Please give me some advice!

[JackSpratt]

Where does she sleep? Maybe allowing her to sleep in the bedroom would help? (Or it'll keep you awake all night!)

She's allowed in the bedroom already. (Always has been, except for a short space of time we were trying to get the cats not to take the luxury for granted. We failed, obviously )

The cats have two wicker baskets with fleecey lining and two walk in wardrobes with beds made up in the bottom in there. They can either sleep in one of their own beds or on ours. She does seem to calm down once she's heard one of us. (Admittedly, at 3 in the morning it's usually along the lines of "Shurrruppp!" but anyone who woke me up at 3am would get that reaction!)

[Elaine]

My dear old boy Winston used to cry in the night too.  I used to get up and take him back to bed with me.  He would soon settle when he was close to me.  That said a little later down the line he started to really wail in the night and was diagnosed with high blood pressure.  Might be worth as a course of action to have his blood pressure checked regularly just to keep an eye as its quite common in crf cats.

[Hippykitty]

Where does she sleep? Maybe allowing her to sleep in the bedroom would help? (Or it'll keep you awake all night!)

[JackSpratt]

OK, last night Old Mog decided that since she'd been diagnosed it gave her license to cry sporadically on and off the entire night. Does anyone have any tips on reassuring an elderly cat that's lost it's marbles?

[JackSpratt]

Hmmmm. Does anyone have a contact addy for Dawn? If so, could they PM me?

[Desley (booktigger)]

Aww!! Shame Dawn K doesn't post on her anymore, am sure she had a cat where the vet tried some treatment for a similar thing (admittedly, wasn't licenced, but that seems to be the case with a lot of meds at the moment).

[JackSpratt]

Thanks Christine.

It's rubbish but at least I know she's not crying because she hurts somewhere. Doesn't help much on the sleep front, though. 

[Christine (Blip)]

Well, I'm glad there's nothing sinister going on. I guess we'll all lose our marbles sooner or later. Sigh...

PS I acknowledge this comment doesn't help you much, JS.

  to you and Old Mog anyway

[JackSpratt]

UPDATE ON OLD MOG: After her check up it's been established that she doesn't have enough symptoms for hyperT for that to be the problem. The diagnosis? Senility. My Old Girl's losing her marbles! No treatment can be given essentially, so it's a case of dealing with her noise.

[CurlyCatz]

nope vns are legally ok if qualified to do those sort of post op checks. 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I've only ever been for 2 post op checks - Jaffa's dental and Mosi's neutering - and both were done by a vet.  I assume it's because they need to be "signed off" by a vet so to speak rather than because a VN is not capable of checking them over.  If there was a problem and it was missed by the VN then I imagine the vet would be left open to legal action.  The VNs at my vets will advse re flea, worming treatment and when Jaffa had his blood tests (taken from his neck) that was all dealt with by the VNs.  But I had to discuss the results with the vet himself.  My vets is also a VN training centre.

[JackSpratt]

Jack did ya get pm?

Yes, I did CC and I've just responded.

Thanks Desley. Hopefully they'll be able to tell me it'll take one tablet a day to get her back in synch!

[Desley (booktigger)]

Good luck for next week.
As for the VN bit - my vet tells all owners about blood test results, regardless of good or bad, they do remove stitches, and do nurse clinics such as weight, etc (no idea what else they do, the senior one is at the other branch), but they can do things like taking blood samples too.

[ccmacey]

Jack did ya get pm?

[JackSpratt]

Won't be this week Old Mog will be going for a check up, it'll be next week. (For definate.) I'm told by a leading authority that this situation is likely to be much more stressful to me than it is to my cat!

[CurlyCatz]

yes of course for the likes of badgers illness that definately should be a vet. 

[Ela]

quote]Ela do your nurses not actually have much of anything to do with the owners then and vets are the ones doing ALL the post op stuff ?  [/quote]

When you collect a pet after an op if it is routine the a VN will bring it out hand over the advise sheet and run through it. You know the stuff light diet etc. However, if there is anything other than run of the mill such as when my Badger had his spleen out the vet always comes out.

