stop using the food ball since it seems to be doing the opposite thing that you intended. Feed scheduled meals if possible, and feed canned food, very high in protein, which should make Tom feel more full and less apt to pick on Meow Meow. If you cannot feed scheduled meals, I would still concentrate of feeding Tom wet food only and High Protein, low carb food. (Something like Weruva) That food should also be lower in calories so he might be able to have more of it but still take in less calories. . Calories are the name of the game for dieting cats.

Next, definitely ditch the thought of using essential oils. They are very harmful to cats. Feliway is made specifically for cats. Not sure if it works or not. We used it when we were integrating our boys into the house, and didn't notice any difference, but some people swear by it. Why did your Vet suggest it? To keep Tom from beating up on Meow Meow. There are actual calming cat remedies out there, just google them. Some are as simple as music.

As far as your arthritis "medicine" vs what the Vet recommends, I would give the Vet's recommendation a try. What you are giving is no longer working, right? If he is no longer using his back legs for jumping, then he's probably in a lot of pain. Dasaquin is a well known non-prescription arthritis treatment. There are others out there that are actual pain meds, but you don't want to go there unless you have to, which may be soon, from the sounds of it. BUT, if you can get him to lose a couple of pounds, he should feel better using those legs. Heat also helps, so if you have a heated blanket for him, all the better. My old cats loved to lay on their heated blankets under a lamp to get heat on both sides. OH, and BTW, you linked to Dasaquin for DOGS, but there is Dasaquin specifically for cats.

Baby aspirin is a no no for cats. It can be toxic! That $5 pill is probably that prescription pain med I mentioned above. I would suggest giving the Dasaquin a try and if it doesn't work, try the next step, but check around and see how much it costs from outside pharmacies. Even Walgreens will fill pet prescriptions and they are usually much less expensive. There are also internet pharmacies for pets.

P.S. Sorry about the migraine. Been there too many times to count. Hope your feeling better by now

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Only adding this, as mrsgreenjeens has really covered the bases, IF you are currently feeding dry food, make the switch slowly to avoid tummy upsets. Start with 75% kibbles/25% wet, and adjust by 25% every week. If he loves to eat, he MAY do better with three smaller feedings per day. A few cats do.

 

[solusumbra]

Ok so lets see if I can get my brain going here. They both get wet food in the morning and at night mixed with water (the only way I can get Meow Meow to mostly eat anything) and then measured out dry food they snack on during the day. This has been the only way I have gotten Meow Meow to gain weight which was badly needed. And pretty much any time she eats, he thinks he needs to eat as well.

I did a search for the wet food I am giving them now vs other "high protein" canned foods and found the levels to be about the same. SO, maybe feed more of the wet food then and cut back on the dry? (yes I know this is what has been stated, but trying to work it all out) In a way I'm doing whats things right but need to adjust a bit. Canned The cans are 5.5oz and I cut it into 8 sections because one slice is all that Meow Meow will eat (if that) but I could increase what I give Tom.

The food ball has also been extremely nice on my part because Tom lets me sleep in to 5:30am instead of 5. He has many ways of getting me out of bed, including jumping on my head! Yes I have tried to break him of it but it just doesn't work.

Trying to get him to be more active, I have been fighting with him over this since we found him. No matter what toy I have tried, his version of play is flopping on his back and waving his paws in the air.

The Dasaquin is the supplement the vet gave me to try but it has less of stuff then the one I'm currently giving him so I don't see how its going to help. Hoping to still get a phone call back from the vet today to explain it.

Tom is also the strangest cat I know when it comes to heat. He hates it! No heating pad, no fluffy blankets, no sitting in the sun until his fur feels like its on fire.... nothing.

We can't afford the $5 a pill so I'm not sure what to do on that part to help him with the pain.

 

[klunick]

solusumbra have you looked to see what the cost would be using the GoodRx app? It is good for Pet meds too!!

 

[solusumbra]

No, I can't even remember what the name of the medication was.

 

[klunick]

No, I can't even remember what the name of the medication was.

Would it be listed on any paperwork from the vet?

 

[solusumbra]

They dont give paperwork just a receipt.

 

[solusumbra]

0_0 Just gave my cat a second helping of the wet food this morning and holly smokes he ate it all..... going to cut back alittle on the dry food today.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Wet food has fewer calories than dry, so more wet, less dry is all to the good!

I totally get trying to eke out a little extra sleep. When my little hellion wants me up, she sticks her paw in my mouth and jerks my cheek...HARD! I have a great sympathy now for fish on lines, as I know just how they feel! Look, even if the food ball isn't actively helping him, it isn't hurting him either, and if you get an extra 30 minutes out of it, GO FOR IT!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

If the Vet hasn't called back yet ask about that $5 pill (what the name is). Also, check the calories on that Friskies cat food. Remember, calories is the name of the game here. I believe it's pretty caloric. Now, if Tom really likes it, a way to get him to exercise is to walk around with that food in his bowl and have him follow you around. I'm quite serious here. Do this at every meal! And Mamanyt1953 was correct in that several small meals throughout the day (and up till bedtime) might be just the ticket. If you need to incorporate his exercise into this, you can even feed him one spoonful at a time, walk around with it. Wait a couple hours, then another spoonful, wait a couple hours, walk around, etc. And you can walk around a LOT if he'll keep following you,although you should probably start off slow. Get him nice and tired by exercising and maybe he'll sleep through the night. Plus maybe feed him the most right before you call it a night. I normally feed my cats three meals per day, but one of my cats got fed 8 - 9 meals per day when she was sick and she did just fine with that, did better, actually..

On yes, forgot to add that for a dieting cat, probably 18 - 20 calories per pound of what you want him to weight is enough per day. But you need to monitor him to make sure he doesn't lose too quickly. So at a goal of 14 pounds, since he's quite sedentary we'll go with 18 and that would be 252 calories total, including any kibble and treats. (just for giggles, I have a 15 pounder and he only eats 180 calories per day in order to maintain his very stout physique! Any more than that and he immediately starts piling on the pounds. But our Vet said not to go any lower than that. Apparently he just has a very slow metabolism, poor guy