Cat sick

[yssie]

@OboeGal Our vet has told us exactly the same thing!

We had the opposite problem when we switched ours a couple years ago - they ballooned on their new all-wet diet. I'm talking a half pound a week gains across the board, in fully-grown cats The SureFeed microchip feeders have been sanity-saving! And an added perk - since the bowls are covered the wet food actually stays wet for a full work day.

Ours do the pork & puke too. I love that term. Our vet calls it the scarf & barf, which is also accurate. Always on the rugs. Sometimes on computer/phone cords on the rugs.

 

[HollyJane]

I agree - it has started to feel inevitable. We've lost one kitty to it, and we've had other kitties (and one dog) with it, although it was still in the manageable stages at the point where we lost them to other things.

I've read that some veterinary researchers believe this is a combination of the fact that kidneys are the "weak link" organ, along with thyroid, for kitties - like hearts and cardiovascular disease is for humans - plus dry food diets. They say that our domesticated kitties are descended from small wild desert cats which got the overwhelming majority of their fluid intake from the blood and body fluids of their prey, and therefore did not evolve to have a very strong thirst drive and tend to not drink enough water. If they're on a dry food diet, apparently they're chronically dehydrated, which puts additional strain on the kidneys. They advocate an all-wet food diet ideally. This was major news for me, as I'd always fed on all dry diet. Since learning that, I tried to transition them to all wet food, but I got a mixed-to-no-cooperation-whatsover response! Some turned their noses up completely to wet food, no matter what brand I tried; the best I was ever able to manage was some wet, some dry. That's the case with our last remaining kitty - he'll eat one little tray of Sheba per day IF it's not the chicken flavor - if it's turkey or some variation of seafood - and IF I stir it around thoroughly first to make sure that it's as creamy as possible and IF I give it to him at night. He won't touch a pate that isn't super creamy, and if I give him some chunks-in-gravy type, he'll just lick off the gravy and not eat the rest. If I give two Shebas at the proper time in the proper form and of the proper flavor, he might deign to eat some of the second, but not all. But he'll spend all day hoovering up as much kibble as his tummy will hold - and sometimes more, judging by the occasional pork-and-puke scene we come across.

Yes, that's what I read when I researched after a cat I had years ago developed chronic renal failure. I transitioned him to a high quality grain-free canned food diet, though I mostly avoided fish-based meats due to the high phos content. He lived 4 years post CRF diagnosis, most of that time with a good quality of life. When I adopted Holly, I started her on the same dietary regimen.

 

[missy]

@HollyJane, I'm so sorry.

 

[Arcadian]

I'm very sorry for your loss. They are never with us long enough.

 

[chrono]

It is so very clear that you love each other deeply. I am so very sorry about Holly.

 

[diamondringlover]

I am sorry for your loss, we lost our pup to lymphoma last year...

 

[Dandi]

Oh @HollyJane I am so sorry. I came back to this thread to see how your beautiful girl was going, and I'm so heartbroken for you. We lost our wee doggo to lymphosarcoma, it's so sad when they're sick. Losing our furbabies is just too hard.

When you feel up to it, I'd love to know more about her. Considering how loved she is, she must have been a real character!