Sunday, April 07, 2013

Biscuit

Biscuit hasn't been feeling well lately.

Here he is looking a bit wild after a recent visit to the vet:

About a month ago, he began meowing a bit more than usual (he's a pretty vocal cat and we talk a lot, so I didn't really notice but David kept complaining - "does that cat ever shut up?" sort of thing) and seemed a bit irritable.

And then the diarrhea started.  

So I emailed a lovely blogger (and vet) Andrea (check out her beautiful home here in a town south of Calgary) to see if she could refer me to a good Calgary vet, as I was unhappy with my last visit to our regular vet. 

Andrea referred me to her friend and classmate Dr. Tellier at the Shawnessy South Pet Hospital where they have a lovely team of vets and staff!

His new doctor tested him for parasites (none) and tried him on an antibiotic, but to no avail.  She seemed a bit surprised he did not respond (which doesn't sound so good to me!)
Extreme resting after a hard day at the pet hospital.  I had not actually noticed, but he's lost about 2 lbs in the past year.

So the next visit, I left him with the vet the entire day so they could take blood and wait until they could get urine.  When I brought him home, he was a bit berserk.

Since then, we've started a strict hypoallergenic diet (in case he has irritable bowel disease) and a new antibiotic.  It's quite stressful trying to administer the liquid antibiotic (by mouth, by syringe) as he won't eat it in his food!  Now he runs when he sees me coming...or eyes me suspiciously.

Crazy time.

In the meantime, his blood tests came back and we found out he has hyperthyroidism.  So he has a new pill to take twice a day (we use Pill Pockets, which are quite wonderful but I did notice they are not hypoallergenic...).  

One of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism is diarrhea, so I'm hoping this will begin to clear up with the new thyroid med.

Then yesterday he had a very sore bum and was meowing in his litter box, so we went to the vet again.  Poor little fellow.

This time we saw a different vet, Dr. Lodge, and she was lovely and kind too.  She did a good exam and says the bleeding was only on the outside and so now we have to put (sterile) vaseline on his bum.  He does not like this AT ALL (can you really blame him?).

I've had Biscuit since he was 4 weeks old (from a huge family of farm cats of a friend - he was the only orange kitten in a sea of gray cats!  I wish now I had also taken the small black and white kitten in his litter as it was later eaten by an owl - such is farm life I guess).

He turns 11 in four days.  We are totally BFF's:
Biscuit and his puppy

So I really hope the thyroid med or the new diet starts to help, and the problems are not more serious than that.  He seems listless and very tired lately, so I'm bit worried about what may come.

Have a lovely Sunday and don't forget to hug your pet today!

21 comments:

  1. Oh, I hope Biscuit feels better soon. He is a cute sweetie - both as a kitten and now. He may not like his treatment but I'm sure he knows it's because he hasn't felt well.

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  2. Poor Biscuit! And poor you! One of my sister's kitties has hyperthyroidism and has responded well to her medication. Aren't Pill Pockets great? If Biscuit stops liking the Pill Pockets, trying putting her meds inside a piece of cheese.

    Like you and Biscuit, my kitties and I are BFFs. I know I'll fall apart completely if anything happens to them.

    You and Biscuit are in my thoughts.

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  3. It's good, I guess, that's you have some kind of diagnosis and I hope he responds well to the medication. You may want to follow the medication giving with a little scratching or brushing so he knows the good follows the bad. Maybe it just me that feels better if I end with the brushing...but that's okay too.

    I love the little bite-sized biscuit photo.

    Hope he's feeling better soon!

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  4. I shall say many prayers for the sweet angel.
    xoxo
    Lisa

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  5. My cat (13) has lost 2.5 lbs down from 9lbs. All tests were fine. I have just switched her to a grain free dry diet and I am making her wet cat foot. It takes only about 5 minutes and I make 2 weeks at a time and freeze it. This way I control what she eats. She is not gaining weight slowly. I hope you cat continues to get better. A sick cat is not fun.

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  6. Oh, Terri, I'm sorry to hear about Biscuit's health issue. But it sounds like you're on the right track with meds and I'm sure he'll be back to himself soon. I like Steve's idea of rewarding him with something after medication ... I do this with our dogs too. I can relate to how tricky it can be to administer medication to pets, especially oral liquid! When we got Henry, our vet put him on dewormer as a precaution since he had been a stray. Every day I had to squirt a big dose of this awful white liquid into his mouth with a plastic syringe. He hated it! White stuff would get everywhere. Then with Ella it was ear drops for a yeast infection. She fussed at first but then got used to it. If only our pets could understand it's for their own good! And that we're doing it because we LOVE them.

