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- Sep 19, 2016
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Hello Everyone,
Some of you may remember back about 2 months ago or so was struggling with my other cat named Charlie who ultimately passed away in surgery in attempt to remove the adenocarcinoma in his colon in late October. I've recovered, plus with my job being so busy it helped get my mind off it, but since then I dedicated to give my older last remaining cat Sassy at age of 18yrs all the attention she wants and care she needs.
Long story short (as I'll try to be brief but I feel every detail/story I mention can/may be crucial in providing honest/helpful feedback), my cat Sassy was diagnosed with early CKD back in June of 2017. It was determined through her urine sample test. Blood work came back fine - and the reason she was brought into vet in first place was in fact because of diminished appetite. I can't recall for how long it was going on back in 2017...but this diminished on/off appetite has occurred several times over the past few years. Usually each of those flareups I would contact my primary vet (whom unfortunately I stilll can't trust at the moment due to how he handled Charlie's surgery/passing/diagnosis) and bring Sassy into vet to get blood work done. Attached are the past 2 years visits - 2017 and 2018. She had undergone few bouts of diminished appetite in 2019 but overtime, as the vet agreed too, it could just be her being finicky/siimply the way she became that I should give it few days to a week to see if she continues lack of appetite but in addition to any vomiting or diarrhea. Most of those bouts, it would be primarily just diminished appetite, some lethargy, maybe a single bout of vomit (water usually or food) but that's all nothing serious. And in most of these cases, (I can't recall also...) this appetite issue seems to resolve itself either abruptly (she begins eating a lot again) or resolves slowly but maybe after either a few days of diminished appetite, or even up to a week I think. She would still eat whether some dry food, or wet food, and still definitely drink water and urinate/stool just fine, but over time she would come back and begin to eat her normal amounts and continue that streak either for several weeks/months. 2019 she might have had that spell around August? Took her about few weeks that time to come around to eat normal again. I think I gave her just a single dose of Famotidine and Mirtazapine, the 1mg Mirtazapine did make her hyper/vocal, but that got her going like a boost. But no vet required as she was fine for the rest of the year 2019.
2020 - Of course a year like no other I'm sure for everyone, Sassy almost went flawless. Again she might have had bouts of diminished appetite (minor though) but came around after just few days that I didnt even contact the vet as I knew this appetite issue has been and on and off issue since 2017. I don't believe I gave her any medication this year either. But as you can see, I know she's well over do for a check up with blood at least for her CKD progression as last check was in August 2018. It's just now I may have to switch over to a new vet as I'm still currently shaken with the primary vet I trusted for all these years - have this mishap with Charlie passing away in surgery. It still haunts me.
Fast forward to today/recent weeks, Sassy appetite has been acting up again but this time has been somewhat more progressive in terms of its duration with today being sort of the worst - eating barely anything other then dry food over night and some bits in afternoon. One thing that I noticed is over the past...maybe 2 months or so, she has been eating a lot less in one sitting...but just a lot more meals throughout the day. She would eat before maybe 2-3 times a day mostly, with a big breakfast and big dinner...for the past several years at least. Now since Charlie's passing, she's the lone cat around she has felt a lot more comfortable staying up a lot (sleeps a lot less overall), would sleep maybe in intervals of just 2-3 hours and is up usually for an hour or two. Before when Charlie would be around, she would just sleep the entire day and only wake up to eat the 2-3 times a day thats it. Nowadays, she's sleeps in short interveals, and eats about maybe...6-8 times a day. Of course overall I think it' still totals to same amount of food she used to eat years ago in just the 2-3 sittings? if not, she may have been consuming more then before. Again, she'd come crying to me and now even feels comfortable eating in my bedroom she comes to me ask for food all the times (except today). And what is new, sort of bit puzzling/hard on me, in past weeks, because of these smaller meals, she even wakes me up to eat like at 1am...3/4am....6am...then sometimes again at 8am. It's bit crazy...but again I let her eat when she wants, shes my queen!!
