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Old June 19th, 2007, 10:38 PM
Sam's Mom 2 Sam's Mom 2 is offline
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Cat loosing weight - eats and drinks alot - Answered by Dr. Lee

Help! I took my cat to the Vet today for his flea shot, he is 10 years old and hates these visits. He has lost 4 pounds since last Aug - when they tried twice to do blood work on him. I have agreed to bring him in for more blood work - but I really think he needs to be sedated - they don't want to, as they say it screws up the results. After reading some of your posted sites, I have gotten myself worried about kidney problems, diabetes, thyroid, and Cushing's Syndrome. I don't know who is more worried to see the Vet - me or Sam?He seems to always be hungry and thirsty and pees alot. What do you suggest to calm us both down?
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Old June 19th, 2007, 11:02 PM
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badger badger is offline
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There's only one way to get to the bottom of Sam's problem and that is a blood test. When I saw your title line, I immediately thought hyperactive thyroid, but it could be any number of things.
I do not know why you can't give him a small dose of tranquilizer before you leave the house so that when you get to the vet he'll be more relaxed. The two of you could share a tab I can see how an anaesthetic would be overkill but how can a mild tranquilizer throw off a test? Maybe Dr. Lee will see this.
Try not to worry until you have to. Many of these chronic, late-onset conditions can be controlled, if not cured.
But if overall your vet is not as skilful as you'd like, find another one.
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Old June 20th, 2007, 12:35 AM
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Dr Lee Dr Lee is offline
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Badger,

We had the same top suspicion; I like your way of thinking.


Sam's Mom,

When I hear about a fractious (that is a titch on the grumpy side) cat who is hungry all the time, is losing weight and drinking and urinates a lot - hyperactive thyroid would be top on my list. Blood work is necessary for diagnosis - the other possibilities mention are also possible, although Cushing's is uncommon in cats (kidney disease, diabetes would be the other top concerns). If he is hyperthyroid, a blood pressure test would be very important as well.

The problem with sedation is that many hyperthyroid cats will have cardiac disease secondary to the thyroid disease. This may make any sedation associated with risk. Have your veterinarian make that decision and I would recommend against the use of any sedative use that you may have at home. Perhaps some homeopathic remedies may help - Lickables makes a tasty gel formula called Travel-Ease - it contains chamomile and L-tryophane. I would talk to your veterinarian about this however, prior to giving it as well.

Usually we can obtain the blood without sedation. However with that said, I have had to use some anesthetics on rare occasion to pull blood samples. Luckily the medication for hyperthyroidism can come in a tuna flavored liquid which will make medicating easier. Also as the thyroid comes under control, the fractious behavior will ease up. While many of the hyperthyroid cats seem to have always 'hated the vet' - a portion of the fractiousness is related to the hyperthyroidism. John Adams was thought to have had an overactive thyroid (Grave's disease) and it was thought that the disease may have lead to his temper.

Remember - talk to your vet about any homeopathic calming agents first. When the blood work comes back - if you have any questions, let us know.

Best of luck to you guys!
__________________
Christopher A. Lee, DVM, MPH, Diplomate ACVPM
Preventive Medicine Specialist With a Focus on Immunology and Infectious Disease
myvetzone.com
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