Complete Care for Your Aging Cat

by Amy Shojai

  and lymphatic system (including lymph nodes), plus specialized cel s and

  chemicals. They col ectively work to protect the body against foreign

  invaders such as bacteria and viruses. For instance, the bone marrow

  makes the various immune system cel s, while the spleen both filters and

  stores blood and immune cel s. How wel the immune system works to

  large degree is dictated by genetics, but also influenced throughout life by

  nutrition, stress, and exposure to pathogens.

  “The immune system changes by seven years in al cats,” says Dr.

  Carey. The thymus gland helps new immune cel s mature, but cel

  replication slows down with age, and the thymus regresses as the cat

  matures. The immune system also produces chemicals such as interferon

  and interleukins, which help control the immune system’s response. As

  cats age, the immune function declines. Because of lowered immune

  protection, geriatric cats are more susceptible to diseases. They get sick

  quicker, and have more difficulty recovering.

  Cats may be affected by viral infections that suppress the immune

  system, such as feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus.

  Al ergy is also considered an immune disorder in which the system

  overreacts to a “harmless” organisms or substances, such as pol en or

  dust.

  Golden Moments: Tweety’s Drive to Survive

  Tweety was one of a litter of seven kittens. Barb Crandal of Eagle River,

  Alaska and her husband had always wanted a Persian. “She was the most

  playful one, ducking and hiding, and looked like a little bunny rabbit,” says

  the elementary school teacher. “She’s gold and silver, very pretty, with the

  flat Persian face—looks like she’s been hit by a Mack truck.” She was

  named Tweety (the family’s male Persian is named Tasmanian Devil or

  “Taz”) because Barb is a fan of Looney Toons.

  Tweety has always been a very loving cat, but very mysterious. “She

  likes to cuddle. She’l let us turn her upside down to pet her tummy,” says

  Barb, “then puts her paw on your arm to say that’s enough. And at night

  she loves to curl up with us, and she’l sleep between my husband Tom and

  myself.”

  Until two years ago Tweety had been a very healthy, happy cat. Then she

  developed what they thought was an al ergic reaction—to what, they didn’t

  know. “She broke out around the nose and chin area with black crusty-type

  material,” says Barb. The veterinarian treated her with a cortisone

  injection, the rash healed, and Tweety was fine for six months.

  “Al of a sudden, she broke out again,” says Barb. The skin

  surrounding her mouth, nose and chin developed black crusts, and her

  ears completely crusted over with scabs. “It was a real mess.”

  They went back to Dr. Jeff Johnson, a veterinarian practicing at

  Four Paws Animal Hospital in Eagle River. He prescribed anti-

  inflammatory medications and Clavamox, an antibiotic to fight infection.

  Despite al efforts to diagnose the problem over the next six months, it

  remained a mystery. Keeping Tweety comfortable began to be more

  difficult.

  About this time, Barb invited her good friend Lynn Alfino to move in while

  Lynn developed her writing career. Lynn arrived shortly before Christmas

  1999, and because she worked at home, she spent a great deal of time

  with Tweety and Taz. “When I arrived I found a real y sick kitty,” says Lynn.

  Al sorts of medicines, from liquids to pil s, were tried. “Barb tried to put

  pil s inside food but Tweety doesn’t buy that.” Al the medicine had to be

  liquefied.

  “We changed her to a prescription food,” says Barb, “and that didn’t

  work. We changed the litter, that didn’t work.” Skin biopsies didn’t show

  anything, either. “We racked our brains trying to figure out what had

  changed in her environment,” she says. “We final y did the al ergy testing, a

  blood test, and that didn’t show any huge spike—only somewhat al ergic to

  milk and rice.”

  Lynn and Barb scoured al the labels on the cats’ wet and dry food. “The

  stuff that came back on the al ergy panel was not even in the food,” says

  Lynn. The list of acceptable foods the veterinarian provided showed that

  the food Tweety was already eating was just fine.

  Over the next year, treatments to manage Tweety’s sore skin became

  less and less effective, until “normal” times between episodes were almost

  nonexistent—the shots Dr. Johnson gave her lasted two or three days at

  most. “She would break out in what I cal barnacles,” says Lynn. “They

  looked like raised black peppercorns. Barb and Tom brought her in to the

  vet almost every week at this point.”

  Because Tweety and Taz were introduced to each other at 12 weeks of

  age, they’d been together for most of their lives. “He was fairly sensitive to

  what’s going on with her,” says Barb. They’d never cuddled together, but

  Taz stayed in the general area to watch over Tweety as though he wanted

  to protect her.

  “She got so bad in April she was hiding under the bed and wouldn’t

  come out. She’d dropped two pounds to about seven pounds,” says Barb.

  The family agreed that Tweety was miserable.

  “She was an emaciated little bald cat with black stuff al over her,” says

  Lynn. “She had lost al her facial hair, her ears were so crusted and tender

  you couldn’t blow on them from six feet away or it would hurt.” Tweety

  wasn’t moving, had no interest in people at al . Lynn says, “It was almost as

  if the look in her eye was, I’m dying…kill me now.”

