We're Going To The Vet, Wish Us Luck!

[stacydc83]

So I'm finally bringing Lily & Zoe to the vet. Mainly to get prescriptions for revolution. I'm gonna bring up the Lily issues, the constipation, and laziness. I'm so nervous. I would ask for blood tests for her, but I just can't afford it. But at least this is a start. urgh I hate the vet, I know they do to. The appointment is at 3, I had timed it that way because I figured Zoe would still be outside, and would want to come in for her afternoon nap around 2, but nope, of course Zoe is already in and it's only noon. Any advice on how to make this a little easier on them, and me? I bought some calming treats from Petsmart so I'll give them that in about an hour and a half. and I also have some "comfort zone" spray left over so I'll spray that in the carriers. It's about 25 minute drive to the vet.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. If they like music, play some during the drive. I do that with Feeby, and also talk to her - it seems to help some. I don't cover Feeby's carrier, as she actually likes to look up into the sky. If it is raining, however, I do cover most of the carrier and leave only enough open so she can see me.

I really don't know what else to offer, but I certainly do want to wish you good luck!!!

Edited: Ask the vet if they would be willing to let you pay for the blood testing over a couple of months. Maybe they will!!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

For your babies AND your bank account!

 

[stacydc83]

We're HOME! I've got two discombobulated kitties. They're just sitting in the middle of floor, lol. They both did VERY well, no hissing or fighting the vet, just scared them to death. Lily was exploring the vet table, and it must've been slippery, she fell. didn't land on her feet either, poor baby, but she's ok. So Zoe is healthy healthy healthy,great weight, great teeth, great everything. weighing in at 8.55 lbs.
Lily...her physical exam went well, but they said she was obese. So me saying she's slightly overweight on here, yeah..more than slightly. She's 18.28 lbs. I have to get that weight off her. They gave me a prescription for food, Royal Canin Satiety Support. uhh, no. Read the ingredients. I know that primarily dry food is NOT the way to go. So, Mom & I are going to soon, start decreasing the dry food, taking it away in the middle of the night, and upping their wet food. They also told me to get some laxatone for Lily, for her hairballs and to help with constipation. But it seems the weight is the main reason for her laziness, and constipation. Really gonna try and exercise this girl more!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Glad to hear things went pretty well!

Being overweight is not the worse thing in the world! I know you want to work on it, and that is good. But, first and foremost is hoping the laxatone helps with the constipation and hairballs.

 

[stacydc83]

Oh! And I mentioned how I've started giving Lily glucosamine, and I asked if that was ok even at 7, and she says glucosamine is good at any age. So yaye gonna continue that

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Just go slowly with the weight loss

 

[stephanietx]

You don't want drastic weight loss. The best thing to do is to go to scheduled feedings and all wet with dry food "snacks" at times through the day if someone's home with them. Just like with humans, cut the carbs and up the exercise. Look for an all meat food, too. Also, treats are very high in carbs, so eliminating those will help. I give 1 or 2 dry crunchies as treats and my kitties think they've hit the lottery!

 

[stacydc83]

Thanks for the ideas! I know its gonna be tough cutting back on dry food, they are not gonna understand why. I think I'm gonna start with introducing breakfast so they know to expect it. I thought about it though, since Lily is officially on a diet, that means Zoe is too. She definitely doesnt need to lose any weight. I'm also gonna switch the kind of dry they get, I think I'm gonna order some dr elsey chicken, since the ingredients look great. I cant believe she wants me to feed only that dry food though, the weight loss food. The ingredients are so bad. So once I start working again definitely gonna give dr elseys a try, that stuff is expensive! Still not as expensive as the prescription food though

 

[IndyJones]

You could just say to the vet your cats don't like dry food. I know they make a canned version of the food and am not sure why it wasn't suggested especially with the age and history of the cat. 7 is when they are considered to be just entering senior years and canned is definitely better for aging kidneys. Just trust your instincts.

Also make sure she gets some good workouts. My guys love laser pointers and will run laps after them have you tried one? The fishing rod type toys like the bamboozler and the bird are also popular. Bird tends to get destroyed in minutes though with my guys.

 

[IndyJones]

My old cat also loved pompoms. If I threw one she would chase it down and bring it back. Pompoms are relatively inexpensive and can even be hand made with some old yarn if you know any knitters or crocheters.

