I have a 13-year-old calico cat who began getting noticeably skinny last year. After a while, I took her to the vet, who diagnosed her as hyperthyroid and gave us a prescription (I don't remember its name). When we'd finished the pills, the condittion didn't seem to change, and she's still constantly hungry, even though there's Purina out for her all the time. I've also tried Natural Choice "adult" chow, with not much result, and I can't afford canned food. Any recommendations? She's constantly hungry, and wolfs down the canned food. Her fur is somewhat ratty-looking, but she's normally active (for a 13-year-old) and seems otherwise OK, except for being bony.
a w2010-03-31T15:45:41Z
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You wouldn't feed your family out of a bag, that sits there, for weeks on end, same thing everyday. When you do eat the same food, often, you get sick of it. so why should your cat.
My dog eats human food, nothing expensive.
You can get a can of beef stew, from the store, pretty cheap, even cheaper, you can by the store brand. and mix in rice, in a big tubberware bowl, and that could last a cat a while, my dog eats it in 2 days, so probrably more for your cat, there are tons of cheap, home-made cat recipes online, do some research. and in the end, it won't be much more than your cat food.
Hyperthyroidism does not go away, so you should not have stopped the prescription. You can treat hyperthryroidism with radiation therapy, which is a permanent treatment, after which, you do not have to give methimazole. Call your vet for a recheck, or go to a different vet if the first one didn't tell you to refill the meds.
Your cat's clinical signs are all stemming from the hyperthyroidism, and once properly managed, her appetite and hair coat should return to normal. You can feed her a high quality senior cat food, canned and dry. The most important thing is treating her hyperthyroidism. She can have serious medical complications if you leave it untreated, like hypertension, eye problems, heart disease, blood clots, and renal failure.
Hyperthyroidism is a life long condition. It doesn't just go away with a course of treatment (Methimazole). She needs to be on the medication lifelong to control her disease. The weight loss and ratty looking hair coat appearance are classic signs of this. Please give the vet a call so you can get her back on her meds.
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