Priscilla's failing kidneys

[sandragonfly]

hi, pat! (and elmer)

sorry sydney barfed out, I think that's normal when someone starts something new - it's common for cats to puke, and have diarrhea for first two weeks when they first switch over to raw diet. but stop if it doesn't get any better. you had seen, sydeny's hairball got out! probaby is why..

lol...meaningless word?? well, it's important!! so glad she's still eating! I remember star had to eat out of my hands for about two weeks too - when someone is SO sick, they wouldn't want to try, or do anything yet. after two weeks, she knows what she's getting! I also tried raw chicken, she liked it better than beef. maybe you could try that, with some flavored (tuna? salmon?) juice and meldeys/KDs.. I know $8 -- sounds miserable but you could give it to someone else, as I told you, being a multicat mother over this little chunk is pretty busy!

I hope she's looking a bit perky, is she purring at all? at least a bit active since she had gained some weight? many hugs to you sweetie, I'll be waiting to hear how new you're doing..

and hugs to you too, great meowmie pat.

[phesina]

Thank you, Sandra, Marigold, and Gina. Thanks for all the good wishes. Marigold, I am so sorry about your Cassiegirl. That's so sad to lose her so young. I've been learning since I posted Priscilla's story here that cats in kidney failure can sometimes keep on for quite a while, sometimes not. I hadn't known that before.

Priscilla had no interest in the raw stewing beef this evening. When I would put a small piece on her tongue, she would just let it fall out of her mouth. Elmer, Poppy, and Sydney all ate theirs and had seconds (and even thirds). Elmer would pick his piece up out of the bowl and drop it on the rug. Then he'd pick it up again and shake it around and work at it. I think he thought it was prey he'd just killed (not that he'd ever killed anything before). Peony again was not interested at all in it. Nobody has thrown up yet, but it hasn't been very long yet since they ate.

Then I got out the Fancy Feast Elegant Medley Yellowfin Tuna Florentine in a Delicate Sauce With Garden Greens. Priscilla tore right into her serving of that! I gave her a second helping, most of which she finished. The others all liked that too.

Priscilla had already had her day's quota of MaxCal and kibble and SubQ fluids and medications, so this was all extra for her.

Gina, she is quite perky, considering.. When I get out the bowls to start serving out the kibble, she zips right over. She purrs quite a bit, too. You're right, Sandra, Priscilla does it HER way!

I will maybe try some raw chicken next. They had chicken livers at Whole Foods; maybe I'll try a bit of that. Gina, do you think the ground organic beef might tempt her? I would buy the expensive stuff if I thought it would really make a difference. 4 patties is a lot, even for 5 cats, and I'd hate to see some go bad before it could be eaten.

Well, that is the latest, folks. Thanks again for all your suggestions and encouragement and love.

Pat and Priscilla and the gang

[sandragonfly]

oh I forgot.. how cold do you give the chunk to her?? the more it is thawed, the more it will be smelly. different from dogs, most of my cats picked up the smell quicker than pulling them right out of freezidger.

hmm, you could try ground beef, I never tried it with star because of lovely chicken but I do feed it to my cats occassionally. well, it's more smelly/tasty, don't you think so?

don't do chicken livers (and any other livers, tongues, glizzards or hearts) yet, they would be too "richy" for precious fragile priscilla right now. they're better for stronger stomachs. go for a bit warmer stew or chicken or ground beef if she hardly eats anything else - sounds like she's doing pretty good. my star won't ever, ever zip into kitchen for about three weeks.

knowing she's purring makes me happy. and elmer is too cute. {{}} all of us, the ark & I are chimmining for you both! come back soon, with more food in your tummy I hope. (((hugs to all)))

(still praying for no more barfs!)

[phesina]

Hi Gina, I haven't frozen the meat, but usually it would not be long out of the refrigerator when I gave it to them. There's only a small piece left now. (Thanks for reminding me! I just took it out of the refrigerator and will let it warm up for a while before serving.)

I will try some chicken for the next time. Thanks for the heads-up about livers, Gina. I wouldn't have thought of that if you hadn't told me.

I don't think I can get some right away. They are talking about nasty ice-storm weather around here over the next day or two or three...

Today Priscilla had, besides her usual servings of MaxCal and KD kibble and subQ fluid and meds, a little more Fancy Feast Elegant Medley Yellowfin Tuna Florentine etc. etc. and a bit of 9 Lives Ocean Whitefish Dinner.

She often purrs for me, does headbumpies, will hug me with her paws on either side of my neck. She is a very sweet little girl. She is still light as a feather, but I hope she is putting on a bit more weight. (3/10 of a pound at her last vet visit!)

Thanks again everyone for all the encouragement and good wishes and love.

Love,
Priscilla and Pat and the gang

[catmandu]

When my Cats wouldnt eat, I would give them the Royal Canin Baby Kitten Food with Whiskas Ultra Milk.
That worked although I often had to keep the Other Cats at bay.
We are praying for Your Priscilla.

[kb2yjx]

Priscilla, you are doing OK in my book!! Watch all the ice and be sure you, Mom, and the others are safe!!!

[phesina]

Thanks, Gary and Sandra. I will look for the Royal Canin Baby Kitten Food (is that wet or dry, Gary?) and Whiskas Ultra Milk. Hopefully tomorrow at Pet Supplies Plus.

That's happens here, too: I try something new that I hope will tempt Priscilla, and the other cats all want it, whether she does or not. (At least it doesn't go to waste if she doesn't like it.)

