So a couple months ago I asked all the pet lovers for some advice about what I should do about my cat, Jake. He was howling a lot and just acting out of character. I didn't get a chance to come back and update because of the wedding, but since there was so much helpful advice I just wanted to come back and thank you all.
Turns out Jake has hyper-thyroid disease caused by a tumor on his thyroid gland. This was causing him to lose weight and have an abnormally fast heart rate. The vet said that it most likely was contributing to him being 'antsy,' which could have explained the howling. Also, he checked out his ears because we were worried about his hearing as well (he will ignore people more than normal cats do - you can stand behind him and scream and his ears won't even flick), and the vet said that he is likely almost completely deaf.
As bad as it sounds, it's actually kind of good news. Jake is taking a pill every day to correct the thyroid issue and is getting back to "normal." He's almost 20 years old so we opted out of the surgery option because it would put too much stress on him. He's getting back to being fat and happy
So again, not sure if anyone will remember my post, but I still wanted to say thank you for the advice and best wishes. It was terrible knowing Jake was distressed but not knowing why and, even though this is not a pet owners board or anything like that, I felt like you all were for the most part very encouraging and helpful.
Thanks again! Bring on the "pussy issues" jokes ;p
Chrissy & David -- 10/10/10
This is my "OMG-Don't-Drop-Me" face
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