Sunday, January 19, 2014

Trying not to worry too much

My cat Charlotte has been losing weight for about six months now. At first it didn't bother me because she was rather plump. I attributed the change in her feline figure to the improved diet she was enjoying -- when my wildman Reynaldo was put on a premium diet, all three of my cats benefited. But her weight loss continued and she's gone from svelte to scrawny.

The vet suspects it's hypothyroidism, a not uncommon affliction among older cats, and Charlotte is probably 17 years old. While her appetite and enthusiasm for food is unabated, he did notice some redness on her gums and plaque on her teeth. Problems with her mouth could be a gateway to infection, so he recommends a thorough examination and teeth cleaning.

On Monday, at 7:00 AM, Charlotte is going to vet for diagnostic bloodwork. I'm worried. She's an old cat and anesthetic is dangerous. I realize that the procedure is in her best interest -- she's frail and an infection could kill her, and it's important that we discover the reason behind her weight loss. But I don't want it to be happening.

It doesn't help that Annie Wilkes, the cantankerous old cat who lived with my friends in the Keys, died on Wednesday of an age-related illness.

I hate this. It contributed to my inability to do much of anything today.

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6 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:37 AM

    I hate it when pets are ailing. It's so stressful. I won't tell you not to worry because of course you'll worry--but I hope all turns out to be easily treated! Positive thoughts headed your kitty's way . . .

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  2. Kwizgiver12:47 PM

    So sorry Charlotte is not in tip-top shape. Pets are people too! I'll be sending up good vibes for her.

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  3. Angel The Alien6:13 PM

    I went through this same thing when my cat Sammy-Joe started losing a lot of weight. For him it turned out to be cancer, and he died about a year ago, breaking my heart. But there are a lot of other possibilities for weight loss in cats... I know because I was researching all of them, hoping one of them would be true for Sammy-Joe instead of the big C!

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  4. Lisa6:22 PM

    Well, if you trust your vet (and I know you do), then you have to trust their advice.

    Sophia has thyroid issues and I give her some ear goop twice a day and that holds her well. She's about Charlotte's age and it's very common.

    I'll keep your sweet kitty in my prayers. Let us know for sure how she's doing.

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  5. Anonymous8:26 PM

    This year we found out that my Mom's German Shepard (who's seven) had a problem with her pancreas which caused her to lose a ton of weight as nothing she ate was digesting properly. Thankfully they have a special powder that gets sprinkled on her food that gives her the enzymes necessary to absorb the nutrients and she is back to a normal weight. The downside is, the powder is expensive.

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  6. Smellyann3:57 PM

    So sorry to hear Charlotte is not well. I hope she improves!

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