I HEART my new vet!
 

My kitties are on the mend, which makes me so happy :D:D:D :cloud9:

Funny story though - my boyfriend took Alley in to get her final booster (to the new vet, not the old one), and when he walked in, he saw the tech (who had always been friendly) from the OLD vet there. He walked up to say hi, and my boyfriend was like, crap, here we go. The tech said that all the vet clinics are like a family here so they all work at all the clinics.. he asked why we were now going to this other place, and my boyfriend said it was because it was closer (which is true, but... )

The tech asked if there was any other reason, to which my bf added that we didn't really like the fact that we were charged $50 for them to watch him for 2 hours (when they didn't need to - they probably just put him in a cage) and the tech agreed that that wasn't right and that he'd fix it for us - maybe even get us a credit at the new vet..

Speaking of which - the new vet is great .. Cut Alley's nails for free (the other wanted to charge), gave her her booster and only charged us for the shot - saying that her last visit counted as a checkup, so we didn't have to pay for the visit at all!

It's so nice to find someone who is looking for the kitty at heart - my last vet probably would have charged us $200 just for telling us she needed a booster!

That's all - Jake is :lovestruck:ing the Wellness, and Alley is nutty as usual. So happy to see my crazy critters back up to their old antics!

Your kitties are very purdy and I'm glad they are on the mend. Congrats on finding a great vet, I too have recently found a great one and I swear I can rest easier knowing I don't have to question everything they tell me because he explains it anyway, and I never feel taken advantage of, or rushed out the door. Cheers to the good ones out there!!!

Hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver) is a strange disorder of cats. Any cat that becomes anorectic is a candidate. Treatment is supportive care and feeding, by surgically implanted feeding tube if necessary. The gagging may be a result of a feeding tube, esophageal reflux, nausea, laryngeal irritation, secondary infection such as yeast, etc., tracheal inflammation secondary to aspiration, and my list could go on.

The kitten's ear mites need to be treated, but I can't make a direct connection to the adult cat's coughing/retching.

If your adult cat is eating well, then this problem should resolve over the next month. Sorry that I can't be more specific, but too many things can cause the symptoms you describe.

Dr. Van Lienden

Dr. Raymond Van Lienden DVM
The Animal Clinic of Clifton
12702 Chapel Road, Clifton
Virginia, U.S.A. 20124
703-802-0490

Check his thyroid!
 

Hello. I'm not a vet. I'm a nurse. But I wanted to share with you what I have learned. Same symptoms with my cat. Had a senior profile done. He has hyperthyroid. There is a thyroid blood test to confirm. I'm not saying your cat has this, just have him checked. My cat was sluggish, stopped eating, coughed when he purrs, lost his voice. Started him on methimazole and his thyroid decreased, he stopped coughing, started eating, got his voice back after 3 weeks b/c the size of his thyroid shrunk. My vets and specialist started with the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and kidney disease, but these are both caused by the hyperthyroidism first so if you catch the elevated level soon enough, the medicine for it works perfectly.. A cat is considered a senior at age 10. Yours is almost 10. It could be the start. Most senior cat's get hyperthyroidism. The good thing is they respond so well to the medicine that they will return to their former self, unless it wasn't treated in time. Like mine still has cardiomyopathy and the kidney disease is a little worse b/c the decrease in blood flow to the kidneys, but what was really getting him down was the symptoms from the hyperthyroidism. The not eating, lethargy, and malaise is his creatinine going up some but he bounces right back after subq fluids. I would just have his thyroid checked. And then keep everything I've told you in mind. Good luck! Christi

Thank you all
 

Thank you PHOOZLES and SUGARCATMOM for this enlightening discussion back in 2007!

This thread began almost identical to what is currently going on in our home. Healthy over weight older cat Yoshi (8 years) introduced to Denver a younger 10 month old kitten brought into home (a rescue from Humane Society).

After several weeks, Yoshi develops a rough purr and a nasty hairball-like cough, which only occurs while purring. Initially didn't think much of it, after all, the two were getting along, grooming each other, playing, just chalked it up to extra fur being ingested, and encouraged Yoshi to ex-spell the furrballs, which never came out. This has been going on for just under 2 weeks, and we are growing concerned.

Thank you again for posting this info for all to see. I don't know if this solves our situation, but at least it provides additional knowledge when we visit the vet next week.