Pot bellied cat

[johnnyb47]

Hi
I'm starting to get a little concerned about my cat.
Over the last few weeks he's developed a somewhat pot belly shortly after I discovered a half eaten pigeon by my back door.
I initially thought he'd got worms to which I've treated with some tablets from the pet shop but unfortunately they've made no difference.
His appearance looks very odd indeed in that he's got a round bloated belly ,but at the same time he seems to of lost weight.He feels more boney along his back and his fur looks quite dull.
He eating and drinking well and doesn't seem to be in any pain but he's definitely more lethargic.
Today I thought enoughs enough and I've got him booked into the vets on Thursday.
He was originally the neighbours cat but they never really bothered with him and he spent most of his time with me, and when they moved on they conveniently left him behind leaving me to look after him.
Over the years I've grown quite fond of him as he's been good company as I live by myself.
I'm just hoping he still has worms in which they can treat, but as always money is tight and if they think he's got a tumor I'm not going to go down the road of spending a small fortune on operations and after treatment.
I know it's a nearly trivial thing to post but when you're by yourself and have no one around to talk to,it's sometimes good to just post your thoughts and concerns on a friendly site like cycle chat
All the very best,
Johnny

 

[DRM]

good luck at the vets, hopefully Mr Tom Cat is OK, and can be sorted out by the vet,

 

[Reynard]

Good luck at the vets.

 

[fossyant]

Good luck. Is it a rounded pot belly or just underneath. Older cats do get saggy bellies but they are 'empty' to the feel.

 

[johnnyb47]

Hi again,
Well it's not good news I'm afraid.
His pot belly is due to trapped fluid unfortunately.The vet thinks it's either caused from failing kidneys or a tumour buried somewhere deep in his belly.
They offered to do a scan but said it would only confirm what they think.
I don't want to go down the road of putting him through scans/tests and operations at his age and with no guarantees at the end.
In him self, he's not in any pain, he's eating well and still chasing the birds in the garden, so I've decided to leave him be and just keep a close eye on him until the time comes.
The vet did give a course of water tablets to give him to try and reduce the fluid retention though.
Its in liquid form and I'm giving 2ml a day orally through a shringe
All the Best,
Johny