Conference misery::feline_v1

    While you have the cats mouth open you can also check for ulcers
    on the gums and tongue.  Alot of upper respitory illnesses will
    cause blister like ulcers on the tongue and gums.
    
    I always tell new kitten buyers to watch for third eyelids coming
    up so that they are visible across the eye.  That is definitely
    a sign of a sick cat.
    
    Also tell them to watch for certain postures.  Laying down with
    feet tucked under, elbows out, head down, hunched over (looks kinda
    like a cornish game hen) can often be a sign that the cat doesn't
    feel well.
    
    You can also feel for the lymph nodes to see if they are swollen.
    They are on the side of the head, below the ears, kinda behind the
    cheeks (hard to describe where without a cat in front of me!). 
    When normal, you won't be able to feel them.  If you feel hard lumps
    there, the glands could be swollen, indicating some type of problem.
    
    Good topic Jill.
    
    Jo

    Thanks for the info on the lymph nodes.  While I was there, he checked
    both Merlin and Sasha for swollen lymph nodes.  Merlin's were okay --
    even though his temp was 104.8  :-(.  Sasha's, on the other hand,
    were quite swollen.  When I get home tonight, I'll check them to 
    see how they're doing--and to make sure I can find them.
    
    Jill 

    Also check for unusual discharge or "sleepers" in the eyes.  Tristan
    used to get a brownish sleeper, not gunky or anything, and we didn't
    think anything of it.  The vet said he had a viral (or bacterial?  I
    forget...) infection in the eye and we had to treat his eyes for 10
    days to get rid of it.
    
    In general, it's a good idea to check their whole bodies out while
    petting and playing with them.  We try to pet them all over, at least
    once a week (as opposed to just petting their head, or their favorite
    spot behind the ears).  This way you should notice any lumps, signs
    of fleas, whatever, before they get bad.
    
    Karen, Tristan and Tenzing.

    Having just lost my older cat, I have a suggestion for fellow owners
    of older cats.  Have a complete blood workup done on your cat every
    six months.  This will detect early signs of kidney, and liver failure,
    thyroid problems, and anemia, not to mention several other problems.
    
    Jesse was in the middle of complete liver and kidney failure before
    we discovered he was ailing.  The vet said that had we detected it 
    sooner we may have been able to reverse or at least bring it in check 
    with special diet and  medication.  By the time this was discovered 
    he was refusing to eat or drink anything.  
    
    It was too late for Jesse but maybe it won't be too late for someone 
    else's cat.  
         
    Jo

    I wouldn't want to you to blame yourself about not knowing about Jesse
    earlier.  A friend went thru several months of trying to save her
    cat who had kidney disease, but she didn't manage to.  It's entirely
    possible that you couldn't have done anything that would have helped,
    and you would have been worried and distraught (and Jesse would
    have sensed that) for months.
    

    Jo,
    
    at what age do you think that an "older cat" should require a work up?
    For example, Pip is 8, and when I broght her in last Aug and asked
    about a geriatic checkup, which would include a complete blood work up,
    the vet said that she's got a couple of more years before we need to think
    about that.
    
    Deb 

    I was thinking that once your cat started acting geriatric then
    it would be a good idea to keep up on the bloodwork.  For me that
    would have been at age 15 or 16 for Jesse.  Actually, he was fine
    until about two to three weeks ago and we had just been commenting
    on how great it was that he was able to survive the leukemia for
    so long.  (he was diagnosed in October of 1987).
    
    I don't blame myself for losing him, it was his time and he told
    me so the night before he died.  I just wanted to pass on what I
    was thinking about older cats.  Kidney and Liver problems do not
    always have to be fatal.  They can sometimes be controlled through
    diet and medication.
    
    Jo

    Jo,
    
    You are a special person to be thinking of how to help other people's
    cats in this time of loss.  I know it is diffucult to lose a pet,
    but when someone like you learns from the loss and shares it with
    us, it makes us all better people.
    
    I want to thank you for helping me with my two older ones.
    
    Kathy
    

    Thanks Jo.  I appreciate the advice.   Now that Bumpy-tail is
    11 I am starting to plan and learn a little about older cats.
    She acts more like a kitten still, but in 3-4 years, and they
    go by so fast, I'll have to start being a little more careful.
      Take care
       Nancy

    I spoke with my vet the other night about a "geriatric" checkup
    and when it should be done, since Charm is 8-9 now.  She laughed,
    as Charm hardly qualifies for "geriatric" status, and said we should
    do a "baseline" blood work up at age 10, which would give her something
    to compare other results to later on. After that, yearly checkups
    were recommended with bloodwork.
    
    It sounded quite reasonable to me.  Charm, however, was not taken
    with the idea at all and mentioned "you're as young as you feel,
    Mom."  Mom isn't listening.
    
    Mary-Michael
    

    HI.. well Pookie is 12 (next month she will be 13).. and we just
    did some "baseline bloodwork" on her a few weeks ago..... as you
    all know she had a root canal done in december, and early last month
    she was stil "not herself.. ahem..she was favoring one sode of her
    mouth and actually eating wet food..!!!!! so off we went..  they
    of course found nothing wronfg, and she turned up her nose to
    "her lunch there".. ie wet food.. heh-heh.. to make a long
    story short,the vet felt that her mouth may still be a little
    tender......from the oral surgery..still..and we did some baseline
    bloodwork just to see if we missed something.. he was quite surprised
    to find as he put it.. she is one very healthy little girl!!!..and
    of course.. Pookie said of course  you silly human.. .. just a small
    aside there/.. heh-heh...
    regards
    Kate