Suspicions about Spicey

Having had a chance to observe Spicey for several days has reinforced my
initial impression that Spicey does not look like a normal healthy 9.5 year
old cat. I know for a fact that that is her age, yet she really looks like
she's carrying a lot more wear on her body than that.

What do I see wrong with Spicey? First, her fur is scraggly, almost as
though she's dehydrated, and she's skinny too. Second, she eats and drinks
a ton. Third, her limbs are stiff and weak, almost as though she's
arthritic.

And fifth, and this is something I find maybe the most peculiar and
alarming about her, is that her pupils do not contract. Her pupils are
always wide open. At first, I thought it was because she was scared being
in a new environment, but in all this time, I've never seen her pupils even
quiver. They're always huge and round. I've turned off the lights, turned
them on, redirected her gaze so that she was staring at the lights, and she
pupils still don't contract.

Is it thyroid? Diabetes? Parasites? Kidneys? I have no idea, but Spicey has
a vet appointment for Saturday. I told them that I want a full physical and
bloodwork on her. And that she is not tame, and will have to take
precautions when examining her.

I am fairly new here, and didn't know Suzy or Spicey. Anything I know
about either of them, I've gleened throught the recent posts here.

First, I offer my sincere condolences regarding Suzy's passing to her
family and friends.

I want to thank and commend Takayuki for his compassion, great
attitude and concern in taking in Spicey in her hour of need. From
what I've learned, Spicey can be rather spirited, to say the least.
Kudos to you, Takayuki, in every aspect in this saga.

I agree with you too, that something seems amiss with Spicey
healthwise. I commend you once again for really doing a terrific job
tackling this whole situation and getting her to the vet quickly.

Like all of us here, I am eager to hear what the veterinarian comes up
with.

You are one terrific person, Takayuki.

AB


04 Oct 2012 20:34:12 -0400, Takayuki wrote:

Having had a chance to observe Spicey for several days has reinforced my
initial impression that Spicey does not look like a normal healthy 9.5 year
old cat. I know for a fact that that is her age, yet she really looks like
she's carrying a lot more wear on her body than that.

What do I see wrong with Spicey? First, her fur is scraggly, almost as
though she's dehydrated, and she's skinny too. Second, she eats and drinks
a ton. Third, her limbs are stiff and weak, almost as though she's
arthritic.

And fifth, and this is something I find maybe the most peculiar and
alarming about her, is that her pupils do not contract. Her pupils are
always wide open. At first, I thought it was because she was scared being
in a new environment, but in all this time, I've never seen her pupils even
quiver. They're always huge and round. I've turned off the lights, turned
them on, redirected her gaze so that she was staring at the lights, and she
pupils still don't contract.

Is it thyroid? Diabetes? Parasites? Kidneys? I have no idea, but Spicey has
a vet appointment for Saturday. I told them that I want a full physical and
bloodwork on her. And that she is not tame, and will have to take
precautions when examining her.

I agree with AB, and am glad you have that vet's appointment. Purrs for it
to be less stressful on you, on her and on the veterinary staff, than you
probably anticipate.

--
Joy

"AB" wrote in message
...

I am fairly new here, and didn't know Suzy or Spicey. Anything I know
about either of them, I've gleened throught the recent posts here.

First, I offer my sincere condolences regarding Suzy's passing to her
family and friends.

I want to thank and commend Takayuki for his compassion, great
attitude and concern in taking in Spicey in her hour of need. From
what I've learned, Spicey can be rather spirited, to say the least.
Kudos to you, Takayuki, in every aspect in this saga.

I agree with you too, that something seems amiss with Spicey
healthwise. I commend you once again for really doing a terrific job
tackling this whole situation and getting her to the vet quickly.

Like all of us here, I am eager to hear what the veterinarian comes up
with.

You are one terrific person, Takayuki.

AB


04 Oct 2012 20:34:12 -0400, Takayuki wrote:

Having had a chance to observe Spicey for several days has reinforced my
initial impression that Spicey does not look like a normal healthy 9.5
year
old cat. I know for a fact that that is her age, yet she really looks like
she's carrying a lot more wear on her body than that.

