Conference misery::feline_v1

    I don't think worms causes cloudy, unclear eyes.  There
    could be something else going on as well.
    
    -Donna

                               -< NOT TO WORRY >-

	I BELIEVE YOUR KITTY JUST HAS WORMS

		JOAN...MOTHER TO 9                                    

    
    We took our kitty to the vet yesterday.  He said she had ear mites
    and  possibly worms.  He tested her for leukemia and thank goodness
    it tested negative.  He put her on some pills and drops for her
    ears.  She still seems real out of it.  I've never seen a cat act
    like this.  I'm still worried but the doctor said she should be
    feeling a lot better by today.  Times like this I wish cats could
    talk so they could tell you whats wrong!
    
    Thanks for the suggestions!
    
    Diane
    

    Did the vet diagnose worms from an actual stool sample
    or just take an educated guess?  If the latter, I'd be
    a little leery of a vet that treated worms indiscrimi-
    nately.  It's important to know the specific worm you're
    trying to treat, that's why you pay good money to bring
    them to a vet.
    
    Donna

    How does your cat look today?
    
    Pat
    

    
    Our cat is getting back to normal Slowly but surely.  He didnt diagnose
    worms from a stool sample.  He couldnt cause she couldnt go to the
    bathroom.  We've been giving her the pills he prescribed and she's
    getting a little more chipper each day. If it WAS worms, she had
    a severe case of it.  I was really worried about her.  She's been
    nibbling more and she was able to go to the bathroom over the weekend. 
    The sided of her are very thin.  I can alomst put my whole hand
    around her.  Her meow is back to normal but she gets tuckered
    out a lot.  She is constantly plopping down and resting after a
    little exertion. I think she'll make it.  
    
    Thanks for the help AND the concern!        
    
    
    Diane
    
                                                    

    Cats that eat a lot of dry food sometimes get constipated. This
    is very common in overweight cats. Argus is an FUS cat and his
    constipation gave me a couple of real good scares since he was throwing
    up and acting like he was blocked. While the vet gave him some stool
    softeners at the time, he decided that the natural approach might
    be better since this appeared to be a recurring problem. It seems
    to work, and the cats like it too. I fill the bran jar's lid with
    bran and mix this with a small can of cat food. (It has the added
    advantage of streching a can of food to feed 5)
    
    Deb

    Maybe this reply should be to the note about Sienna.....I forgot
    to say that my cat Sweetie, who had the operation on his pelvis,
    gets a small amount of Metamucil added to his food everyday.  As
    I recollect, this was supposed to help prevent any further tendency
    he might have left to get blockages.  I gather from having run across
    mentions of Metamucil and ctas over the years that it works as a
    sort of general fixup -- it helps stop diarrhea and it also helps
    stop constipation.  But I'd surely check with your vet before trying
    it.  Sweetie gets about an eight of a teaspoon in each of his two
    daily meals.  (Holly gets the same since they eat out of each others
    dishes, and the vet says it won't hurt her.)
    

    Actually, my vet reccommended either bran or metamucil, but Mr.
    Pussycat prefered bran. But in either case, both are natural,
    cheep and make it easier for the cat to go to the box. And it has
    stopped their human from having "oh my goodness, he is blocked,
    I've gotta get him to the vet" reactions (@ $20 per reaction).
    
    Deb

    What causes blockages in cats? Does it have anything to do with
    hairballs? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to avoid these
    types of problems? I feed my kitties Nture's Choice Dry catfood
    with a little water sprinkled on it.
    
    Thanks for any suggestions!
    
    -Chris (Concerned Mom)

    "Blockages" are very serious problems. You have 48 hours to get
    the cat to the vet before it becomes toxic.
    
    FUS (Feline Urological Syndrome) or cystitis is very common in fixed
    male cats. Their urine actually crystallizes, causing discomfort
    and often blockage. It is very painful for the cat. Sometimes it
    can be corrected with a urine acidifier pill, but often the cat
    must be cathatorized or replumbed. No one knows what causes it, but
    there seems to be evidence pointing to feeding a cat food that has
    a high magnesium ash content.
    
    My Argus has chronic FUS, and he is on a special low-ash diet (Hill's
    C/D) which I get from my vet, and he gets a urine acidifier every
    day. For moist food, he only gets meat type foods, NEVER any seafood,
    and only rarely organ meat. Plenty of clean, fresh water is always
    available.
    
    Some cats seem predisposed to FUS, but watching their diet seems
    to help. You can get low ash cat foods in any pet store. Some good
    brands are Hill's Science Diet, Iams, and ANF Tami.
    
    My vet is now starting to recommend that if a cat blocks twice
    that periourethectomy surgery (replumbing job) be performed. Argus
    was replumbed over a year ago the 7th time he blocked. He hasn't
    blocked since.
    
    Deb