Priscilla's failing kidneys

[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!!!

[phesina]

Well, this afternoon I called the vet's office and was told the Epogen had come in. I should bring Priscilla in so they can show me what to do, so off we went. She weighed 5.1 pounds, up maybe 1/10 pound from yesterday.

Dr. Lewis (the vet) said she had been going over Priscilla's record more thoroughly today and noticed that she had a hematocrit of 11 the last time she'd been tested, about 2 weeks earlier, so it seems to have leveled out (for now anyway) rather than just dropped from 14 in a short time.

She'd been on the phone today with Michigan State and also with a kidney specialist named Dr. Eli. He advised before starting Epogen to thoroughly rule out any other possible underlying causes such as bartonella and something else I don't remember the name of (by mycoplasma test) and to do a CBC. So she took some more blood to send off for these tests, and until we get the results of these (some time next week) we'll hold off on deciding to start the Epogen. Right there that feels like a kind of reprieve!

Meanwhile, another medication that had been on order for Priscilla, Calcitriol, also came in today. Her calcium level is also very low, and this is to help build that back up. Dr. Lewis said to start that, one per day, and keep on with the fluids and the MaxCal syringe meals and the Blood and Energy..

So we came back home, and I gave her her mid-day 6 cc of Max Cal, and her Calcitriol capsule, and her subQ fluids, and her Blood and Energy two quarter-tabs. Then I got out from the refrigerator a can of leftover 9 Lives Liver & Bacon I'd tried to tempt her with a few days ago but she had no interest in, and I divided it between the four other cats. I left a little in the can with some of the juice with it and set that before her. What did she do but start eating it!

So I got out another earlier-reject, 9 Lives Ocean Whitefish, and gave her a spoonful of that. And she ate it right up!

This is the first time in about a week that she has eaten food voluntarily on her own!

I gave her another 3 cc of the MaxCal, just to make sure she had plenty of calories on board.

She's more alert and more interested in the world around her.

I have to say I think all the Pet Talk prayers and good wishes and kindnesses .. not to mention the work of the Pet Angel Search And Rescue Squad ... must be having an effect!

Thank you so much, all you wonderful people and critters and angels, and please keep the goodness coming..

Barbara, you're right, that they should eat anything rather than lose weight. Maybe she's going to start putting some back on now! Thanks for your good wishes.

ShylanHal, I'm so sorry about your dad's dog, especially with this happening the day before Christmas. Antifreeze, that's deadly, that's so horrible for animals to get into. Please give him my sympathy.

Thanks for your good wishes too. There doesn't seem to be anything in particular that we've been able to determine that triggered Priscilla's kidney failure now. It seems just to have happened, a lot earlier than we ever would have expected. I asked Dr. Lewis if there was anything I could or should have done that would have prevented this. She said I did nothing wrong, and "I'm going to get you one of those bumper stickers that says.." [whispers] "..SHIT HAPPENS."

Thanks again for your good energies again, KAK. And Raven's Mom, I checked, and I'm gonna give it a try!

Thanks so much, everyone!

Priscilla and Pat

[ShylanHal]

I sent him your sympathies, and he sends you some of his own, and we both are praying that you'll have some good years with your baby.
And if your vet doesn't give you that bumper sticker, I sure will! how truthful is that! But even with all this shit in the world, we always seem to pull through. Talk about resiliance!

[Catty1]

YAY Cilla! Start eating like a little piggy! Get better soon, sweetie!

Very good news so far!

[kb2yjx]

The fact that Priscilla is eating on her own is wonderful news!!!! Another thing to have handy is chicken baby food, that is the BRIBE food that I use! Continued prayers!!!! YEA!!!!!

[krazyaboutkatz]

Thanks for the update. I'm so glad to hear that Priscilla is starting to eat on her own again. I hope that her health will continue to improve and that she'll also start gaining some weight. Lots more prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.