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Junior Member
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Last Login: 9/16/2009 6:28:16 PM
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| My 15 year old female cat has started drinking a lot of water and is losing weight. I took her to the vet about a month ago and she could not find anything wrong. I had extensive blood work done in January of this year and everything was normal. She is also urinating on the floor in the laundry room instead of the cat box. She doesn't do this everytime, but on a regular basis. I just have a feeling something is wrong. She is still eating normally. She also seems to be a little weak in her back legs, but it could be just arthritis. Does anyone have any ideas what is wrong with my cat? Thanks, czsat
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Supreme Being
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| Your cat could be diabetic. There are probably other conditions that this could be, but this one jumps into mind - older cat, drinking a lot of water, losing weight, and peeing outside of the litter box are like big red flags. Your gut instinct telling you that there's a problem is probably correct. Take her back to the vet - if she was having these symptoms before and he couldn't find anything then, maybe she should go to a different vet for a second opinion. Keep asking, something is wrong here! Many conditions can be treated with the cat still maintaining a good quality of life, but you do need to find out what's going on so you can start treatment. Please come back & let us know what's going on, we all care about each other's cats and want to hear that you got it handled & your kitty is doing better!
Cats_Dolls  
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Always trust your instincts. Nobody knows your cat like you do ... not even your vet. You know there's something wrong, so don't let your vet off the hook. It's time to take your cat back for another round of bloodwork. Make sure your vet includes a thyroid test. The Big Three diseases of elderly cats are chronic renal failure (CRF), hyperthyroidism (hyperT), and diabetes - all of which can present with the symptoms you describe. Of course, there are plenty of other conditions that can cause a similar set of symptoms, as well. A full blood chemistry, CBC, and total T4 test will provide a lot of diagnostic information for your vet and hopefully help pinpoint what is causing your girl's problems.
Once a cat joins the ranks of the geriatric, body systems can weaken, become less efficient, and go wonky with little provocation. That's why it's important to stay "tuned in" (which you clearly are) to changes in your cat's behavior or physical appearance. It's a good idea to run bloodwork on an elderly animal any time you notice something amiss, because once an oldster starts to decline, things can snowball downhill very quickly. Early diagnosis and treatment are key to stabilizing an ailing cat. This is especially true of the very young and very old.
When you take your girl in for more bloodwork, ask for copies of all of her previous test results so that you can keep them on file at home and compare them to her newest bloodwork when you get those results (be sure to get a copy of them, as well). I have several chronically ill cats, and by putting all of their test results into a spreadsheet on my computer, I can easily track changes in their test values over time. I often notice these changes and trends before my vet does, so nothing diagnostically relevant falls through the cracks of his busy day. I've avoided a lot of "medical mistakes" by staying on top of my animals' test results.
When you do get copies of your cat's test results, I'd be interested in seeing them if you're comfortable posting them.
Laurie
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http://lfrazer.com
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 9/16/2009 6:28:16 PM
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| Thanks for the input. I will try to get her back to the vet this week and run some blood work. I do feel that there is something wrong that the vet didn't see in the physical.
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Junior Member
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| Thanks for your input. My 1st thought was diabetic also, but my vet seemed to think that most cats get diabetes by 7 or 8 years old. Also, I had the blood work done at the first of the year and everything came back normal. I am going to take her back for more bloodwork and see if I can figure this out. I guess if she has renal disease there is not much you can do. Thanks, czsat
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Supreme Being
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| Actually if she does have renal disease I believe there are things you can do - LaurieF can tell you about that, she's very very knowledgeable and has cared for cats with renal disease. I see that she'd already responded to your earlier post and I was hoping she'd see this thread because she's really great at knowing what something could be and how to treat it. Whatever the problem is, someone here has probably dealt with it before and we're all here to help. Please keep us posted!
Cats_Dolls
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Forum Guru
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Mostly likely the cat is suffering the long term effects of a garbage diet.
What kind of/brand of food does she eat?
Most cat food is poorly regulated by the government and is basically filled with grains and rendered by-products. Dry food is especially bad, it leads to dental problems, dehydration and feline diabetes.
Good brands are as follows
Natures Logic
Innova EVO
Instincts
Wellness core/grain free
A raw diet properly done is the best there is but I think in your case with such an old cat its better to use canned.
When I mean "old" I mean for a normal cat on normal cat food. Cats can live into their 30's on really good stuff ( rare but not out of the realms of possibility )
cats as pets
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czsat (9/14/2009)
My 1st thought was diabetic also, but my vet seemed to think that most cats get diabetes by 7 or 8 years old.
Cats can develop diabetes at any age. The good news is that the vast majority of diabetic cats can be brought into remission with proper diet.
I guess if she has renal disease there is not much you can do.
If she's in acute renal failure, you may be able to treat it and return her kidneys to normal function. If she's in chronic renal failure, it is an incurable, progressive disease. HOWEVER, there is MUCH that can be done to manage CRF and provide a very good quality of life for the cat, sometimes for many years.
Early diagnosis is the key to successful treatment and/or management of any disease - diabetes, CRF, and hyperT included. My old man, Billy, was diagnosed in the early stages of both CRF and hyperT nearly two years ago at age 18. He has also developed hyperparathyroidism, and he's had his left ear flap removed due to skin cancer. In spite of it all, and because I am a vigilant and dedicated caretaker, Billy is still going strong and enjoying life at age 20.
Whatever your cat's diagnosis turns out to be, there is likely to be an online support community dedicated to that particular disease or diseases. You have a whole planet of support and information at your fingertips here on the internet, and I'll be happy to show you how and where to tap into it if you have the need.
Laurie
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http://lfrazer.com
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Forum Guru
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Saying this cat is on a proper diet without knowing the facts of what the owner feeds is like saying most people in 3'd world countries,such as Africa, are on proper diets.
The best thing you can do is wean the cat off dry and onto canned.
Felines ideally need 5% or less of carbs
cats as pets
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Supreme Being
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| PantherPride, I really think the first stop should be at the vet's office. A few blood tests will quickly establish whether there is something wrong with the cat. Everyone loves their cats, and wants only the best for them. That's why many pet food companies spend enormous amounts on research. I've been in their facilities, and I know that the manufacturers are serious. I've pretty much lost any tolerance I once had for preachy, patronizing, dietary zealotry. I think the last straw was the contaminated pet food scandal of 18 months ago. At that time, I happened to visit an "upscale" pet food place, just to see what they had to offer. The owner became quite the snob when I (answering his question) said that I fed my cats a Purina product. In reply, I looked over his inventory, and noted that nearly ALL of his inventory was affected by the recalls - but that no Purina products were! The following silence was deafening. FWIW, it was the canned foods that bore the brunt of the contamination. I don't believe that "long term" feeding of any commercially produced food is going to result in a cat suddenly losing weight and drinking lots of water. I suspect that tinkering with the diet, in the hope that things will just 'go away', is prolonging the suffering of the cat. I have had dietary issues come up with three cats, issues that utlimately proved fatal. One cat had always been an indoor kitty; one had been abandoned to the street; and one was a hard-core feral cat. In each instance, the dietary problems were symptoms of serious underlying problems. Not that it had to be that way. The results may have been different with each of the cats, had the underlying causes been identified and treated earlier.
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