Take her to the vet and get some diagnostics run. Many conditions can be treated with daily medications.
BUT!!! Do not feel forced to go that route. If you know that being medicated once or twice a day will freak out or completely stress your cat, then discuss other options with your vet. Such as NOT medicating and just providing "hospice" care.
This is not a blanket statement, it needs to be case-by-case, and discuss it with your vet. But do not feel bad if you decide you'd rather not have your cat spend it's last days/months stressed and tortured by medicating. Some cats don't mind meds, some cats turn into the devil.
I am personally NOT medicating my 16 yr old cat (thyroid issues and kidney issues). She will tear me up, she will hide all day, it makes her life miserable. She HATES going to the vet, it completely stresses her out - so the routine blood tests for some meds is not an option. I have her on a prescription diet, and when that isn't enough, I will help her across the bridge. But I want her last days/months spent in comfort, cuddling with my kids on the bed, not hiding and dreading her next dose of meds.... Now if she were younger, I would absolutely medicate her, but I'm not fighting with her at 16 yrs old.
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resmas wrote: Take her to the vet and get some diagnostics run. Many conditions can be treated with daily medications.
BUT!!! Do not feel forced to go that route. If you know that being medicated once or twice a day will freak out or completely stress your cat, then discuss other options with your vet. Such as NOT medicating and just providing "hospice" care.
This is not a blanket statement, it needs to be case-by-case, and discuss it with your vet. But do not feel bad if you decide you'd rather not have your cat spend it's last days/months stressed and tortured by medicating. Some cats don't mind meds, some cats turn into the devil.
I am personally NOT medicating my 16 yr old cat (thyroid issues and kidney issues). She will tear me up, she will hide all day, it makes her life miserable. She HATES going to the vet, it completely stresses her out - so the routine blood tests for some meds is not an option. I have her on a prescription diet, and when that isn't enough, I will help her across the bridge. But I want her last days/months spent in comfort, cuddling with my kids on the bed, not hiding and dreading her next dose of meds.... Now if she were younger, I would absolutely medicate her, but I'm not fighting with her at 16 yrs old.
If you're dealing with a hyper-thyroid cat, you can have a compounding pharmacist create a rub-on gel. Not sure about hypo-thyroid, no experience with gels for that. A little dab rubbed into the ear can be a lot easier than shoving a pill down a resistant gullet.
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Code2High wrote: If you're dealing with a hyper-thyroid cat, you can have a compounding pharmacist create a rub-on gel. Not sure about hypo-thyroid, no experience with gels for that. A little dab rubbed into the ear can be a lot easier than shoving a pill down a resistant gullet.
But the bigger problem is the blood tests to make sure the level is correct. Not worth the trauma to a 16 yr old cat that is almost impossible to draw blood on without sedation. I know it is not the right shoe for everyone, but it fits me just fine.
But yes, the transdermal gels rock! Wish they could be compounded for a larger range of medications...
Our Henry has recently started methimazole via transdermal gel for hyperthroid. MUCH easier that twice daily pills or liquid.
There are a couple of factors that determine whether or not a medication can be formulated into a transdermal. Basically the larger the active molecule, the less likelyhood that it can be formulated into a transdermal form. This means that most larger chemicals can't be forced through the skin and into the blood stream with any vehicle. Most antibiotics fit into this category.
The other major problem is that there is very little experience using these and what kind of blood levels we can expect with a certain dose. Are there variations by individual, by skin thickness, by location where the gel is applied, on and on.
We tend to do a little more monitoring initially with transdermals in the beginning just to make sure they are doing what they should.
Another option is liquid formulation.
Pharmacists are our friends
Doug, DVM
remas - regarding your cat, I have had several patients/clients that have chosen your path. One other thing that is significant is that treating the hyperthyroid often unmasks an underlying kidney issue and treatment makes the kidney problems worse. There is no good solution.
I am personally NOT medicating my 16 yr old cat (thyroid issues and kidney issues). She will tear me up, she will hide all day, it makes her life miserable. She HATES going to the vet, it completely stresses her out - so the routine blood tests for some meds is not an option. I have her on a prescription diet, and when that isn't enough, I will help her across the bridge. But I want her last days/months spent in comfort, cuddling with my kids on the bed, not hiding and dreading her next dose of meds.... Now if she were younger, I would absolutely medicate her, but I'm not fighting with her at 16 yrs old.
I made similar decisions for my Sandy cat in the last months of her life. She had been medicated enough over the years and was starting to become EXTREMELY stressed by the regime. I reduced her stress, fed her anything she wanted to eat and even though her body was failing she was much more loving and content during those final months.
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Margie I hope your cat is doing well.....
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If it helps my cat who is now 18 1/2 years old is still going and has always weighed around 7 lbs...she still eats, pees, poops, etc., sleeps most of the day, lost most of her teeth when she was 15 yet still loves life and has always been a lap cat which is what she prefers over anything else...if it ever gets to the time where she will not come see us and sit on our lap then options will have to be considered but until that time she can do what she wants....
I would take her in for a checkup, but once given the all clear, start looking at other things.
Does she have worms? That might be the reason for weight loss? Or maybe her teeth hurt when she eats? Are you feeding her enough? Check the back of the can. Maybe she needs more food.
I found that as my cat got older, he wanted away from the other younger cats to sleep. He also wanted soft places - possibly arthritis or painful joints?
The biggest issue I see is the depositing in wrong places. I would think this is a behavior issue as she only does it in specific places - laundry basket or on top of the washer. Do other cats use the same litter box or have you changed the litter brand lately? Does she want her own box? I found that as my cat got older, he didn't want other cats in the same box where before he didn't mind. Try sitting a small box on top of the washer and see what she does. So you don't have litter in your washer, I would probably place a sheet or something under the box that covers the whole upper surface.
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Sometimes it can be just sort of "old age" and a fecal is a good idea, especially with having brought in several cats in the past years. But blood and urine will still give the most information the fastest, and sometimes it doesn't take much to make a difference. My Sputnik was peeing lots of times in a day, and peeing inapropriately. Turned out her kidneys are a little weak and her potassium was low. Now she gets a capsule of potassium once a day. She pees less frequently and along with giving her private night quarters, she's no longer peeing where she ought not. So just finding out what was going on and making that change really helped.
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