Am I overreacting?

Margot Lane

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I always feel personally uneasy about tuna flakes, maybe b/c w/ zorro the “output” has always been runny. Lots of good advice here already to work through though so I’d gnaw on that. Good luck.
 
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Twylasmom

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I'm not sure about the gabapentin,...and how it affects appetite.
It does cause drowsiness, so perhaps if could affect a cat's wanting to eat, if too sleepy.🤔

Is Twyla taking the gabapentin for pain in her kidney, still ?
I wonder if because her one kidney has to work harder, to filter more regular toxins, then she feels slightly more ill, on certain days? :greenpaw:

When you use the inhaler, is it a steroid that increases her appetite?

How were Twyla's other blood work results?
Does she have good Teeth?

I would try the Fortiflora first.
(It's just more for the 'animal digest', than the probiotic effects.)

***Have you tried any of the ideas in this thread:
Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

Another thing to pay attention to..if it is 'shedding season'... and if Twyla ingests a lot of fur.
A number of recent threads, have cats who will not eat as much, when they have ingested too much fur.
Then they vomit a hairball, and resume eating like normal, the second day.

If your Twyla is losing weight, and it's not a seasonal thing, (like from winter to spring, weather-related),...or if you find it very unusual, and if she is losing a lot of weight,...then I would talk to the Vet, about other things you can try to stimulate her appetite.

There is a newish drug called Elura for cats, and of course the mirtazapine...(some side-effects on the mirtazapine were pretty strong for my 7 year old cat, so I would try everything else first, and then try out the drugs).

But only you can see how much Twyla is eating,...and if your gut feeling is that 'something is off'...then go with your instincts, and talk to your Vet. :bluepaw:

When our cats become seniors, then things seem to move so quickly with their health,..so being attentive,...like you are doing is really good. :)
Thanks! Some good thoughts!

Answers in order:
She is still taking the gabapentin for pain (the kidney and also hoping it might help her arthritis a bit). I am trying only giving her a dose once a day in the evening instead of twice as I’m not sure if it is a help or not and because It isn’t necessarily great for cats with CKD. So far today she has had a little dry and ate half a can of wet this morning over the course of a few hours and has been more playful and alert today so we will see how dinner and bedtime meal goes. The goal is about 150 calories of wet and 50 of dry a day. Will keep the gabapentin at night for now, as it definitely allows her to sleep more soundly -which benefits us both!

Inhaler is Flovent so a steroid, though I don’t know how much the inhaled steroid affects her appetite. She was off and on with oral prenisolone for a couple of years and that definitely revved up her appetite.

Her teeth seemed fine at last exam, but definitely something to check at her next visit in June (or sooner if eating continues to be an issue).

Her bloodwork from her last visit (about six weeks ago) was all in the normal range though her thyroid was in the upper range of normal (not a surprise as one of her thyroid glands has been slowly getting bigger) and kidney values were slightly elevated as was her ALT. The SDMA number was quite high but didn’t really align with her other numbers.
SDMA 26, CREA 1.8, BUN 37, BUN/CREA 21, PHOS 4.7
ALT 141

I will order some Fortiflora to have on hand if needed. I think part of the problem is I was experimenting too much and doing too much to encourage her to eat which may have been stressing her out and making her anxious. So I am backing off on that to a degree and will reintroduce the newer foods more slowly.

Also, she just loves Hooper’s non-prescription dry food and will beg for that even though she shouldn’t have it. That was all she would eat yesterday. Good news is no obvious signs of nausea and she maybe regurgitates or vomits at most once every three weeks or so (and nothing recently) but it is possible she is working on a hair ball. If I needed I’m pretty sure my vet would give me an appetite stimulant without a vet visit so that is always an option for the future.

Watching them get older and develop chronic conditions is never easy!
 
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Twylasmom

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Twyla has been taking gabapentin just at night for the past three days now and her appetite is fully back to normal. She has also been back on Fancy Feast pate (salmon and shrimp flavor which is the lowest phos of the pates) only during those three days. I haven’t noticed any increase in pain or discomfort and she has definitely been more alert and active on the reduced dose.

Starting today I’m going to try and reintroduce some lower phosphorus foods for just one meal a day and see how she does. Wish me luck!
 

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Twyla has been taking gabapentin just at night for the past three days now and her appetite is fully back to normal. She has also been back on Fancy Feast pate (salmon and shrimp flavor which is the lowest phos of the pates) only during those three days. I haven’t noticed any increase in pain or discomfort and she has definitely been more alert and active on the reduced dose.

