Neurotic cat and the vet

[skimomma]

This is sort of a S/O of the elitist pet owners thread.

 

I have two old cats.  One is 14 and the other is 16.  Both are currently in good health.  That has not always been the case.  We went through a period of time when the younger one developed crystals and had to be put on prescription food.  Both cats had to eat the same food for a myriad of reasons I won't bore you with. The prescription food is total junk and within a year, both were in poor health.  This resulted in many vet visits and a lot of expense before we did our research and found an alternative to the prescription food.  Their health improved immediately and the crystals never returned.  During the string of vet visits, the older one had to have a bunch of dental work as it was discovered she had a lot of issues.  It was a long time ago so I don't remember the details but several teeth were removed and she had to be put under for the procedure.

 

We never took the cats back to the vet after all of that.  It has been 8+ years.  They never go to a kennel or leave the house so there really has been no reason to visit the vet.  Which is good because the older cat has never been the same since the last time she went to the vet.  It was extremely traumatic for her and it took months for her to trust us again.  I felt really bad.

 

Fast forward to now.  The older cat appears to be in great health all around except that she drools and she defecates next to the box instead of in the box.  I have done some poking around and it is possible that the drooling is due to more dental issues and could even be quite painful.  She does still eat normally but has not been able to chew up dry food or treats since her dental work.  We feed her all wet or raw.  She is not at all cooperative to us looking in her mouth but from what we can see she does appear to have significant build-up on the teeth she has left.  

 

I have no ideas on the outside-of-the-box defecation.  It appears normal.  We have tried all of the different suggestions for litter box issues.  They are cleaned daily and we have many of them in many locations.  She does her thing in the exact same spot every time and it happens to be in our crappy basement that has no other purpose than to house litter boxes so it is really not a big deal to us but could be an indication of a health problem.  

 

Due to her age and complete terror of all strangers and specifically the vet, we have discussed that we would likely not seek extensive treatment should she ever get sick.  Should she need to be put down, we would have a home visit.  

 

What do I do here?  What is worse?  Having her live out the rest of her years with what might be painful dental/defication issues or see a vet which she is seriously almost-deathly afraid of.  Like I am concerned that taking her to the vet (or anywhere, really) will either kill her from her terror or result in her never ever trusting us again.  I'm not even sure a vet could do anything anyway since she would have to be put under to have her teeth worked on and she is far too old to withstand that (I think).  And the litterbox issues are usually a complete crapshoot as well.  But it also seems cruel to not address them.

 

She is still as lovey as ever.  She loves her people (and only her people), her toys, her napping spots, her food, etc....  She does not appear to be in pain.  She follows me around the house all day long, "chats" with me, and sleeps on my neck.  Aside from the drooling and defecation issues, I have no reason to suspect that she is anything but 100% healthy.  She is 16.  Is there anything to gain from putting a 16 year old, very nervous cat through seeing a vet to address these issues?

[zoobie]

My friend has a vet who makes house calls. If you happen to be in Atlanta, I'll get the info from her.

 

Have you replaced the boxes lately?

 

Cats are so weird!

[Ethel Mertz]

I wouldn't take her into a vet either. House call would be a good idea if you need that, though can be hard to find. 

[skimomma]

My friend has a vet who makes house calls. If you happen to be in Atlanta, I'll get the info from her.

 

Have you replaced the boxes lately?

 

Cats are so weird!

 

Nowhere near Atlanta.  But thanks for the offer!

 

The litterbox thing has been going on ever since the fateful vet visit 8+ years ago.  We only recently figured out which cat was doing it!  We thought it was the other one all of this time and assumed it was a leftover habit from the crystals.  We were shocked to discover it was the other one.  In that time we have done everything imaginable to "fix" the problem.  Even now, we only replace/clean/refill litterboxes one at a time so there are always familiar ones to use should they want to.  We have 4 boxes.  After 8 years, it is possibly just "programmed" into her head that that is where she is supposed to go.  I am OK with that as long as she is not in pain.

[MotherGoose]

I wouldn't take her to the vet either. I have only had dogs, but they were both in diapers in their later years due to potty issues. If the cat is happy, and you can cope in a sanitary manner with the potty issues. I would leave her be.