A vet also is the one who speaks after an op to the owner by phone.

if so then i cant see the nurses being happy

The nurses are very happy and our vets have a very low turn over rate, in fact the only reason I can think of in many years for one leaving is pregnancy.

The vet nurses obviously are in surgery and also one goes out with a vet on all home visits. Also one is always available for  the consulting rooms to give assistance when needed.
 
The vet nurses do the  free checks for fleas etc

[CurlyCatz]

VN's are qualified to give advice and make judgement calls over the phone ie for the run of the mill been sick, had diarhoea, general queries etc etc and also they are more than able to do post op discharges again for mostly everyday stuff and also for discussing blood results where there isnt major problems.  For other things again some are more than capable but its only fair that the vet should give them their time.

the yowling is/can be caused by hyperT but im not sure the evidence 100% says its cause of hardened arterys and certainly no vn should ever have said it was.

Ela do your nurses not actually have much of anything to do with the owners then and vets are the ones doing ALL the post op stuff ?  if so then i cant see the nurses being happy at the vets lack of confidence in them unless they were rubbish at their jobs but you have been complimentary of your nurses so i cant see that being the case.  Its such bad man management for nurses to not be used for what they are qualified and competant to do and totally devalues the qualification in the first place.

Jack i hope you get on ok at the vets this week.

[Iluvcritters]

Sending Hugs and prayers

[smudgepickles]

H Jack
Just wanted to also send you both lots and lots of    from me and all my babies and hope you get the problem resolved

Take care

xx

[JackSpratt]

Thanks Helen. Mild panic was setting in; I already have to get insulin and needles for one of my others as mentioned previously! An extra £25 a month would've been a stretch, whereas £8-12 well, that's do-able.(Just!)

[Tiggy's Mum]

Tiggy never had the yowling symptom as she couldn't meow at all - she really was the perfect cat!

One of our lads silent mews, which we love! He's so sweet when he does it. He CAN meow (I'm pretty sure he's part siamese) just chooses not to sometimes.

So it will cost approximately £25 a month, dependant on dosage?

No, not £25 per month - 100 tablets are £25 so it could be as low as £8 a month if the dosage is 1 per day as per Gillian's Elsa or in Tiggy's case it worked out to about £12 per month.

Tiggy used to do the silent meows too, she would open her mouth but nothing came out - I think she may have been a goldfish in a previous life!

[JackSpratt]

Tiggy never had the yowling symptom as she couldn't meow at all - she really was the perfect cat!

One of our lads silent mews, which we love! He's so sweet when he does it. He CAN meow (I'm pretty sure he's part siamese) just chooses not to sometimes.

So it will cost approximately £25 a month, dependant on dosage?

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

But I wouldn't expect a VN to tell an owner what they think may be the problem with their cat, esp over the phone.

I agree at our vets it is always a vet who gives any advice, even after bloods or an op it is the vet who actually informs you of the results.

When I went to collect Jaffa's blood test results nobody but a vet was allowed to give me the results.  Even though there was nothing to worry about I had to sit there for nearly an hour until the vet was free and could discuss them with me.  A VN is simply not qualified to diagnose, no matter how experienced or knowledgeable they may be.

Good luck with the vet visit, Jackspratt

[Ela]

Ela, I don't think vetuk give commision on prescription drugs

Oh right, but I am still gaining arn't I so I can always give some of my saving on to the branch.

[Tiggy's Mum]

Ela, I don't think vetuk give commision on prescription drugs (I'm sure someone else who has a link to the site told me that).  At least you will save yourself £15 odd quid though!  My vet used to give me a repeat prescription which vetuk held on file so it was no hassle at all.

[Ela]

Well I paid £37.50 for 100 5mg tablets

I am paying £41.42 for  my Jeannie and she is on 2  a day, but I am going to get a prescription and get the from Vets UK via the link on my site and then I will be in a win, win situation as I am saving money and our Cats Protection branch  will get a 5% commission.

