Kelcee is sick

[tomkatzid]

This Friday kelcee has to have a needle put in her tummy and bladder to take a sample. They don't put her out for this or deaden the area. Has anyone had this done? It sounds like it will hurt so much. The vet says no more than a shot. But he wasn't even able to take her temp last Friday, how are they going to get her to lay still for a big long needle..... She has lost 1/2 her body weight this past year, now down to 7 pounds and sometimes there is blood in her stool. Not often though. He says they can do all kinds of tests and ultra sounds ect... but she is 16 so they couldn't fix any of the problems anyway. He said it could be 4 or 5 different things. Hyperthyroidism, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Kidney disease, or cancer. For cancer it would be chemo as treatment., IBD is a different food and meds, steroids, thyroid, is meds. So I said check the kidney and we will go from there. She is still happy and eating, but slower and weaker and frail looking. Has anyone had this procedure?
Thanks Katz

[slick]

God, I sure hope it's nothing serious. Having a geriatric kitty myself I'm going to keep an eye on this thread. I've never had any experience with this procedure at all but I agree, it sounds painful. All fingers and paws crossed that it goes well and maybe you can get some answers.

[tomkatzid]

She has been on prescription food for 2 yrs because of her kidneys. So I'm pretty sure that is the problem. But we'll see Friday what the test results show. We may have to change food again. Poor Kelcee. She's my baby.
Katz

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

The kidney and the thyroid they should be able to check through the blood results. I also have senior kitties so I can imagine what you're going through. Thoughts and prayers that it's something that can be fixed with meds. Poor Kelcee. :(

[tomkatzid]

They did a geriatric blood work up and the thyroid showed the higher end of normal, (so no meds for her because of that) he didn't tell me anything about the kidney part, just that need to do a urine test. ???

[Kona & Oreo's mom]

My sister's boy, Gnocchi, had this procedure to draw a urine sample. They took him out of the room so she doesn't know how much it hurt him. But he is normally a very calm, relaxed kitty, and after that he was clearly scared and upset.

I wish you and Kelcee much luck, and I hope that it isn't too painful!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by tomkatzid
They did a geriatric blood work up and the thyroid showed the higher end of normal, (so no meds for her because of that) he didn't tell me anything about the kidney part, just that need to do a urine test. ???

They should be able to tell the kidney levels from the geriatri blood work also. If not, have him do a blood test specifically for the kidney levels. The only time they needed a urine sample from Tubby was when he had a UTI.

[ChrisH]

Poor baby. :( Prayers and positive thoughts on their way.

Chris

[Kater]

Dear Kelcee will be in my prayers. I hope the vet can give you some answers soon.
{{{HUGS}}}

[jenluckenbach]

Lucas had a urine sample drawn through a needle/syringe. I don't think it bothered him all that much. It is really just an injection of sorts. Having a thermometer shoved up one's butt would be much more stressful! :eek: After all, it needs to stay in place for several moments and wiggling around makes it difficult to keep in. All they will do is hold her in a laying down position, feel for the right area, and insert the needle.

Prayers that all goes well.

[kt_luvs_kitties]

I have helped assist in many of these procedures (sticking a needle through the bladder to get out a urine sample). But I can reassure you it is not any worse than getting your pet microchipped. I am sure it does hurt, but I dont think it will devastate your kitty as much as it will upset you. We take the kitty out of the room only because it does upset and worry the kitty owners and a kitty can pick up on that. It probably looks worse than it feels. And plus, it is better to know sooner than later, so I say just love your kitty before and after, and by the nighttime she will feel better I am sure. Hope this helps. xoxoxo Smootches for the kitty XXXX katie

[tomkatzid]

Thanks so much, that makes me feel better. You know how it is with our kids. Hopefully she will have some in her when they do it. I'm sure as soon as they take her from the room I'll cry, I did when she got her teeth cleaned a few yrs back. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again for your answers, thoughts and prayers.
Katz

[Cataholic]

Definetly have the full blood panel done. It will show both the thyroid AND the kidney function (which is from the BUN level). The IBD **could**be causing the problem, but, I bet it is the thyroid combined with the kidney. What was the 'upper' level of the thryoid? Since it is so easily controlled with meds (tapizole), I would suggest to your vet you try the lower dose, one time a day. That should be 5 mg. I have seen a low dose tapizole work wonders. The kidney function is controlled with calcitriol. A liquid, mixed by a compounding pharmacy, not a typical pharmacy pharmacy. How do I know? This is EXACTLY the symptoms Tex presents. Also, I now do a quarter tab of pepcid AC...twice a day. The tummy develops ulcers sometimes, that work to inhibit ingestion, and cause the kitty not to have an appetite. What happens is that a very vicious cycle develops. The kitty has a slight kidney malfunction, loss of appetite, which compounds the kidney process, which makes the malfunction worse.....

Also, with the utmost respect to your vet....kidney function IS determined with blood...so, please re-examine the blood panel. Tex gets a full panel twice a year, and has for 3 years now.

One more thing on the RX food...just cause it is RX doesn't mean it necessarily is low in protein. Some is, some is just termed 'sensitive'. KD and ZD are both rx foods, low in protein. Protein for cats, while a necessary dietary need, stresses the kidney. I have battled Tex with his desire to eat nothing but chicken with the increase in BUN levels. I actually just gave up on the rx food, cause he hated it, and was losing weight. I switched to plain old fancy feast. He eats it, it has a higher water content that dry food. You have to make a decision sometimes with how to best accomplish the medical care with the kitty's best interest.

I am happy to tell you more..but, an accurate blood screen is first. Good luck.
Johanna

[shais_mom]

How scary!!
I will keep You and Kelcee in my thoughts and prayers.

[jenluckenbach]

If the vet did not mention, if you have Kelsee confined for about 3 hours before the procedure (a carrier, or place she cannot go pee) then there should most difinitely be enough to take a sample.

[slick]

Still sending lots of positive thoughts and prayers for Kelcee. You've got some good advice from some good people here. All fingers and paws crossed.

[tomkatzid]

Originally posted by jenluckenbach
If the vet did not mention, if you have Kelsee confined for about 3 hours before the procedure (a carrier, or place she cannot go pee) then there should most difinitely be enough to take a sample.
Great idea, thanks Jen.
Katz

[tomkatzid]

The blood work they did was called a geriatric . The thyroid # was 2.3 which is on the higher end for older cats, the highest is 2.5 in this age group, the normal range of younger cats is 1.8 to 4.5, they said today. The urine test will just show if she has a bladder infection, which I'd guess she'd have to have had for yrs if she did, cause nothing has changed. And your right the kidney was with the blood test, I got it wrong. So much info from them and I was stressed at the time. Of course. They said they could give her meds for hyperthyroid without further blood tests. And treat IBD even if she doesn't have it, with food. BUT, the food she is on now is low in Phospherus ( sorry about the spelling) for her kidney and the IBD food wouldn't be low in that, just changes the protein. So I'm not sure what they might suggest. So she was never treated with low protein food only low phospherus food for her kidney #'s.
Thanks for all your input, it gives me ?'s to ask them on Friday that i wouldn't have thought about. It's been 17 yrears since I had a sick cat, leroy RB, he was in kidney, heart and liver failure at age 20.
I'll post after the vet appt. at 3:30 Friday.
Thanks again Katz