bad news at the vet today :(

(Sherry ) wrote in message ...
Why do you think after Kami there simply won't be anymore for me? Just
wouldn't be up to it. Maybe a siamese fighting fish or something.

--
BrandyÂ*Â*Alexandre®

Bettas pretty much have a personality of sorts and live a long time. Ours died
on Christmas day, and even thhat was sucky, we'd had him for a long time. RIP,
Admiral Bob.

Sherry

I had one for 2 years - Scooby. Best fish I ever had. Fish are one
species I don't do that great with...

-L.

Total bummer! Did he have a name? Did you have a funeral for him?

Yes, he *did* have a name, as a matter of fact. It was "J-Turtle". When my
daughter Jamie (now grown) was about 8, she painted a J on the poor thing's
back with red fingernail polish. It took years to wear off. We buried him
(her??) underneath the Rose of Sharons where he hung out a lot.

We haven't had Delilah's funeral yet, but I picked the park where she
will go. It sounds so stupid, but I really loved that snake. She was
so pretty and so sweet. I just don't think I can ever have the heart
to replace her.

-L.

Oh, gosh no, it doesn't sound stupiid at all. Love of any living creature
isn't limited to mammals.

Sherry

Total bummer! Did he have a name? Did you have a funeral for him?

Yes, he *did* have a name, as a matter of fact. It was "J-Turtle". When my
daughter Jamie (now grown) was about 8, she painted a J on the poor thing's
back with red fingernail polish. It took years to wear off. We buried him
(her??) underneath the Rose of Sharons where he hung out a lot.

We haven't had Delilah's funeral yet, but I picked the park where she
will go. It sounds so stupid, but I really loved that snake. She was
so pretty and so sweet. I just don't think I can ever have the heart
to replace her.

-L.

Oh, gosh no, it doesn't sound stupiid at all. Love of any living creature
isn't limited to mammals.

Sherry

Total bummer! Did he have a name? Did you have a funeral for him?

Yes, he *did* have a name, as a matter of fact. It was "J-Turtle". When my
daughter Jamie (now grown) was about 8, she painted a J on the poor thing's
back with red fingernail polish. It took years to wear off. We buried him
(her??) underneath the Rose of Sharons where he hung out a lot.

We haven't had Delilah's funeral yet, but I picked the park where she
will go. It sounds so stupid, but I really loved that snake. She was
so pretty and so sweet. I just don't think I can ever have the heart
to replace her.

-L.

Oh, gosh no, it doesn't sound stupiid at all. Love of any living creature
isn't limited to mammals.

Sherry

"-L." wrote in message
m...
"Phil P." wrote in message
...
"-L." wrote in message
m...
Today I took my black baby Peewee (age 12) to the vet for a recheck of
what was diagnosed previously as ringworm. Well, I got the "good" vet
today, and it isn't fluorescing ringworm -

Whoa! Relax at bit! About *half* the cases of ringrorm don't
fluoresce
under a Wood's Light!

Yeah - I know - that's why I said isn't *fluorescing* ringworm.
It might be something else -

I meant that it *could be* ringworm even though it doesn't fluoresce. IOW,
the Wood's light is right only in about half of the cases. Many
culture-confirmed cases of ringworm don't fluoresce. IOW, the Wood's light
is not definitive for ruling out ringworm. Sorry for not being clearer.


and we are going to treat him with
Program and/or antihistamines to see if we can knock it back down...

Also, did your vet allow the light to warm up for at
least 5 minutes? We've had *many* false negatives with the Wood's Light
in
our shelter that almost led to epidemics!

Humm...dunno!


Allowing the lamp to warm up increases its sensitivity.




The most reliable test for ringworm (dermatophytosis) is a *fungal
culture*.
A couple of inexpensive in-clinic test kits are availabe. Our vets use
the
Sab-Duet kit - they say its easier than the standard DTM (Dermatophyte
Test
Media). You might want to mention that to your vet.