[skimomma]

I wouldn't take her into a vet either. House call would be a good idea if you need that, though can be hard to find. 

 

None of our local vets do house calls except for putting animals down.  And even that is very difficult to get them to do, especially for cats.  Unfortunately, we are in a very isolated geographic location so there are not a lot of options.  

[hornblower]

I would NOT leave her in pain. 

I would talk to a vet ahead of time & get them to give you something for pre-sedation at home. Like this: http://vetanesthesiaspecialists.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SerenityNowSedationOptions_Feline_ABVP2015_HeidiLShafford.pdf

Now this might be harder to do right now because you don't have a vet client relationship but I'd still pursue it. Also, if you can find a vet that does cats only (we have clinics like that here, they do only cats) that might be a good bet. 

Fwiw, in my area there is a Senior animals sanctuary and rescue that takes in very old and decrepit animals from shelters - the likely unadoptable ones - and offers them a 'in home' environment to live out their days. The founder lives on the premises - it's her house actually.  She does dentals on seniors very frequently. Anesthesia protocols have been improving and skilled vets with top notch monitoring equipment can do surgery on even very old animals. 

 

[StephanieZ]

There are house call vets in many areas. Check into that. 

 

If there are no house call vets, some regular vets will make house calls in exceptional circumstances. My dh does that *very* occasionally, mostly because he doesn't have time to do it more, and unless you are really set up to do house calls, then it's hard to practice decent medicine that way. Anyway, if you have other pets (dogs?) that go to the vet regularly, your vet might be willing to do a house call if you ask *really* nice and volunteer to pay *whatever*. (A regular vet who has a hospital to support loses a lot of $$ doing a house call because of the travel time and inefficiency . . . My dh just accepts the loss as a charitable effort, but that means he picks and chooses who he wants to do a favor for . . .

 

That said, dental pain is NOT OK. Pain isn't OK. I do highly advise finding a way to get the cats into a vet. 

 

Tips:

 

1) Try Feliway spray on the cat carrier. Get the carriers out, put clean towels in them, spray them daily with Feliway . . . give the cats food/treats in and/or near the carriers. Do this for a week or so before the appointment if possible. 

 

2) Ask the vet if they can dispense a sedative to administer before taking them in. I doubt your vet will do this since they have not been examined in so long (as it would actually be ethically/legally sketchy), but your vet might be willing. (Have their current weights ready when you make this request, as the vet will need weights to dispense meds.)

 

3) Get carriers that can be opened easily from the TOP. If the entire top half of the crate can easily be unsnapped, that's awesome, because the cat can stay in their little crate and be examined right there! 

 

4) Cover the crate with a towel for the trip (and keep covered as much as possible).

 

5) Schedule the appointment for a time when the office is quiet. Ask if you can have the first appointment of the block (first in the morning, or first after lunch, typically), and get there a few minutes early. Ask to be put right into the room if at all possible, to avoid interactions with other pets.

 

 

[EKS]

We use the mobile vet whenever possible for our neurotic dog.

[skimomma]

I do wish some of these options were available here.  We have two vets.  That is it.  Within hours.  They do not do house calls for cats any reason.  They are so overbooked that they have zero interest or time in doing me any favors since my cats have not been here for so long and I took them off the prescription food against advice.  Just getting an appointment for a consult is nearly impossible.  My options are take cat to the vet as comfortably and I can given what I have access to.  Or leave her be in what appears to be a happy, secure, and comfortable life (secure being VERY important to her).  She is currently very loudly purring on my lap.  But I realize cats don't show pain the way I would notice easily.  There is physical pain and mental pain.  Trying to choose the right balance given my situation and options.

[ktgrok]

Drooling means her mouth hurts. Have you ever had a toothache? That pain is the WORST pain ever. Worse than labor pain. Please take her in. And do get a carrier that you can open the top of, so they can examine her right in her carrier. Use the flowery spray. whatever. But tooth pain is just awful. Please don't leave her like that. 

[Pawz4me]

I would get a sedative from my vet to give prior to bringing her in. I don't know if all vets would be willing to do that, but I've been with the same vet group for 37 years (since I was a teenager) and they will accommodate pretty much anything I ask.

