im getting more worried about Ash..

[carole]

My old guy just is not doing that well, he is really reluctant to eat at the moment, i have bought him several type of nice fishy food, and for a while he was doing great, the day after the dental he ate really well, now he is barely eating enough to feed a mouse, today he ate a small amount of biscuits, i was not wanting to feed him biscuits until after his check up but was desperate he eat, and he seemed to want those.

The check up is tomorrow night thank goodness, i read the pills he is on can increase their appetite, well not so far, today he went out for his toilet, and then he usually comes in , but he is sitting under the trailer looking at me and refusing to budge, and it is a horrible wet cold day in NZ, i desperately want him back by the heater like he usually is, we could not even pill him today, but it is ok as he only has half of the antibiotic a day, so we can get him tonight hopefully.

He is concerning me a great deal though, he is not himself and i am worried.

[Glacier]

Ask your vet about giving him some Pecid AC. Kidney trouble can cause nausea. Pecid takes care of that and they will often start eating better. I used to give Beau half a tablet once a day. Also ask about sub-q fluids. They are easy to do yourself at home and make a huge difference in how the animal feels.

I'm sorry to hear he's not doing well. I hope that he improves soon.

[carole]

Thanks yes i will be asking all about those issues, i am wondering if i would rather try him on the diet than the pills, i am so confused really, vet said pills better, but pilling ash every day for the rest of his life, is stressful to the cat and us too, but i will do it, if that is for the best for him.

I think i was panicking a bit, when i came downstairs from the computer, there he was on his special pillow all snuggled up to the heater, i then tried him on biscuits which he ate quite happily, i guess it is going to be trial and error with his food, i was hesitant to give the biscuits because of his dental, but it is a week today, so i am guessing it will be fine for him to have them now,anyhow as i write this he is now all snuggled up on the warm blanket on the couch with another blanket i have put on him to make sure he is warm and cosy.

It is the most awful day down under and i am glad he is inside now to stay.

[CathyBogart]

The problem with most veterinary kidney diets is that they just aren't that palatable. IF a kitty will eat them, they are great, but I've only met a few kitties who would eat it. It's certainly worth a shot though.

Edit: does Ash like Pill pockets? I've been giving Sherpa his daily pill in a pill pocket and he comes running for it!

[carole]

Hmm i think the kidney diet is worth giving a miss by the sounds of it, enough trouble getting him to eat as it is, never heard of a pill pocket, not sure we have them here, we are using a pill popper which makes it a bit easier, i think once he is off his antibiotics and we just have his heart and kidney pill, which is only half a small pill, things will get a lot easier, and we have two kitties to pill at the moment too, so once ellie is finished be a lot less stressful, i discovered wrapping her in a towel was more stressful for her than the pill popping, so just sit her on a chair lift her head and pop it in, no problem she is really easy now.

[Medusa]

Carole, remember that previously I mentioned a phosphorous binder, aluminum hydroxide gel, which is also an antacid. Puddy is in CRF and she gets 1 cc. twice a day and it really helps. Ask your vet.

[Glacier]

Onyx likes his kidney diet, but only the canned version. He eats Royal Canin Renal. It comes in little pouches with gravy.

[carole]

Thanks i will ask about all these things,the only thing is i am struggling to finance his pills even, so i am not sure how much all this will cost, i will ask and see if there are cheaper alternatives,i will do the best i possibly can .