Yeah, I thought about mentioning that. May go that route if the
Program/antihistamine doesn't work.

If it does turn out to be ringworm, speak to your vet about Itraconazole
(Sporanox) - its about the best drug for ringworm there is and very easy to
administer.

Let one of those little restaurant-type butter tubs melt down at room
temperature, then thoroughly mix the 100 mg capsule in the liquified
butter - then refrigerate. When butter becomes solid, cut the cube into
four or five equal pats - each piece contains an equal amount of drug -
i.e., 5 pieces @ 20 mg ea. A 4 kg (9 lb) cat usually gets 40 mg/day (or
whatever your vet prescribes) - so a 9 lb cat gets 2 pieces. You can cut
those 2 pieces into smaller pieces if necessary so that the cat can gobble
them right down. Most cats just love butter - and the fat increases
absorption of the drug.





Btw, don't worry about sample collection for the culture - there's no
cutting or anesthetic involved. All your vet has to do is brush the
area
with a *new* toothbrush then press the bristles into the culture medium
and
incubate.


symptoms are weird looking
ears and forehead (velvety hair/skin, somewhat balding), and itchy.
Some swelling above the eyes. It is unlike anything I have ever seen
before. BUT - the worst thing is that he lost 1.3 lbs in the last few
months!! This cat eats like a piggy.

So, we did a full blood panel including recheck for FeLV/FIV, and T4.
I am just sick - if and when I lose this cat, I will be inconsolable.
I hope to god whatever it is is treatable.

The T4 is not always reliable. The most reliable thyroid test for cats
is
free T4 by equilibrium dialysis (fT4ED). Cornell runs the test for
about
$20. Only a blood sample is needed.

Thanks for the info - I read this message before I spoke to the vet
and she actually suggested it - and I agreed, since his T4 was 2.6
(borderline). So we are running that right now. It was $45
BTW...ouch!

Actually, that's not a bad price considering the blood sample should be sent
with a cold pack via overnight courier.



Man it sucks - all of my mammalian companions are elderly except one,
and I just lost one of my (young) snakes very unexpectedly. This is
the sucky part of loving another creature - regardless of species.

Whoa! Never under estimate the resiliency or the *indomitable* spirit
of
the cat!

I know, but I'm a little bummed about it. I have been *so* lucky with
these guys so far.


Keep the faith!

Good Luck,

Thanks, and thanks to all who replied! We are also going to do a
fecal to rule out worms/parasites. The weight loss is a big puzzler.
If he's hyperthyroid, I'd like to do I-151, but might not be able to
get DH to choke down the $800 quote. His priorities and mine don't
always mesh equally...Grrrr!

If he is hyperthyroid, put him on a reversible tx *first* (e.g.,Tapazole)
for a few months and monitor his kidney function. If his kidney function
remains stable while he's on Tapazole, you can probably go ahead with I-131
radioiodine tx. This is a safety precaution because I-131 is irreversible.

Hyperthyroidism increases glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma
flow which can mask chronic renal failure in cats with underlying kidney
disease. After hyperthyroidism is treated, GFR could drop to its true rate
causing clinical develoment of overt renal failure in cats that have
underlying (and undetected) kidney disease.




Thanks again to all who replied!


Keeps us posted. When I don't hear back from people, I tend to fear the
worst.

Best of luck

Phil.

"-L." wrote in message
m...
"Phil P." wrote in message
...
"-L." wrote in message
m...
Today I took my black baby Peewee (age 12) to the vet for a recheck of
what was diagnosed previously as ringworm. Well, I got the "good" vet
today, and it isn't fluorescing ringworm -

Whoa! Relax at bit! About *half* the cases of ringrorm don't
fluoresce
under a Wood's Light!

Yeah - I know - that's why I said isn't *fluorescing* ringworm.
It might be something else -

I meant that it *could be* ringworm even though it doesn't fluoresce. IOW,
the Wood's light is right only in about half of the cases. Many
culture-confirmed cases of ringworm don't fluoresce. IOW, the Wood's light
is not definitive for ruling out ringworm. Sorry for not being clearer.


and we are going to treat him with
Program and/or antihistamines to see if we can knock it back down...

