Senior cat grieving or seriously ill?

[hoosiercatlady]

I don't even know where to begin. I'm still grieving the loss of my 15 year old cat, Liz, who I posted about on here a few weeks ago. It so gutted me that I couldn't even return here to update yet or post on the rainbow bridge page. I was still deeply devastated I needed time.

Instead, I'm afraid I'm now facing a life/death scenario with her littermate brother Gus, and I haven't even been able to go collect her ashes from the vet yet.

I know all the signs of grieving cats (changes in vocalization, eating habits, clingy, aloof, lethargic, etc.). And I am seeing some of that. But I'm also seeing his already considerable water intake climb up to sketchy levels. (He's 12 lbs and drinking about 8 oz/day which is technically healthy, but more than normal for him.)

In the few days days before we put Liz down, I noticed Gus was licking his chops a lot, even when not near food. He continues to do that three weeks later.

He's had a weak stomach for years, but not he's throwing up every day (sometimes food/hairballs, but also sometimes just water or stomach bile.)

He's whinier, but again, maybe that's grieving.

He seems congested. It sounds nasal/windpipe-y. No eye drainage.

This morning I watched him make four trips to his water bowl in 10 minutes. He'll eat his dry food, but only a bit at a time, though he seems happy when I give him wet food blended with water or turkey baby food (what we used to disguise his sister's meds in).

He drank so much he threw up shortly thereafter.

The other day, he made three trips to the litter box in 10 minutes, peeing and eliminating some hard stools the first two times and with great effort, dropping a wide poop (about the diameter of a hot dog) in the box. As much water as he's been drinking, I wouldn't have expected that much trouble with evident constipation.

So, this clearly warrants a check-up, right?

Here's the complication...

Gus is an incredibly sensitive cat. I can't emphasize that enough. He used to puke just watching us medicate his sister. On the times he's been on medication, he'd puke seeing us prep the oral syringe. I know many cats are terrified of the vet's office, but Gus is a wreck at visits. He goes completely frozen, wets and messes himself, and can even get so stressed he gives himself a bladder infection days later, requiring follow up visits.

My husband, sympathizing for Gus, and still deeply grieving Liz himself, thinks Gus is fine and we're just seeing grief symptoms. He doesn't want me to torture our mourning old-man cat further. Watchful waiting is his preference.

On the flip side, I recall that a few years ago Gus tested borderline for hyperthyroidism and that his symptoms could match that, CKD, or diabetes. My thinking is, better to check now and treat early in the game than wait until something advances to a stage where little can be done or he'd have to stay overnight. (I cannot and will not make him stay overnight again at a vet's office. It's his nightmare and I think that itself would kill him.)

I just don't know what to do and I'm tired (so very tired), still gutted at losing my sweet girl a fortnight ago, and am trying to figure out how/when I should help poor Gus with whatever he's going through.

I don't even know what I'm asking. I just need some support, I think. I'm mentally, physically, and emotionally wrung out and I'm paralyzed with fear.

Any insight...?

 

[hoosiercatlady]

Oh, and I forgot, four years ago, be had a bout of chronic pancreatitis that caused constant vomiting. Back then, with our vet input, we managed with prednisone, pepcid, and sub-q fluids for about a week. He still had occasional pukes, but made it past the worst.

 

[sivyaleah]

First really sorry about the loss of Liz. That in itself is so stressful for both you and Gus and it can be difficult to tell if his symptoms and behavior are due to grieving or illness. While obviously nobody here can diagnose Gus, it sounds to me like this is more related to illness as I've lived with a cat that had several diseases where water consumption was a very noticable symptom of his illnesses.

I understand he may be a sensitive soul, but you can't allow that to cloud your judgement and stop you from getting him to the vet to be checked out. Better to be safe than sorry, right? I remember when we lost our old boy our girl acted strange for a while, very clingy and a bit down in the dumps but it was all behavioral - nothing that even resembled being sick.

You'll feel much better once you have information, I guarantee that.

 

[verna davies]

Its so hard for us when we lose a beloved cat but at least we know what has happened, Gus doesn't understand. Having gone through it myself 5 years ago, I know exactly how you feel. Even though its difficult, it sounds as if Gus needs to have blood tests done to find out if something is going on. Hopefully there's not but as others have said, it will put your mind at rest and allow you to do your grieving. Ask your vet if he will give you something to give to Gus that will relax him before leaving for the check up.

 

[fionasmom]

I am so sorry for your loss and for what you are going through now with Gus. I have had many grieving animals over the years and grief was always pretty distinct from any medical symptom. I completely understand what going to the vet does to Gus, but it sounds like he is having some symptoms that are not grief related.

 

[abyeb]

I am so sorry to hear about the loss of Liz. I do think that Gus's symptoms sound like something more medical, instead of just grieving symptoms alone. I would definitely get him checked out by a vet.

 

[all4mom]

So Gus, being a littermate, is also 15, right? That's pretty old! I'm in a similar situation, as my 15-year-old lost his lifelong buddy (not related, but they adored each other) in November and hasn't been the same since. He was always, like yours, sensitive and clingy and "exploded out both ends," as I say, at the vet's, but he was happy as a clam at home with his pal and was just bereft when he lost him, searching and crying every day. He also began suffering terrible separation anxiety whenever I left him (he never cared as long as he had his sidekick). In recent months, his health has started to decline (in fact, I just posted about it). I do think the stress of grieving has taken a toll on him, but it's also something physical; they can co-exist! I would get something to calm him from the vet before going in, then just rule out easy-to-treat things like diabetes or hyperthyroidism. If he gets a clean bill of health, you'll know what you're dealing with. That said, it's unfortunately a fact that some older cats don't live much longer when they lose their companion; I believe they die of a broken heart. Just love on him extra hard. Good luck.