What procedures to expect for a senior cat's first vet visit?

I would recommend starting from scratch if you're unsure of his vaccine status. They can check him for a chip. If there's a chance of figuring out who the previous vet was, they will be able to send records to your new vet.

CJ really needs a vet visit when you can manage it. In older cats hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease are possibilities and require bloodwork to diagnose. The good news is many of the conditions can be treated or managed but you need a diagnosis in order to determine the best treatment. Some areas may have low cost clinics or many vets accept Care credit http://www.carecredit.com/apply/ I would contact local humane societies to see if they can offer any suggestions. Some have programs that may help with vet bills. Good luck and thank you for using PetCoach.

I was the vet who answered your previous question! Vets are trained to deal with mean cats, and they will figure out a way to handle her. In order to do it safely, they may have to sedate her, so do not feed her any food after midnight tonight. Be sure to let the vet office know that she is mean so they are prepared when you arrive. Trust me, it will be very much appreciated that you let them know ahead of time! I really do feel her symptoms require a visit to the vet, so I urge you to take her in the morning. Best of luck!

Hello. If he is eating & acting OK, you can probably hold off rushing Mojo in to your vet, but if he has another period of not eating, lethargy, or he just seems more off to you, don't wait. Recheck that bloodwork. If everything is normal, then it is OK to wait a year for follow-up bloodwork, but things can change pretty quickly as pets age, so it is not abnormal to monitor bloodwork every 3-6 months, depending on any extenuating circumstances. So, follow your instincts. No cat likes to go to the vet, but if you are concerned, it is always best to make sure things are OK sooner than waiting months for the next visit. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I recommend to have her examined. Certainly something like cancer is possible but there are some other conditions that are common in older cats like renal disease and hyperthyroidism that generally respond very nicely to treatment but this does depend on the severity. If renal disease is caught before things get too bad, cats require a special diet, sometimes a medication, sometimes subcutaneous fluids and the average time of quality life after diagnosis is 2 years. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-care-for-a-cat-with-kidney-disease/ Hyperthyroidism can be controlled with a special diet, with medications or with a permanent solution like radioactive iodine treatment. Many cats with this condition will live normal live expediencies as long as they are medicated. https://www.petcoach.co/article/hyperthyroidism-in-cats/ It's always best to know whats happening. That way you can made an educated decision and prevent any suffering. Bloodwork and a urinanalysis will give you and the doctor a good idea of what is happening inside Natasha's body and then you can make an appropriate decision once you know what your options are. I recommend to get this done within the next day or two since both of these conditions will respond best to earlier intervention. I hope this helps.

Increased thirst and urination can be commom symptoms of many disease processes and you are right that the first things we check for are metabolic (kidney disease, diabetes, etc.). The answer to your question is both. A urinalysis should always be performed as part of a blood panel, otherwise you are missing crucial information. Your vet will likely order a senior kitty wellness panel from an outside lab which will include cbc, chemistry panel, thyroid testing, and urinalysis. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

If all his bloodwork was normal that rules out kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, etc. If your vet did not test for hyperthyroidism than a test should be done. An x-ray and/or ultrasound is defintely needed and will, hopefully, provide more information. He could have an infection, cancer, or obstruction/foreign body to name a few other possibilities. If he is not able to keep food down, I am not sure waiting until Friday is a good idea. He may continue to weaken and may become dehydrated. If your vet can't take an x-ray then you could consider taking him to an emergency clinic or another vet that can. An anti-vomiting injection may be helpfull if your vet didn't give him one. I hope that his problem is diagnosed and treated soon!