Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

I have a 15 year old cat, I raised from a kitten, she is a black domestic shorthair with green eyes, her name is Clover, she is devoted and loving and takes good care of me and my family!
I cannot get Clover to the vet anymore, she has a weak bladder drinks alot of water and will urinate more than a human when she is nervous! She never leaves the house! Which is great, I live on a mountain, and theres alot of wild dogs around, my husband lost his cat to them.
anyhoo, to the point... Clover has developed severe dandruff and her hair is starting to fall out around her tail where the dandruff is, I have a 6 month old son, he had a clump of her hair in his mouth from lying on the couch!I took her to the vet, completely covered in her urine...it was quite an ordeal, he said she needed bloodwork which cost around $300! This came back normal,thankfully. He could not (or would not) help her, he made future appointments for her, seemed a little much for a skin condition!So I stopped going, seemed like he was more interested in my pocketbook then my cat,if you know what I mean!
Is there anything anyone can suggest to help Clover and the rest of the house cope with her hairloss?? Perhaps a shampoo? she allows me to bathe her.
From what I've come to understand, it is normal for older cats to lose their hair,anyone out there who has experience with this and has tried something that works, feedback is greatly appreciated!!!
she's my baby girl!
thank you!
Lori

Hi Lori,
I am not sure what to tell you. Try posting in the general health questions forum, or The Holistic vet. My dog has dry skin and the the vet told me to give her vitamin E. But your cat seems to have a much worse case then Mya.
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Jaime owned by
Mya the dog
and the cats:Crash, Moxie, Gabby and sometimes Tucker

Lori, did the vet run a complete blood count or senior blood panel and give you the results? It certainly sounds like Clover has a degree of kidney disease or diabetes. Drinking and elminating lots of water are symptomatic of both. Those diseases can also cause other problems including skin and coat. If you are not happy with the vet you took her to, find another, but please get her thoroughly checked out. It is not normal for healthy cats to lose clumps of hair at any age.

Some hints for getting her to the vet: put several layers of newspaper or a towel in the bottom of the carrier. Fasten the carrier down in the car, just like you would for your baby. Some cats also travel better if the carrier is covered with a towel or something to obstruct the view of the scenery flashing by.

Good luck and keep us posted!