  At that Saturday appointment Dr. Johnson told them he’d tried everything

  and had nothing else to offer. “We think there’s some form of an

  autoimmune scenario with Tweety,” he said, and such conditions often are

  nearly impossible to resolve. “We’ve talked to a few specialists and done

  the recommended protocol, but Tweety has just been a chal enge.”

  After returning home to discuss the situation with their children, Barb and

  Tom made the hard decision to end Tweety’s suffering. “Everybody had

  seen it coming,” says Lynn. “It was living with death.”

  The next day—Sunday—Tom, Barb, and Lynn drove to Home Depot to

  buy a pick ax. “We’re on a mountain, and the backyard here is rock with

  permafrost underneath,” says Lynn. “Tom was going to have to dig a grave

  for Tweety.”

  On Monday, Barb and Lynn were both upset as they tried to come to

  terms with taking Tweety back to the veterinarian to be euthanized. “We’re

  both wailing and bawling, when little Tweety came out from the closet

  where she had been hiding,” says Lynn. It was the first time they’d seen her

  even try to walk in days. The two women looked at each other, and Barb

  said, “Maybe today’s not the day.”

  Over the next two or three days, Tweety stopped hiding, started eating,

  and even jumped on top of the bil iard table. “I’d never seen her have any

  burst of activity before,” says Lynn. “She was on the bookshelf reading

  Moby Dick—I think she liked the fish!” They continued to hold on
to hope,

  day by day—and then week by week. “I’ve never met anything that’s been

  so sick with such a drive to survive,” says Lynn. “I think the turning point

  was when she saw the pickax, and thought uh-oh!”

  They final y figured out that Vetalog injections gave her the most relief.

  The injection keeps Tweety comfortable for about two weeks, and

  sometimes three. “It’s almost night and day,” says Barb. Within 24 to 48

  hours of the injection most of the crusty debris sloughs off and the cat is

  fine for a while.

  She can relapse literal y overnight. “You go to bed and wake up the next

  morning and there’s Tweety with peppercorns,” says Lynn. But Tweety

  wil ingly hops in the kennel, and hunkers down inside for the trip to the vet.

  “I know that she knows what’s coming,” says Barb, “but she also knows

  within the day she’s feeling a whole lot better. That doesn’t mean she

  doesn’t hiss at the doctor.”

  After she receives the shots, life goes on for Tweety. She regained the

  two pounds she lost, her fur has grown back in, and she looks almost

  chubby. “My son cal s her the Poppin’ Fresh Dough Cat,” says Barb.

  “Barb’s a wonderful owner, real y cares for the kitty,” says Dr. Johnson,

  “and Lynn’s done a lot, too, watching Tweety in the day. Very astute owners

  help us as veterinarians,” he says. “We’l do what we can medical y. Quality

  of life dictates where we go sometimes. Final y this kitty is doing her end of

  the bargain and the medication is helping.”

  To this day nobody has figured out why seven-year-old Tweety suffers

  from the skin eruptions. “But you don’t put a child down when they’re sick,

  you treat them,” says Barb. “A lot of people aren’t in the financial position

  to do it. I am, thank goodness.” She says Tweety just implored her to care

  for her. “I’l do whatever it takes until Tweety tel s me that she’s ready, that

  she’s

  had

  enough.”

  Nerves

  The brain, spinal cord, and network of nerve fibers generate and

  transmit electrochemical signals that connect with every inch of the body.

  This regulates and coordinates body systems, and also gives our cats their

  personality, awareness, emotional life, and intel igence.

  A central nervous system change common to older cats is impaired

  thermoregulation, says Dr. Wolf. Cats are less able to regulate their body

  temperature, and may be more heat or cold seeking, depending on the

  temperature around them. For that reason, body temperature must be

  closely monitored especial y during and after any anesthetic procedures.

  Age-related degeneration or injury of the brain, spinal damage, and

  chemical disruptions at the cel ular level that interfere with nerve conduction

  al have a role in nervous system disorders. Liver failure, for example, may

  secondarily cause bizarre behavior as a result of chemical imbalances

  affecting the brain. Feline ischemic encephalopathy and stroke also cause

  disruption of the blood supply to the brain.

  In addition, cats also suffer from spinal injuries that leave them with

  rear-end paralysis. Embolic myelopathy, a type of paralysis of the rear

  legs, is caused by side effects of blood clots resulting from

  cardiomyopathy. It may be permanent, but in some cases is cured with

  treatment. Uncontrol ed diabetes may also affect the nerves and cause

  mobility problems, which may or may not be reversible.

  Comfort Zone

  · Running water often appeals to cats and prompts them to drink

  more, which keeps them better hydrated. Drinkwel Pet Fountain has a

  six-cup capacity and provides continuous running water for the cat. It

  costs about $70.