 

I'd have pre-anesthesia blood work done and assuming that's ok I'd have no big concern about it. The anesthesia (and monitoring) for pets nowadays is much safer and better than it used to be a long time ago. I understand about not spending a ton on an elderly pet and especially one terrified of the vet, but dental work is pretty much routine maintenance. And at her age she could probably get het teeth attended to one time and never need it again. So it's not like there would need to be ongoing treatment.

 

Good luck. Sometimes with cats it is hard to know what to do. But one way or another -- I wouldn't leave her in pain.

[Bluegoat]

The tooth issue is significant.  Ideally I would talk to the vet, not only about options to get the cat there, but also about what they would do about the problem.  If you know what kind of solutions you would be looking at, you might be better able to make a decision - some things might be clearly impossible, or with others you might find an alternate way of accomplishing the same thing.

 

The litter box problem - sometimes this is just like with elderly people, it is about lack of control, or being a little dotty.  But it sounds like it has actually being going on a long time, which makes me wonder if it doesn't have some other origin - maybe a habit, or constipation?

[skimomma]

Anyone know if there is a way to tell if a cat is in pain.  We are calling it "drooling" but I'm not sure that it truly is.  It is very clear and only appears when her mouth is closed.  It could be coming from her nose....which might be indicative of another issue that should be addressed?  She loves to have her face massaged so sometimes I can get close to her mouth and even massage her gum area.  This does not seem to bother her. 

 

It is not about the expense.  I would pay just about any amount to ensure she is healthy and free of pain.  She is just so emotionally fragile that I am concerned that any close contact with a stranger, be it in a vet office or in our home, would be so stressful to her that it would not be worth it.  We travel often and have had the same cat sitter who comes twice a day for over 6 years.  She has not once seen this cat.  This cat hides for hours after dd has a friend over.  We have had houseguests that have been here for days that have not ever laid eyes on her.  After the last fateful vet experience, she hid behind the washing machine for two months only coming out when everyone was asleep to eat and use the litter box.  She STILL has not fully forgiven us for having dd....13 years ago.  I just don't want to put her through stress unless I am fairly certain she is currently in a significant amount of pain.  If anyone knows of a way that I could discern this, I am all ears.

[ktgrok]

Sorry, but there is really no way to tell. They hide it. A change in behavior can signal pain, but not always. If you could look at her mouth, press a Q-tip the gums to see if they bleed, etc, that might show you more, but might not. Can you try to just watch more to see if it is her mouth versus her nose? Respiratory, given her history, I'd sit on. But mouth pain I'd address. Even people who are terrified of dentists will go if they are in pain, you know?

[Terabith]

I don't know if this is the right thing, but if she's acting fine (eating, playing, snuggling), I would probably not take her in, especially if you can mess with her mouth without complaint. Pain is awful, but I'm not sure I would traumatize her just because she MIGHT be in pain. I would hate to put her through that for nothing.

 

Now, if there was much indication she was in pain, I would take her in.

[goldberry]

Can I ask you about what prescription food was bad and which one you use now?  I also have two cats that have to eat the same food. One cat had crystals.  We tried for weeks to get her on wet food, but she will only eat dry.  She is super picky.  She accepted Royal Canine urinary support, and has been fine since then, but I don't think much of the food.

[Denisemomof4]

I would opt for a holistic vet for the teeth, hopefully one rhat does house calls. Acupuncture REALLY calms the animal and then they can look. I believe there is a natural treatment foe the tweth. I think the professional jobs in the office are a scam.

[ktgrok]

I would opt for a holistic vet for the teeth, hopefully one rhat does house calls. Acupuncture REALLY calms the animal and then they can look. I believe there is a natural treatment foe the tweth. I think the professional jobs in the office are a scam.

 

A scam? If a tooth is rotten and loose and bleeding and infected, and someone removes it, that's a scam? Or removing tartar below the gumline that is causing gingivitis and periodontal disease? It's no more a scam than when the dentist works on a human's teeth. Infections and disease in the mouth are real, in humans and animals. 

[hornblower]

A scam? If a tooth is rotten and loose and bleeding and infected, and someone removes it, that's a scam? Or removing tartar below the gumline that is causing gingivitis and periodontal disease? It's no more a scam than when the dentist works on a human's teeth. Infections and disease in the mouth are real, in humans and animals. 