Starting today I’m going to try and reintroduce some lower phosphorus foods for just one meal a day and see how she does. Wish me luck!
Oh, this is such good news.
What a relief that your Twyla's appetite is fully back to normal.:)

I was trying to think of ways that you can transition to new foods. 🤔

**I remember reading of someone...who either slowly placed only one teaspoon at a time...in their cat's food bowl...
Or...else they....made a 'circle of the new food'...around the old food.
Either creating a 'ring around the old food'...or perhaps the 'ring was the old food, with the new food in the middle'.
(I just cannot remember exactly.)

Also, to avoid 'food aversion'...and always have a 'go to food' that you know your cat will eat'...then I'm not quite sure, how to do this 'slowly introducing new foods'...for the cat to attempt to eat.
Right plate, right height, right temperature, Smell, texture,...all these play a part.

How are you going to do it?
Do you have any Strategies to get a cat to eat new food?


(with my previous ckd cat, I had the hardest time, finding a food he would like, because he was losing so much weight, on the hills k/d.
This was in the last six months of his life, though, where I noticed the rapid weight loss.
I had tried the royal canin, too, previously, and all the flavours the vet had in both hills and royal canin.)
(my only regret now would be, that I didn't ask for a phosphorus binder sooner, or an appetite stimulant, to see if that would have helped with the transitioning to new foods.)

***@Twylasmom ...I actually think it would be good if you can ask your Vet for that appetite stimulant...just to have on hand,..and just to see if the lowest possible dose, would encourage your Twyla to eat a new food.
Only if you need it, though.

**First, I would first try all the 'non med' ways...and see if they work...since you only really want to rely on meds...if nothing that you try is actually working.

It's a hard call...because naturally our cats are very reluctant to try new flavours, textures, and wet food brands,...if it Smells, tastes, or feels... weird and strange to them. (that must be a survival instinct, too. Not to eat strange things.)
(ugghh...I wish they would come up with a 'spray on' or 'sprinkle on'...animal digest flavour...that Smells so irresistible to our cats...but then the food would also have to sit well with them...to encourage them to eat more of it....and be a healthy food, too.)

****Could you maybe 'grind up Hooper's dry food'...and use that as a topper?
Sprinkle a bit, of his dry food, onto Twyla's wet food.
(I don't know the phosphorus levels in Hooper's food, but if you are only...using a small amount...just for the transitioning to new foods..then perhaps it would not be too detrimental.)

Wishing you loads of Luck. :clover:
I think part of the problem is I was experimenting too much and doing too much to encourage her to eat which may have been stressing her out and making her anxious. So I am backing off on that to a degree and will reintroduce the newer foods more slowly.
Also, she just loves Hooper’s non-prescription dry food and will beg for that even though she shouldn’t have it. That was all she would eat yesterday. Good news is no obvious signs of nausea and she maybe regurgitates or vomits at most once every three weeks or so (and nothing recently) but it is possible she is working on a hair ball. If I needed I’m pretty sure my vet would give me an appetite stimulant without a vet visit so that is always an option for the future.
Watching them get older and develop chronic conditions is never easy!
You're so right,..it sure is tough,...watching our beloved animal companions getting older, and developing chronic conditions.
Somehow, I feel that it seems that it really sneaks up on us, and that when they are older, Time moves way too fast.
Maybe it's because we are older, too, though. idk. (I don't remember Time moving so quickly, when I was younger, but then again, it must be that throughout different periods of our lives,...we just focused on different things.)

The good thing of catching a chronic illness with our cats, sooner,...is the fact that we can try to slow it down...(with ckd, that is).
The not so good thing is...that it is here in the present time,...to begin with. :catlove::bigeyes::tabbycat:
 

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For the past few days Twyla (age 14ish) has been picky about her food, only eating a little bit or just walking away altogether. When she eats dry (only given in small amounts) she has regurgitated it a couple of times. Upon weighing she has lost about 4-6 ounces since her routine check up a month ago. She has also urinated twice outside the litter box in the past 10 days (which she has never done). I went ahead and scheduled a vet visit for Thursday to get a full blood panel done as she also had a high SDMA at her last visit.

Of course tonight she polished off her dinner and is currently chasing her brother around the house! She doesn’t seem to be in any discomfort and was stretched out napping belly up on my lap earlier.

