The cat lady says the cat is wheezing so $200+ later...
The vet gave Slim a checkup and he has no fever, eats normally, plays, chases birds...all is good. Because of abnormal noise in his lungs he wanted to to xrays. It apears that it looks like he has Pnuemonia in the upper lobes. The vet says besides that it could be from allergies, or even heartworm. Heartworms are not treatable like dogs apparently so you treat the symptom forever. Also a possibility of cancer, for which they would have to do a biopsy to tell.
He got a couple shots today, an antibiotic and a steroid. We also have pills for 2 weeks. But they want him back next week for follow-up....more x-rays.
Personally I think the cat has had this problem his entire life. He was abandoned and I fed him and he came in through an open window whenever he wanted to hang. He's roughly 9 years old now. Seems exactly the same as he always has to me. He has also been eating food we can only get at the vet for over 2 years or close to it. From what we were told it has an antibiotic in it which helps prevent the urinary blockages.
He also gets Cat-Lax for hairballs...he constantly cleans himself. Personally I have never heard him wheeze...just do the furball gag.
Business must be down and the vet doesn't need to give out suckers if they walk through the door.