Also, did your vet allow the light to warm up for at
least 5 minutes? We've had *many* false negatives with the Wood's Light
in
our shelter that almost led to epidemics!

Humm...dunno!


Allowing the lamp to warm up increases its sensitivity.




The most reliable test for ringworm (dermatophytosis) is a *fungal
culture*.
A couple of inexpensive in-clinic test kits are availabe. Our vets use
the
Sab-Duet kit - they say its easier than the standard DTM (Dermatophyte
Test
Media). You might want to mention that to your vet.

Yeah, I thought about mentioning that. May go that route if the
Program/antihistamine doesn't work.

If it does turn out to be ringworm, speak to your vet about Itraconazole
(Sporanox) - its about the best drug for ringworm there is and very easy to
administer.

Let one of those little restaurant-type butter tubs melt down at room
temperature, then thoroughly mix the 100 mg capsule in the liquified
butter - then refrigerate. When butter becomes solid, cut the cube into
four or five equal pats - each piece contains an equal amount of drug -
i.e., 5 pieces @ 20 mg ea. A 4 kg (9 lb) cat usually gets 40 mg/day (or
whatever your vet prescribes) - so a 9 lb cat gets 2 pieces. You can cut
those 2 pieces into smaller pieces if necessary so that the cat can gobble
them right down. Most cats just love butter - and the fat increases
absorption of the drug.





Btw, don't worry about sample collection for the culture - there's no
cutting or anesthetic involved. All your vet has to do is brush the
area
with a *new* toothbrush then press the bristles into the culture medium
and
incubate.


symptoms are weird looking
ears and forehead (velvety hair/skin, somewhat balding), and itchy.
Some swelling above the eyes. It is unlike anything I have ever seen
before. BUT - the worst thing is that he lost 1.3 lbs in the last few
months!! This cat eats like a piggy.

So, we did a full blood panel including recheck for FeLV/FIV, and T4.
I am just sick - if and when I lose this cat, I will be inconsolable.
I hope to god whatever it is is treatable.

The T4 is not always reliable. The most reliable thyroid test for cats
is
free T4 by equilibrium dialysis (fT4ED). Cornell runs the test for
about
$20. Only a blood sample is needed.

Thanks for the info - I read this message before I spoke to the vet
and she actually suggested it - and I agreed, since his T4 was 2.6
(borderline). So we are running that right now. It was $45
BTW...ouch!

Actually, that's not a bad price considering the blood sample should be sent
with a cold pack via overnight courier.



Man it sucks - all of my mammalian companions are elderly except one,
and I just lost one of my (young) snakes very unexpectedly. This is
the sucky part of loving another creature - regardless of species.

Whoa! Never under estimate the resiliency or the *indomitable* spirit
of
the cat!

I know, but I'm a little bummed about it. I have been *so* lucky with
these guys so far.


Keep the faith!

Good Luck,

Thanks, and thanks to all who replied! We are also going to do a
fecal to rule out worms/parasites. The weight loss is a big puzzler.
If he's hyperthyroid, I'd like to do I-151, but might not be able to
get DH to choke down the $800 quote. His priorities and mine don't
always mesh equally...Grrrr!

If he is hyperthyroid, put him on a reversible tx *first* (e.g.,Tapazole)
for a few months and monitor his kidney function. If his kidney function
remains stable while he's on Tapazole, you can probably go ahead with I-131
radioiodine tx. This is a safety precaution because I-131 is irreversible.

Hyperthyroidism increases glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma
flow which can mask chronic renal failure in cats with underlying kidney
disease. After hyperthyroidism is treated, GFR could drop to its true rate
causing clinical develoment of overt renal failure in cats that have
underlying (and undetected) kidney disease.




Thanks again to all who replied!


Keeps us posted. When I don't hear back from people, I tend to fear the
worst.

Best of luck

Phil.

"-L." wrote in message
m...
"Phil P." wrote in message
...
"-L." wrote in message
m...
Today I took my black baby Peewee (age 12) to the vet for a recheck of
what was diagnosed previously as ringworm. Well, I got the "good" vet
today, and it isn't fluorescing ringworm -

Whoa! Relax at bit! About *half* the cases of ringrorm don't
fluoresce
under a Wood's Light!

Yeah - I know - that's why I said isn't *fluorescing* ringworm.
It might be something else -

I meant that it *could be* ringworm even though it doesn't fluoresce. IOW,
the Wood's light is right only in about half of the cases. Many
culture-confirmed cases of ringworm don't fluoresce. IOW, the Wood's light
is not definitive for ruling out ringworm. Sorry for not being clearer.


and we are going to treat him with
Program and/or antihistamines to see if we can knock it back down...

Also, did your vet allow the light to warm up for at
least 5 minutes? We've had *many* false negatives with the Wood's Light
in
our shelter that almost led to epidemics!

Humm...dunno!


Allowing the lamp to warm up increases its sensitivity.




The most reliable test for ringworm (dermatophytosis) is a *fungal
culture*.
A couple of inexpensive in-clinic test kits are availabe. Our vets use
the
Sab-Duet kit - they say its easier than the standard DTM (Dermatophyte
Test
Media). You might want to mention that to your vet.

Yeah, I thought about mentioning that. May go that route if the
Program/antihistamine doesn't work.

If it does turn out to be ringworm, speak to your vet about Itraconazole
(Sporanox) - its about the best drug for ringworm there is and very easy to
administer.

Let one of those little restaurant-type butter tubs melt down at room
temperature, then thoroughly mix the 100 mg capsule in the liquified
butter - then refrigerate. When butter becomes solid, cut the cube into
four or five equal pats - each piece contains an equal amount of drug -
i.e., 5 pieces @ 20 mg ea. A 4 kg (9 lb) cat usually gets 40 mg/day (or
whatever your vet prescribes) - so a 9 lb cat gets 2 pieces. You can cut
those 2 pieces into smaller pieces if necessary so that the cat can gobble
them right down. Most cats just love butter - and the fat increases
absorption of the drug.





Btw, don't worry about sample collection for the culture - there's no
cutting or anesthetic involved. All your vet has to do is brush the
area
with a *new* toothbrush then press the bristles into the culture medium
and
incubate.


symptoms are weird looking
ears and forehead (velvety hair/skin, somewhat balding), and itchy.
Some swelling above the eyes. It is unlike anything I have ever seen
before. BUT - the worst thing is that he lost 1.3 lbs in the last few
months!! This cat eats like a piggy.

So, we did a full blood panel including recheck for FeLV/FIV, and T4.
I am just sick - if and when I lose this cat, I will be inconsolable.
I hope to god whatever it is is treatable.

The T4 is not always reliable. The most reliable thyroid test for cats
is
free T4 by equilibrium dialysis (fT4ED). Cornell runs the test for
about
$20. Only a blood sample is needed.

Thanks for the info - I read this message before I spoke to the vet
and she actually suggested it - and I agreed, since his T4 was 2.6
(borderline). So we are running that right now. It was $45
BTW...ouch!

Actually, that's not a bad price considering the blood sample should be sent
with a cold pack via overnight courier.



Man it sucks - all of my mammalian companions are elderly except one,
and I just lost one of my (young) snakes very unexpectedly. This is
the sucky part of loving another creature - regardless of species.

Whoa! Never under estimate the resiliency or the *indomitable* spirit
of
the cat!

I know, but I'm a little bummed about it. I have been *so* lucky with
these guys so far.


Keep the faith!

Good Luck,

Thanks, and thanks to all who replied! We are also going to do a
fecal to rule out worms/parasites. The weight loss is a big puzzler.
If he's hyperthyroid, I'd like to do I-151, but might not be able to
get DH to choke down the $800 quote. His priorities and mine don't
always mesh equally...Grrrr!

