Underweight

Hello All.

My elderly cat has been on thyroid med for three months (overactive) and
the vet says her level is normal now but she still needs to gain weight.

She is on Walmart brand adult dry food (has never like canned food) and
she loves pork, which surprisingly gives her no problems. Also lots of
Temptations Treats (hairball control, for constipation).

Her old tummy is sensitive and anything too rich makes her vomit.
Sometimes she just vomits her regular food.

She is so skinny and I am desperate.

I realize that I must begin to come to terms with the idea of putting
down a pet for the first time.

Please anyone, I need suggestions for fattening up my poor old kitty!

MB

"Mariann B" wrote in message
...
Hello All.

My elderly cat has been on thyroid med for three months (overactive) and
the vet says her level is normal now but she still needs to gain weight.

She is on Walmart brand adult dry food (has never like canned food) and
she loves pork, which surprisingly gives her no problems. Also lots of
Temptations Treats (hairball control, for constipation).


How old is she and when is the last time you tried QUALITY canned?

She may be dehydrated, which canned food will help ameliorate.

I just do not believe your kitty will not chow down if you go get
a 40-cent can of Fancy Feast. Your mileage may vary, but my
cats really love the Tender Beef Feast (and the first ingredient in
it is BEEF not byproducts) Gourmet Chicken Feast, and Chopped
Grill Feast. All are ground varieties. You will see shiny fur and bright
eyes in your old cat if you will just get her on this stuff. At the
very least get her off of Walmart brand dry.

Mariann B wrote:
Hello All.

My elderly cat has been on thyroid med for three months (overactive) and
the vet says her level is normal now but she still needs to gain weight.

She is on Walmart brand adult dry food (has never like canned food) and
she loves pork, which surprisingly gives her no problems. Also lots of
Temptations Treats (hairball control, for constipation).

Her old tummy is sensitive and anything too rich makes her vomit.
Sometimes she just vomits her regular food.

She is so skinny and I am desperate.

I realize that I must begin to come to terms with the idea of putting
down a pet for the first time.

Please anyone, I need suggestions for fattening up my poor old kitty!

MB

I went through this with my elderly childhood kitty (who died at 19 in
January). She went on meds but was so thin that I let her eat as much
as she wanted to gain weight. Have you tried adding extra treats to her
diet, or baked chicken breast? How about asking your vet for a
calorie-rich food like a/d?

If she's happy and otherwise in no pain, I don't see a need to put her
down yet. She'll tell you when she's ready.

Rene

Yes, how old is your kitty? My cat was 18 when diagnosed with
hypertyhyroid and lived to be 20 years and 3 months. Unfortunately he
never really gained much weight. Even with the meds. I think between
the old age and the disease they just don't put it back on and, in
fact, keep losing. It isn't so much that she is sensitive to rich
foods, I think the vomiting is another part of the disease - so that
doesn't help with wieght loss either. I fed mine Fancy Feast, like
another poster suggested. I haven't met a cat that didn't like some
Fancy Feast flavor! Also give the kitty lots of fresh water. They
drink tons of water with hyperthyroidism.

Mariann B wrote:
Hello All.

My elderly cat has been on thyroid med for three months (overactive) and
the vet says her level is normal now but she still needs to gain weight.

She is on Walmart brand adult dry food (has never like canned food) and
she loves pork, which surprisingly gives her no problems. Also lots of
Temptations Treats (hairball control, for constipation).

Her old tummy is sensitive and anything too rich makes her vomit.
Sometimes she just vomits her regular food.

She is so skinny and I am desperate.

I realize that I must begin to come to terms with the idea of putting
down a pet for the first time.

Please anyone, I need suggestions for fattening up my poor old kitty!

MB

"Mariann B" wrote in message
...
Hello All.

My elderly cat has been on thyroid med for three months (overactive) and
the vet says her level is normal now but she still needs to gain weight.

She is on Walmart brand adult dry food (has never like canned food) and
she loves pork, which surprisingly gives her no problems. Also lots of
Temptations Treats (hairball control, for constipation).

Her old tummy is sensitive and anything too rich makes her vomit.
Sometimes she just vomits her regular food.

She is so skinny and I am desperate.

I realize that I must begin to come to terms with the idea of putting
down a pet for the first time.

Please anyone, I need suggestions for fattening up my poor old kitty!

MB

Hi MB...i have this prob with one of my girls; not thyoid but very picky
eating to the point of starvation. I'm not sure what you can access but if
you can get in touch with a butcher, or even use human grade mince try this
'recipe'. I also use this on my cat who vomits continually if fed dry food.

