feline lukemia

Question
HI Teresa, I have had my cat for 13 years. She stays indoors all the time. She has progressively gotten worse over the year. She acts like she is better then she has a set back. She has lost a lot of weight, she eats really well and drinks well, she doesn't have fleas I bath her 1 time a month, but she constantly scratches and she has lost a lot of hair, around her tail her neck and legs is really raw from scratching, and she has terrible scabs. What do you think. I try to keep her comfortable and keep food for her out but she has lost a lot of weight,and she still throws up a lot. mostly hair ball but sometime her food. Thanks so much

Answer
Hi Mary, With our senior pets it is wise to have them checked annually by the vet. At her age there could be so many things starting to go wrong and break down. A blood test by your vet can find out what readings are off and then she can get a prescription to adjust them back to normal in most cases. Kidney failure is very common in cats and not the type of thing that should remain untreated. The symptoms can come and go like you mentioned but one of the signs is progressive weight loss. There is no way to reverse kidney problems but there are ways to slow down the progression so that you can enjoy her company for many more years. It is possible the blood work will also show something that is off balance and causing the scratching and fur loss. I really think it is worth a trip to the doctor !
Teresa