If he is hyperthyroid, put him on a reversible tx *first* (e.g.,Tapazole)
for a few months and monitor his kidney function. If his kidney function
remains stable while he's on Tapazole, you can probably go ahead with I-131
radioiodine tx. This is a safety precaution because I-131 is irreversible.

Hyperthyroidism increases glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma
flow which can mask chronic renal failure in cats with underlying kidney
disease. After hyperthyroidism is treated, GFR could drop to its true rate
causing clinical develoment of overt renal failure in cats that have
underlying (and undetected) kidney disease.




Thanks again to all who replied!


Keeps us posted. When I don't hear back from people, I tend to fear the
worst.

Best of luck

Phil.

"Phil P." wrote in message ...
Yeah - I know - that's why I said isn't *fluorescing* ringworm.
It might be something else -

I meant that it *could be* ringworm even though it doesn't fluoresce. IOW,
the Wood's light is right only in about half of the cases. Many
culture-confirmed cases of ringworm don't fluoresce. IOW, the Wood's light
is not definitive for ruling out ringworm. Sorry for not being clearer.

Oh, I know - I'm not being very clear myself. I actually suspect it
*is* a non-fluoresceing dermatophyte.

snip


The most reliable test for ringworm (dermatophytosis) is a *fungal
culture*.
A couple of inexpensive in-clinic test kits are availabe. Our vets use
the
Sab-Duet kit - they say its easier than the standard DTM (Dermatophyte
Test
Media). You might want to mention that to your vet.

Yeah, I thought about mentioning that. May go that route if the
Program/antihistamine doesn't work.

If it does turn out to be ringworm, speak to your vet about Itraconazole
(Sporanox) - its about the best drug for ringworm there is and very easy to
administer.

Let one of those little restaurant-type butter tubs melt down at room
temperature, then thoroughly mix the 100 mg capsule in the liquified
butter - then refrigerate. When butter becomes solid, cut the cube into
four or five equal pats - each piece contains an equal amount of drug -
i.e., 5 pieces @ 20 mg ea. A 4 kg (9 lb) cat usually gets 40 mg/day (or
whatever your vet prescribes) - so a 9 lb cat gets 2 pieces. You can cut
those 2 pieces into smaller pieces if necessary so that the cat can gobble
them right down. Most cats just love butter - and the fat increases
absorption of the drug.



Thanks for the tips! I will ask her about the drug.


snip


Thanks for the info - I read this message before I spoke to the vet
and she actually suggested it - and I agreed, since his T4 was 2.6
(borderline). So we are running that right now. It was $45
BTW...ouch!

Actually, that's not a bad price considering the blood sample should be sent
with a cold pack via overnight courier.

The lab that had his sample was going to run it from the blood they
took the other day - I guess they had enough serum left.
snip


Thanks, and thanks to all who replied! We are also going to do a
fecal to rule out worms/parasites. The weight loss is a big puzzler.
If he's hyperthyroid, I'd like to do I-151, but might not be able to
get DH to choke down the $800 quote. His priorities and mine don't
always mesh equally...Grrrr!

If he is hyperthyroid, put him on a reversible tx *first* (e.g.,Tapazole)
for a few months and monitor his kidney function. If his kidney function
remains stable while he's on Tapazole, you can probably go ahead with I-131
radioiodine tx. This is a safety precaution because I-131 is irreversible.

Ah, yes - I-131 - I always say 151. I think I do that every time I
post, LOL!

I think tapazole would be first-route of treatment for him, as well,
eventhough I think it is a crappy drug. Where as radioiodine is a
cure...


Hyperthyroidism increases glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma
flow which can mask chronic renal failure in cats with underlying kidney
disease. After hyperthyroidism is treated, GFR could drop to its true rate
causing clinical develoment of overt renal failure in cats that have
underlying (and undetected) kidney disease.

