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Post by tonib on Nov 1, 2021 10:38:16 GMT
Osiris has been suffering with matted fur this autumn. I think mainly because his last blood tests showed slightly elevated results in the kidney disease area which was put down to long term use of Metacam ( a known risk) for his arthritis. As a result the Metacam was stopped which only left him with a supplement for it. I suspected that his arthritis is the reason for the tats as he won't be comfortable getting to certain area to groom himself especially as he has been out quite a bit. He's had them previous years but this time they were bad & as usual he wasn't co-operative when I tried to get them out. Last Monday I took him to the vets to discuss the way forward & we decided on re testing his blood to see how the kidney function was going now the Metacam had been out of his system for quite a while. While he is sedated to take the blood (otherwise is a wild cat!) they are going to clip his claws (for both their & my safety!  ) & try to remove as many matts as they can. Some are close to the skin so they may just cut part of them out which will make it easier for me to groom them out subsequently Once the vet sees the blood results we'll be looking for a way forward for his arthritis. It maybe back on the Metacam, accepting the risk to his kidney, or steroid injections. He is a nightmare to pill! If it can be hidden in food I can manage for a short while but daily tablets for the rest of his life (hopefully a long one) is a no-no, as once he's found a tablet I have find something else to hide it in. He doesn't like cat treats so I've used cream cheese inside ham/beef etc. when he's had antibiotics in the past but now the vets give him long lasting antibiotic injections instead. At least with Metacam I could put that on some chicken & he'd eat it. |
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Post by lotsofcats on Nov 1, 2021 11:40:46 GMT
It is so much easier when the vet will give a long lasting antibiotic injection. I give Kiba-Khan his heart tablet in a piece of chicken and sometimes he will eat it and other times, no way. I hope the vet does steroid injections for Osiris' arthritis. Kiba-Khan also had very bad matts this winter. He had some whoppers and I've just got rid of the last of them. Like you say, they are so close to the skin. I just had to wait until they loosened a bit and gradually snipped at them when he let me.
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Post by molly9 on Nov 1, 2021 20:38:41 GMT
Bella was a nightmare until I found those Webbox yoghurt treats I could basically put anything in with them and she wouldn’t bat an eyelid xx
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Post by lotsofcats on Nov 2, 2021 9:33:44 GMT
Bella was a nightmare until I found those Webbox yoghurt treats I could basically put anything in with them and she wouldn’t bat an eyelid xx I've never tried using those for hiding tablets in. I shall certainly give it a try as all of my cats love the Webbox treats. |
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Post by tonib on Nov 2, 2021 10:56:15 GMT
Got a phone call from the vet around 2pm everything had gone OK, his blood results weren't too bad & they had clipped his claws & managed to get most of the tats out. After discussion we decided to try the steroid injection & review in a month as to whether to continue with it. If we do Osiris won't appreciate monthly vet visits! Due to consults starting at 4pm I was asked to pick him up by then.
He came home smelling of cat pee - he'd wet himself in the carrier, not surprising considering, but all clean now. Still got a a few small tats in his curly stomach fur but they are nowhere as bad as the others. He wanted out but due to the sedation he had to be kept in. He had some chicken (home cooked & Applaws) & once he was no longer showing any signs of the sedation I let him out. Must have needed to go as regardless of the heavy rain he went straight out & he he really doesn't like the rain!
Got a surprise when they gave me the bill, despite the added injection it was less than the quotation they gave me! I always ask for a copy of the blood test results & will compare these with his previous ones. Still got to read that. The vet did comment that this glucose was elevated but that could well be down to the stress of the vets. I'll have to see how it compares. He's not showing any signs of diabetes but .... I also ask for the vet's notes along with the charges so that I have something to remind me what was said & also what future charges maybe.
He's been quite plaintive & wanting reassurance overnight & today & is looking rather unkept due to the missing fur (not bald just the undercoat showing in places.
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Post by tonib on Nov 2, 2021 11:34:58 GMT
Glad you were able to get Kiba-Khan's matts out, Osiris just wouldn't let me handle them at all, although he'd let me brush over the area but that didn't do anything bar getting some loose hair. His just weren't loosening at all..
What heart meds is Kiba-Khan on? Roman's on Benefortin (flavoured benazepril - an ACE inhibitor) & Clopidogrel (prevents blood clots). The clopidogrel I have to quarter & so it loses a lot of its coating & is the one Roman's least likely to take voluntarily but usually does take it. Not surprising as:- I put the Benefortin & the 1/4 tablet on the palm of my hand with 2 Carnilove treats & he wolfs them down.
I use gel caps for Lexie's powder supplement & add her worming tablet in when necessary, she takes one gel cap reasonably each day. However Osiris won't touch any form/brand of cat treat hard/soft or liquid, same as he won't go near kibble of any variety. So meat/fish are the only things to hide them in as I don't hide them in his actual cat food as he's a fussy eater & finding a tablet would immediately go off eating that. He gets spot-on flea & worm treatments whilst the other 2 get spot-on flea but tablet wormers.
I will look at the yogurt Webbox for Lexie though as she loves her dairy!
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Post by lotsofcats on Nov 2, 2021 13:54:39 GMT
Kiba-Khan is prescribed Frusemide tablets. Originally the vet was concerned because Kiba-Khan was coughing most days. The vet said the tablets will make him wee more. It has taken me about 6 months to finally get all of Kiba-Khan's matts out and some of them were massive. He has spent months with loads of them stuck underneath his legs and tummy. He is a very tolerant cat and has forgiven me for taking him to the vet yesterday and leaving him stuck in his carrier for over an hour and a half before he got to see the vet.
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Post by spider on Nov 9, 2021 0:10:31 GMT
Would there be any herbal treatment for arthritis I must ask next time I'm.in our vets just to see what he suggests
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Post by lotsofcats on Nov 15, 2021 9:16:09 GMT
How is Osiris tonib? And Roman and Lexie? |
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) & try to remove as many matts as they can. Some are close to the skin so they may just cut part of them out which will make it easier for me to groom them out subsequently
