Help - cat w/ bad kidney!

[Xuxa]

Hi - I'm new to this board. Hope you and your pets are doing well.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my story to see if anyone has had a similar experience and can offer any thoughts or advice.

One of my cats is only 4 yrs old and after a series of tests, we just found out today that one of his kidneys is functioning at only 10% capacity (the other one appears to be okay, but we won't know that for certain until he undergoes yet another test). In June of last year he suffered a complete blockage of his urinary tract. He had "struvite" crystals in his urine which coagulated and caused the blockage. He was hospitalized with a a catheter for a couple of days until he could urinate on his own again. The vet prescribed c/d-s as his full time diet, which we have been feeding him since. Subsequent visits to the vet showed normal urinalysis results, so we thought he was out of the woods.

A couple weeks ago I noticed him behaving strangely (weak, uninterested in playing) and decided to take him in for a check-up. He had a blood test, urinalysis and x-rays taken. The blood test and urinalysis were normal, except for his urine PH being slightly high. The x-ray, however, was not normal. His right kidney was larger than the left. So the vet directed us to a specialist for an ultrasound, which basically showed us a more detailed picture of the kidney. She referred us to another specialist for a "GFR" test, which measured the capacity of his kidney function, and that's how we came to the realization that the enlarged kidney is functioning at only 10% capacity.

Now, we have to take him in for yet ANOTHER test to determine if whatever has affected the kidney is affecting the other "good" kidney, and to determine exactly what has caused this. The vet says it's possible that he may have to have his kidney removed! I know it's not unheard of, but I'm really freaked out by this whole thing because he's so young and I wouldn't want to lose him so soon if his other kidney was to develop this freak thing. . .

Sorry for such a long post but I'm worried about my boy. . . He's such a good kitty. . .

[Denyce]

I am so sorry your kitty is so very sick. I do not have any experience with just one kidney failing. There are some on this board who have had more experience with kidney problems than I have.

However, I do think that having the failing kidney removed is a good thing. My uncle has emphasyma (sp). He had a choice between lung replacement or lung reduction. The reduction did just that. He had the diseased portion of the lung removed. It allowed the healthy tissue to just do it's job without having to compensate for the diseased portion. It sounds like this would also be true for the kidneys.

I also know that your kitty needs to dring PLENTY of water. There are several waterers such as the Fresh Flow that encourage extra water drinking.

I wish you all the best with your sweet kitty and I will be keeping up the positive thought flow and best wishes.

Welcome to PetTalk.

Denyce

[CatDad]

I am so sorry to hear about your kitty and his problems.

I have never had to deal with this type of situation. I did deal with renal failure, but that is different then what you are dealing with.

Believe it or not I did have a human friend with a simillar issue. He had caught some dieses, and I can't remember what it was at the moment, that was resistent to the medication that he could take. This dieses traveled into his kidneys and they started shutdown, one of his kidney's shutdown almost completely. The finally found a way to get rid of the dieses, and again I can't remember how. Anyway, his kidney's actually stared to function again. The doctors said that happened sometime. Well the whole point to this story is have they look to see if your kitty may have something that could be causing his kidneys to shutdown.

Beyond that great reach I have nothing.

I will be saying prayers for your kitty and I really hope that they find the cause and a cure without surgery.

Please let us know what happens.

By the way, what is the little boys name?

[rg_girlca]

Xuxa, welcome to PT. I just wish it was under happier circumstances.
I'm sorry to hear your kitty is not well. I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you as I have never had to deal with any of my kitties being sick with kidney problems.

But I will send positive thoughts and prayers that all goes well with your cat.

[wolfsoul]

I'm sorry to hear your kitty is not doing well.

I know that parsely is good for the kidneys. It is a natural diuretic (sp?). It makes the kidneys want to keep releasing urine, and acts as kind of a "flusher" of the urinary tract. Your cat will need lots of water though, because a side-effect is dehydration due to all of the peeing.

What type of food is he on? The quality of a food can definatly help.

Good luck!

[Xuxa]

I really appreciate you taking the time to reply to my message.

I'm going to call his regular vet (not the specialist) tomorrow to see what her recommendation is. This next test the specialist wants to do requires anesthesizing (sp?) him and I would like to avoid that if I can.

I've been feeding him c/d-s ever since his ordeal last June and I haven't strayed from that.

Oh, and his name is Lestat (after a character from a movie) but his nickname is Cookie. My husband and I like to say that he's "one tough cookie" - let's hope that's true and he pulls through this okay, even if he ends up with one less kidney in the end. . .

Thanks again and hopefully my future posts will be more lighthearted.

[CatDad]

Lestat, from the Anne Rice novels?

That is a great name.

I forgot to put this in my previous post:
Please feel free to post all you want. It does help to get support from the member. Believe me when I tell you we understand.

Also, not that is has a direct realtionship to the kidneys, but the parsley reminded me. They do make cranberry treats for kitties and they are supposed to help with the urinary tract just like in humans. Not that it has anything to do with the problem, i just thought I would mention it.

One more thing:

Welcome to PT!!!!

I am glad that you found us. Just be forewarned that you may become addicted. I was so involed with reading about Lestat's problem that I had not realized that was your first post.

Oh yeh, if you have pictures and can post them, we would love to see them.

[kimlovescats]

Welcome to Pet Talk. I do hope that Lestat will soon be feeling better, we will send special prayers for his healing!
I hope that you will be able to post pictures of your little guy, so we can all "ooo and ahhh" over him!!!

[BitsyNaceyDog]

You may want to ask your vet about k/d. It's a Hills prescription diet like c/d-s, only instead of for crystals it is for kidney function. I know many cats who have lived long heathy lives on k/d. Good luck with him. Keep us up to date.

To everyone else reading this: My vet told me that the number of animals with diabetes, cancer, kidney failure and other illnesses have dramatically sky- rocketed in the last several years, all due to poor nutrition. PLEASE, research nutrition and different foods (and companies) before you get any animal. I truly believe that all my animals are fed the best, and I wouldn't be satisfied any other way. I have very strong opinions about nutrition and have done a lot of research. Let me know if you need any help.

[Xuxa]

Yes - Lestat as in "The Vampire Lestat" by Anne Rice! On his car ride home when we adopted him he chewed on his carrier door until his mouth started bleeding a little! We thought he looked like a little vampire, so that's how he got his name.

Good point KBlaix about diet and nutrition. Up until his blockage last year, my husband and I had been feeding him Iams. On the weekends, we would allow him wet food (a brand from Trader Joe's) as a treat. Now I wonder if we should have gone with a better quality food and not fed the wet stuff at all.

I will definitely ask about k/d. My sister is a vet tech and she had also mentioned that to me.

I have soooo many pictures of him and his brother, I will definitely post one!

You guys have been so nice, thanks again.