If he had underlying kidney disease, would it show on bloodwork NOW,
and could the vet detect abnormalities with palpitation? His kidney
function looks good from the bloodwork we did Wednesday.



Keeps us posted. When I don't hear back from people, I tend to fear the
worst.

Well, I'm sorry to say, it is worse. He vomited last night (fur
ball/bile) and has diarrhea and won't eat (did eat a couple kibbles of
chow). First time in 12 years that this cat has refused food. I
called the vet - I am observing him today, and may go in this evening.

-L.

"Phil P." wrote in message ...
Yeah - I know - that's why I said isn't *fluorescing* ringworm.
It might be something else -

I meant that it *could be* ringworm even though it doesn't fluoresce. IOW,
the Wood's light is right only in about half of the cases. Many
culture-confirmed cases of ringworm don't fluoresce. IOW, the Wood's light
is not definitive for ruling out ringworm. Sorry for not being clearer.

Oh, I know - I'm not being very clear myself. I actually suspect it
*is* a non-fluoresceing dermatophyte.

snip


The most reliable test for ringworm (dermatophytosis) is a *fungal
culture*.
A couple of inexpensive in-clinic test kits are availabe. Our vets use
the
Sab-Duet kit - they say its easier than the standard DTM (Dermatophyte
Test
Media). You might want to mention that to your vet.

Yeah, I thought about mentioning that. May go that route if the
Program/antihistamine doesn't work.

If it does turn out to be ringworm, speak to your vet about Itraconazole
(Sporanox) - its about the best drug for ringworm there is and very easy to
administer.

Let one of those little restaurant-type butter tubs melt down at room
temperature, then thoroughly mix the 100 mg capsule in the liquified
butter - then refrigerate. When butter becomes solid, cut the cube into
four or five equal pats - each piece contains an equal amount of drug -
i.e., 5 pieces @ 20 mg ea. A 4 kg (9 lb) cat usually gets 40 mg/day (or
whatever your vet prescribes) - so a 9 lb cat gets 2 pieces. You can cut
those 2 pieces into smaller pieces if necessary so that the cat can gobble
them right down. Most cats just love butter - and the fat increases
absorption of the drug.



Thanks for the tips! I will ask her about the drug.


snip


Thanks for the info - I read this message before I spoke to the vet
and she actually suggested it - and I agreed, since his T4 was 2.6
(borderline). So we are running that right now. It was $45
BTW...ouch!

Actually, that's not a bad price considering the blood sample should be sent
with a cold pack via overnight courier.

The lab that had his sample was going to run it from the blood they
took the other day - I guess they had enough serum left.
snip


Thanks, and thanks to all who replied! We are also going to do a
fecal to rule out worms/parasites. The weight loss is a big puzzler.
If he's hyperthyroid, I'd like to do I-151, but might not be able to
get DH to choke down the $800 quote. His priorities and mine don't
always mesh equally...Grrrr!

If he is hyperthyroid, put him on a reversible tx *first* (e.g.,Tapazole)
for a few months and monitor his kidney function. If his kidney function
remains stable while he's on Tapazole, you can probably go ahead with I-131
radioiodine tx. This is a safety precaution because I-131 is irreversible.

Ah, yes - I-131 - I always say 151. I think I do that every time I
post, LOL!

I think tapazole would be first-route of treatment for him, as well,
eventhough I think it is a crappy drug. Where as radioiodine is a
cure...


Hyperthyroidism increases glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma
flow which can mask chronic renal failure in cats with underlying kidney
disease. After hyperthyroidism is treated, GFR could drop to its true rate
causing clinical develoment of overt renal failure in cats that have
underlying (and undetected) kidney disease.

If he had underlying kidney disease, would it show on bloodwork NOW,
and could the vet detect abnormalities with palpitation? His kidney
function looks good from the bloodwork we did Wednesday.



Keeps us posted. When I don't hear back from people, I tend to fear the
worst.

