# Daughter's Elderly Cat Gets Matted



## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

My daughter cannot keep up with the terrible mats in her tortie's fur. She has short hair and is an indoor cat only. Brushing only hurt the poor cat, so my daughter took her to the vet, and the mats were shaved. Shelby is 15 1/2 years old, and was also having problems with diarrhea and losing weight. She is hungry and cries and begs for food constantly, especially since I suggested canned food. I thought the problem was probably a food allergy. (She had been on dry food.) That does not seem to be the case.  The vet said the hunger is probably a result of her diarrhea. My daughter never ignores her cries for food.

The vet gave her meds, and time will tell whether they help the diarrhea. However, the vet said nothing about the mats. Shelby's fur is growing back.....in little mats.   I suggested that my daughter call the vet again, as that problem was not addressed. I have certainly heard of long haired cats getting matted, but never have heard of short hair _growing in matted._ Has anyone here seen this problem? I think the vet is so concerned about Shelby's diarrhea that she doesn't realize that the mats are also a big problem. The vet is being quite solicitous; it's just that, at Shelby's age, she is more concerned about her digestive system.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

A matted coat, weight loss, ravenous appetite, and diarrhea are all common symptoms of hyperthyroidism, esp. in an elderly cat. The cat should have a full blood chemistry including a Total T4 test to check organ and thyroid function. Of course these symptoms could also indicate other diseases, as well, but the blood chem and TT4 should help diagnose the underlying problem(s).

Laurie


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## KittyMonster (Nov 8, 2009)

Just wanted to echo laurief's suggestion of hyperT... Mak has a short coat and it's very very fine and soft and his coat is covered in mats everywhere (mostly concentrated on his flanks). Even my vet commented that she found it hard to believe that his coat was able to be matted in the first place given it's texture. 

Even if it turns out to be just lazy grooming or something equally benign, at 15 she really should be getting blood work done given his age and the emergence of new and worrying symptoms.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

That clumpy coat can often be the result of dehydration, which again is a common symptom of hyperT, as well as CRF and diabetes. There are several ways to check for dehydration:

Feel the cat's gums. They should feel slick and slimy. If they feel tacky, instead, then the cat is dehydrated.

Pull up a tent of skin. When the tent is released, it should rebound and flatten out immediately. If any part of it remains tented for a second, the cat is likely dehydrated.

Check the eyes. If they look dull and/or at all sunken, the cat may be dehydrated.

And again, dull, clumpy hair coat is often a sign of dehydration.

Laurie


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

The vet did blood work, of course, and everything was normal. However, Elsie (Cataholics Anonymous) sent me a PM last night. Her cat had the same problem, and it required a different sort of test to diagnose her cat's problems. The matted fur, the appetite, etc., were diagnosed as hyperthyroidism. There were other details also. 

I passed this information along to my daughter, who has been very responsible about vet visits. The vet has also been quite solicitous. I am very grateful for your replies. This has all given her a handle on the problem. I hope the new test, a Equilibrium Dialysis Free T4 test, will finally reveal the problem. Hopefully, there will be a treatment that will give Shelby some relief and give my daughter some more time with her much loved cat. 

I willl send my daughter a link to this thread. Thank you.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

A Free T4 test is NOT the best test for hyperthyroid diagnosis. What your daughter should request is a Total T4 test. If the Total T4 is elevated above normal range, the cat is hyperthyroid. If the Total T4 is in high normal range, then a full thyroid panel, including Total T3, Free T3, and Free T4 should clarify the diagnosis one way or the other.

For future reference, a full blood chemistry does NOT include a thyroid test. Neither does a CBC. Thyroid is a separate blood test that needs to be requested separately. There are, however, some labs (like the large diagnostic lab in Marshfield, WI) that offer what is sometimes referred to as a "Senior Panel", "Geriatric Panel", or "Comprehensive Panel" that may include a full chemistry, CBC, and Total T4 (or any combination thereof). The point here being that you need to know exactly what is included in the bloodwork your vet orders, because it can vary greatly.

Laurie


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

Just to illustrate my point about TT4 vs FT4 for diagnostic purposes, my cat, Billy, was diagnosed hyperT in 10/07, which I've been managing with thyroid med since that time. On 9/29/09 I had a full thyroid panel run on him because I suspected his thyroid hormone levels were on the rise again. His FT4 was 23 (10-25), TT4 was 76 (10-55), and TT3 was 1.7 (0.6-1.4). There was not enough blood in the sample to run the FT3. As you can see, his Free T4 was in normal range, while his Total T4 and Total T3 were elevated. If only the FT4 had been run, he would have appeared not to be hyperT, but the TT4 told the truth. 

Laurie


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

As I said, my daughter has been sent a link to this thread. I would hope that the vet also knows the next step to take. However, added "ammuntion" is always helpful. I just felt quite sorry for both my daughter and the cat, and experience is a great teacher. Neither of us has run across these symptoms in the past. 

I don't know the vet, as my daughter has her own home and a different vet. I do know that the vet calls my daughter to ask about Shelby's progress, as do her staff. I think she will be open to my daughter's request for other tests. The tests performed were only step 1. In my post about Elsie's PM, I also said:


> There were other details also.


 I'm so hoping something positive can be done for Shelby's conditions.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

Jeanie said:


> I would hope that the vet also knows the next step to take..


It's great that your daughter has such a caring vet, but it's important to remember that no vet is well versed in all diseases in all species. It's unrealistic to expect them to be. That's why it's so important for us to educate ourselves about our animals' illnesses. It does sound like your daughter has a good working relationship with her vet, so requesting the Total T4 should be no problem. Even if the vet insists on a FT4ED, the TT4 should be run, as well.



> experience is a great teacher.


Experience is the BEST teacher!

Laurie


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

If your daughter's cat is hyperT, there is much that can be done to successfully manage, and even cure the disease. I provided quite a lot of information and important links about hyperT in recent threads on this forum. You might want to forward these to your daughter, as well:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=64297 (ignore the title of this thread)
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=65483


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Those conditions were also covered as possibilities in Elsie's PM. But thank you. I would post her whole PM, but I don't want to intrude on her privacy.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

Jeanie said:


> Those conditions were also covered as possibilities in Elsie's PM


I don't know what you're referring to as "those conditions', as both of the threads I linked are in reference to hyperT.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Dehydration, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, diarrhea, matted fur (even when new), and renal failure are the conditions that Elsie discussed, several of which you mentioned in your links. She also discussed the tests needed. 

I have sent my daughter the link to this thread, so she will be reading all of it also.


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