Drum is drinking a lot

[jezebel]

Thanks!

She seems perfectly okay so I'm not too worried. Apparently 14 is 72 in cat years so she's doing well!

[LouiseJ]

Fingers crossed the tests come back ok. It could just be the weather 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Mine would be a nightmare, Misa only likes going outside and far too big to get anything under him even if he used a tray.

Sasa also likes to go out but cant get close to her and as for Lupin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope tests cpme back OK, thats a lot of money 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Poor Drum - I hope she's ok.  Even if she does have kidney disease or something at least you will have caught it early and if she has no other symptoms it is likely to be in the early stages.

re wee sample - I found it surprisingly easy to get a sample from Jaffa in the end but I suppose it depends on the cat and whether they mind you following them around!  I followed Jaffa to the tray and when he crouched to do his business I popped a plant pot saucer underneath him then poured it from there into the sample pot.  Not sure Mosi would have been as obliging (or as easy given his fluffy posterior!)

[jezebel]

To get Lewis to use this I had to put the litter tray in our bathroom, and go for a wee myself, then he joined in. 

That is so sweet!

[jezebel]

Vet could find nothing else wrong with Drum - no soreness or anything - although she has lost a little bit of weight (possibly from being at the cattery last week). He took a blood and urine sample (£178  ) and we should get the results in a couple of days. Fingers/paws crossed there's nothing wrong.

Bless her, she handled it very well, even had a walk around the consulting room while the vet was talking to us!

[Reets]

Hope the trip went well too.

Our vets have a urine collecting kit which consists of non absorbant sand and a pipette.  To get Lewis to use this I had to put the litter tray in our bathroom, and go for a wee myself, then he joined in.  Pipette at the ready when we had both finished I got the same from him!  To avoid them padding in wee (which they find most offensive) its a good idea to put something small under the front of the tray so it runs away from them as it were!

Hope all is well, I forgot to mention that Bruno used to drink loads, but in his case it was to 'refill the tanks' so he could mark his territory at every opportunity outside, and there was nothing at all wrong with him.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Hope all went well 

[Lyn (Slugsta)]

I hope that the vet visit went well Jezebel.

[jezebel]

Problem is, she shares a litter box with her sister!

I just phoned the vet and I'm taking her in shortly. The nurse said they would probably do a blood test.

Poor Drum, this is her fourth trip in the car in a month!

[Dawn F]

I've always followed them around with a tea cup (not joking!) but if they use a litter tray you can buy plastic beads as litter and drain the urine off

[jezebel]

Thanks Reets.

How on earth do you get a urine sample from a cat?

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I would definately speak to you vet again

[Reets]

If she hates going to the vet then it may be that a urine sample might indicate if there are any kidney problems, and this could be taken at home and then taken to the vets and Drum would not necessarily need to go there.

My girl Rosie presented with kidney problems in just this way, nothing untoward except that she was drinking at lot and peeing a lot.  The urine test showed that she had protein in her urine and needed medication.

Lewis, my rescue boy drinks and pees a lot.  He has done since we got him 8 months ago, even though his estimated age is only 7.  However he has had a tough life.  The vet tested his urine - it was very diluted (a sign the kidneys are not functioning at their best), but no protein, so no meds for him as yet, though that time may come.

[jezebel]

I'm a little worried about Drum, she started drinking more than normal a few months ago but I put it down to the really hot weather (which lasted for ages here). Now it's cooler but she's still drinking often. Her poo has been slightly soft for a while as well (not diarhoea, just not very firm).

On the plus side, she's eating well, is happy and affectionate and not doing anything out of character, and she hasn't lost any weight.

I know drinking more (especially at her age - 14) can be a symptom of kidney disease, hyperthyroidism and diabetes but wouldn't she get other symptoms if she had anything like that?

She stresses hugely about going in the car anywhere and so I don't want to take her to the vet if I don't have to. She had her jabs a month ago and I mentioned this to the vet at the time who said to just keep an eye on her.