[LittleGray]

Hey guys, I'm new here and really worried about my 12 year old cat.

As a kitten he had fleas, that was many, many years ago but ever since, he has been allergic to flea bite saliva. All his life he has been getting steriod shots to keep him from itching constantly and loosing his hair. Even though he has not had fleas since he was 6 months old, he still needs the shots. He usually gets them every 6 weeks and we were told he'll always need them but they will shorten his life, yet provide a much happier one.

Anyway, it was weird... after 6-10 weeks he always needed a shot and recently he went almost a year without one and was fine. We took him in last night for one because of a "rash" on his back and he started itching. Today, he threw up 6 times, it was a liquid-yellow throw up and not a hair ball. He seems to "cry" right before it happens, I also noticed he has been steadily loosing weight and started pooping on the floor on occasion.

He is 12, 13 in March so he is a pretty old cat, but he never acted his age. He was always playful and energentic up until recently. What do you think is up? I couldn't bare to part with this cat, he is a part of the family.

If it helps, he still has a full apetite and still eats as always. Especially his favorite, cooked white chicken breast.

 

[AngelZoo]

This cat needs to go to a vet asap.

Right now, keep him on a strict regular diet, so there is no other possible contributing factors. In other words if he eats basically his dry kibble, keep him on that, no more human food or treats for the time being.

Have you tried flea prevention for this cat to help with this problem?
There are many animals whom are allergic to flea bites, loosing their fur, terrible and even sometimes bloody rashes, though I'm a bit perplexed as to why they decided to put this cat on steriods for this? Normal treatment at our practice is medicated shampoo, ointment, and flea prevention, works like a dream!

You need to figure out what's going on, and this is something your vet can handle, if they are unable to help you with finding answers, do not hesitate to get all your records for him, and get a second opinion from another vet, and soon.

 

[kitkat]

Yup, get a 2nd opinion.. I dont know about the steroid part and such but maybe another vet wouldn't recommend it, its always good to get another opinion to make sure. Good Luck :!:

 

[Annissa]

I feel like I'm constantly bringing this up, but please bear with me...

LittleGray: Does your cat drink a lot of water? More than normal? How much is he peeing? Is it a lot? More than normal?

The vomiting, pooing, and weight loss sound just like what Sabby was doing before he was diagnosed with diabetes. Along with that, he was drinking an abnormal amount of water. Like a gallon a day. And he was peeing a lot too. I use clumping litter and he would soak a whole box of it daily. It was his way of trying to get the sugar out of his system. His appetite was fairly normal. If anything, he wanted *more* food, but that wasn't unusual; he's always been a glutton. By the time I got him to the vet he had lost seven pounds. His skin was just hanging on bone.

Please get your cat to the vet and have him tested. If it turns out to be diabetes, don't panic. There is a lot of help available. Please let us know how it turns out.

Sabby is currently happy and healthy. It's a little extra work, but it's worth it.