 

My vet took video and photographs of my cat's mouth, and gave me the rotted extracted teeth in a jar so I could see myself. I don't have the photos of my cat's mouth but it looked sort of like this: 

 

http://princetonvet.com/img/before_after.jpg

 

nothing "natural" (whatever that might actually mean) was going to take that stuff off and there's no natural way of dealing with a tooth whose root has completely rotted and infection has set in. 

 

 

What is a scam are those cosmetic dental cleanings that some groomers and 'alternative' caregivers do. They just polish above the gumline (at least i hope that's all they do because amateurs going beneath the gumline is terrifying). 

[Denisemomof4]

I also don't like the way dentists handle this in people. Infected and needed to be pulled? I get it and I've done it, but I have heard talks about better ways to do this, holistic approaches, which I haven't yet researched for myself or my senior cat. I need to make this a priorty eventually

[Denisemomof4]

Yes, my infected tooth was broken at the root and couldnt be saved.

 

I think there is a better way to deal with CLEANINGS.

[ktgrok]

My vet took video and photographs of my cat's mouth, and gave me the rotted extracted teeth in a jar so I could see myself. I don't have the photos of my cat's mouth but it looked sort of like this: 

 

http://princetonvet.com/img/before_after.jpg

 

nothing "natural" (whatever that might actually mean) was going to take that stuff off and there's no natural way of dealing with a tooth whose root has completely rotted and infection has set in. 

 

 

What is a scam are those cosmetic dental cleanings that some groomers and 'alternative' caregivers do. They just polish above the gumline (at least i hope that's all they do because amateurs going beneath the gumline is terrifying). 

 

The vet I worked for also gave the clients the teeth. Seeing how bad they were tended to keep the clients from complaining as much about the bill. Plus, we once had a client DEMAND we dig the teeth out of the trash to show her...not sure why. But after that, yeah, we gave everyone the teeth. 

[hornblower]

I also don't like the way dentists handle this in people. Infected and needed to be pulled? I get it and I've done it, but I have heard talks about better ways to do this, holistic approaches, which I haven't yet researched for myself or my senior cat. I need to make this a priorty eventually

 

Well, in humans they don't need to be pulled though it's the cheapest option. You can root canal, you can do a pulpectomy and a bunch of other procedures. Also, regular cleaning and periodontal scaling can prevent infections. 

 

You can do a root canals on pets. I know someone who root canalled a large dog's canine tooth rather than pulling it. You can also cap them. But most people will just pull anything that's gone very bad. 

 

Fwiw, my dogs are fed raw and have excellent teeth with little tartar and buildup. I did a mini dental on one dog because we thought she had a slab fracture but on full visualization it turned out fine. There wasn't much cleaning needed on her. 

 

My old (now deceased) cat however refused to transition to raw and seemed predisposed to have a crappy mouth of rotting teeth. My only regret is not doing a dental one of her dentals sooner - I just didn't realize how bad things were & once he went in there, it obv had been bad for quite some time. 

[Denisemomof4]

I just transitioned to raw for my dogs.

 

I had two root canals and a pulpectomy fail. I dont have faith in dental lrocedures due to my own experience.

 

I did have a greyhound with a HORRIBLE mouth but regular brushing and a natural gel turned everything around. He's been gone for years and I can't remember which gel I used but I think it had salmon oil in it.

[skimomma]

So I have been watching and messing with this poor cat all morning.  The drooling only happens when she is purring.  She is pretty much always purring when she is in a lap or being carried so we notice it all the time.  But watching her, she does no drool at all when not purring. So, I googled it.  I should have done that first.  Doh.  Apparently this is a thing.  Some cats drool when they are purring and content.  

 

Just for extra measure, I checked out her mouth.  She does not have many teeth left.  There is no inflammation or redness but she does have plaque.  It looks like there are ways for me to attempt to remove it at home.  I'll see if I can get her to allow this over time.

 

Of course, we still have the litter box issue but since that has been going on for so long without any obvious medical problems, I am going to let that go for now.

