Priscilla's failing kidneys

[Catty1]

Royal Canin is a vet food. I have seen some varieties in good pet stores, but compare the labels.

It seems that a number of cats prefer RC to other brands (not a plug, just an observation! )

[kb2yjx]

I am so sorry to read about your dear Priscilla!!! I have 3 kidney cats right now. Nicholas is controlled by diet(Hills k/d). The girls, Molly Meu is over 13yrs old, gets sq fluids, 100cc's twice a week. Molly is a diet nightmare!!! She absolutely REFUSES to eat the kidney diet and is eating Friskies(I shudder at the 11% protein!!). However, her labs are very good and at this point I think it is more important to keep her eating or else her liver will go. She has been a kidney cat for about 4 years. Raven is 10 and eats(with gusto)her k/d and gets the fluids twice a week. Raven developed kidney disease when she was only 4 years old!!! Her last labs look like those of a healthy cat!!!
Although this is a British site, I find the information that is there, very helpful and realistic. www.felinecrf.org Another good site is www.felinecrf.com They both have lots of information about diet!!! Good luck with Priscilla and please keep us posted!! Sandra

[phesina]

I took Priscilla in today because she hadn't been eating much in the last few days and was quite listless. She vet took some blood and found a hematocrit reading of only 11.5, down from 14 a few days ago which was already too low. She said Priscilla's bone marrow is just not making new red blood cells. She'll call me tomorrow with the BUN and Creatinine results and what they might indicate.

I told her about the people here with cats that have been going along for years with kidney failure and asked her about the Royal Canin food (thanks, Candace). She said we're past that point where the kind of food can make a difference. Priscilla needs to get high caloric content into her, so the vet put her on Eukanuba Maximum Calorie food because that's the highest and told me to syringe-feed her 6 ml 3 times a day.

We're going to try something called Epogen, which will stimulate red cell growth... for a while. It is made for humans, and for a while it will work with cats but eventually the species difference catches up with it and makes it ineffective. She said it only comes in a human form and has not been made for cats yet. She ordered some, and it should arrive in a day or two.

She also said she would be glad to refer me to experts on kidney failure, e.g., at the veterinary college at Michigan State University or specialists in private practice, if I wanted to consult any of them. I might a bit later, but right now I just see how we'll do getting more nourishment into her and seeing how the Epogen does.

I took her home and managed to get 6 ml of the Max Cal into her. That's messy stuff! Kind of soupy and smelly. But if it does the trick, it's golden. Then I gave her her evening subQ fluids and her 2 quarter-tabs of something called Blood and Energy K9 which is also supposed to help stimulate the red cell growth (though it doesn't seem to be doing it yet).

Raven's Mother, thanks for the two web sites. I took a quick look, and they both look full of valuable information. That's great to hear how well your cats are doing!

Thanks so much, everyone, for your good wishes and suggestions and thoughts and hopes and prayers, and please keep them coming.

Pat and Priscilla

[Barbara]

My vet also says that the most important thing is they shouldn't lose weight- so it's better if they eat anything than not eating.
I hope that the process of producing the red cells can be stimulated.
All the best for Priscilla.

[ShylanHal]

That's so sad!! My dad's dog just recently died of kidney failure, we had to put him down the day before christmas eve, because he was declining so rapidly. He'd gotten into some antifreeze without us knowing and once he started showing signs of it, it was too late.
Reading this just sort of reminded me of him. I hope that your little Priscilla pulls through to live a few more happy years with you! She looks like such a sweet cat.
Now we have this big can of Royal Canin dog food to get rid of, and (I dont' think this is bad, is it?) I've been giving little bits of it to Clover and Echo as treats and christmas dinner to get rid of it. We also still have a big box of IV fluids and such that we're needing to return to the vet.
Do you know how her kidneys failed? Was is just a random event? Or did something happen that would make them fail suddenly like that?
But yeah, I hope she pulls through to spend more years with her loving and caring meowmie, and I bet with your love and care she has a good chance of it!

[krazyaboutkatz]

I hope that the new food and meds will help Priscilla. Lots more prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.

[kb2yjx]

Please check your pm's!!!

[Marigold2]

Oh I am so sorry to hear that your kitty is ill. We also had a cat our beautiful Cassiegirl that we lost on Nov 20th six years ago due to kidney failure. Our Cassiegirl was only 5 she was a beautiful calico we found at the ASPCA in Lorain, Ohio. I wish you all the luck and please know that just because our story did not turn our well doesn't mean your kitty will not be ok. Each case is different and special in treatment and outcome. My prayers are with you, chin up, stay positive.

[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