Cat is drinking constantly

[debodun]

I have an older cat - all white with 6 toes on his front paws. He may be around 15 years and just can't seem to get enough water. He prefers to drink running water too. I fill bowls but he will also jump up to a sink and try to lick the faucet or drink out of the toilet that's just been flushed. He also seems to be losing weight and he urinates, frequently and unfortunately, on the carpets and not the litter box. It smells strongly of ammonia. When he is sleeping, I notice his breathing seems labored, like he's out of breath even when asleep. Any ideas what's going on here? I have a vet visit coming up and I'd like to know what is the best thing to do. If its diabetes or kidney problems, to treat it or just have the cat euthanized?

[Jade59]

I'm so sorry to hear this sad update.  I'm very sorry for your loss.  

[debodun]

My cat passed away. The vet said it was a thyroid problem, common in older cats. I gave the cat methimazole for several months, but it didn't seem to have much effect. I called the vet and reported this only to be told that if the condition has gone untreated a long time before the diagnosis, sometimes the treatments won't work.

I came home from work and didn't see the cat, which is unusual, because he always came to greet me when I got home, but I figured he was sleeping somewhere. When he didn't show up by bedtime, I went looking for him and discovered him dead under a chair in the living room. Why do they always crawl under or behind something to die?

[christy195050]

It is a bit late to stop feeding him is favorites but when we had a very old girl of 24 staying she was a very fussy eater and would not eat anything they gave her but when the lady was cooking with some mince she went mad for it and ever since then she just loves mince beef and chicken and she is very healthy especially for a 24 year old with no teeth. You can also suppliment their diet with a vitamin paste on the paw so they can lick it off every other day.

[debodun]

What do you suggest feeding him? He doesn't have many teeth left and prefers canned cat food.

[christy195050]

We have a lot of cats with thyriod problems and it is caused in the main by eating food from poptop cans you will find a lot about this on the web.
There is a great new way of medicating cats with thyriod problems as I have to do this for two of my clients.
You can get the medication in a syringe with dosages marked on the outside. You put on a pair of gloves (as this medication can go through your skin bit like a patch) you squeeze down the required dose and you gently massage it into the cats inside ear near the tip where it as little hair. Cats love it as they think you are scratching or tickling their ears. One cat we have visiting has two doses a day and we remember which ear as it has to be alternated by saying brown for morning and black for evening (he is a multi colored cat)
Another way is to get hold of one of this pill grinders looks like a little round eye cream jar but has a diamond shaped inverted lid that when you screw the lid it pulverizes the tablet so fine that is is very easy to mix into their food. You have to give them only a little bit of food first so that they eat it all then if you want to feed them some more then you can do so once they have eat the lot with the tablet in. Strong fishy ones are the best as they disguise the taste if there is any.
The last one that I use on one of my own cats is to pulverise the tablet between two spoons(inverted into each other) then add a little warm milk mix then draw it up into a syringe then place the nozzle into the corner of the mouth angled back towards back teeth whilst holding you kitty like a baby then gentley squeeze the plunger down until it has drunk it all. They will lick with their tongues as they keep up with swolllowing the liquid do not push faster than they are swollowing as make get some into their lungs by accident.
best of luck...

[debodun]

I had this cat to the vet this week and they ran a series of blood tests. Come to find out, it 's a thyroid problem. The vet said his thyroid was the size of a quarter. His sugar and kidney functions are normal. Now I have to five him medicine twice a day. At first the vet gave me chews, but the cat wouldn't eat them even if I hid them in food. he'd eat around where the chew was. Then I tried putting the chew in the back of his mouth, but he's just spit it out no matter how many times I tried. Then the vet gave me some liquid to try, but the cat is afraid of me now. He runs away and hides when I come in the door. He knows he's going to get dosed! There are a lot of places to hide in a 2500 sq ft house with lots of furniture in it. This is so frustrating. Any advice on how to get the cat on friendly terms again or how I can get him to stop hiding?

[Katie611]

hi. i think it kidney problems cause my cat who was 19 had the exactly the same symptoms. Is he eating? good sign if he is. they may give him streiods to help him. they will do a blood test too, to find out what going on..I tried  everything to help my george, he let me know when he hed enough, you will no too.... keep in touch

[Savas]

It's possibly diabetes. Talk to your vet about treatment options. It's not the end of the world, even in an older cat. Don't go planning the funeral yet, or your kitty may be offended. :)