What do I see wrong with Spicey? First, her fur is scraggly, almost as
though she's dehydrated, and she's skinny too. Second, she eats and drinks
a ton. Third, her limbs are stiff and weak, almost as though she's
arthritic.

And fifth, and this is something I find maybe the most peculiar and
alarming about her, is that her pupils do not contract. Her pupils are
always wide open. At first, I thought it was because she was scared being
in a new environment, but in all this time, I've never seen her pupils
even
quiver. They're always huge and round. I've turned off the lights, turned
them on, redirected her gaze so that she was staring at the lights, and
she
pupils still don't contract.

Is it thyroid? Diabetes? Parasites? Kidneys? I have no idea, but Spicey
has
a vet appointment for Saturday. I told them that I want a full physical
and
bloodwork on her. And that she is not tame, and will have to take
precautions when examining her.

On Thu, 04 Oct 2012 20:53:39 -0400, AB wrote:
I am fairly new here, and didn't know Suzy or Spicey. Anything I know
about either of them, I've gleened throught the recent posts here.

First, I offer my sincere condolences regarding Suzy's passing to her
family and friends.

I want to thank and commend Takayuki for his compassion, great
attitude and concern in taking in Spicey in her hour of need. From
what I've learned, Spicey can be rather spirited, to say the least.
Kudos to you, Takayuki, in every aspect in this saga.

I agree with you too, that something seems amiss with Spicey
healthwise. I commend you once again for really doing a terrific job
tackling this whole situation and getting her to the vet quickly.

Like all of us here, I am eager to hear what the veterinarian comes up
with.

You are one terrific person, Takayuki.

Thank you AB. Welcome to the group! She really is a feisty one! Co-workers
were asking me today, "OMG, what happened to your hand!?" And I had to
reply, "I put down a dish of food to my cat."

On Thu, 4 Oct 2012 18:03:39 -0700, "Joy" wrote:
I agree with AB, and am glad you have that vet's appointment. Purrs for it
to be less stressful on you, on her and on the veterinary staff, than you
probably anticipate.

I wanted to put it off because I didn't think that I could get her into a
carrier. But her fixation on food gave me an idea, and I tried tossing a
few treats into her carrier, and she went right in. Aha.

Having had a chance to observe Spicey for several days has reinforced my
initial impression that Spicey does not look like a normal healthy 9.5 year
old cat. I know for a fact that that is her age, yet she really looks like
she's carrying a lot more wear on her body than that.
What do I see wrong with Spicey? First, her fur is scraggly, almost as
though she's dehydrated, and she's skinny too. Second, she eats and drinks
a ton. Third, her limbs are stiff and weak, almost as though she's
arthritic.
And fifth, and this is something I find maybe the most peculiar and
alarming about her, is that her pupils do not contract. [...]
Is it thyroid? Diabetes? Parasites? Kidneys?

Nutrient deficiency, taurine in particular? Your vet will be able to
check blood nutrient levels (this will probably be a standard part of
the workup).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
e m a i l : j a c k @ c a m p i n . m e . u k
Jack Campin, 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU, Scotland
mobile 07800 739 557 http://www.campin.me.uk Twitter: JackCampin

"Takayuki" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 4 Oct 2012 18:03:39 -0700, "Joy" wrote:
I agree with AB, and am glad you have that vet's appointment. Purrs for
it
to be less stressful on you, on her and on the veterinary staff, than you
probably anticipate.

I wanted to put it off because I didn't think that I could get her into a
carrier. But her fixation on food gave me an idea, and I tried tossing a
few treats into her carrier, and she went right in. Aha.

That's great!

Joy

On Thu, 04 Oct 2012 20:34:12 -0400, Takayuki wrote:

Having had a chance to observe Spicey for several days has reinforced my
initial impression that Spicey does not look like a normal healthy 9.5
year old cat. I know for a fact that that is her age, yet she really
looks like she's carrying a lot more wear on her body than that.

What do I see wrong with Spicey? First, her fur is scraggly, almost as
though she's dehydrated, and she's skinny too. Second, she eats and
drinks a ton. Third, her limbs are stiff and weak, almost as though
she's arthritic.

