Our 12 year old cat has CRF and has taken a turn for the worse since Sunday and has had fluid retention in his belly for over a month now. We've taken him to the vets and he's been on Furosemide twice daily along with his regular Fortekor and his once a week Aspirin on a Sunday - poor thing rattles the amount of pills he's on.

He's recently been put on Spirilactone too, the vet seems to be unsure whether you should mix the two diurectics or not, though since we have been mixing the two he's gone downhill. However, having said that he's starting to get his appetitie back to the point that he's scrounging off me at the dinner table and is pawing me to pick him up for a cuddle on my lap. He also had a whole piece of ham this morning which he wouldn't touch yesterday...!

Perhaps he's coming out of this, but we're curious to know it anyone else has ever combined/mixed Furosemide and Spiriactone together?

You've taken on a big commitment. Cats, like people, deteriorate, that is, their health declines, over the years, depending on many things such as diet, environment, whether inside or outside cat (exposed to many bacteria, viruses, toxins and etc. if outside), quality of water, quality of food, attentiveness of owner to problems that need a trip to the vet, knowleldge of owner about developments in vet medicine. For instance I've just read that the innoculations that animals get year after year shorten their lives. Probably the same with people!

Most of my cats have lived a long time: 20, 19, 18, 16. My present elder cat will be 16 in early May. But she is hyperthyroid. This is a problem that causes other malfunctions, including kidney issues that can be fatal and that can cause the cat to feel very sick. Your cat is an elder, so it's not unusual to discover that he is hyperthyroid. The condition is complex and expensive, requiring frequent blood testing (at least every three months, and frequently more often if I notice changes). In my area the test for elder cats is called 'senior panel' and it's around $200+ per test, which doesn't include meds and whatever else is required, such as in-office hydration.

Radio-active iodine is an option, but my cat is nearly 16 and she requires special food and is fussy about her care. She would have to be hospitalized at a special lab that is equipped to handle radiation, which would be over 100 miles from where I live, I could not be with her or take care of her, and I feel there would be a high risk and possibly a bad outcome, and the procedure would cost a thousand dollars or more. It's not an option because she is so old and I would rather do for her what I can do and at the time when I see that she is declining but before she feels really ill, I will do her the favor of a quick and painless death.

Elder cats need good homes, but people who adopt such cats should remember, or should be thoroughly informed, what may be necessary with respect to costs, number of regular vet visits (routinely four per year for elder cats and more if necessary) and should also know that hours of home-care support may be needed. For instance I am now hydrating my cat by mouth using a simple mixture of water, a small amount of honey, and a pinch of sea salt. She is beginning to be dehydrated because she is sleeping more (not a good sign) and I know the end is near, in fact I am scheduling a vet visit today. Being alert to changes and realizing that once the animal develops 'elder' disorders that time is not on their side is necessary, because 'keeping them going' is not always the kindest thing, and they can be very sick before their human companion notices.

Have a talking consult with your vet. Ask lots of questions about the cat's condition, what the various results of the blood tests mean, and what the doctor means when if he mentions things such as "kidney involvement" or other organic involvement. You need to see the big picture clearly, to know what new 'symptoms' look like (increased thirst and water drinking, rejection of food, dehydration, and etc.) so that you can judge your cat's condition as accurately as possible. Prolonging life through procedures and extreme home-care measures is not always the kindest thing to do.

Check around the internet for sites where you can find out about hyperthyroidism, kidney disorders, and whatever other disorders your cat has. You can check the same disorders in humans; they are similar in animals, and you'll get lots of info. But a well-informed vet is your best resource.

Sometimes loving caretaking combined with clear judgment about the cat's life quality is what's needed. It requires self-discipline and determination to do what's best for the animal. Only you can decide when kitty has had enough, and you must make desisions about further treatment keeping in mind your budget and the amount of time you can commit to home care. Don't feel guilty if your good judgment tells you that it's time to do the last loving thing for your friend.

Ishy's increased appetite may possibly be due to the medication he is taking for his hyperthyroidism.

Hi! My cat Avalon has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about two weeks ago. He didn't show any of the symptoms, but I brought the cat in for a general examanition and asked the vet to check everything. His blood values were very high - 194 instead of 85. About a week before the vet examined him, I started giving Avalon noni juice and grapefruit seed extract because a book on holistic cat care adviced it to improve general health. I'm now wondering if it's possible that the noni juice and/or grapefruit seed extract caused his high hyperthyroidism blood values somehow. Does someone here know if this is possible? Thank you so much for your help.

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Avalon is the star of his own cat cartoon series at http://avalon-lion.blogspot.com. You might also recognize him as the cat from the horror film The Strangers Outside.

I would very much doubt it! For one thing with a T4 of 194 it sounds as if this has been going on for some time prior to diagnosis - a lot longer than a week! It's important to bear in mind that some cats though they're in the minority, do not present with the more usual symptoms of ravenous appetite and weigh loss to name but a few. Mind you with a high T4 like this I would have expected to see some symptoms!

What medication is your cat on?

Hi Seapink.
Have you insured him?

I have an elderly cat and she is now 17 years old. When she was 14 she had Hyperthyroidism. She was put on Tablets to get the heart rate down and then i Had the thyroid removed.
My girl has always had a problem taking tablets and thought that it would be kinder for her to have the op.
The cost was about £200.
If you have to have the tablets for the rest of an animals life then it probably work out cheaper.

Well done for giving him a home.
Would love to see some pics of him

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My last rescue cat Charlie was about 12/13 (difficult to age due to the poor condition of his teeth when we adopted him) when he was diagnosed but the vet recommended removing one of his glands which cost £180 (this was about 9 years ago).

He was always a bit leaner afterwards but continued to do well, and I got the impression this is a very common and treatable condition (by medication or surgery).

We had a very good and happy 5 years (he would have been around 18) before CRF was diagnosed and the vet thought his time was up).

Ishmael sounds like a lovely boy, and he's very lucky to find someone like you. I'm sure you'll find the right way to keep him healthy and enjoy many years to come together.