Now the past...week I noticed Sassy's appetite been acting up. She hasn't vomitted nor diarrhea or acted any different. Still drinks her water every day and even the timing of when she asks for food has been roughly the same. Just her mornings have been a bit off where she doesn't consume as much as she was in recent weeks (but so hard to judge because she eats so many tiny meals daily), so to me eating even less from her tiny meals worried me in past days, but most times in night she would kinda make up for it eating bit more, but it has been back and forth. Another thing I noticed is that she used to love her Friskies Prime Fillets and Fancy Fast Gravy lovers. She would enjoy it so much she would take rather huge bites into the food and chew it. I even put dry food on the sides most times because without it, sometimes she would just sniff the food or lick few times and just stare up UNTIL i place some dry food next to it. Then she resumes eating both wet and dry. However lately, both morning and night time meals, she just primarily licks off the juice/gravy from the food and leave most of the actual chunks of meat on her plate. She still eats dry food but I know that is not the best for her CKD. Let alone, she has been on commercial food since 2017, but i tried making her eat foods containing least amount of phosphorus in them the best I can. Over past few years in addition to finicky appetite, she also became picky eater as to specific flavored foods she likes. Today, she has been sleeping a lot more but in this new bed we showed her. It would seem like today she was far more lethargic as she used to be in the Charlie era, but I think its because of this bed we got her she seems to enjoy it. She hasn't cried or asked me for food today other then just one time in afternoon (dry food 2pm) since 6am feeding this morning(ate a little also). Then around an hour ago or so she came slowly to my room to eat - gave her this time a Pate can but she barely ate what I served, maybe just a bite full and few licks and this is her favorite Salmon pate food! After she ate just went straight to her bed. She drank water throughout the day too and urinated and passed stool just fine. No signs of nausea like sphinx, or licking of nose, vomit, etc. Maybe will be just today an off day? Could wait to see later tonight/tomorrow how she responds but if not, I'd have to find another vet to help out.
Anyone have thoughts on what would cause again this diminished appetite? Again this time seems bit more progressive, longer duration as it has been ever so slightly less each sitting she ate in the past week...with today being the most off-day. Maybe it is her CKD progressing? but would only know through blood test...just hate that now with all vets here in NYC area, its just drop off on site which I can't see how they handle/check Sassy. Let alone she does NOT like vet visits as she growls/hisses at vet since 2018 for some reason, wasn't like that before either. I feel like I wrote too much but hope can give some of you the idea of what Sassy going through and offer any helpful thoughts on what could be ailing her.
Of course, if you need any further info/explanations or have questions, just let me know!
Thank You
Some of you may remember back about 2 months ago or so was struggling with my other cat named Charlie who ultimately passed away in surgery in attempt to remove the adenocarcinoma in his colon in late October. I've recovered, plus with my job being so busy it helped get my mind off it, but since then I dedicated to give my older last remaining cat Sassy at age of 18yrs all the attention she wants and care she needs.
Long story short (as I'll try to be brief but I feel every detail/story I mention can/may be crucial in providing honest/helpful feedback), my cat Sassy was diagnosed with early CKD back in June of 2017. It was determined through her urine sample test. Blood work came back fine - and the reason she was brought into vet in first place was in fact because of diminished appetite. I can't recall for how long it was going on back in 2017...but this diminished on/off appetite has occurred several times over the past few years. Usually each of those flareups I would contact my primary vet (whom unfortunately I stilll can't trust at the moment due to how he handled Charlie's surgery/passing/diagnosis) and bring Sassy into vet to get blood work done. Attached are the past 2 years visits - 2017 and 2018. She had undergone few bouts of diminished appetite in 2019 but overtime, as the vet agreed too, it could just be her being finicky/siimply the way she became that I should give it few days to a week to see if she continues lack of appetite but in addition to any vomiting or diarrhea. Most of those bouts, it would be primarily just diminished appetite, some lethargy, maybe a single bout of vomit (water usually or food) but that's all nothing serious. And in most of these cases, (I can't recall also...) this appetite issue seems to resolve itself either abruptly (she begins eating a lot again) or resolves slowly but maybe after either a few days of diminished appetite, or even up to a week I think. She would still eat whether some dry food, or wet food, and still definitely drink water and urinate/stool just fine, but over time she would come back and begin to eat her normal amounts and continue that streak either for several weeks/months. 2019 she might have had that spell around August? Took her about few weeks that time to come around to eat normal again. I think I gave her just a single dose of Famotidine and Mirtazapine, the 1mg Mirtazapine did make her hyper/vocal, but that got her going like a boost. But no vet required as she was fine for the rest of the year 2019.
