*UPDATE*Brother's Cat At Vets! My Brother's Cat Digit 11 yrs. old Needs PRAYS!

[Anikaca77]

HI all,

I'm looking for advice or suggestions here.

My brothers one cat Digit he's 11 yrs. old and over the past year he has lost a lot of weight he weighed at one point probably 13 lbs. and he's now down to about 7 lbs my brother says.

My brother said Digit eats very well and just doesn't seem to be putting on the pounds. My brother also said that Digit has been throwing up hairballs every few days and that he's losing his hair like crazy.

Digit is still purring and very happy my brother says and doesn't have any bumps or anything like that on him. So I'm going to be making Digit an appointment but I figure in the meantime till we can get him into the vets. My brother has taken Digit to the vets before but he said it's about 200 a visit.

Another thing my brother said is sometimes Digit acts a little out of it but then snaps back.

Any suggestions or advice would be helpful.

Thank you,
Melissa

[Moesha]

Does he notice Digit drinking excessive amounts or peeing more than usual?

[Anikaca77]

He didn't say.

[CultureJunky]

If Digit is drinking a lot of water and peeing a lot it sounds like hyperthyroidism. He is likely to have an over active thyroid gland. I am taking Jack to the vets tomorrow to have one of his thyroid glands removed as he has been diagnosed with it just last week.
From the symptoms it sounds almost identical, the losing weight but still having and appetite and bringing up furballs sound exactly the same. Jack pulls his fur out all the time due to hyper active behaviour so brings it back up, sounds the same for digit.
Be sure to get him checked out as my vet told me just last week if it's left, because they have an increased and rapid heart beat it can cause an enlarged heart and this is dangerous and makes it harder to treat, an enlarged heart can also lead to other things like kidney failure and disease.
I'd definately get him checked over, and mention hyperthyroidism to the vets and also mention EVERY symptom, the weight loss, the vomiting etc. They'll know straight away as my vet said as soon as I told her he was losing weight it was his thryoid as it was very swollen.

I hope you find out what it is and if Digit can be sorted out Good Luck

[Moesha]

Excessive drinking and urinating with a healthy appetite and weight loss can be a sign of diabetes. Morgan didn't lose his fur before being diagnosed, but he got dandruff like flakes and his coat was dulled. He also would vomit more often. But the key to me was the drinking and urinating. I wouldn't begin to suggest Digit has diabetes, but a blood test would be a good thing to have done by your vet. A basic exam and blood test shouldn't cost $200. Just be sure to mention all symptoms.

[Catlady711]

$200 for a BASIC vet visit is outrageous. If this is the normal office call pricing I'd be looking for another vet! If that price included vaccinations, lab work, xrays or something then it probably wasn't that bad of a deal.

Apparently the cat has been losing weight for quite a while now, the longer that goes on without the cause being treated the more damage can happen to organs. I'd recommend someone get the cat to the vet, or another vet ASAP.

Drinking lots of water and peeing alot can be something quite serious from diabetes to kindey failures to hyperthyroid. It is not something to sit back and just 'watch', it is something requiring a vet visit as soon as it's noticed. The hair loss may or may not be connected with the weight loss.

Please make the earliest appt. for this cat you can get and allow them to at least run some basic lab tests to determine the problem.

Please keep us posted on what happens. I hope they can help the kitty get back to purrrfect health again.