Complete Care for Your Aging Cat - Amy Shojai [48]
The increased fluids almost immediately improved Kricket’s demeanor. She started to come looking for breakfast instead of waiting to be served. She reestablished her position as queen cat by pestering Tiff the Terror, smacking the white cat’s gray ears each time she came within reach. And afterwards, she slept like a log (snores and all), awoke and demanded more comb time with lots of head butts.
Even more telling, Kricket started purring like a freight train throughout the fluid treatment. Karen and Len knew they were out of the woods when Pumpkin left Kricket’s side and returned to his position in the bay window to watch the birds.
Ten days after the catheter had been implanted, a checkup showed that Kricket’s kidney values had gone down significantly, and she’d gained another half pound to reach 8-½ pounds. Len and Karen were thrilled at the news.
“I would recommend the catheter implant to anybody,” says Karen, “But I would warn them to be prepared for some bumpy roads.”
The subcutaneous catheter implants are still quite new, and as with any innovative therapy, unforeseen problems could potentially develop—and hopefully will be corrected should that happen. Some cats have developed infections from the implant, for example, which means special care must be taken to prevent this.
“I’m not saying all our problems are past. I am sure we will face more as time goes by, but for now, things are good for Kricket—and for us,” says Karen. She says Dr. Barcevac and everyone at Desoto Animal Hospital, from the front desk all the way to the back, has been compassionate and supportive. “I just wish every animal had access to such loving care.”
Nutritional Support
Nothing is more important to your aging cat than good nutrition. Old cats have fewer reserves, and going 24 hours without food can tip the balance of health into decline. Good nutrition is vital not only to maintain the older cat’s health, but also to support him during illness and help him recover.
Reduced sense of smell due to age, or a stopped up nose, can make a particular taste seem more intense, says Nancy E. Rawson, Ph.D., of the Monel Chemical Senses Center, a nonprofit research institute in Philadelphia dedicated to research in the fields of taste, smell, chemical irritation and nutrition. “The frequent complaint of elderly patients that the food ‘tastes too salty’ or ‘doesn’t taste right’ is linked to this altered perception,” she says, and aging cats likely experience similar changes in the way foods taste. In elderly humans, odors of a given concentration are perceived as half as intense as they are to younger people, so boosting the smell and flavors of foods are helpful for elderly cats.
Feeling bad for any reason often prompts cats to stop eating. Even healthy cats dislike change. When your cat needs a new diet, perhaps to address a heart condition, kidney problems, or just to change over to a senior formula, it can be tricky to cajole the cat to eat. Cats, especially those that are overweight, tend to develop devastating liver problems as a result of fasting, so it’s vital that your aging cat continue to eat. Use one or more of these techniques to keep your cat well fed.
· Switch foods slowly: Nothing upsets the aging cat’s feelings (or tummy) more quickly, or prompts him to snub the bowl with more determination, than an abrupt diet change. If a switch is in order—whether to a quality “senior” product or a therapeutic diet for a health condition—do so gradually. Offer a 50/50 mixture of the new diet with the old food for the first week. Then give him a third of the old mixed with two-thirds of new food for another several days, and finally feed the new food exclusively.
· Offer alternatives: The new diet may