Espy doesn't have diabetes, but...

I took Espy (fixed male 8yo DSH) to the vet because I've noticed him
drinking water a few times and he doesn't normally do that. The vet
tested him and the results show that the does not have diabetes, but
he has dropped from 9 to 8 lbs over the last year. The vet isn't
concerned but I watched Espy take a good long drink this morning so
I'm wondering what else might prompt this behavior?

I did take a quick look online and I think I'll call the vet to check
on other possiblilities - looks like I'll need to get a urine sample.
That should be tough.

dgk wrote:
I took Espy (fixed male 8yo DSH) to the vet because I've noticed him
drinking water a few times and he doesn't normally do that. The vet
tested him and the results show that the does not have diabetes, but
he has dropped from 9 to 8 lbs over the last year. The vet isn't
concerned but I watched Espy take a good long drink this morning so
I'm wondering what else might prompt this behavior?

The only time I saw such symptoms - weight loss, increased drinking -
turned out to be hyperthyroidism. So that's one thing to check for, if
it isn't already on your list.


I did take a quick look online and I think I'll call the vet to check
on other possiblilities - looks like I'll need to get a urine sample.
That should be tough.


--
You'd be crazy to e-mail me with the crazy. But leave the div alone.
*
Whoever bans a book, shall be banished. Whoever burns a book, shall burn.

dgk wrote:
I took Espy (fixed male 8yo DSH) to the vet because I've noticed him
drinking water a few times and he doesn't normally do that. The vet
tested him and the results show that the does not have diabetes, but
he has dropped from 9 to 8 lbs over the last year. The vet isn't
concerned but I watched Espy take a good long drink this morning so
I'm wondering what else might prompt this behavior?

I did take a quick look online and I think I'll call the vet to check
on other possiblilities - looks like I'll need to get a urine sample.
That should be tough.

All of my five cats drink water regularly. It is probably because they
frequently eat kibbles which they always have available. Also, being,
"outside cats", they are quite active. Also, their water bowl is in out
living room, on a coffee table right in fron of us, so we see them when they
drink. It is possible that many cats are "closet drinkers" and drink a lot
without observation by their owners.

On Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:33:24 -0400, dgk wrote:

I took Espy (fixed male 8yo DSH) to the vet because I've noticed him
drinking water a few times and he doesn't normally do that. The vet
tested him and the results show that the does not have diabetes, but
he has dropped from 9 to 8 lbs over the last year. The vet isn't
concerned but I watched Espy take a good long drink this morning so
I'm wondering what else might prompt this behavior?

I did take a quick look online and I think I'll call the vet to check
on other possiblilities - looks like I'll need to get a urine sample.
That should be tough.

There is an easy way to get a urine sample, but it doesn't work with all
cats, unfortunately.

Put some heavy duty clear food wrap over the litter in your litter box,
(leave it 'loose, so the cat can step on the actual litter, through the
plastic) or put a clear plastic bag over the litter.(Put the litter box
inside the plastic bag, so it can't move.)

With some luck, you cat will pee on the plastic, and you will have a
urine sample.

I used an old syringe to draw up the liquid and put it in a small
container. An old, clean eye dropper would work, as well.

Good luck.

On 2011-10-11, Gandalf wrote:

There is an easy way to get a urine sample, but it doesn't work with all
cats, unfortunately.

Easier still is to let the vet do it. The cat could spend the day at the
vets. I've done that. Early renal failure also can produce excessive
drinking and weight loss.

Bud

"dgk" wrote in message ...

I took Espy (fixed male 8yo DSH) to the vet because I've noticed him
drinking water a few times and he doesn't normally do that. The vet
tested him and the results show that the does not have diabetes, but
he has dropped from 9 to 8 lbs over the last year. The vet isn't
concerned but I watched Espy take a good long drink this morning so
I'm wondering what else might prompt this behavior?

I did take a quick look online and I think I'll call the vet to check
on other possiblilities - looks like I'll need to get a urine sample.
That should be tough.

- - - - - - - - - -

I would be particularly concerned about kidneys and thyroid, especially with
Espy's weight loss. Please keep us updated.

MaryL

On Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:15:49 -0400, Gandalf
wrote:

On Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:33:24 -0400, dgk wrote:

I took Espy (fixed male 8yo DSH) to the vet because I've noticed him
drinking water a few times and he doesn't normally do that. The vet
tested him and the results show that the does not have diabetes, but
he has dropped from 9 to 8 lbs over the last year. The vet isn't
concerned but I watched Espy take a good long drink this morning so
I'm wondering what else might prompt this behavior?