Well, I'm sorry to say, it is worse. He vomited last night (fur
ball/bile) and has diarrhea and won't eat (did eat a couple kibbles of
chow). First time in 12 years that this cat has refused food. I
called the vet - I am observing him today, and may go in this evening.

-L.

"Phil P." wrote in message ...
Yeah - I know - that's why I said isn't *fluorescing* ringworm.
It might be something else -

I meant that it *could be* ringworm even though it doesn't fluoresce. IOW,
the Wood's light is right only in about half of the cases. Many
culture-confirmed cases of ringworm don't fluoresce. IOW, the Wood's light
is not definitive for ruling out ringworm. Sorry for not being clearer.

Oh, I know - I'm not being very clear myself. I actually suspect it
*is* a non-fluoresceing dermatophyte.

snip


The most reliable test for ringworm (dermatophytosis) is a *fungal
culture*.
A couple of inexpensive in-clinic test kits are availabe. Our vets use
the
Sab-Duet kit - they say its easier than the standard DTM (Dermatophyte
Test
Media). You might want to mention that to your vet.

Yeah, I thought about mentioning that. May go that route if the
Program/antihistamine doesn't work.

If it does turn out to be ringworm, speak to your vet about Itraconazole
(Sporanox) - its about the best drug for ringworm there is and very easy to
administer.

Let one of those little restaurant-type butter tubs melt down at room
temperature, then thoroughly mix the 100 mg capsule in the liquified
butter - then refrigerate. When butter becomes solid, cut the cube into
four or five equal pats - each piece contains an equal amount of drug -
i.e., 5 pieces @ 20 mg ea. A 4 kg (9 lb) cat usually gets 40 mg/day (or
whatever your vet prescribes) - so a 9 lb cat gets 2 pieces. You can cut
those 2 pieces into smaller pieces if necessary so that the cat can gobble
them right down. Most cats just love butter - and the fat increases
absorption of the drug.



Thanks for the tips! I will ask her about the drug.


snip


Thanks for the info - I read this message before I spoke to the vet
and she actually suggested it - and I agreed, since his T4 was 2.6
(borderline). So we are running that right now. It was $45
BTW...ouch!

Actually, that's not a bad price considering the blood sample should be sent
with a cold pack via overnight courier.

The lab that had his sample was going to run it from the blood they
took the other day - I guess they had enough serum left.
snip


Thanks, and thanks to all who replied! We are also going to do a
fecal to rule out worms/parasites. The weight loss is a big puzzler.
If he's hyperthyroid, I'd like to do I-151, but might not be able to
get DH to choke down the $800 quote. His priorities and mine don't
always mesh equally...Grrrr!

If he is hyperthyroid, put him on a reversible tx *first* (e.g.,Tapazole)
for a few months and monitor his kidney function. If his kidney function
remains stable while he's on Tapazole, you can probably go ahead with I-131
radioiodine tx. This is a safety precaution because I-131 is irreversible.

Ah, yes - I-131 - I always say 151. I think I do that every time I
post, LOL!

I think tapazole would be first-route of treatment for him, as well,
eventhough I think it is a crappy drug. Where as radioiodine is a
cure...


Hyperthyroidism increases glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma
flow which can mask chronic renal failure in cats with underlying kidney
disease. After hyperthyroidism is treated, GFR could drop to its true rate
causing clinical develoment of overt renal failure in cats that have
underlying (and undetected) kidney disease.

If he had underlying kidney disease, would it show on bloodwork NOW,
and could the vet detect abnormalities with palpitation? His kidney
function looks good from the bloodwork we did Wednesday.



Keeps us posted. When I don't hear back from people, I tend to fear the
worst.

Well, I'm sorry to say, it is worse. He vomited last night (fur
ball/bile) and has diarrhea and won't eat (did eat a couple kibbles of
chow). First time in 12 years that this cat has refused food. I
called the vet - I am observing him today, and may go in this evening.

-L.