Would you still keep the appointment? My inclination is yes (even though she is very uncooperative when it comes to blood draws).
Definetly keep the appointment. Hopefully her vet can determine the whys to everything. Just prayed her vet has all the answers 🙂
 
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Twylasmom

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Update on Twyla. I finally found a lower phosphorus food that she likes! She is nuts for the FF Wild Salmon Primavera, to the point that I have to mix it with anything else I give her! It is fewer calories per can than what she had been eating, so I am mixing it with a higher calorie pate in an effort to keep her weight stable. She needs about 200 calories a day, though a lot of days I don’t think she is eating quite that much. She is eating 2 cans of the Primavera, 1/2 can of pate and a tablespoon or two of dry food a day. Her appetite is mostly good, litter box habits are stable, and no vomiting except for a couple of hair balls. She is her regular social, loving and playful self.
Those are the positives. The negative is that she has lost another ounce or two since her vet visit in March and the muscle wasting on her back end has grown more noticeable, particularly when she is standing up. It’s possible the wasting is happening in other areas, but that is where It is most prominent. She is borderline hyperthyroid, could that be a contributing factor? I am expecting that she will probably have to start thyroid meds after her next vet visit at the end of June.


I have kept her at the single dose of gabapentin and that has been working fine. She has also not had a single asthma episode since starting on her inhaler in November. She is good about taking both, thank goodness!
 

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Update on Twyla. I finally found a lower phosphorus food that she likes! She is nuts for the FF Wild Salmon Primavera, to the point that I have to mix it with anything else I give her! It is fewer calories per can than what she had been eating, so I am mixing it with a higher calorie pate in an effort to keep her weight stable. She needs about 200 calories a day, though a lot of days I don’t think she is eating quite that much. She is eating 2 cans of the Primavera, 1/2 can of pate and a tablespoon or two of dry food a day. Her appetite is mostly good, litter box habits are stable, and no vomiting except for a couple of hair balls. She is her regular social, loving and playful self.
Those are the positives.
I have kept her at the single dose of gabapentin and that has been working fine. She has also not had a single asthma episode since starting on her inhaler in November. She is good about taking both, thank goodness!
Yay!! Good update!
Way to go Twyla..:thumbsup:.:tabbycat:and Twylasmom Twylasmom :jive:
The negative is that she has lost another ounce or two since her vet visit in March and the muscle wasting on her back end has grown more noticeable, particularly when she is standing up. It’s possible the wasting is happening in other areas, but that is where It is most prominent. She is borderline hyperthyroid, could that be a contributing factor? I am expecting that she will probably have to start thyroid meds after her next vet visit at the end of June.
The muscle wasting is always worrisome in elderly cats. 🤔

Actually the member to best answer your "borderline hyperthyroid" question...and "can it be a contributing factor?" is FeebysOwner FeebysOwner
If you can look up some of their threads...and especially the ones pertaining to hyperthyroid, then you'll learn more about it. :bluepaw:

I know I was reading a thread, and FeebysOwner FeebysOwner answered a question (actually was answering all the questions for a senior cat).. about the medication that is given, and also that the starting dosages, that the Vet recommended was too high.
(so knowledgeable and so helpful to be given first hand experience, in order to be able to ask your own Vet about possible treatment strategies.)

I have no experience with hyperthyroidism in cats...but I would guess that it could be a contributing factor to muscle wasting.
I would think that the cat would be extremely hungry, too.
(but not sure of the possible symptoms... if it's borderline.)

I wonder if the muscle wasting also has to do with how the cat's body, is absorbing nutrients, and proteins, potassium, magnesium, and if any 'healthy cat supplements' could be given. 🤔 :greenpaw:

(I know it really bothered me, when I saw this in my own previous cat, but because he was on the Hill's K/D prescription diet,..somehow I erroneously attributed it to that...and that he was getting older. In hindsight, I should have been more proactive with my Vet.)

Hopefully, now that you have found a food that Twyla likes, then you can also try giving it with other 'higher calorie, but lower phosphorus wet foods', too.) Like you are already doing, but also increasing her calorie consumption, to make up for the days when she does have a hairball vomit.

What is Twyla's ideal weight?
Because somehow...I think the goal of 200 calories/day...might be a tad too small. :dunno:
 

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I can't give you a definitive answer on the muscle wasting. However, I have a hyperthyroid cat and before we had an official diagnosis for her, I observed that she seemed to have lost most of her weight in her midsection and back end, and as you've noticed with Twyla, it was more pronounced when she was walking / standing. Though everything else was fine, but hyperthyroid cats can often eat like horses, yet still lose weight.