 

This has been a good exercise though.  I now know that we do not have a handle on how to address a medical problem for an old cat who has such high anxiety.  For an obvious terminal illness or extreme injury/pain, we do know what we would do.  But what if she really did simply have a minor and fixable issue that was causing discomfort?  What is the cut-off for the 16 yo cat who it dearly loved but very easily traumatized.  I cannot imagine putting her through such trauma at the very end of her life.  This is hard to figure out.  Surely there are others with seriously fearful cats?  Tell me how you decide.

[hornblower]

Cat teeth can resorb. It is a painful condition. http://www.mypetsdentist.com/feline-tooth-resorption.pml

The visible plaque which you can scrape off is not really the issue as the plaque and tartar under the gumline. I would not mess with her mouth yourself. IMO you just increase the chance of infection. 


I had a drooly cat - I know that cats drool when they're happy. 

But a cat with a mouth like you're describing & missing teeth? That cat is also in PAIN. 

[skimomma]

Can I ask you about what prescription food was bad and which one you use now?  I also have two cats that have to eat the same food. One cat had crystals.  We tried for weeks to get her on wet food, but she will only eat dry.  She is super picky.  She accepted Royal Canine urinary support, and has been fine since then, but I don't think much of the food.

 

Our cats were on Science Diet (whichever one is for crystals) dry and wet food.  It was a huge step down from the food they had been eating previously.  Lots of filler and junk.  Way too many ingredients.  Smelled awful.  Within 6 months, both cats had dull fur and eyes.  One had dandruff.  The older one had lost about 20% of her body weight.  Both were lethargic and stopped grooming themselves.  One was constipated and the litter box stench was unbearable.  It was terrible.  The only thing the food DID do was clear up the crystal issue.

 

I did a ton of poking around looking for an alternative.  Raw food was the most promising.  Our vet was not helpful at all.  I brought them in and explained their changes and asked about feeding them raw or if there were any other suggestions he could give to get them back to their previous health.  He was very annoyed that I was questioning his advice and predicted dire consequences if I took the affected cat off the prescription food.  That was the last time we went in with the cats.  I decided they were already in rough shape and clearly not healthy/happy, so had little to lose by trying something else.  

 

We went to mostly raw with occasional grain-free canned for cat sitters.  I sometimes make my own raw but usually purchase the frozen kind by Nature's Variety.  I had to start by mixing it with dry food and very gradually increasing the ratio until they were 100%.  It took about a month for them to acclimate.  The improvement in their health and activity was almost instant.  Within 3 months they had their shiny, flake-free fur back, the older one had gained her lost weight back, and both became the playful, bright cats they had been before this whole ordeal.

 

I cannot say for certain that raw is the answer for crystals in general.  I could very well be that my cat was going to be fine regardless.  Crystals don't always come back or can be "grown out of."  But there is a lot of evidence pointing to foods that are high in fillers/grain having a higher likelihood of causing urinary issues.

 

I hope you find an answer!  We too had little luck finding a suitable "urinary health" food for our cat.

[hornblower]

WRT diet for cats, I'm convinced that all kibble is evil. 


ANY canned or pouched food will be better than a kibble. But I think the best is raw. Alas, I had a cat I could never convert, even after trying for a long time.  She stayed on canned no grain food. 

I think Dr Elizabeth Hodgkins (her book is called Your Cat) has good advice. She also runs a website on prevention and treatment of diabetes in cats http://www.yourdiabeticcat.com/diet.html

[skimomma]

Cat teeth can resorb. It is a painful condition. http://www.mypetsdentist.com/feline-tooth-resorption.pml

 

The visible plaque which you can scrape off is not really the issue as the plaque and tartar under the gumline. I would not mess with her mouth yourself. IMO you just increase the chance of infection. 

 

 

I had a drooly cat - I know that cats drool when they're happy. 

 

But a cat with a mouth like you're describing & missing teeth? That cat is also in PAIN. 

 

She is not missing any additional teeth from the ones that were pulled 8 years ago.  That would very much alarm me!  My point was that she does not have many teeth left to be affected.  They pulled 14 teeth during that procedure.  We had no idea that was going to happen.  She went under for a good cleaning and they called saying she needed some teeth pulled.  "Some" in my mind was 2-3.  Not 14!  She does still have all of the teeth she had after that procedure.

