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- Sep 15, 2021
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I live in a rural area. My usual vet is on holiday, and I can only get an appointment for my cat with another vet some distance away for tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, I am going crazy with worry, and am very paranoid and obsessing about whether something could be wrong with my baby. I would appreciate it if anybody can give me some insight on potential afflictions, or at least just set my mind at ease.
I in fact don't even know if the swollen abdomen on my cat is unusual or a cause for concern. My boyfriend reckons that he is just chubby and that I am being neurotic.
Just as background - we adopted this male cat and had him neutered about 8 months ago. He is of indeterminate age (we reckon about 10 years, but he has had a rough life as a feral). He has unfortunately been diagnosed as FIV+, but is in good general shape and is on daily Interferon medication. He is very lovable and my cuddle bunny and I have bonded greatly with him in this time. He is an indoor cat with access to an enclosed courtyard area for some nature and sun.
He has been dewormed prior, but we did notice a rice-spec at his bum some 4 weeks ago and immediately dewormed him again with Antezole deworming paste.
His appetite prior to the last deworming session was off-the-charts, in that he freely ate when he wanted to. I feed him Orijen Cats & Kittens dry food as well as 2 x Weruva wet sachets or Sheba tins per day, plus an occasional snack. I have realized that he was eating in the order of 400 calories per day (± 150 more than he requires). We have recently made adjustments to this free-feeding schedule.
What is my biggest concern is that, even though he has noticeably picked up a bit of weight in the past months, I do believe that his tummy appears to be much larger than usual since the past weekend. I did experiment with a new cat wet food (Weruva's Trulux Steak Frites) just a day or two prior to this, so I don't know if this is connected.
Urine output appears to be normal. He is seemingly defecating normally with solid healthy output. No perceivable nausea and no vomiting.
What is adding to my concern though is that:
- Since the last deworming session, I have noticed that his appetite has decreased by about 20%. He is still however eating within a normal calorie parameter.
- Furthermore, I have noticed that he is more hesitant now to jump on furniture, and is definitely acting more like a lazy couch potato - I have to coax him into taking a walk or playing.
His coat has also always been rather dull and uneven. He has a normal thick coat over his head, neck, chest, and front legs. His coat is very thin on his flanks and hind legs, with downy-like fur against the skin.
Since taking note of this rather large abdomen, I have been reading up on Google about frightening diseases such as FIP, enlarged organs, and cancer which can cause the appearance of a bloated tummy, and it has me understandably stressed out. Would very much appreciate it if anybody can share alternative possible scenarios, or whether you, in fact, do think that the belly fat in the photos taken earlier today appear to be unusual or are a cause for concern.
Thank you kindly, from this anxious kitty mama...
I in fact don't even know if the swollen abdomen on my cat is unusual or a cause for concern. My boyfriend reckons that he is just chubby and that I am being neurotic.
Just as background - we adopted this male cat and had him neutered about 8 months ago. He is of indeterminate age (we reckon about 10 years, but he has had a rough life as a feral). He has unfortunately been diagnosed as FIV+, but is in good general shape and is on daily Interferon medication. He is very lovable and my cuddle bunny and I have bonded greatly with him in this time. He is an indoor cat with access to an enclosed courtyard area for some nature and sun.
He has been dewormed prior, but we did notice a rice-spec at his bum some 4 weeks ago and immediately dewormed him again with Antezole deworming paste.
His appetite prior to the last deworming session was off-the-charts, in that he freely ate when he wanted to. I feed him Orijen Cats & Kittens dry food as well as 2 x Weruva wet sachets or Sheba tins per day, plus an occasional snack. I have realized that he was eating in the order of 400 calories per day (± 150 more than he requires). We have recently made adjustments to this free-feeding schedule.
What is my biggest concern is that, even though he has noticeably picked up a bit of weight in the past months, I do believe that his tummy appears to be much larger than usual since the past weekend. I did experiment with a new cat wet food (Weruva's Trulux Steak Frites) just a day or two prior to this, so I don't know if this is connected.
Urine output appears to be normal. He is seemingly defecating normally with solid healthy output. No perceivable nausea and no vomiting.
What is adding to my concern though is that:
- Since the last deworming session, I have noticed that his appetite has decreased by about 20%. He is still however eating within a normal calorie parameter.
- Furthermore, I have noticed that he is more hesitant now to jump on furniture, and is definitely acting more like a lazy couch potato - I have to coax him into taking a walk or playing.
His coat has also always been rather dull and uneven. He has a normal thick coat over his head, neck, chest, and front legs. His coat is very thin on his flanks and hind legs, with downy-like fur against the skin.
Since taking note of this rather large abdomen, I have been reading up on Google about frightening diseases such as FIP, enlarged organs, and cancer which can cause the appearance of a bloated tummy, and it has me understandably stressed out. Would very much appreciate it if anybody can share alternative possible scenarios, or whether you, in fact, do think that the belly fat in the photos taken earlier today appear to be unusual or are a cause for concern.
Thank you kindly, from this anxious kitty mama...
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