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She may have chomped down on the pill while eating the pill pocket. Try giving her empty pill pockets and see if you can get her to eat those. With any luck, you might get her to try them again. I always follow the pill pockets with another treat in case my cat has tasted some of the pill stuffed in the pill pocket.
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Originally Posted by Indigo Cardinal
Well, she's still being stubborn about taking the pills, so after talking it over with the vet, we're going to try the ear stuff for a month or two and make sure her thyroid level is good on that. He's not completely crazy about it, as he feels the pills are more effective (understandably), but he agreed that if she's putting up that much of a fit about taking them, better to go this route. So they're on order and should be here in a few days.
(Watch her happily start chomping down the pill pockets now that I've spent money on the compound. She would do that.)
Sounds like kidney issues which is not uncommon for kitties in the 17-year old range. You will know more when the results come back so just hang in there.
Best wishes!
Quote:
Originally Posted by james777
I am glad you started this thread because I am in the same situation and I was looking in the pets section for advice. My cat will be 17 years old this coming May. She has been drinking a lot of water for the past couple of months, while her appetite has decreased significantly. In the past few days she has eaten almost nothing. I took her to the vet yesterday and they think it is her kidneys and also possibly her thyroid. They gave me the appetite stimulant to rub on her ears and she is eating a little more today. They should know the lab results tomorrow. However, all day and all night she does nothing but sit in a hunched up position and stare into space. She was always very active and until recently ran around a lot outside. What concerns me the most is that I do not want to keep her alive if she is in pain. Any advice?
I am glad you started this thread because I am in the same situation and I was looking in the pets section for advice. My cat will be 17 years old this coming May. She has been drinking a lot of water for the past couple of months, while her appetite has decreased significantly. In the past few days she has eaten almost nothing. I took her to the vet yesterday and they think it is her kidneys and also possibly her thyroid. They gave me the appetite stimulant to rub on her ears and she is eating a little more today. They should know the lab results tomorrow. However, all day and all night she does nothing but sit in a hunched up position and stare into space. She was always very active and until recently ran around a lot outside. What concerns me the most is that I do not want to keep her alive if she is in pain. Any advice?
Hi--sorry for the belated reply, I didn't see your post. I would say discuss with your vet what's best for your particular cat. In my case, my cat was still eating and drinking and interactive, the thyroid problem just meant she couldn't keep weight on, no matter how much she ate.
Mine's been doing well on the ear cream--I think the pill may have been hard on her stomach, because she would still occasionally vomit while she was taking it. She hasn't done so since starting the ear cream. Her appetite is still good, and I think she's been putting on even more weight--her waistline isn't as pronounced, and while I can still feel her ribs, I can also feel a bit of 'squish' between her ribs and her skin, as opposed to before when it felt like her ribs were ready to pop right through her skin.
I hope you keep us posted about how your girl is doing.
I have a 21-year old cat that has HT and kidney disease. 2 years ago, at age 19, she was diagnosed with HT and kidney disease. My vet at that time did not want to treat the HT because he said it would destroy her kidneys. I went to another vet who said it's better to treat the disease than not. So, she's been on Methamizole for 1 year now. My vet compounded it into a liquid form in Chicken flavor. Needless to say, I no longer go to the first vet. I've tried the special diets and my cat didn't like any of it. At this point in her life, I give her whatever she'll eat because I feel it's better she something than nothing. Her favorite is Fancy Feast pate. Give her a chance. Unfortunately, these 2 diseases are quite common in older cats.
Well, I just got back from her first check up after switching over to the ear cream version of her medication (the vet wanted to make sure it was effective enough for her). But I'm going to guess that the results of her bloodwork and urinalysis will be positive, because she's gained an entire pound from late January when she went last!
Well, I just got back from her first check up after switching over to the ear cream version of her medication (the vet wanted to make sure it was effective enough for her). But I'm going to guess that the results of her bloodwork and urinalysis will be positive, because she's gained an entire pound from late January when she went last!
GOOD GIRL!!! WOO HOO! So happy for you & her! If she's gaining it is a SURE sign of good health for now, at least.
I have a 21-year old cat that has HT and kidney disease. 2 years ago, at age 19, she was diagnosed with HT and kidney disease. My vet at that time did not want to treat the HT because he said it would destroy her kidneys. I went to another vet who said it's better to treat the disease than not. So, she's been on Methamizole for 1 year now. My vet compounded it into a liquid form in Chicken flavor. Needless to say, I no longer go to the first vet. I've tried the special diets and my cat didn't like any of it. At this point in her life, I give her whatever she'll eat because I feel it's better she something than nothing. Her favorite is Fancy Feast pate. Give her a chance. Unfortunately, these 2 diseases are quite common in older cats.
Good for you! At that age, it's more important to be eating and to be happy. And wow, 21! Give her a pet from me. We have a 19.5 year old that seems "young" compared to her.
This has been interesting as we are now on our second cat with thyroid disease but the first one with both that and kidney disease.
We don't use the Pill Pocket as our vet said it is okay to just crush the thyroid med, mix with water and use a syringe to deposit it that way. Our first cat went to Radio Cat and did well but she was a tiger so we used the transdermal meds which require cleaning the ear to prevent skin problems. Sadly, she didn't survive her second stroke.
To encourage water intake, boil some chicken thighs in water only, cool, and freeze the broth in ice cube trays so you can always have a back up plan. We use one microwaved "ice" cube to mix with canned food which seems to work well and no chemical additives.
This has been interesting as we are now on our second cat with thyroid disease but the first one with both that and kidney disease.
We don't use the Pill Pocket as our vet said it is okay to just crush the thyroid med, mix with water and use a syringe to deposit it that way. Our first cat went to Radio Cat and did well but she was a tiger so we used the transdermal meds which require cleaning the ear to prevent skin problems. Sadly, she didn't survive her second stroke.
To encourage water intake, boil some chicken thighs in water only, cool, and freeze the broth in ice cube trays so you can always have a back up plan. We use one microwaved "ice" cube to mix with canned food which seems to work well and no chemical additives.
They do have us well trained!
I make a slurry of pate cat food for mine, which I further pulverize until it's absolutely smooth and then mix with water, but sodium-free chicken broth would also be good; I might have to try it... Well-trained indeed!
OP, you might try the Sheba Perfect Portions pate; my picky boy can't resist that.
My 15-year-old male just got the diagnosis. Does anyone happen to know (or remember) what your cat's T-4 level was? He has lost a LOT of weight but, at 4.6, his numbers don't seem that elevated, so I was surprised... Could the weight loss be due to something else?
I'm currently awaiting his mail order prescription, but I don't think the pill pocket will work for mine since he thoroughly chews his treats. I'm hoping that dissolving it in a spoonful his favorite food when he's super hungry in the morning will do the trick -- quickly followed by the rest of it to kill any taste.
Last edited by otterhere; 08-24-2020 at 04:14 PM..
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WOO HOO! So happy for you & her! If she's gaining it is a SURE sign of good health for now, at least. 
