Sparkle is at it again, sigh! Update #9.

[Laura's Babies]

Lets hope the fluids do good for her and she perks back up! Get Well Soon Sparkle!

[Catty1]

Best wishes for Sparkle! Hope the new food and some fluids help. Adding some warm water to the new food, whether it is wet or dry, adds more fluids also.

Glad it is in the early stage - though it must still be a shock. {{{hugs}}} Wishing you and Sparkle many more happy and healthy years.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear this. I'm glad it's been caught early and I hope she'll have many more good years ahead of her. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.

[Freedom]

Thanks again, Laura, Candace, and . . . krazyaboutkats (forgot your name oops!)

The vet just phoned with the urine sample results. All looks fine on that bit. So for now, I keep Sparkle on the high quality, grain free diet, add canned for her daily to get more fluids in her, and return in 3 months for a recheck on weight and blood work.

I do appreciate everyone's prayers and concern, like most, I panic if ANYTHING goes 'wrong' with one of the furkids.

[phesina]

Thanks again, Laura, Candace, and . . . krazyaboutkats (forgot your name oops!)

The vet just phoned with the urine sample results. All looks fine on that bit. So for now, I keep Sparkle on the high quality, grain free diet, add canned for her daily to get more fluids in her, and return in 3 months for a recheck on weight and blood work.

I do appreciate everyone's prayers and concern, like most, I panic if ANYTHING goes 'wrong' with one of the furkids.

Bob and Sydney are both kidney-challenged boys and have been getting fluids for a while now. With luck and God's blessings they'll both be going for quite a while longer and so will Sparkle!

Both Bob and Sydney are supposed to eat "prescription" kidney-diet food. They tried a few and seem to prefer (or shall I say, dislike least) K/D, so that's what I get for them, both wet and kibble.

I wish there was some of those grain-free diets especially designed for kitties with kidney issues. There is a pet-supplies store in Ann Arbor that specializes in high-quality items, especially food, and is owned and run by a no-longer-practicing veterinarian (http://www.dogmacatmantoo.com/). I asked her a few months ago if she had any suggestions, and she said unfortunately no.. the "high quality" (i.e., mostly real meat and organic content) foods also wind up being high protein, which is what makes them "high-quality..", the real meat and all rather than nasty byproducts.

She also carries some of the other prescription foods and says they are better quality than K/D .. I don't really like Science Diet that much period.. But I'd tried Eukanuba and Royal Canin and some of the others, and they did NOT eat them as dependably as the K/D stuff.

My other three cats get Taste of the Wild kibble and Friskies and 9 Lives wet food (we hadn't found any wet like Wellness etc. that I could count on them eating regularly, either). Sometimes I let the kidney boys have a little of that mixed in as an extra treat or when they aren't eating the K/D. Also, I serve meals, do not leave food out for free feeding.

They all do tend to do some wandering among each other's bowls when they can get away with it. Elmer will eat anything.. and I wouldn't mind if he finished off some of the K/D, except all that prescription stuff is SO much more expensive.

But reading all the rave reports on the other prescription ones and the Wellness etc. they didn't like so much a while back, maybe it's time to consult the holistic-organic-vet again for some diet advice and try some again!

We are all continuing to say our prayers on behalf of dear Sparkle. So glad to learn she has a clean urinary bill of health, and here's to her (and all of your family there) for many more years of good health together!

My Providence native Sparkler especially sends good wishes and healing energies to dear Sparkle!

Cheers from Pat and the gang

[cassiesmom]

Big prayers for Sparkle! I'm with Tracey, a wish and a prayer that she will have many more good years ahead. Hugs for Sparkle and her siblings!

[Freedom]

Thanks, Pat, for all the info! Thank you Elyse for the prayers!

My vet said -- and I had seen this on the Web -- that while they used to prescribe low protein diets for cats with renal issues, they no longer do that. The high protein is fine as long as it is quality high protein.

Senior kibble was mentioned, but we apparently are not at the stage of needing the prescription food as my vet never mentioned that. (RB Amber cat was on that; or I should say, we tried it, he refused to eat it, lol).

From what I can see, few of the high quality foods even offer a senior cat formula; let alone a kidney specific one. They do puppy and adult "all life stages" formulas and that is all.

So Sparkle will continue on the Taste of the Wild, with canned senior or canned adult mixed in regularly.

I've opted to postpone the fluids for 3 months, see how things go. I HOPE I don't regret this part. Although, I may never know if it was the right decision or not.

[lvpets2002]

Oh No I am sorry about Sparkle's Kidney Failure.. I sure hope the meds & the sub q work good.. Sending lots of Prayers & Huggss to you both..

[Freedom]

I found this food at PetCo. It is high in moisture, so I am using it for Sparkle. And I have her on Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul food.

http://www.soulisticpet.com/cuisine.html

Sparkle LOVES the Harvest Sunrise, which is chicken and pumpkin. For some reason that flavor is on sale for 89 cents per can this week.

I am trying to stay away from fish foods, as those "may" contain either mercury or ethoxyquin, and I don't want her to have any additional complications.

[katladyd]

This food had my attention until I saw that most of the flavors were fish based. Ming takes meds for chronic FLUTD and fish are a big no-no. Oh well, I will keep trying to find something he will eat besides Fancy Feast. Everything but that is sniffed at and left to rot.

[Freedom]

They have 2 chicken flavors, the Harvest sunrise, and Chicken in gravy.