And fifth, and this is something I find maybe the most peculiar and
alarming about her, is that her pupils do not contract. Her pupils are
always wide open. At first, I thought it was because she was scared
being in a new environment, but in all this time, I've never seen her
pupils even quiver. They're always huge and round. I've turned off the
lights, turned them on, redirected her gaze so that she was staring at
the lights, and she pupils still don't contract.

Is it thyroid? Diabetes? Parasites? Kidneys? I have no idea, but Spicey
has a vet appointment for Saturday. I told them that I want a full
physical and bloodwork on her. And that she is not tame, and will have
to take precautions when examining her.



The enlarged pupils m,ay be because she is blind or very nearly blind.
That could also cause her to be more scared of things. We are sending
our best purrs for you and the kitty. MLB

On Thursday, October 4, 2012 7:34:08 PM UTC-5, Takayuki wrote:
Having had a chance to observe Spicey for several days has reinforced my

initial impression that Spicey does not look like a normal healthy 9.5 year

old cat. I know for a fact that that is her age, yet she really looks like

she's carrying a lot more wear on her body than that.



What do I see wrong with Spicey? First, her fur is scraggly, almost as

though she's dehydrated, and she's skinny too. Second, she eats and drinks

a ton. Third, her limbs are stiff and weak, almost as though she's

arthritic.



And fifth, and this is something I find maybe the most peculiar and

alarming about her, is that her pupils do not contract. Her pupils are

always wide open. At first, I thought it was because she was scared being

in a new environment, but in all this time, I've never seen her pupils even

quiver. They're always huge and round. I've turned off the lights, turned

them on, redirected her gaze so that she was staring at the lights, and she

pupils still don't contract.



Is it thyroid? Diabetes? Parasites? Kidneys? I have no idea, but Spicey has

a vet appointment for Saturday. I told them that I want a full physical and

bloodwork on her. And that she is not tame, and will have to take

precautions when examining her.

Definitely make sure they check her blood pressure. If they don't have a monitor, please find a clinic that does as this is very important to rule in or out, especially in older cats. Dilated pupils could be a sign of retinal detachment, which is a common occurrence in cats with untreated high blood pressure.

On Thursday, October 4, 2012 7:34:08 PM UTC-5, Takayuki wrote:
Having had a chance to observe Spicey for several days has reinforced my

initial impression that Spicey does not look like a normal healthy 9.5 year

old cat. I know for a fact that that is her age, yet she really looks like

she's carrying a lot more wear on her body than that.



What do I see wrong with Spicey? First, her fur is scraggly, almost as

though she's dehydrated, and she's skinny too. Second, she eats and drinks

a ton. Third, her limbs are stiff and weak, almost as though she's

arthritic.



And fifth, and this is something I find maybe the most peculiar and

alarming about her, is that her pupils do not contract. Her pupils are

always wide open. At first, I thought it was because she was scared being

in a new environment, but in all this time, I've never seen her pupils even

quiver. They're always huge and round. I've turned off the lights, turned

them on, redirected her gaze so that she was staring at the lights, and she

pupils still don't contract.



Is it thyroid? Diabetes? Parasites? Kidneys? I have no idea, but Spicey has

a vet appointment for Saturday. I told them that I want a full physical and

bloodwork on her. And that she is not tame, and will have to take

precautions when examining her.

Definitely make sure they check her blood pressure. If they don't have a monitor, please find a clinic that does as this is very important to rule in or out, especially in older cats. Dilated pupils could be a sign of retinal detachment, which is a common occurrence in cats with untreated high blood pressure. Also, please don't feed her dry food.It is not a good diet for any cat, especially for an older cat with a bad coat and health issues AND it will keep her in a state of chronic dehydration. If you haven't read these articles, please do. Spicey's best chance at recovering her health requires she be fed a species appropriate diet and dry food does not fall within those parameters.

http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutritio...cats-and-dogs/
http://www.catinfo.org
http://www.catnutrition.org/diabetes.html
http://catnutrition.org