[Tiggy's Mum]

Good luck at the vets   

I used to get Tiggy's felimazole from vetuk - £25 for 100.  Tiggy was on 2 tabs five times a week and 2 'days of rest' where she just had one tablet, one pot of tablets lasted me just over 8 weeks.  If the dose is lower like Gillian's Elsa then one pot will last around 3 1/2 months.

Tiggy never had the yowling symptom as she couldn't meow at all - she really was the perfect cat!

[Gillian Harvey]

Hiya,

Well I paid £37.50 for 100 5mg tablets for Elsa from my vet - but have since discovered from being on here that you can get them much cheaper online, with a prescription from your vet, so thats what I'll be doing next time I need to get some. Elsa just takes 1 5mg tablet a day now, she was on 10 mg but that dose was too much for her, so it was adjusted. At www.vetuk.co.uk it would have been about £25.

[Millys Mum]

Glad you had more sleep last night!
Had a quick look on vet uk and 5mg tabs are 25p (its felimazole they use) so you can get a prescription to save money. Its the blood tests to find the right dose that cost the most!

[JackSpratt]

Gillian, sorry to be cheeky but how much are meds for hyper T? I'll obviously find a way to afford them, as I did last year when one of my cats was diagnosed with diabetes, but it pays to be prepared!

[Gillian Harvey]

I'm beginning to feel like the worst cat mum in the world, because she's driving me to distraction. I love her an awful lot, but it's emotionally (and physically with the lack of sleep!) draining.

And the other cats all look at her like "For heavens sake, shut up!!"

If the yowing its due to hyperthyroidism - it DOES drive you to distraction - I know! and it is some scarey noise     If it is hyperthyroidism the meds will help, altough the vocalising won't stop immediately, but it WILL stop evenutally, well it certainly did with my Elsa who was diagnosed nearly 2 yrs ago now.

Good luck at the vets.

[Ela]

But I wouldn't expect a VN to tell an owner what they think may be the problem with their cat, esp over the phone.

I agree at our vets it is always a vet who gives any advice, even after bloods or an op it is the vet who actually informs you of the results.

[tammy]

Good luck at the vets 

[JackSpratt]

Thanks Hippykitty. I'm feeling not so bad today, I only got woken up ONCE last night! She's still going to the vets (hopefully Tuesday, but day to be confirmed!) next week, though.

[Hippykitty]

Just had a quick look at my book on thyroid probs (human, mine's underactive) and what you're cat is exhibiting seems to indicate she needs to start meds. She may be feeling hot, nervous, hungry, need to poop more often, have achey joints, etc - basically she could be feeling very uncomfortable. This could be relieved by treatment to dampen her thyroid action.

So it seems natural that she's meowing for attention - she wants more food, to go to the loo, to play with you and run off her excess energy, or to tell you she's out of sorts.

Seems like the best course of action is to have her thyroid levels rechecked and meds started.

Good luck 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I can't offer any advice but just wanted to wish you luck and say that I'm thinking of you and your little one.  I hope the vet can come up with some ideas and it's not as bad as you think.

The receptionist in my vets is the vn too, I just presume this is the same in most vets?

Not at my vets.  They have actual receptionists and I don't know what, if any, qualifications or training they have.  Although of course a VN may pick up the phone.  But I wouldn't expect a VN to tell an owner what they think may be the problem with their cat, esp over the phone.

[Mark]

The receptionist said her increased vocalness could be due to hardening arteries making it harder for oxygen to get to her brain.

I remember reading on here a while ago that cats can eat a lot of animal fats and don't get hardened arteries due to their lifespan.

[Christine (Blip)]

More  JackSpratt

[JackSpratt]

Thanks so much for your supportive words. I'm beginning to feel like the worst cat mum in the world, because she's driving me to distraction. I love her an awful lot, but it's emotionally (and physically with the lack of sleep!) draining.

And the other cats all look at her like "For heavens sake, shut up!!"