I did take a quick look online and I think I'll call the vet to check
on other possiblilities - looks like I'll need to get a urine sample.
That should be tough.

There is an easy way to get a urine sample, but it doesn't work with all
cats, unfortunately.

Put some heavy duty clear food wrap over the litter in your litter box,
(leave it 'loose, so the cat can step on the actual litter, through the
plastic) or put a clear plastic bag over the litter.(Put the litter box
inside the plastic bag, so it can't move.)

With some luck, you cat will pee on the plastic, and you will have a
urine sample.

I used an old syringe to draw up the liquid and put it in a small
container. An old, clean eye dropper would work, as well.

Good luck.

That's clever, but with four cats not so easy. Also, Espy mostly uses
the litter robot which is an automated litterbox which makes it even
tougher. Maybe letting the vet get it is a good idea.

On Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:52:48 -0500, "MaryL"
wrote:



"dgk" wrote in message ...

I took Espy (fixed male 8yo DSH) to the vet because I've noticed him
drinking water a few times and he doesn't normally do that. The vet
tested him and the results show that the does not have diabetes, but
he has dropped from 9 to 8 lbs over the last year. The vet isn't
concerned but I watched Espy take a good long drink this morning so
I'm wondering what else might prompt this behavior?

I did take a quick look online and I think I'll call the vet to check
on other possiblilities - looks like I'll need to get a urine sample.
That should be tough.

- - - - - - - - - -

I would be particularly concerned about kidneys and thyroid, especially with
Espy's weight loss. Please keep us updated.

MaryL

I called the vet to doublecheck and asked specifically about the
thyroid results. He said that oddly there were no thyroid results even
though they were ordered. Turns out the lab (or the vet) made a
mistake and they weren't done, so I bring Espy back to the vet today
and they will get it done. No charge of course since I did pay for it
already.

Good thing I posted about it here because otherwise I'd be sure that
he was ok and not worry about it until it got worse. Of course, he
could still be perfectly fine but I do want to follow up. I tend to
be a bit overprotective with Espy since he's such an amazing cat. Not
that I love the others any less and I'd do the same for them, but Espy
is special.

On Oct 11, 7:33*am, dgk wrote:
I took Espy (fixed male 8yo DSH) to the vet because I've noticed him
drinking water a few times and he doesn't normally do that. The vet
tested him and the results show that the does not have diabetes, but
he has dropped from 9 to 8 lbs over the last year. The vet isn't
concerned but I watched Espy take a good long drink this morning so
I'm wondering what else might prompt this behavior?

I did take a quick look online and I think I'll call the vet to check
on other possiblilities - looks like I'll need to get a urine sample.
That should be tough.

What kind of diet is Epsy eating? If you're feeding wet food and he's
still drinking, then I'd be concerned. I feed our three all wet, and
since wet has a high volume of water, they rarely need to drink from
the water bowl. If you feed dry, then I would not be as concerned,
since dry is only 10% moisture. (Though, I am not crazy about a dry
only diet. See this article about feline nutrition: http://www.catinfo.org/)

The weight loss is a bit alarming--did you get a full bloodwork panel
done to check levels? Do you feed the cats separately--is someone
stealing his food?

On 10/12/2011 6:14 AM, dgk wrote:
On Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:15:49 -0400,
wrote:

On Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:33:24 -0400, wrote:

I took Espy (fixed male 8yo DSH) to the vet because I've noticed him
drinking water a few times and he doesn't normally do that. The vet
tested him and the results show that the does not have diabetes, but
he has dropped from 9 to 8 lbs over the last year. The vet isn't
concerned but I watched Espy take a good long drink this morning so
I'm wondering what else might prompt this behavior?

I did take a quick look online and I think I'll call the vet to check
on other possiblilities - looks like I'll need to get a urine sample.
That should be tough.

There is an easy way to get a urine sample, but it doesn't work with all
cats, unfortunately.

Put some heavy duty clear food wrap over the litter in your litter box,
(leave it 'loose, so the cat can step on the actual litter, through the
plastic) or put a clear plastic bag over the litter.(Put the litter box
inside the plastic bag, so it can't move.)

With some luck, you cat will pee on the plastic, and you will have a
urine sample.

I used an old syringe to draw up the liquid and put it in a small
container. An old, clean eye dropper would work, as well.

Good luck.

That's clever, but with four cats not so easy. Also, Espy mostly uses
the litter robot which is an automated litterbox which makes it even
tougher. Maybe letting the vet get it is a good idea.

the vet has hard plastic based granules that cats mistake for real
litter, but they're non-absorbant.