Mix sufficient mince for a meal (see advice at bottom) with vitamin powder
supplement for pets (available at vets or pet stores) Add 1 tsp of cold
pressed extra virgin olive oil, this is good for both skin and fur, and
helps hairballs pass. Every 2nd or 3rd day (if she is vomitting give her 1/2
every 2nd day) add an egg YOLK (no white) to the mix. This will put weight
on her, and improve health overall.

MINCE: ask your butcher if they have pet mince. Check the mince throughly. A
good pet mince should have some fat, but not feel greasy when you squeeze
it. Bone chips can cause abcesses, so watch for those. If you see red or
green bits, the butcher is adding leftover sausage mince, which will contain
additives that might be harmful. Buy a 1/4 pound first, take it home and
have a good look at it. A pet shop might have pet mince, but it's often
cooked, so check Raw is best as it usually has no additives. Also when you
buy the mince, ask the butcher how they make it. If you don't have time to
muck around, or can't find a good one, use human quality, and see if you can
buy bulk. Also don't feed too much liver as too much vitamin A is poisonous.
Good luck.

"cybercat" wrote in message
...

"Mariann B" wrote in message
...
Hello All.

My elderly cat has been on thyroid med for three months (overactive) and
the vet says her level is normal now but she still needs to gain weight.

She is on Walmart brand adult dry food (has never like canned food) and
she loves pork, which surprisingly gives her no problems. Also lots of
Temptations Treats (hairball control, for constipation).


How old is she and when is the last time you tried QUALITY canned?

She may be dehydrated, which canned food will help ameliorate.

I just do not believe your kitty will not chow down if you go get
a 40-cent can of Fancy Feast. Your mileage may vary, but my
cats really love the Tender Beef Feast (and the first ingredient in
it is BEEF not byproducts) Gourmet Chicken Feast, and Chopped
Grill Feast. All are ground varieties. You will see shiny fur and bright
eyes in your old cat if you will just get her on this stuff. At the
very least get her off of Walmart brand dry.

Damned straight - look at the shiny coat my 16.5yo Bandit! And she is as
feisty as a 2yo when she's not getting her 18 hours a day beauty sleep! ;

http://www.possibleplaces.com/catnip...4/100_0305.jpg

And all four of mine *LOVE* their Fancy Feast - 44 cents a can here in
Houston - Tender Beef Feast, Gourmet Chicken Feast, Liver and Chicken Feast,
and Turkey and Giblets Feast - all with meat as the main ingredient. They
"snack" lightly (about a quarter of a cup per day shared between all four of
them) on their Science Diet Advanced Senior Formula food between meals, but
they all prefer their Fancy Feast fed at 12 hour intervals (1 can each per
day.

Speaking of which, anybody here have the balls to try the new Fancy Feast
"Elegant Medleys" at 84 cents a can? I haven't bought it for the same
reason I've never tried cocaine for myself - they might like it a lot and I
couldn't afford to feed their habit!!! ;

--

Hugs,

CatNipped

See all my masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/

Hi MB,

Sorry to hear about your cat. Please try to get her on high quality food, I
think nutrition is the pillar of health and makes a HUGE difference. This
means a high quality wet/canned food from the pet store. Cats need wet food,
and many vets now will acknowledge this. Many feline nutritionists will also
affirm that the worst quality wet food is better than the best quality dry
food. Walmart brand dry food is not going to do your cat any favors health-
wise.
Because she has been eating dry for so long, it may take a while to get her
used to canned. Try mixing the canned into the dry in increasing ratios,
until she accepts solely canned. I personally like Wellness canned food, but
there are others that are high quality. The higher quality canned food are
more expensive, but will save a tonne on vet bills and worry. It's very
important to kitty that you stop feeding her the Walmart dry.

All the best,
Jan

Mariann B wrote:
Hello All.

My elderly cat has been on thyroid med for three months (overactive) and
the vet says her level is normal now but she still needs to gain weight.

She is on Walmart brand adult dry food (has never like canned food) and
she loves pork, which surprisingly gives her no problems. Also lots of
Temptations Treats (hairball control, for constipation).

Her old tummy is sensitive and anything too rich makes her vomit.
Sometimes she just vomits her regular food.

She is so skinny and I am desperate.

I realize that I must begin to come to terms with the idea of putting
down a pet for the first time.