 

[stacydc83]

I'm gonna see if the prescription food covers the wet version of it, I might be ok with integrating that in. Our ultimate goal is to feed a lot more wet, and much less dry food. I gave them wet breakfast today, Lily ate it, but Zoe didn't want it. Hopefully they will be more willing when the dry food isn't out all night. So I had another question, I'm going to go look for laxatone today, looks like there are two versions. the original, which has the white petroleum, or the "natural" one. the natural one has more oils in it, and looks like it has lecithin in it too, which i'm assuming? is egg lecithin. And I'm thinking Lily will show no interest in it, so I'll just have to give it to her the same way I give her pumpkin, on my finger into her mouth. I think I'll continue with the pumpkin a few times a week, it seems to be helping, and I noticed its definitely an appetite suppressant. when she gets the pumpkin she doesn't beg as much for treats and doesn't visit the food bowl for several hours.

 

[denice]

Did the vet give you an ideal weight? You do have to be careful to avoid hepatic lipidosis which overweight cats are particularly susceptible to. The rule of thumb is to not go lower then 15 calories per pound of ideal weight. The wet food often doesn't have calorie counts on the can but you can find it on the food's web site.

 

[stacydc83]

Yes, she said we'll "start" with 15 lb goal weight. Personally, I don't think she needs to go any lower than 15, her old vet, before she got THIS big, recognized that Lily is naturally a big cat, a big breed cat, and are heavier than your average cats, and had said she was not fat, at 15 lbs. So if she were any thinner that might be too thin for her frame. I looked at 3 different petsmart's today, and could not find the prescription food in wet food, anywhere, I wanted to try the morsels in gravy satiety support but no one carried it.
I did however find the prescription treats, which are much lower calories than temptations, so hopefully! she will accept these over temptation treats. I haven't started the official diet yet, I'm trying to get them used to breakfast so they can expect it in the morning when I remove the dry food overnight. I just hope Zoe doesn't lose any weight, maybe I can figure out a way to get more food to her without Lily noticing. This is so much harder with having two cats, they split everything. They split a can or packet of wet food, and eat the same dry food. Hopefully though this will work, along with more exercise. The vet suggested playing with her more, and to use a laser pointer. Ha! Not my Lily, she will not chase it, or any toy, she's not a toy girl. My hope for exercise is getting her to walk around the house more, she does like to explore the yard and the woods behind the house. She's not your typical cat, toys have never really enticed her, even when she was a baby.

 

[SiameseMummy]

I realise it may not work for all cats but I read somewhere that cats are better at gauging how much wet food they eat and are more prone to weight gain with dry.

My boy got up over 6kg when his playmate sadly passed away and he stopped exercising plus we gave him too much food as we decided it helped his grief (?!). He's a Siamese which are a small breed and he was almost a kg overweight. Chubby Siamese look ridiculous!

We got a playmate for him who is a super playful kitten and chases him all over so his exercise was upped (plus we invested in a load of toys and tall scratching posts that they run up). We removed dry food and feed 3 wet meals a day
They get a pouch each for mealtimes which is more than they need to maintain weight but they dont eat it all and he's now maintained at a much more sensible 5.3kg and his playmate is a healthy (for her size) 3.3kg.

We only now give them dry food only if we're going to be out late and would miss a meal time. They go mad for it but then usually don't want their last meal of the day so they seem to be dealing with the regime very well. The playmate who was never overweight has stayed constant and the boy just slowly lost to a sensible weight.

This may not work if your cat won't leave food but it does make things easy for us not having to weigh and measure everything!

I also got a set of baby weighing scales off Amazon so I could keep a more regular eye on their weight between vet visits! It's not as accurate as a proper scales for weighing cats like the vet has but was a fraction of the price and is pretty reliable.

Good luck!

 

[IndyJones]

You will not find prescription food in stores unfortunately because it is treated like a prescription medication. Your vet may have a website like myvetstore.ca where you can order it and have it shipped to your address idk if there is a simaler service outside of Canada but there might be.

It's true how cats weights can differ by body size and quite dramatically in some cases. My old cat Hector was the runt of her litter and was always very small she was only about 3.4kg or 7 lb (along with the chronic health issues that come with runts) but she was a true alpha and not even our huge 95lb golden got away with messing with her.

None of my cats have been overweight. Indy eats a lot but she is so hyper she burns it off. I think the key is exercise and the right food at the right time. No free feeding.

 

[MissClouseau]

Ultra Light Pouch Cat Food - Royal Canin

Ultra Light Loaf in Sauce Canned Cat Food - Royal Canin

Ultra Light Thin Slices in Gravy Canned Cat Food - Royal Canin

Here are a few non-prescription wet food options.

You don't have to see "light/diet" on food though. I suggest checking calories instead. If your cat is a frequent eater and not care for small portions, go with the smallest calorie food so you can give it frequently.