2020 - Of course a year like no other I'm sure for everyone, Sassy almost went flawless. Again she might have had bouts of diminished appetite (minor though) but came around after just few days that I didnt even contact the vet as I knew this appetite issue has been and on and off issue since 2017. I don't believe I gave her any medication this year either. But as you can see, I know she's well over do for a check up with blood at least for her CKD progression as last check was in August 2018. It's just now I may have to switch over to a new vet as I'm still currently shaken with the primary vet I trusted for all these years - have this mishap with Charlie passing away in surgery. It still haunts me.
Fast forward to today/recent weeks, Sassy appetite has been acting up again but this time has been somewhat more progressive in terms of its duration with today being sort of the worst - eating barely anything other then dry food over night and some bits in afternoon. One thing that I noticed is over the past...maybe 2 months or so, she has been eating a lot less in one sitting...but just a lot more meals throughout the day. She would eat before maybe 2-3 times a day mostly, with a big breakfast and big dinner...for the past several years at least. Now since Charlie's passing, she's the lone cat around she has felt a lot more comfortable staying up a lot (sleeps a lot less overall), would sleep maybe in intervals of just 2-3 hours and is up usually for an hour or two. Before when Charlie would be around, she would just sleep the entire day and only wake up to eat the 2-3 times a day thats it. Nowadays, she's sleeps in short interveals, and eats about maybe...6-8 times a day. Of course overall I think it' still totals to same amount of food she used to eat years ago in just the 2-3 sittings? if not, she may have been consuming more then before. Again, she'd come crying to me and now even feels comfortable eating in my bedroom she comes to me ask for food all the times (except today). And what is new, sort of bit puzzling/hard on me, in past weeks, because of these smaller meals, she even wakes me up to eat like at 1am...3/4am....6am...then sometimes again at 8am. It's bit crazy...but again I let her eat when she wants, shes my queen!!
Now the past...week I noticed Sassy's appetite been acting up. She hasn't vomitted nor diarrhea or acted any different. Still drinks her water every day and even the timing of when she asks for food has been roughly the same. Just her mornings have been a bit off where she doesn't consume as much as she was in recent weeks (but so hard to judge because she eats so many tiny meals daily), so to me eating even less from her tiny meals worried me in past days, but most times in night she would kinda make up for it eating bit more, but it has been back and forth. Another thing I noticed is that she used to love her Friskies Prime Fillets and Fancy Fast Gravy lovers. She would enjoy it so much she would take rather huge bites into the food and chew it. I even put dry food on the sides most times because without it, sometimes she would just sniff the food or lick few times and just stare up UNTIL i place some dry food next to it. Then she resumes eating both wet and dry. However lately, both morning and night time meals, she just primarily licks off the juice/gravy from the food and leave most of the actual chunks of meat on her plate. She still eats dry food but I know that is not the best for her CKD. Let alone, she has been on commercial food since 2017, but i tried making her eat foods containing least amount of phosphorus in them the best I can. Over past few years in addition to finicky appetite, she also became picky eater as to specific flavored foods she likes. Today, she has been sleeping a lot more but in this new bed we showed her. It would seem like today she was far more lethargic as she used to be in the Charlie era, but I think its because of this bed we got her she seems to enjoy it. She hasn't cried or asked me for food today other then just one time in afternoon (dry food 2pm) since 6am feeding this morning(ate a little also). Then around an hour ago or so she came slowly to my room to eat - gave her this time a Pate can but she barely ate what I served, maybe just a bite full and few licks and this is her favorite Salmon pate food! After she ate just went straight to her bed. She drank water throughout the day too and urinated and passed stool just fine. No signs of nausea like sphinx, or licking of nose, vomit, etc. Maybe will be just today an off day? Could wait to see later tonight/tomorrow how she responds but if not, I'd have to find another vet to help out.
Anyone have thoughts on what would cause again this diminished appetite? Again this time seems bit more progressive, longer duration as it has been ever so slightly less each sitting she ate in the past week...with today being the most off-day. Maybe it is her CKD progressing? but would only know through blood test...just hate that now with all vets here in NYC area, its just drop off on site which I can't see how they handle/check Sassy. Let alone she does NOT like vet visits as she growls/hisses at vet since 2018 for some reason, wasn't like that before either. I feel like I wrote too much but hope can give some of you the idea of what Sassy going through and offer any helpful thoughts on what could be ailing her.
Of course, if you need any further info/explanations or have questions, just let me know!
Thank You
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