Please anyone, I need suggestions for fattening up my poor old kitty!

MB

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...ealth/200609/1

Mariann B wrote:
Hello All.

My elderly cat has been on thyroid med for three months (overactive) and
the vet says her level is normal now but she still needs to gain weight.

She is on Walmart brand adult dry food (has never like canned food) and
she loves pork, which surprisingly gives her no problems. Also lots of
Temptations Treats (hairball control, for constipation).

Her old tummy is sensitive and anything too rich makes her vomit.
Sometimes she just vomits her regular food.

She is so skinny and I am desperate.

I realize that I must begin to come to terms with the idea of putting
down a pet for the first time.

Please anyone, I need suggestions for fattening up my poor old kitty!

MB

Hello Mariann. I also have a cat with hyperthyroidism. His name is
Ramses and he is 12 years old. Ramses has a lot of good days, and some
bad. He is not on medication yet.

I did use the Felaxin (SCHERING CANADA INC.), but it is currently
unavailable at any vet or pet store here in Edmonton. A Schering
representative told me that it has been on back order for a few months,
and the company has been looking for a new production facility location
(don't know why), so it could be a while before Felaxin is back on the
market, but it will eventually return. Anyway, I found the Felaxin
helped Ramses to feel better.

I have also noticed that when the weather gets cold and Ramses is not
keen to venture outside, he starts to get a bit worse. It is now that
he starts to throw up a bit more, have loose stools and is less active.
He likes to eat oat (crab) grass in the lawn (I do not use any
fertilizers or chemicals) when he is outside. Why he is a regular
omnivore! I also grow my own fresh catmint plant (technically catnip
is dried catmint), both cats love it and not only do I know that it
and the grass makes Ramses feel better but catmint is recommended for
both cats and people to aid in the digestive process (which is
compromised by a thyroid condition). I just brought my catmint plant
(in a hanging pot) in for the winter and put it by a south-facing
window. It has to be kept in a room with a closed door of course!
Next, I must grab a medium pot, insert a clump of oat grass with some
fresh potting soil and a few seeds (available at seed suppliers and pet
stores) and both cats will have greenery to munch on this winter.
Heck, the dog likes it too! If you want to do this, I recommend a seed
package that specifically calls itself "Cat Grass", which is
essentially unprocessed oat seeds.

This is my first time ever participating in an online forum like this,
and I hope my information will help some cat lovers out there, and
especially your cat Mariann.

Two Kitties in Edmonton, Alberta

"Two Kitties" wrote
Hello Mariann. I also have a cat with hyperthyroidism. His name is
Ramses and he is 12 years old. Ramses has a lot of good days, and some
bad. He is not on medication yet.

I did use the Felaxin (SCHERING CANADA INC.), but it is currently
unavailable at any vet or pet store here in Edmonton. A Schering
representative told me that it has been on back order for a few months,
and the company has been looking for a new production facility location
(don't know why), so it could be a while before Felaxin is back on the
market, but it will eventually return. Anyway, I found the Felaxin
helped Ramses to feel better.



This is really crazy. Do you understand that your cat could have a stroke
if you leave him unmedicated??

Tapazole, or generic forms of it, are certainly available to you.

Please don't leave your cat untreated, this disease can be deadly.



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

cybercat wrote:
"Two Kitties" wrote
Hello Mariann. I also have a cat with hyperthyroidism. His name is
Ramses and he is 12 years old. Ramses has a lot of good days, and some
bad. He is not on medication yet.

I did use the Felaxin (SCHERING CANADA INC.), but it is currently
unavailable at any vet or pet store here in Edmonton. A Schering
representative told me that it has been on back order for a few months,
and the company has been looking for a new production facility location
(don't know why), so it could be a while before Felaxin is back on the
market, but it will eventually return. Anyway, I found the Felaxin
helped Ramses to feel better.



This is really crazy. Do you understand that your cat could have a stroke
if you leave him unmedicated??

Tapazole, or generic forms of it, are certainly available to you.

Please don't leave your cat untreated, this disease can be deadly.

Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com



Thank you for your concern dear, but I have consulted a vet, and Ramses
goes in for regular check-ups. The vet did say that he is not that bad
(according to the recent blood test), and he is still healthy enough
that I don't have to consider medication yet, but it will inevitably
progress and that is why I do take him in for regular check-ups. Just
like in humans, different individuals can be effected differently by
the same condition/disease. However, at our next appointmentI will
certainly ask my vet about the risk of stroke.