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REPLY
Does he look thinner around his haunches than he used to?
***NO, HE HAS ACTUALLY GAINED WEIGHT, LOL :)
How much water is he drinking?
***ABOUT 1 CUP TO 2 CUPS DAILY
How much milk, what type of milk and for long has he been drinking it?
***WE GIVE HIM WHOLE MILK ON OCCASION SINCE WE GOT HIM (WE'VE HAD HIM SINCE HE WAS ABOUT 7 WKS.)
Check his coat, does it look odd? Clumpy, 'starry', etc.
***NO-BUT HE DOESN'T GROOM AS MUCH AS HE USED TO.
Is he eating as normal?
***HE EATS WAY MORE THAN HE USED TO.
Do you have him on a senior diet?
***NO.
I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but about 1 yr ago, we got a dog. They are completely separated most of the time. We've never had a dog with him [my cat]. My cat is petrified of the dog! IE: He won't go outside (that's where the dog is usually), he'll growl at the dog, etc.
Thank you!!
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Maybe give some free advice about: Pets?
Thank you. Ok, first you need to get him onto a senior diet, there is too much protein and phosphate in adult cat food for a cat over seven years. You should also cut out the full milk, it's actually not good for any age, but it's worse for the senior citizens, and they don't get enough nutrients from it. If you have to give him milk as an occasional treat, stick to cat milk. You'll be doing his kidneys a favour by following this. If he is eating dry food, he would drink more water to compensate. However, if he is on a wet food diet, that does seem like quite a lot of water. (Understand that I am from the UK and we have different measurements over here).
So onto the symptoms. He is showing some signs of hypothyroidism but cats with this tend to over groom, but the rest fits, although it is rare for cats to get this.
He only seems to have a couple of kidney problems symptoms.
He could be depressed due to the dog, he also has some of these symptoms. Are you giving him lots of extra affection? If his freedom has been compromised by the dog this could have an effect on his health and well-being. Living in fear is not good for anyone. If it is the dog, you will need to sort this problem out.
I would have to say that if you are ever in any doubt about the condition of an animal it is always better to get it checked over by a vet. Animals tend to hide illness until they're quite bad. Their primeval instincts are to hide any weakness as it shows vulnerability, leading to them being attacked by a bigger animal.
Good luck
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