  · Cats rarely lose the function of their rear limbs. Those that

  do may benefit from a feline “wheel chair” such as those provided

  by K-9 Carts. The cat’s rear legs are supported by a frame over

  the top of a pair of wheels, while his front legs al ow him to move

  about and tow the cart behind.

  Aging Mind

  Some felines remain sharp and connected to the world around them

  throughout their geriatric years. Others aren’t as fortunate. “Some of the

  changes are due to the fact that the animal has an aging brain,” says

  Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, a professor of behavioral pharmacology at

  Tufts University. “As our pets get older, their thought processes slow down.

  In humans you talk about senior moments, and I think al our older pets

  have their senior moments.” As cats get older, the blood-flow to the brain is

  reduced causing a loss of neurons the body is unable to replace.

  In cats, 28 to 33 percent of older cats show evidence of behavior changes;

  this increases to 88 percent in cats over the age of 16. “As soon as the

  brain cel s stop talking to each other they lose them, lose brain tissue,”

  says Karen Overal , DVM, a veterinary researcher at Center for

  Neurobiology and Behavior at Penn Med. “The brain of a human

  Alzheimer’s patient often weighs 1/3 as much as normal brain.” As the

  brain ages, there is an increased expression of genes associated with

  stress and inflammation, and loss of neurons in the section of the brain

  involved in learning associations (the hippocampus). The decreased

  expression of genes involved in the nerve’s ability to send and receive

  signals is involved in cognitive changes, and behavioral enrichment may

  slow these processes and neuronal loss. “So anything we can do to keep

  the brain active wil help keep the body active and delay the signs.”

  While body and health changes often impact the cat’s behavior—she

  hisses and claws when startled because she’s deaf, or she urinates

  outside the litter box due to diabetes—the changes of an aging brain affect

  both behavior and personality. A Jekyl -and-Hyde transformation can

  drastical y impact the loving bond an owner shares with a pet. Behaviorists

  believe many age-related behavior problems, such as howling incessantly

  or getting “lost” in the house, can be ascribed to these brain changes. This

  condition is cal ed feline cognitive dysfunction, and is characterized by

  anxiety, personality changes, and problems such as hit-or-miss litter box

  behavior. It is thought that the cats return to a kitten mindset, to the time

  before they learned these lessons. Cats older than thirteen or so seem

  more commonly affected, but there’s no way to predict how your cat wil

  fare.

  Reproduction

  “To our knowledge, older queens do not undergo menopause in the

  same way or

  with the same physical symptoms that human females have,” says Dr.

  Little. “As they age, their ovaries and hormonal function may not be as

  good as when they were younger,

  so we do see a decrease in fertility in queens over about age seven. But

  they can cycle until the day they die of old age if they are not spayed.”

  Serious reproductive diseases may develop in cats that have not been

  spayed, particularly if they are not regularly bred. Intact female cats older

  than six are highly prone to metritis (inflammation of the li
ning of the uterus)

  and pyometra—a life-threatening infection of the uterus. Kidney failure may

  be triggered by pyometra, because of the body’s immune response

  created to fight the infection. Breast cancer is also a risk in aging unaltered

  females. Male cats rarely suffer from age-related reproductive disorders.

  Skin and Hair

  The cat’s skin and fur do more than look good. The hair provides a

  protective barrier that regulates temperature, prevents dehydration and is

  the major sensory organ of the body. It also offers a shield from extremes

  of weather, and from viruses, bacteria, and other disease-causing

  pathogens. The cat’s skin and hair are also an accurate barometer of her

  health—what she feels on the inside is reflected on the outside.

  Normal skin changes occur with age due to a lifetime of exposure

  and changes in the cat’s metabolism. Skin becomes thinner and less

  flexible, the hair coat becomes dul er and drier due to less oil production,

  and hairs especial y the muzzle and ear rims often turn gray as the cat

  ages. The most common skin problem is cal ed miliary dermatitis, a tiny

  scabby bumpy rash, but this is a symptom of a wide range of problems

  such as al ergies and ringworm. It can develop in cats of any age.

  Ringworm is the most common fungal infection of cats and often affects

  aging cats more readily because of their less competent immune system.

  A number of skin and hair coat disorders arise as a result of other

  age-related disorders. Diabetes mel itus may prompt hair thinning or loss.

  Old cats unable to properly groom themselves often develop painful matted

  fur. Also, any lump or bump on the skin of an older cat is a risk for cancer.

  Nurse Alert!

  A new monitoring system to check for blood in the cat’s urine is available

  from Purina Veterinary Diagnostics. Hemalert is dispensed from

  veterinarians, and come in packets. The granules are mixed in existing cat

  box fil er, and wil change color in reaction to blood in the urine.

  Urinary System

  Body wastes are filtered from the blood and removed by the kidneys.

  The bladder col ects and stores this liquid waste until it’s released from the

  body through the urethra as urine. Kidneys, the ureters, bladder and urethra

  make up the urinary system. Kidneys not only manage waste, they also