    Keep us posted on Biscuit, and I'll be thinking positive thoughts that he gets well very soon.
    Claudia

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  7. Hope Biscuit gets better - and thanks for the post, in a way, my mum's cat has had more or less the same symptoms for quite a while, I'll tell her about hyperthyroidism.

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  8. hugs and a lil scratch behind the ear to biscuit! hope you both have many happy and healthy days ahead. and how are your headaches?

    donna

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  9. Hi Terri,

    What a beautiful boy Biscuit is and brave as well, considering all the vet visits. It does seem to terrorize some cats especially when they get any sort of treatment and you're not with them. When I would take our tabby Yoda to the vet she would projectile vomit in the car on the way, knowing that she was headed there. I ended up having to give her IV fluids every other day, something I would not do now, knowing how much she hated it. She would know when it was time and would run an hide, poor thing....it did keep her with us for longer though. Her sister, Sweet Pea outlived her by 2 years but was taken by cancer. We kept her out of pain as best we could and let her go peacefully. How this still pulls at my heart strings even though it has been 7 years!!! I'm sure he get lots of kisses, just give him a few extra... Cheri
    Cheri

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  10. Many blessing to your home for caring deeply for Biscuit. Thank you for sharing this...xob

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  11. Oh, the poor fellow. It is so hard to see them sick especially when they are normally so feisty. I do hope he feels better soon.

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  12. My thoughts are with you and biscuit that he feels better soon, it is so hard when our fur babies get into their older years. I had never heard of pill pockets, interesting idea, he doesn't find the pill? Hugs from me and my girl Coco, she would say hi if she could type... x

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  13. It sounds like perhaps the dose of his tapazole may be a bit high, which could cause his lethargy. Don't change a thing, though and when they do his follow up T4 test, they will make adjustments if needed. Hyperthyroidism is so common, and easily treatable. There are several treatment options that I'm sure they discussed with you. Vomiting and diarrhea are possible symptoms, so I do hope this is what it is and will resolve once his meds are regulated. His poor little backside! I also recommended zinc oxide cream (diaper cream) but he shouldn't lick this after being applied (some kitties can't reach or we used a cone collar if warranted). I'm glad the blood work was done and he's on medication! Poor little dude, but his thyroid condition will be well regulated. Give him some extra cuddles from me :)

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    1. Andrea, thanks so much for the advice!!! Dr. Tellier and her colleagues have been great and yes, she has explained a whole sequence of possibilities depending on what happens next (or doesn't happen). Have not chatted with Dr.T about his bottom but the other vet Dr. Lodge was saying we can use a cone if needed, if the bum gets worse (seems a bit better today). Yes, I am so glad he's on the thyroid medication and have to ask how long before we might start to see improvement. I must say this evening he seems much more comfortable and snuggled on the couch with me and seems less restless.

      Thanks a ton!!! :)

      Terri

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  14. Poor little Biscuit...sounds as if he's had a rough time. I am following your advice as Fiore is right here beside me stretched out to full length and whiffing a bit as she dozes. I'm saying a little prayer that Biscuit will be feeling much better very soon. It's not easy to have a sick pet.

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  15. I hugged my cat a lot yesterday. He too has been more vocal than usual since my recent trip to Vancouver.

    Poor Biscuit, it is always a worry when they are sick. I hope he feels better soon.

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  16. ohhhh, so sorry, but sounds like you are in good hands. lovely to also have someone like andrea in your life. one of our cats was finally put down at 22, biscuit has a lot of living to do!
    debra

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  17. I hope Biscuit is feeling better soon!

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  18. I'm so sorry to hear about Biscuit. Hope he is doing better now. Panda and Mocha both have health issues. Panda has Cushings and Mocha has Pancreatitis. If only they can tell us...
    Loi

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  19. Anonymous6:52 pm

    Sending get well wishes to Biscuit. We have always had dogs and when they are sick, it is such a worry. Sounds like you have good vet care which is so important. Cuddle close, NB

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  20. Anonymous12:43 pm

    Poor biscuit. My cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism 3 years ago (she was 14 at the time). The tapazole didn't work very well for her and her thyroid levels never normalized. The vet put her on a prescription kibble about a year ago that doesn't contain any iodine. It seems to have done the trick as her thyroid levels are back to normal. I wish I could get her on raw food like I feed the dogs given it seems it's the kibble she ate for most of her life that made her sick in the first place, but cats are notorious for being difficult to switch and she's so skinny that I don't want to force it. I hope biscuit feels better soon.

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