Yes, you read it right: I took Pookie to the vet today. Over the last 1-2 months, he's had a couple of hairballs that had what looked like pieces of a tooth in them. He's already missing one of his lower fangs.
I know it may be too late at this point to stop any dental issues he has, but I felt I had to find out one way or another. So I took him to the vet.
This isn't the one I'd been to previously. This was actually the first vet I ever brought him and his sister to, when they were getting their first shots. I had liked the woman, but when I went back for their next round it was an older gentleman, and I didn't care for him. I was told he'd be retiring and the first vet would be back, but they didn't know when, so I went to a different practice. If I knew then what I know now, I'd have waited, since frankly I don't think the world would have ended if they didn't get the next round on time.
I will say, there was NO prescription food to be seen in the waiting area.
That is the first time I've ever been to a vet where there wasn't some prescription food on display. They do sell it, but at least it's not where the clients can see it. There were other positives, which I won't go into, other than she didn't give me too much of a hard time about his rabies being out of date.
He has a lot of tartar on the back teeth, and several in the front have broken.
It is possible that if nothing is done, they'll abcess.
She gave me a quote for the dental surgery, and I plan to research some of this stuff, but if any of you have experience with these products, feel free to share:
convenia (antibiotic, I think)
buprenorphine (pain killer)
onsior (I forget)
I had them do a Rabies titer while he was there, even though the state doesn't recognize those as valid. I figured it's just good to have that information available. It should take about 2 weeks to get the results.
He also weighs 15 lbs!
The last time I weighed him, which was a year ago or more, he was 13 lbs. I do not feed anything with carbs -- even his treats are dehydrated raw. He gets 1 5.5 oz can/day, plus a bedtime snack of raw, and usually 3 small duck treats in the timer feeder to help keep his tummy calm during the afternoon. I asked about diabetes, though personally I don't think that's possible in a cat that's not getting carbs, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. She indicated that it could be possible, though unlikely.
So I could also use your suggestions on how to help him slim down a bit. Definitely exercise, but do I cut back on the canned? I don't want to stop his bedtime raw snacks. Could it be the canned pumpkin I was giving for hairballs? I would think that's mostly water, but maybe the fiber helped add some weight? Could it be the duck treats? I know they're higher in fat, but I use them because they crumble easily (as a topper for the canned that's not his favorite) and because he seems to tolerate them better (in the feeder) than the chicken PureBites. If I pull the duck, I need to find something else to use as a topper that he can tolerate.
I happened to mention his hairballs, and the vomiting issues he'd had in the past (and sometimes present), and she asked if he'd had an endoscopy to diagnose IBD. I said no, though his sister did. She believes, rightly so, that the vomiting isn't normal, and suggested a food diary (which I'd brought with me), but I hadn't found a pattern. I explained that usually these days he brings his food up for 2 reasons: a hairball or something is blocking him, or I'm home late or slept in and he's VERY excited about his food. I give very small portions and spread them out to make sure he'll keep his food down, but it's not always successful.
Thankfully, she's ok with handling one issue at a time, and my priority is his teeth, but my sense is that either we identify the food allergies he has, or he could go on prednisolone. She thinks cats handle that very well. She mentioned that the vomiting could eventually lead to (I think) intestinal lymphoma. I didn't mention it, but if I remember correctly, long-term use of steroids can lead to other issues. (I'm blanking on those at the moment, but I think it's reduced immune function). I am NOT a fan of using the steroids. I have wondered, though, about cats like Pookie or MC's Mazy, as to why they still have issues after removing the kibble. When you read Dr. Pierson's site or Dr. Hodgkins' book, you get the impression that removing the kibble solves the problem permanently. I have yet to see anything, other than IBD Kitties, that addresses cats that have gone grain-free and yet still have problems.
Overall, I think the visit went well. They gave me estimates for the dental surgery, and unless the above drugs give me major cause of concern, it needs to be done. I don't want him hurting any more than he probably is, though he hides it well. There have been times where he was being picky and I wondered if it hurt him to eat (even though it's canned food).
One final note: at least 2 of the staff told me how handsome he is!
P.S. Apparently, if a cat is presented with vomiting issues, the first thing she recommends is pulling the kibble. (She raw feeds herself). So if I had just waited for the other guy to retire, maybe, just maybe, when my furkids problems started, they could have been spared 5 years of waiting for me to figure it out on my own because this vet would have solved the problem before it got to be a major issue.
Oh, how I wish . . .