For a couple of days, I noticed a urine like smell on Lily. I perceived it only in her fur, not in her breath, that's why my first thought was that Luna has peed somewhere outside her litterbox (you know, that happens), and Lily was lying on that spot. It's been confusing though that I couldn't find any spots in my entire apartment, usually I can smell it immediately when Luna had an "accident".
Anyway, I perceived the urine scent on Lily again this morning, and my gut feeling told me something wasn't right. My vet hardly perceived the scent on her which didn't surprise me because I know my sense of smell is very well developed. My vet suggested a quick test for urea in the blood, and that's what we did. To my dismay, the test showed a slightly increased urea level in the blood! It's nothing serious at this point, but an indication that she may develop a renal insufficiency at some point. As a precaution, my vet suggested to inject Renen for four weeks, twice a week. I have to do that at home, and I gave her the first shot at the vet's office today, so I could get some practice. Lily cried while I did that, and I seriously doubt that I will be able to give her the shots at home!
I will also change her diet, will try a kidney diet from now on. In four weeks, when Lily got all her shots, we will draw blood from her again and send it to the lab, to check her kidney values. This is definitely something we have to keep an eye on!
It's kind of a strange feeling for me that something's not right with Lily. In her six years, she has never been ill, not once! It's always been Luna I had to worry about. Lily was always fine! But I'm more than glad I have this very sensitive sense of smell!!
Lily was a very good girl at the vet's btw! Even though she cried and screamed while the blood was taken from her, she calmed down quickly, and even ate some treats in her carrier while we were waiting for the test result. And as soon as we came back home, she was in good spirits, as usual. But I'm sure she will fight when I'll try to give her the next injection on Sunday...
Kirsten
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