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Expert: - 3/23/2011


Question
Our 11 year old cat seems to be declining. When she has to have a bowel movement she goes wherever she happens to be. It is always very soft but lately its a lot softer, and more of it (1-2 times a day) and there has been blood in her stool. She had a high fever about 7 months ago that corrected itself with lots of fluids. She also has been getting a lot of knots in her fur (domestic long hair) which is a very recent thing, almost as if she doesn't groom herself as much.
We are unable to do a lot of tests on her due to the high cost of vet care where we are. If you could help steer us in the right direction I would really appreciate it.
Thank you!

Answer
Well this doesn't sound very good as I am sure you know. She could have so many things going on here- liver disease, kidney failure, cancer, bowel problems, etc. You don't have to have a lot of tests run but she should be seen by a vet right away.

Cats that are ill cannot or will not groom as often and their hair will knot up right away. Sometimes their saliva will be so full of bacteria from bad teeth that it will make their hair mat up. Cats with hyperthyroidism or diabetes will have a hair coat like this.

In any case, she needs to be seen by a vet soon.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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