My feline diagnostic abilities are lacking

[carbonel]

My theory for why Pyewacket was losing weight was that she was having dental problems, and it hurt for her to eat. This theory was bolstered by the fact that when I bought her some canned food, she snarfed it down (and promptly barfed it up, alas).

But when I took her to Dr. McMenomy, he said her teeth showed some plaque, but no real problems. His theory was hyperthyroidism, and he drew blood to check on that. Last night he called me with the results, and indeed she's hyperthyroid. So in fact she's been eating normally and I just haven't caught her at it -- which in fact makes sense, since (TMI alert) she's been pooping normal amounts.

My options are to create a radioactive cat (which would mean 10 days at the vet, then more time in durance vile, and a cost of $800), or to give her a daily pill. Given that she's going on 17 years old, a daily pill seemed much simpler all around.

That's the theory, at least. I've given cats antibiotics before, but never had to pill a cat.

Gandalf, on the other hand, appears to be perfectly healthy according to his bloodwork and checkup.

Comments

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

I've had success feeding pills to cats by crushing the pill and mixing it in with a little turkey babyfood; the cats lapped that up.

radioactive cats

[(Anonymous)]

My cat was about 13 when she was diagnosed. Due to her age we decided to do the pills. We ground it up very fine and mixed it into her wet food. Snarf. Unfortunately she was part of the small percentage that was allergic to the drug. She did the radioactive isotope just fine and is now 21.

[pameladean]

Minou was hyperthyroid. We put his Tapazole, crushed to a powder, in a dab -- a dab, so as to minimize the barfing-up part of things -- of wet food and he snarfed it down.

The pills aren't very big, either, so she might just let you pill her.

P.

[joelrosenberg.livejournal.com]

I'm about as good at pilling cats as the Samuel L. Jackson character in Pulp Fiction said he was at foot massage; help available, if needed.