There’s a book called “The Natural Cat” and the author’s name is Anitra Frazier - there’s lots of information about taking care of sick cats, and a very excellent chapter on giving pills to cats. Head over to your local library or Amazon and check it out.
My Fuzzy is quite the character (the vets and groomers in my area simply won’t deal with him - he was labeled “vicious” and he’s been blackballed) but I am able to give him pills using the method that Frazier described in this book. She does a much better job of detailing it, but it involves holding the cat’s head in a no-bite position and shoving the pill past the gag reflex and then stroking the throat to make it go down.
I can give Fuzzy a pill while he’s getting his head scritched, and he really doesn’t mind. I’ve never been bitten or scratched doing it, either. Check out that book, if you’re going to be doing a lot of pills with your cat. (Who’s very adorable, by the way!)
Thanks. I got his test results today. His thyroid levels were high so we have to increase his meds. I’m looking forward to seeing him gain weight. I hope you get the test results back soon and it turns out to be something easy to fix.
Sarabellum1976, thank you…I will have to check that out. Sounds like our kittehs have the same temperment with vets/groomers for certain.
Still no results. It has been days and I am $300 lighter and getting very impatient. Plus, when I went home for lunch today Ralph had barfed 4 times. I feel so bad for him, but he seems okay other than the obvious. I just want a diagnosis and some medicine and a fatter non puking kitty
I just had to come back and point out how I have to giggle a little bit every time I read about a kitty named “Ralph” who keeps puking. Poor Ralph. :: dissolves into giggles again ::
However, the vet just called and said his throid is normal. She said it is high normal, but still normal. She is going to give me something called Citrene (sp) I think it is just a refill of the anti neausa pills he has been taking since I ran out, and something for hairballs.
I am happy he does not need thyroid meds, but he is still very skinny! He is eating, in fact demanding food in ways he never has, so I guess that is kind of good, but if he does not gain some weight back I am going to be very worried.
He still seems happy and not in pain, and assuming he does not poop on the carpet anymore, I can cope with the barf better.
I was just sure it was his thyroid since he matches the symptoms so perfectly.
It’s also possible that it’s just early. Mr. Got Milk had the same thing. He went through this thyroid attack and his labs came back high normal as well. Fed him a lot of tuna and chicken (well, he gets a lot of that either way) and eventually, had another problem. The next time, the labs came back way high, so he went on the meds.
So. Let me give you this little tip. Hyperthyroidism with cats seems to act up in a cycle. I don’t know what all triggers the problems, but my kitty will go through these phases where he’s really lethargic or acts like he’s starving. I get him in to check his T4 again and we adjust his meds. So it’s like an autoimmune disease, kind of: it sort of comes and goes and is manageable, but it can be a little tricky to diagnose and manage. Just keep an eye on him, spoil his furry butt rotten(er), and keep those thyroid symptoms in mind. I’m sure if the vet suspected diabetes, he or she would have checked for that, but it wouldn’t hurt to call the vet’s office and ask if they’ve ruled it out or have any other ideas about what the cause of the symptoms might be if it isn’t hyperthyroidism. I suspect they haven’t really ruled it out, it’s just not advanced enough yet to require medicating. Yet.
IANA vet, of course. Just relaying my experience with my guy, who is Chris Farley in a cat suit.
