Expert: Jessica - 1/17/2011

Question
QUESTION: hello,  this is going to be a bit of a long question.  I have a 15 year old mixed breed male cat, I'm not sure how much he weighs, and he is neutered. his problem started around the beginning of 2010, he would vomit every once in a while so i thought it was just hair balls so i changed his food to something that helps with hair balls.  as months went by it seemed to get slightly worse, i did some research and decided to change his cat food to something for cats with sensitive stomachs. now finally he is eating 9 lives plus years formula, and he does not seem to be getting any better.  in fact he is the worse i have ever seen him.  his vomit looks to consist of partially digested food, and sometimes something that looks like a bowel movement instead of vomit.  the color of it ranges from dark to light, and so far i have not seen any blood or worms in it.  the only other thing i can think of is maybe it's something he swallowed. he loves to eat plastic wrappers off the floor and out of the trash.  there has been a few times when I've caught him in time, and a few times where he's swallowed the plastic and then vomited it up.  although i have not seen any plastic wrappers in his vomit recently. i considered that he might have a blockage, but he still has regular bowel movements so it doesn't make sense.  his appearance has changed, he looks thinner and his spine seems more noticeable when i pet him.  he also seems more tired and less active.  he seems to drink a lot more, like he is really thirsty. I am at a loss,  i made a vet appointment for him on January 20th.  i wanted to take him sooner but must wait until i get paid.  do you have any idea what could be the problem? what can i do to help him until his appointment?

ANSWER: Hi Amanda,

While there are many possibilities, kidney disease is high on the list of probabilities based on your kitty's symptoms and the prevalence of the condition in cats this age.  The most common symptoms are excessive thirst, excessive urination, weight loss, and later in the disease, nausea and vomiting.  Hyperthyroidism is another common disease in senior kitties that can cause many of the same symptoms, although it tends to cause excessive hunger more than excessive thirst.

Your vet will most likely want to run a blood chemistry panel and urinalysis to check your cat's kidney values, as well as his liver values and blood counts.  A thyroid test should probably be added on for good measure.  This will give you a good idea of his overall health and can determine whether or not he is suffering any loss of kidney function or if his thyroid is overactive.  If he is suffering kidney failure, a special diet will be the most important part of treatment.  Ideally, his diet should be canned, since kidney patients require extra water.  Their diets should be restricted in phosphorus and sodium, as well.  Some medications might also be prescribed to limit the absorption of phosphorus, prevent the loss of protein and help alleviate nausea.  If your cat's problem is an overactive thyroid, his condition can be managed with daily medication, a surgery or a radioactive iodine treatment.  A special diet is not required for thyroid patients.

Until his vet appointment, I would suggest starting to switch him onto a canned food only diet if he is eating dry food, over the course of a week to prevent stomach upset.  Personally, I have not had any great success getting cats to eat a kidney diet, but they will happily eat a commercially available canned food.  While each kidney patient has a different survival time, my cats who eat a canned-food only diet tend to survive about a year and a half after diagnosis, while those who eat dry food survive only a few months on average.

Best of luck with your kitty!

Jessica



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi,
just wanted to know if you could give me a cost range for the blood work, urinalysis, and thyroid test. he is going to have a full physical.  i know every vet is different but i just need to know how much i need to have with me when i go to his appointment.  the lady i talked to on the phone said she couldn't give me a cost range, so i hope you might be able to give me at least an idea.  thanks so much

Answer
Sure, I can give you a good idea of the cost in my area.  The prices are pretty consistent from vet to vet in my geographical area (North-Eastern U.S.).  But you are correct that this can vary widely, especially from region to region, or if you visit an emergency facility, so be prepared for there to be a significant difference once you get to your vet.

In my area, the actual exam runs $45-$58.  A typical blood chemistry panel, complete blood count, thyroid test and urinalysis combination runs around $140-$170.  These tests can be run separately, but a thyroid test itself usually runs around $40.  An ABBREVIATED blood chemistry and blood count will typically run another $70 if run independently, and a urinalysis is usually about $70, too.  You'll generally receive more extensive testing at a lower cost by going with a bundle.  If requested, your vet should absolutely give you a written cost estimate, or at the very least, a verbal one, before performing any tests or procedures so you can make any decisions necessary.

Good luck!

Jessica