help my cat.. i hope it s not gonna kill her.

Question
my 2 year old spayed female very fluffy and over weight has been depressed for a couple days.she hides and sleeps all day.has been drinking lots of water when i put it in front of her and a few treats when i put them in front of her.looks sad and stays still nothing broken (i checked over her)but she licks her mouth alot and alot.last year she was really sick had a bad upper resp.infection and stayed at the vets a few days.her breathing is fine i dont think its that.and i got hairball meds.off the vet cause i thought she was depressed cause she had a bad hairball(well i dont think thats it)she does this licking thing with her mouth and did that the day before the hairball med(i will take her to the vet)im hopeing its not something that will take her life shes my child......

Answer
Danell -

Hare your cat evaluated by a veterinarian.  There are many reasons why a kitty will act depressed and begin to hide.  If she is overweight, then you have to be concerned with possible diabetes, liver disease etc. If she is licking, then perhaps her teeth are bothering her - oral problems are common in the cat. Your veterinarian can discuss diagnostic options for you and can also help you with treatment options once the diagnosis has been made.  Constipation in cats often goes unnoticed because the animal is still having regular bowel movements; just because the cat is using the bathroom, doesn't mean that it is not constipated. Lack of activity,constant ingestion of hair when grooming,  dry food diet, inadequate water intake all can contribute to constipation.  The best way to diagnosis constipation is through radiographs.   Ask your vet to take a picture of the abdomen to see if determine if the GI track may have slowed down a bit.


Good Luck -

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM