big cat trouble

[the doctor]

hi apache,

i have trouble with my cat, well at least i thought i did,

sooty is 19 and has never been to the vet apart from neutering at a young age. my wife says she has not been eating this last couple of days.

every night i scoop her up from the couch to put her in the kitchen. i pick her up by the belly and under the bottom to roll her on her back in my arms. i then give her a tickle saying goodnight as i put her on a cushion on a kitchen table.

last night as i picked her up she gave a cry and white stuff spurted out of her back end.....she then walked around dripping this white goo mixed with blood (more light pink). she would not let me touch her but the goo was dripping from her behind to the side of her rectum. there was also a red stringy mass hanging out of her fur, a bit like a red teardrop.

i stayed up with her a while because i feared the worse! however, she then ate a little and hopped up on the couch allowing me to stroke her and then she started to purr.

obviously there is something very wrong but she does not seem to be in pain and continued to purr when petted.

i came home tonight and the dripping is stopped and she appears to have cleaned herself up....

was it some kind of monster "zit" or have i got trouble? i appreciate her age and know her time is short. she is fat and cannot bound around these days but as i said appears to be happy with a shiny coat.

 

[Apache]

mmm

sounds like you could have squeezed an abscess or cyst. Was this just by her anus? Did the fluid smell foul? Could have been one of her anal glands discharging.

19y/o is old!

Any changes in her eating or drinking habits?

 

[the doctor]

hi apache

the discharge was to the side of her anus, sort of at the top of her leg.

she is wincing a little when i feel, there is a small lump there still but it is soft

as to her eating habits, well she has been off her food but seems a little better now, she has never been a drinker

as i said she seems happy in herself, i was worried last night:|

 

[bigclive]

Was talking to some friends about ageing cats and how their organs burn out before their bodies do. Cats never seem to die dignified deaths. Another friend suggested that to lessen the trauma of losing a pet, get a kitten when it is clear the older cat is starting to go downhill. That way the grief of a passing pet is lessened.

Same applies to dogs. There's a whole culture out there of solitary men and women who have a dog or cat as their life companion. For them it's even more important to soften the blow of their pet dying.

 

[Apache]

hi apachethe discharge was to the side of her anus, sort of at the top of her leg.

she is wincing a little when i feel, there is a small lump there still but it is soft

as to her eating habits, well she has been off her food but seems a little better now, she has never been a drinker

as i said she seems happy in herself, i was worried last night:|

If it's an abscess and it's sore it may heal much faster with some antibiotics.

Maybe safest to have a trip down to the vets to be sure?

 

[Apache]

Was talking to some friends about ageing cats and how their organs burn out before their bodies do. Cats never seem to die dignified deaths.

I would like to strongly disagree with you there! As many of my patients die as dignified death as possible. You have a duty of care to your animals and when the time has come they should be put to sleep humanely, not left to drag on because the owner is attached.

This is every owners legal, moral and ethical duty.

Another friend suggested that to lessen the trauma of losing a pet, get a kitten when it is clear the older cat is starting to go downhill. That way the grief of a passing pet is lessened.Same applies to dogs. There's a whole culture out there of solitary men and women who have a dog or cat as their life companion. For them it's even more important to soften the blow of their pet dying.

Not even convinced, sorry. If you have a second child do you love the first one less?

If your old pet needs a bit more care and attention worrying about a new puppy or kitten isn't ideal. A new puppy/kitten may play with the old pet, force it to do more and make heart conditions/ arthritis etc worse.

By all means get a new pet when the old one has gone or when you feel you have the time and money to commit to a new pet but not so you have 'fluffy's' replacement waiting in the wings for when your old pet dies!

 

[bigclive]

I would like to strongly disagree with you there! As many of my patients die as dignified death as possible. You have a duty of care to your animals and when the time has come they should be put to sleep humanely, not left to drag on because the owner is attached.

I didn't mean it that way. It's just such a shame that cats are so athletic that they seem so fit when they get to the age that health issues arise. Yes I agree that you should not let an old pet suffer, although it's always heartbreaking to make the decision to let them be put down.

 

[Apache]

I didn't mean it that way. It's just such a shame that cats are so athletic that they seem so fit when they get to the age that health issues arise. Yes I agree that you should not let an old pet suffer, although it's always heartbreaking to make the decision to let them be put down.

In a funny paradox it is the worst and best part of my job. No vet likes doing it but it is the ultimate in reliving suffering. The kindest thing we can do for gods dumb animals.

A dignity we can't give our fellow humans.

 

[the doctor]

oh and by the way there was no noticeable smell from the discharge...

but i will consider a trip to the vet, even though she hates cars and is highly aggressive when cornered by people in uniforms.....

 

[bigclive]

A dignity we can't give our fellow humans.

But one which my dad unexpectedly took last year when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour and started going downhill.

Now THAT was a traumatic experience.

 

[Apache]

oh and by the way there was no noticeable smell from the discharge...

puss is very variable - can stink or not smell at all. Depends on the bacteria involved.

Sebum (from a cyst) is greasy substance that doesn't smell.

My advice would be to get it checked - to be sure

 

[the doctor]

hi

just to let you know how it all went.

sooty was purring again and the discharge stopped. She now has a healing wound and a bald patch at the top of her leg near her tail....let's see if she makes it to 20 in october....

she has missing teeth and dribbles when she purrs

i never got to the vets:O

 

[Apache]

hijust to let you know how it all went.

sooty was purring again and the discharge stopped. She now has a healing wound and a bald patch at the top of her leg near her tail....let's see if she makes it to 20 in october....

she has missing teeth and dribbles when she purrs

i never got to the vets:O

Thanks for letting us know

 

[the doctor]

Hi Apache.

Cant believe it is this long since my querie....

Sooty is sat next to me purring a preening herself....

She has started thining out in fur cover here and there but still seems happy, though she still dribbles like an old woman:Applaud

not bad for 20 though!

 

[Apache]

Hi Apache.Cant believe it is this long since my querie....

Sooty is sat next to me purring a preening herself....

She has started thining out in fur cover here and there but still seems happy, though she still dribbles like an old woman:Applaud

not bad for 20 though!

Thanks for the update