You know that niggling feeling...

[Elaine]

That all is not as well as it should be?
Well, have Bernie booked into the vets for tuesday afternoon. He has lost some weight and seems a little subdued of late. He is on a wet only diet but is not eating as much as I'd like, has also had a little bit of a runny tum today.
Was talking it over with G today and it seems funny but we both always seemed to look on him as a young cat but the reality is we dont know exactly just how old he really is. When I first took him on about 6 years ago, his age was estimated by one vet as being 1 and half years and by another as being 3 to 4 years. We seem to have got stuck in a rutt and still view him as being relatively young, around 4 or 5 years old dont know why that si tbh.

Am also a little concerned about Millicent Bo-Jangles leg. Some of you may remember that before I took her on last year, she had had the head of the femur removed from her hind left leg. During this very very cold weather, she seems to almost drag the leg at times and sometimes has difficulty jumping onto the counter for her food. She can also be a bit grumpy if you try to pick her up. All in all I am pretty sure that it is giving her some pain and or discomfort and cannt help thinking that she may have been better off having had the leg amputated.

[Shelley123]

Elaine,
sorry to read all is not well. I hope Bernie is feeling better soon and you get him sorted at the vets on Tuesday.Re Milli I think with any injury or medical intervention like removing the femur head will leave a weakness that will be aggravated by cold weather. Is it possible she has a bit of artheritis (sp) in the joint. How about a magnetic collar or joint suppliments. Maybe painkillers just for certain times. Sorry i'm not medical just throwing around some ideas.
Both of our boys have somesort of neurilogical problem with their back legs and can't jump onto the kitchen work tops, they are of cource older than Milli

[Elaine]

Thanx Shelly, I was thinking about asking my vet about her leg and what can be done to help ease her a little. Dont want to take her in unnecissarily as she gets a bit stressed and quite feisty.

[angieh]

Sorry to hear of your worries Elaine. Do hope Bernie's problem is sorted soon. I wonder if Shelley is right about arthritis? Certainly the cold weather would impact any disability. Poor Millie - hope the vet can suggest something to ease her pain.

[calismum]

Hope Bernie's vet visit is positive. This cold weather is bound to affect any joint problems, hope she improves.

[dandysmom]

Hope all will be well with Bernie at the vets. Do ask about glucosamine for Millie's possible arthritis; suspect it is the weather bothering her.....

[Kobster]

Elaine, i hope both of your kitties prove to be okay. About Milli, I've had two cats have hip surgery. Kobie had a FHO (where the head and neck are romoved) and Thurston had the fracture repaired.

Kobie was a gimp his whole life, but did very well on glucosamine and chondroitin therapy daily and he saw a Chiropractor/acupuncturist who did wonders with him.

Thurston is almost 8 now, had the surgery as a kitten, and you would never know anything was wrong with him. He shows no lameness or pain at all. His surgery was done by a board certified surgeon at a specialty clinic and Kobies wa done by a general practicioner and I think that made some difference.

[Velvet]

Sorry to hear your two wee ones arent well. Good luck at the vets

[farthing]

I hope all goes well at the vet. I would also recommend acupuncture- I'm pretty sure Emma does it at Aurora. Misty used to be sick every time we took her to the vet but would settle down and almost go to sleep once the needles went in. The cold weather certainly aggravates these types of problems- we had to take one of our old goats into the house over Christmas because he had stiffened up so much- and he was getting a duvet put on overnight when in his pen!
I do the same as far as age goes, I keep thinking Bruno and Willow ( dogs ) as puppies and they are 9!

[wilbar]

Sorry to hear that your cats are strugglng ~ it certainly does sound like arthritis, especially if they've had surgery on joints. It's almost a given that such cats will develop arthritis (as do dogs & humans) so no wonder they seem a bit grumpy & subdued if they're in pain.

Ask your vet about pain management if he/she thinks it is arthritis.

One of my dogs has hip dysplasia but we're managing his condition really well with a mixture of keeping his weight down, glucosamone joint supplements & hydrotherapy. It's been 2 years since the diagnosis & he's absolutely fine ~ no signs of pain, restricted movement & he runs around like a puppy at times. The hydrotherapist I go to also has a few cat clients too, especially cats that are recovering from surgery. I don't know if it would be possible or feasible to try it with your cats but if they can overcome any fears of water, hydrotherapy is a great way to keep joints supple, clear detritus from joints & give a better range of movement. Indoor hydrotherapy pools are (should be!) heated to body temparature so shouldn't cause any cold. It might be worth exploring if you think your cat could take to it?