She's a lean girl, but has gained the weight back since we started her transdermal meds and is doing great. Hopefully you can get in a good routine with Twyla.

If she loses any more weight, I'd strongly consider moving up her vet appointment, just so the vet can get her started on HT meds.
 
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Twylasmom

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Yay!! Good update!
Way to go Twyla..:thumbsup:.:tabbycat:and Twylasmom Twylasmom :jive:

The muscle wasting is always worrisome in elderly cats. 🤔

Actually the member to best answer your "borderline hyperthyroid" question...and "can it be a contributing factor?" is FeebysOwner FeebysOwner
If you can look up some of their threads...and especially the ones pertaining to hyperthyroid, then you'll learn more about it. :bluepaw:

I know I was reading a thread, and FeebysOwner FeebysOwner answered a question (actually was answering all the questions for a senior cat).. about the medication that is given, and also that the starting dosages, that the Vet recommended was too high.
(so knowledgeable and so helpful to be given first hand experience, in order to be able to ask your own Vet about possible treatment strategies.)

I have no experience with hyperthyroidism in cats...but I would guess that it could be a contributing factor to muscle wasting.
I would think that the cat would be extremely hungry, too.
(but not sure of the possible symptoms... if it's borderline.)

I wonder if the muscle wasting also has to do with how the cat's body, is absorbing nutrients, and proteins, potassium, magnesium, and if any 'healthy cat supplements' could be given. 🤔 :greenpaw:

(I know it really bothered me, when I saw this in my own previous cat, but because he was on the Hill's K/D prescription diet,..somehow I erroneously attributed it to that...and that he was getting older. In hindsight, I should have been more proactive with my Vet.)

Hopefully, now that you have found a food that Twyla likes, then you can also try giving it with other 'higher calorie, but lower phosphorus wet foods', too.) Like you are already doing, but also increasing her calorie consumption, to make up for the days when she does have a hairball vomit.

What is Twyla's ideal weight?
Because somehow...I think the goal of 200 calories/day...might be a tad too small. :dunno:
Twyla weighed over 14 pounds in October with an 8/9 body score (obese and pre diabetic) so she was put on a 200-220 calorie a day diet. Fast forward six months to her next checkup and she had lost two pounds with a 6/9 body score. She was fussy at that visit and we didn’t get a full blood panel. I took her back a couple of weeks (the visit that started this thread) after that and she had lost a couple more ounces. She is at a healthy weight right now (11.6 pounds) but does not need to lose any more. I could go up to 220 calories a day, but am not sure she would eat the quantity of food required to hit that goal since I am having trouble getting her to eat 200. Any more calorie dense food she either doesn’t like or is way too high in phosphorus. So a bit of a struggle.

I had a hyper-t cat prior to Twyla so I have a good understanding of that and do think it could contribute to the wasting, but she was not diagnosed as hyperthyroid as of six weeks ago. I hadn’t thought about absorbing nutrients. I know nothing about supplements for cats and would welcome anyone’s suggestions or thoughts.

I am weighing about once a week so I can track if she is fluctuating or on a steady decline. She doesn’t like the scale so it is difficult to get an accurate reading. If the weight continues to decline I will try and move up her appointment.
 

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Twyla weighed over 14 pounds in October with an 8/9 body score (obese and pre diabetic) so she was put on a 200-220 calorie a day diet. Fast forward six months to her next checkup and she had lost two pounds with a 6/9 body score. She was fussy at that visit and we didn’t get a full blood panel. I took her back a couple of weeks (the visit that started this thread) after that and she had lost a couple more ounces. She is at a healthy weight right now (11.6 pounds) but does not need to lose any more. I could go up to 220 calories a day, but am not sure she would eat the quantity of food required to hit that goal since I am having trouble getting her to eat 200. Any more calorie dense food she either doesn’t like or is way too high in phosphorus. So a bit of a struggle.
(I do understand. I remember it was extremely difficult to hit the 200 cals/day, for my previous ckd/hcm cat, as well,...with being mindful of phosphorus, salt, and trying to get him to actually like eating the food, to get the actual calories.)