 

But, I would like to talk about the plaque/tarter.  From what I can see and comparing them to photos on my google searches, she has "minor" visible build-up.  Would you address this in a 16 yo cat who has very high anxiety?

[hornblower]

Oh I see. That's different.  That amount of tooth extraction also contributes to drooling btw - no teeth to hold the drool in :) 

I don't know. I just don't know because I've never had an animal not go in for an annual check up; not vaccines, just check up. After middle age, my dogs and cats get geriatric blood panels and usually a urine check as well to look for latent infections.  We discovered my cat's CRFvery early, way before any symptoms because of regular blood work, and were able to implement some supportive therapies which slowed the progress and gave her many years of life.

Once my animals are seniors, they go in about every 6 months. 

I just cannot imagine being in your position. FWIW, if I inherited this cat, I'd sedate it and have a vet exam, urine,  bloods, and probably shoot an xray, and then make decisions.   Frankly, if the feral cat rescuers can get ferals treated, s/n, & recovered (in the TNR programs), I just don't see why it can't be done with a pet. 

I think some people on this board would say I'm a ridiculous softie and accuse me of anthropomorphizing in all sorts of situations, but this is one case where I think empathy gets in the way. We feel so bad for them that we don't take the necessary steps....

[skimomma]

Oh I see. That's different.  That amount of tooth extraction also contributes to drooling btw - no teeth to hold the drool in :) 

 

I don't know. I just don't know because I've never had an animal not go in for an annual check up; not vaccines, just check up. After middle age, my dogs and cats get geriatric blood panels and usually a urine check as well to look for latent infections.  We discovered my cat's CRFvery early, way before any symptoms because of regular blood work, and were able to implement some supportive therapies which slowed the progress and gave her many years of life.

 

Once my animals are seniors, they go in about every 6 months. 

 

I just cannot imagine being in your position. FWIW, if I inherited this cat, I'd sedate it and have a vet exam, urine,  bloods, and probably shoot an xray, and then make decisions.   Frankly, if the feral cat rescuers can get ferals treated, s/n, & recovered (in the TNR programs), I just don't see why it can't be done with a pet. 

 

I think some people on this board would say I'm a ridiculous softie and accuse me of anthropomorphizing in all sorts of situations, but this is one case where I think empathy gets in the way. We feel so bad for them that we don't take the necessary steps....

 

I also feel like a softie.  I know that a check-up could be done.  I would not hesitate to bring my younger cat in. She also hates the vet but bounces back just fine afterwards.  Our avoidance of the vet office is two-fold.  I felt the whole debacle 8 years ago was handled so poorly on top of the unwillingness to help with the prescription food issue that it seemed best to just stay away.  Then there is my poor older cat's anxiety.  We could obviously take her and I'm sure she would be thoroughly examined and treated if necessary.  But I am weighing that against her psychological well-being.  At some point the trauma just is not worth it it my opinion.  Those feral cats you speak of don't have a secure homelife and humans that they trust.  Mine does and very easily feels those things threatened by contact with strange people/situations.  At this point, I have a 16 yo cat that I am almost certain would rather die than be touched by a stranger, let alone carted to a strange place, separated from "her" humans, and prodded.

 

We have two vets.  We have seen both as has almost everyone we know since they are the only ones within hours of driving.  They are overbooked and you feel rushed and almost like you are an annoyance to them when asking questions or seeking advice.  I am sure they are doing the best they can given the circumstances but I have felt more confused and uncertain after every visit than I did going in.  If I was certain that we would have a good experience and they were willing to help me with ways to ease her anxiety (meds, if necessary), I would be more open to regular visits.  They had gone in annually, as had all of our previous pets, until that fateful series of visits.  I realize this makes me a negligent pet owner but it is not inspired by laziness or cheapness.  I just could not see my cat go through any of that again, even if it meant a shorter life.  Obviously, I do not want to see her in pain either.  I just have to find the line between physical pain and psychological pain.

[ktgrok]

 

I had a drooly cat - I know that cats drool when they're happy. 

 

But a cat with a mouth like you're describing & missing teeth? That cat is also in PAIN. 

 

But is she "missing" teeth or did OP mean that most had been removed during the previous dental procedure?