The ice storm hasn't hit yet. This morning the TV weather people were all going wild with it: there would be freezing rain all day, turning to sleet in the evening, turning to wet snow, the kind that packs down heavily on everything, for the next couple of days. There was a film of ice on things this morning, and it's been cold and dreary all day. Nothing coming down, though, wet or frozen. Yet. Maybe it's just delayed and will hit later. Don't worry, Sandra, I'm not going out again today, and the kitties don't go out, so we're all safe and warm, thank you!

Thanks for all the prayers and good wishes, dear friends!

Love,
Priscilla and Pat

[kb2yjx]

We just heard on the radio about all the ice and other elements that are hitting Ohio and OK. But, you are in the state up North(MI), so hopefully you might have been bypassed by the weather!!! The Royal Canin Kitten food that Gary mentioned, I believe is dry food. It is the teeeniest pieces of food you will ever see!!! Keep Safe!!!

[Medusa]

Glad to hear that Priscilla is doing better. My vet, Dr. Lee, agrees w/Barbara's vet, that it's better that she eats something rather than nothing. My Puddy has been in CRF for 2 years now and she is so stubborn and she turns up her nose at KD and nearly everything except her dry Purina Cat Chow and cooked chicken. So Dr. Lee said "Well then, give it to her, just make sure she gets those subQ fluids and see if she'll drink more water." So hopefully, things will go more smoothly for you. Puddy and I and the fur posse are pulling for you and Priscilla.

Blessings,
Mary

[phesina]

Thanks, Sandra and Mary, for the good wishes and encouragement. That's our idea, Mary, that it's best that she eat something, anything, if she won't eat the kidney food. She will eat some of the KD kibble but not very much.

Thanks, Sandra, about the Royal Canin Kitten Food. I found Royal Canin Babycat34 Food (dry) at Pet Supplies Plus today and got a bag. They didn't have Whiskas Ultra Milk. Is that a substitute for cats with lactose intolerance, or milk replacement for kittens that don't have mommy to nurse from? I got some JustBorn Milk Replacer for Kittens, but I'll wait until I hear what to look for before I try that.

I just served up a little of the Babycat (tiny morsels, indeed!). She sniffed it, pulled back, sniffed again, pulled back again. I put a pellet in her mouth a few times. She would suck it a bit, then let it drop back into the dish. Finally she put her head down and started eating! So at least it has aroused some interest. Maybe she'll like it more with the Ultra Milk!

Mary, that's great that Puddy has been going strong for two years in CRF! Thanks to her and you and the fur posse for the good wishes.

Sandra, this morning the weather people on TV were going crazy about the storm. They were running listings of all the school systems closed today. (I thought later, they were probably all closed anyway because today is Martin Luther King Day.) They said it's going to be freezing rain all day, then sleet and snow tonight. It was like, don't go out if you don't absolutely have to, and we're really gonna be walloped.

Tihs afternoon there was a glaze of ice on and around things. Tree branches and power lines fell in many places so power was out in many communities, but by and large things were going on as usual. Then this afternoon the "ice storm" warning was cancelled, and there are just going to be a few snow flurries. So, somehow we survived safely.

That's the latest. Thanks again, dear friends!

Pat and Priscilla

[Medusa]

Something that I forgot to mention but you've prob. tried it already: baby food w/her favorite in it. Puddy's happens to be chicken but whatever Priscilla likes. And it has enough moisture in it, too, so that base is covered. Just a thought.

Blessings,
Mary

[phesina]

Thanks, Mary. Yes, baby food is a common fallback. Sometimes she likes it, sometimes she doesn't. Her tastes change constantly. (What do I expect? After all, she's a CAT!)

Pat

[kb2yjx]

The Whiskas " Milk" is to give cats instead of milk. There may be other brands other there that I am unaware of. I will catmandu a poke to take a look at the posts!! Priscilla is behaving just like my Boo!!! Be ready to have s few more gray hairs!!! Glad you are OK. We are suppose to get some weather. Temps dropping and WIND!!!! I am going to light a fire in the stove shortly!!!

[phesina]

Thanks, Sandra, I'll see what Gary has to say. I'll exchange the "kitten replacement" milk for the "milk substitute" kind tomorrow, if that's the one to get.

Today there is a glaze of ice on all the bare tree branches right down to the tiniest twigs. The trees look lovely in the sunlight with the glistening light sparkling from the branches. (The branches that weren't so weighted down by the ice that they broke off and took down power lines or damaged cars and things.) But boy, is it ever COLD!!!!

Oh yeah, Priscilla likes something one time, then not the next. All of them do that, to some extent, but there isn't the urgency to make sure the others each eats a minimum amount (no problem like that with any of them).

This evening she ate a very little of the KD, then a very little of the Babycat, then a little more than that of some Trader Joe's Premium Dry Cat Food. Then some syringed MaxCal and her SubQ. So she got her quota.

Keep warm!

Pat

[catmandu]

THE ROYAL BABY KITTEN FOOD IS DRY, AND USUALLY ON PROMOTIONAL PRICES OF A DOLLAR FOR THE TRIAL SIZE BAG.
AND I HAVE USED WHISKAS ULTRA MILK, AND FOUND IT VERY GOOD,
AND I KNOW THAT THE ANINAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION USES KMR AND SWEAR BY IT.
THE BEST OF LUCK WITH PRISCILLA, AND THE PET ANGELS WILL DROP BY AND SEE IF THEY CAN HELP.