Twyla's weight sounds good, and it also has to do with not only her 'body condition score'...but like you mentioned 'her cat muscle condition score', too.
A Quick and Easy Way to Determine Your Cat's Body Condition Score - The Conscious Cat

This article I find a bit more useful, because it links to another article, with a video, which is a bit dated, and really, "why do they start with a cat exam, and then switch to dogs, lol."..."come on video people, stick with one animal, not to confuse me."
You Should Check Not Just Weight But Also Muscle Mass - Tufts Catnip

These are two cat calorie calculators I've used, but they don't actually take into consideration the activity levels of cats, and how much play and exercise they get,...so I would just use them as a general idea, and ask the Vet to be sure.
Calorie Requirement Calculator
CALORIE CALCULATOR FOR CATS

Besides, don't get too hung up, on reaching the calorie goals, daily,...but it's good that you have a certain number in mind, so then you can tell if your Twyla's eating habits change.
Not to mention, that you are weighing her, too, which is good.

The main thing is that your Twyla eats, and is enjoying her days, plus she sounds very active, still. :catrub:
I guess she has to be, to chase her brother around. He probably keeps her in better shape, too. :blackcat:
I had a hyper-t cat prior to Twyla so I have a good understanding of that and do think it could contribute to the wasting, but she was not diagnosed as hyperthyroid as of six weeks ago. I hadn’t thought about absorbing nutrients. I know nothing about supplements for cats and would welcome anyone’s suggestions or thoughts.
I'm not very experienced when it comes to supplements, either,...only what I have read, here, in the threads, mostly.

From Tanya's site, this section is very useful:
Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Nutritional Requirements
It talks about..."prebiotics, antioxidants and essential fatty acids"...which have links, too.
I am weighing about once a week so I can track if she is fluctuating or on a steady decline. She doesn’t like the scale so it is difficult to get an accurate reading. If the weight continues to decline I will try and move up her appointment.
Sounds like a good plan. :goodluck:
 
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Twylasmom

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Things are going pretty well here. Twyla has been eating well and is getting approximately 200-220 calories a day. What has worked is going from three meals a day up to six. She is a grazer and likes smaller meals (about 1.5 oz per meal). When fed this amount she cleans her plate most of the time. Lucky for her I am on summer break and am available to cater to her demanding schedule! Since my goal right now is lower phosphorus (not lowest) and maintaining weight she gets one can of pate and two cans of the primavera per day, plus a couple of treats. She has mostly lost interest in dry food (unless she thinks she is getting away with eating it). I’m wondering if that’s because it doesn’t have as strong of a smell as the wet food. She is not vomiting at all and litter box habits are good. She does pee more than Hooper, but I haven’t noticed a marked increase in output and she is on a high moisture diet.
 

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Things are going pretty well here. Twyla has been eating well and is getting approximately 200-220 calories a day. What has worked is going from three meals a day up to six. She is a grazer and likes smaller meals (about 1.5 oz per meal). When fed this amount she cleans her plate most of the time. Lucky for her I am on summer break and am available to cater to her demanding schedule! Since my goal right now is lower phosphorus (not lowest) and maintaining weight she gets one can of pate and two cans of the primavera per day, plus a couple of treats. She has mostly lost interest in dry food (unless she thinks she is getting away with eating it). I’m wondering if that’s because it doesn’t have as strong of a smell as the wet food. She is not vomiting at all and litter box habits are good. She does pee more than Hooper, but I haven’t noticed a marked increase in output and she is on a high moisture diet.
This is a great update. :)
So glad that you found that feeding her less portions...but more times per day...is working. :thumbsup:
Also, that the primavera plus the pate cans...are what Twyla likes.

I think we all need a few more Twyla and Hooper photos,...when you have the time. :greenpaw:
Never can have enough of those. :blush:

Hopefully, you may be able to find even more different foods, for her, and that she will eat. :crossfingers:
I just don't know how best to transition our cats,...to ensure they still eat the better new food, but also maintain the older ones, for back-up.

(It's like our cats sometimes, taste a new food, and like it, and then will not go back to a previous food.)
(Or else they sniff a new food, have a few licks, and walk away. Arrrghhh.)
Sometimes, I wish, in the 'food eating department', that our cats were more like dogs. Not as fussy.
But I guess that makes them more interesting and unique, too. :blackcat: :caticon: :greenpaw::bluepaw:
 
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Twylasmom

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I have moved Twyla’s 3 month checkup to next week rather than waiting until the end of the month. She has been eating quite well, shows no signs of nausea, is playful and social….but continues to lose weight. The amount she weighs on the baby scale and the amount when I hold her and weigh her are not consistent, but it appears she is 11 pounds or even a fair amount less. It appears to me that it is primarily muscle mass that she is losing And the rate of loss has accelerated. When she is sitting or laying down the loss is barely noticeable, but is very evident when she is standing and viewed from above or behind. When I adopted her four years ago she weighed ten pounds (at 10-12 years old) so she is still at an OK weight, but is definitely heading to a weight that is not good.