[ktgrok]

I might actually research a cat only facility even if it meant driving far. It might be worth it, and they would be a LOT more understanding of cat anxiety. Plus, no dog smells there to add to the fear. Research now,before you need it. Maybe even call and ask about how they would handle a scared cat, etc. 

[ktgrok]

and sorry to hijack sort of, but raw food for cats, that you buy ready made...think it might help a cat LOSE weight? Our orange former stray is FAT. But if I put him on anything other than Purina ONE sensitive systems he vomits frequently and he licks himself raw on his stomach. I've tried probably a dozen foods. Oh, and some gave diarrhea...he actually had months of diarrhea before we stumbled on that food out of desperation. But I hate that it is poor quality, and he has some dandruff, partly because he's too fat to groom himself well anymore. 

 

Raw might be worth a try. I think even my walmart has raw now, actually. I know target does. 

[hornblower]

and sorry to hijack sort of, but raw food for cats, that you buy ready made...think it might help a cat LOSE weight? Our orange former stray is FAT. But if I put him on anything other than Purina ONE sensitive systems he vomits frequently and he licks himself raw on his stomach. I've tried probably a dozen foods. Oh, and some gave diarrhea...he actually had months of diarrhea before we stumbled on that food out of desperation. But I hate that it is poor quality, and he has some dandruff, partly because he's too fat to groom himself well anymore. 

 

Raw might be worth a try. I think even my walmart has raw now, actually. I know target does. 

I think so. I don't really see fat raw fed cats but that's probably partly because the raw feeders are crazy animal people, kwim? So they tend to be hyper aware of these issues. 

 

But carbs are a definite prob and yes, I would try it. Though switching cats to raw can be a pita & I failed after years of trying & gave up. 

 

The purina is turkey based so I'd probably start with that protein. honestly if I was doing it, I'd start with a limited ingredient turkey based canned http://www.instinctpetfood.com/instinct-limited-ingredient-diets-canned-for-cats

 

I think getting rid of the  rice & corn in the diet is key to weight loss in cats.  They're a species which really does need to be ultra low carb. 

Edited July 14, 2016 by hornblower

[ktgrok]

I think so. I don't really see fat raw fed cats but that's probably partly because the raw feeders are crazy animal people, kwim? So they tend to be hyper aware of these issues. 

 

But carbs are a definite prob and yes, I would try it. Though switching cats to raw can be a pita & I failed after years of trying & gave up. 

 

The purina is turkey based so I'd probably start with that protein. honestly if I was doing it, I'd start with a limited ingredient turkey based canned http://www.instinctpetfood.com/instinct-limited-ingredient-diets-canned-for-cats

 

I think getting rid of the  rice & corn in the diet is key to weight loss in cats.  They're a species which really does need to be ultra low carb. 

 

Agreed. I hate the stuff, but I also hate cat vomit all over, you know? I'll hit the pet store today or tomorrow and maybe check out what they have in a turkey formula. He likes dry more than canned...the canned I gave this morning is still there, but that's because the dry bowl was full when i gave it. Usually he runs out of dry overnight, then I feed canned ni the morning, when he's meowing and hungry, then no more dry until the evening or afternoon. That way he eats it. Well, as long as the dog doesn't steal it...that's a whole other problem. 

[Terabith]

Our cat lost a good bit of weight when we switched her from dry to canned food. 

[Pawz4me]

and sorry to hijack sort of, but raw food for cats, that you buy ready made...think it might help a cat LOSE weight? Our orange former stray is FAT. But if I put him on anything other than Purina ONE sensitive systems he vomits frequently and he licks himself raw on his stomach. I've tried probably a dozen foods. Oh, and some gave diarrhea...he actually had months of diarrhea before we stumbled on that food out of desperation. But I hate that it is poor quality, and he has some dandruff, partly because he's too fat to groom himself well anymore.

 

Raw might be worth a try. I think even my walmart has raw now, actually. I know target does.

Doesn't help you, but I love Purina One sensitive systems dry food. People can bash it all they want, but I give it total credit for keeping my 13 year old cat alive. She was diagnosed with IBD about ten years ago. At the time she was so ill she spent a week at the vet's. When she was finally stabilized we figured out it was the food she could tolerate and she's been on it solely ever since. Most people who see her are shocked when told her age. She looks and acts much younger.