Conference misery::feline

    Has she had a good physical (including blood work) lately?
    
    A dull coat can be the result of a lot of things like the food tha tcat
    eats to some underling illness.
    
    Deb

    
    	Nope, no physical in a long time, I can't afford the Vet's, they
    have always killed me in ridiculous bills. She is healthy, I onlt just
    changed her food recently, if this goes on any longer I guess I have to
    take her to the Vet. They'll probably charge me $100 just to look at
    her.

    re: .2
    
    You're going to the wrong vet if they charge that much.
    
    Bob

    Tis true...that there are many different kitty problems that
    have symptoms of a dull coat.  It could be as simple as having
    worms or more complex problems...BUT only vet test will tell.
    
    If your kitty does go out...and she has not been wormed for
    quite awhile......I would start by bringing a stool sample
    to the vet to check for worms.   That normally cost between
    $6-7 dollars.   If worms are ruled out...you might need further
    expensive tests....BUT isn't your kitty worth it!
    
    Sandy

    My vet's standard office visit charge is about $15.
    

    
    	I have had crappy experiences with Vet's. I just need to find a
    good one in my area, I just moved too, so I haven't checked it out yet.
    I know it's not worms. They just had thier dose of de-wormer recently.
    	thanks.katy
    

    
    
    	Katy,
    
    	Where do you live?  There are lots of folks in here with 
    	wonderful vets who would be more than happy to recommend
    	them.
    
    	JJ
    

    Have you gone back to the old food, just to see if the new stuff is the
    culprit?  I fed tuna (white, dolphin-safe, packed in water) to my
    "boys" for their first birthday and *one* of the two cats was a total
    greaseball for several days afterward--I mean it looked like he got 
    dunked in mineral oil.  There was no scent, and there was no spillage of 
    anything he could have rolled in; his only change was the tuna (and his 
    litter-brother was unscathed).  There were no lasting effects,
    fortunately!
    
    Leslie  

    I live in Grafton, Ma.   I NEVER give my cats tuna. Just the juice from
    it
    once in a GREAT while. Not good for 'em at all. I never really had them
    on one kind of food for an extended period of time. I buy a 10 lb. bag
    of dry food for $4.00 at the grocery store, they like it, they eat it.
    I will not pay big bucks for cat food you can only buy at a pet store
    or a vets. 
    			Katy

    Hi Katy,
    	I wouldn't feed the cat raw eggs...people shouldn't eat
    it...neither should animals,they could probably catch selmanela
    poisioning also....and if you are giving your cats those over the
    counter worm pills...read very carefully...it doesn't prevent
    round worm...the most common in cats...my cat Stevie had them,with
    the dull coat etc....when she was treated..and cured(by a vet)the coat
    got better too!.....a trip to the Vet might be the only way to tell
    what's happening to her....maybe try some over the counter cat
    vitamins?....Good luck "Fab-Woman"!
    			Paula

    Hi Katy,
    
    re .9, I didn't mean to suggest that *you* were feeding them tuna.  I
    just meant that since you said in .2 that you had recently changed
    their food, you might consider that as the cause of the dull coat (and
    I gave the tuna example to show what a drastic effect one food can
    have on one cat).
    
    Heavens to mergatroid, I can't afford to give them Geisha every day
    either!  (It was a birthday-only treat for my last cat, but after
    Skrufy's experience it's a people-only treat.)
    
    FWIW, I think my vet charges about $26-30 for an office visit (no shots
    or 'scrips).
    
    Leslie      

    Hi Katy,
    
    I feed my kittys the LOW ASH, LOW MAGNESIUM dry and wet cat food and
    they have beautiful coats.  I have two (out of seven) black cats and
    their coats are full, silky, and shiny.  I pay about $4.00 for a 3 1/2
    lb bag and wonder if, just maybe, you could consider upgrading the
    quality of the food you are giving them?  Please don't take that as
    negative, just a suggestion.  I live in New Hampshire and use the
    Hooksett Vet Clinic and they are wonderful.  Just ask my Black Thunder
    who survived the big C word.
    
    Sandi, mom to the Notorious Seven
    

    
    We recently took in a stray who was very scruftie looking, her coat was
    not shiny and she just looked dull.  It turned out that she had a tape
    worm, which didn't fix the coat problem, but she did have roundworm. 
    When she had the medicine for worms, which was $11.00, her coat looked
    better in a few days. 
    
    Do your cats drink enough water?  This will sometime make them look
    dull, especially in the winter.  
    
    Lisa

    
    	HI "fab women#2!!!!"
    
    	Yes, my cats drink a lot of water, so much it's a wonder they
    aren't dripping out of thier ears! Her coat is looking a bit better but
    not much. Could it be the season that does it also??
    	
    		"Fab woman." Katy

    
    not to scare you, but if the cat is drinking that much water, it could
    be a sign of diabetes (which is very easy and inexpensive to treat).

    Deb (with a diabetic 18-year old cat)

a scruffy dull coat and lots of water-drinking were
symptoms of kidney troubles (thankfully, minor) in my cat
several years ago.  to this day I try to stay aware of
her coat and drinking habits.  I would check with a vet.  

    
    	She's not the one drinking as much as Yip-Yip. Resin has never
    really been seen drinking water, but lately (the past year or so) she
    has become a thirsty kitty. 
    	The male(Yip) is constantly drinking water, if his bowl goes empty,
    he goes into the bathtub, bathroom sink, or kitchen sink. Even in
    puddles from leak by the wahing machine! I never took being thirsty as
    a sign of anything wrong. Very interesting.
    
    	Thanx.........8*0

    re .12  what brand of low-ash catfood is that?
            typically low-ash mustn't taste as good as the rest (I think)
    	    since my former cat just refused it.
    	    
    Dull coat -- worth a vet check-up in my opinion, quality food is a 
    must. Off-the-shelf brands are like feeding McDonalds to them, maybe
    with the exception of Purina catfood (the basic one in the blue bag).
    I would definitely stay away from the canned stuff - mostly rubbish.
    

    RE .18
    
    I buy the Triumph, both canned and dry, food at Just for Pets.  I stay 
    away from anything with *organ* meats in them such as Liver or Heart.
    They have varietys so they are not eating the same thing day-in and
    day-out.
    
    My *children* love it and it is excellent for Lightning who already has
    had bouts of Cystitus in the past.  Having the better, Low Ash, Low
    Magnesium, food has really helped the other *kids* as well.  They are
    extremely healthy and their coats are beautiful.  My 13-year-old still
    plays like a kitten and their weight is decent (except for Patches).
    
    
    	Sandi, Mom to the Notorious Seven

    Or it could be as simple as needing to be combed.  My Tenzing, when 
    shedding, tends to get lots of dead hairs hanging out in her coat 
    that simply don't quite fall out.  Her general appearance is duller
    than usual at these times.  A couple days of good brushing and she's 
    sleek and shiny as ever.
    
    There are so many possible causes of a dull coat, I hope you figure
    it out soon.
    
    Good luck,
    Karen.