Since her last vet visit she has only peed outside the box once (and I haven’t noticed a marked increase in urine output) and has only regurgitated three times (which honestly is less often than she has done in the past). Her coat still looks really good as well. I suspect that she has reached official hyperthyroid status and needs to start methimazole, but we’ll see what the vet says. I just didn’t see the point in waiting four more weeks and have her lose even more weight.

Honestly, if it wasn’t for the weight loss you wouldn’t be able to tell that there was anything wrong, but here we are.
 

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I suspect that she has reached official hyperthyroid status and needs to start methimazole, but we’ll see what the vet says. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the weight loss you wouldn’t be able to tell that there was anything wrong, but here we are.
Feeby's only issue when she was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism was weight loss.

If that turns out to be the case, depending on Twyla's T-4 reading, don't let them go overboard with the dosage. Some vets want to do as high as 5mg twice a day, other start at 2.5mg twice a day. Most of those who have cats with H-T, start with a dose of 1.25mg a day and raise if needed once testing is done 3-4 weeks after starting the meds.
 

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I hadn’t thought about absorbing nutrients. I know nothing about supplements for cats and would welcome anyone’s suggestions or thoughts.
The best route with this would be a probiotic. However, probiotics need prebiotics in order to do their job, and a combined product is made by Fera. I'm not recommending as such, particularly as an issue with this brand is that it is a high dose multi strain product and it's often suggested to begin with a smaller dose of a simpler one that is a single strain. There are other things to consider as well, and this site may have helpful info;

Your Guide to Probiotics for Cats Side Effects
 
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Twylasmom

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Vet visit was today and results were…not great. Twyla is officially hyperthyroid with T4 up from 3.5 to 5.6. She has gone from stage 1 CKD to later stage 2 or perhaps even early stage 3 and her phosphorus level went up to 6.1 from 3.7 three months ago. She has also lost over a pound since early March and is now 10.5 lbs.

So we are starting methimazole, a phosphorus binder, and Cerenia. She is already on gabapentin and an asthma inhaler. Plus I have a few kidney foods to try. Hopefully treating her thyroid will help stabilize her weight but may also unmask the full extent of her CKD.

I was prepared for the hyperthyroid diagnosis but a little shocked at how quickly her kidney values have worsened. We go back in a couple of weeks for a recheck.

Feeling a little overwhelmed with it all, to be honest.
 

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Hang in there with all this - as you know, several of us are walking this same path (in my case I'm having to go with the Hills y/d because Poppycat has high liver numbers so he can't handle the methimazole and we can't handle the other options). :vibes::hearthrob::grouphug2::hearthrob:
 
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Twylasmom

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Hang in there with all this - as you know, several of us are walking this same path (in my case I'm having to go with the Hills y/d because Poppycat has high liver numbers so he can't handle the methimazole and we can't handle the other options). :vibes::hearthrob::grouphug2::hearthrob:
It’s tough. The only silver lining for Twyla was that her liver values improved From her last visit. Will have to see how she handles the methimazole. My previous hyperthyroid cat was on the transdermal and only made it about six months after diagnosis, but her disease was very advanced and she was several years older.
 
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Twylasmom

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So this is day five of Twyla’s treatment plan. My overall observance is that she seems to be feeling pretty well. She ate great the first three days (eating about 220 calories) but has slowed down since. I don’t know if the methimazole is making her feel “punky” and thus low appetite or if It is the impact of the medication starting to work on her thyroid. She has been up and down with her appetite for months so It is really hard to judge. She is eating half dry and half wet because she actually likes the dry kidney food (Purina Pro Plan Early Care). The dry is high calorie so even eating a little helps meet calorie goals. Turns up her nose at the wet kidney foods so she is eating Fancy Feast pate with a Phosphorus binder mixed in. Giving 1/16 in each meal up to three meals. Being conservative to start because I have concerns about constipation. I always add water to wet meals but may need to begin Miralax. I had been adding pumpkin to her food, but she stopped eating meals that had pumpkin in it. But that has kept her regular in the past.

I think I am partly to blame for the appetite issues - if she doesn’t eat a meal I will try something else a little while later so she is eating tiny amounts at a time but then isn’t hungry at mealtime. I think I need to do better with keeping to a schedule (I have summers off from work so I tend to get fixated on her eating because I am home so much more). On a bad day she is still eating some but not enough.
 
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