Help Me, My Kitty Is Sick. :(

[leahnicole]

Hi! I am taking my 13 year old cat to the vet tomorrow, but I just have some concerns and questions. She has lost weight, even though she loves to eat and drink. She also has stopped cleaning herself because she constantly has diarrhea. She will just be walking by and fart loudly and have diarrhea. I have seen worms in her poo but that was only once. She now has a red, swollen bottom from the diarrhea as well as over licking it. She has licked off the fur around it as well as the bottom of her tail. She has dried poo stuck to her legs and bottom, and I have tried to give her a bath with no luck. I feel so bad for her. I am extremely embarrassed to take her to the vet because of how she looks, but she has got to go! I am so worried about her. Any suggestions about what might be wrong will be welcome. I am so worried because I am afraid they will suggest I put her down and I am not ready for her to go to Rainbow Bridge yet.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

I'm not a vet, so take what I'm saying with a grain of salt, but I really, really don't think they will suggest putting her down. It sounds to me like she has a pretty bad case of worms.

She is losing weight because of all the diarrhea and, depending on what worms she has, they may be causing her to not be able to retain weight. Y​

ou said you only saw them in her poop once, but they can still be in her intestinal track even if you aren't seeing any. They will probably give you something to deworm her, and maybe something to put on her sore legs from overgrooming and diarrhea.

If she will drink it, you can give her unflavored Pedialyte to help replenish her electrolytes she is losing from the diarrhea.

Please keep us updated and good luck tomorrow!

 

[leahnicole]

I'm not a vet, so take what I'm saying with a grain of salt, but I really, really don't think they will suggest putting her down. It sounds to me like she has a pretty bad case of worms.

She is losing weight because of all the diarrhea and, depending on what worms she has, they may be causing her to not be able to retain weight. Y​

ou said you only saw them in her poop once, but they can still be in her intestinal track even if you aren't seeing any. They will probably give you something to deworm her, and maybe something to put on her sore legs from overgrooming and diarrhea.

If she will drink it, you can give her unflavored Pedialyte to help replenish her electrolytes she is losing from the diarrhea.

Please keep us updated and good luck tomorrow!

Thank you so much for your kind words!

 

[jen]

Make sure they check a senior blood panel. Do not skip that. My guess is thyroid.

 

[silkenpaw]

Do not be embarrassed! Everyone knows how recalcitrant cats can be when it comes to being washed!

And please don’t worry about her being put down ahead of time. Diarrhea is a symptom of many treatable diseases.

jen is right about a senior blood panel that includes thyroid levels. EmersonandEvie has a good point about worms. Also a good physical may point to the problem.

Ask for a sanitary shave so if she has diarrhea again, the poop has no fur to stick to. I’ve had good luck combing major dried feces out of fur with a flea comb. Get the area wet first by holding a wet paper towel to it for a minute or two.

Good luck and let us know what happens.