Fern: Kidney failure, need advice from those who dealt with this.

[Craftlady]

Anyway, for anyone with kidney failure experience, how much Pepsid can I give her? Is it a quarter of a 10 mg tablet?

I had to give Snoopy (30 lb dog) 10 mg tablet 2x a day and then I cut back to 5 mg (1/2 of whole tablet) 2x a day.
This was for gastritis.

These tablets are not easy to cut in 1/2 let along take that half and cut it again. I would think 1/4 tablet would be good starting dose.

I found little dose goes a long way.

Good Luck.

[Freedom]

Oh Fern sweetie!

I've not had to give them Pepcid, no help on that.

If she can get some food in and keep it down, then the appetite pill may stay down. But I guess you know that too.

As for maintaining the treatment once she starts feeling better, all I can offer is to try and make it appealing to her. Rub some catnip on your hands? Or some tuna water, lol. I'd say chin rubs after, but if she isn't keen on contacts, not sure she'd enjoy those. If you can get her eating, some canned salmon as a treat at the end.

Prayers for you and for Fern.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear this. I've never dealt with kidney failure but my Storm has small intestinal disease so he has to take pred in the morning and he takes the regular strength pepcid 5mg,which is half a pill, at night. I just use part of a pill pocket and wrap it in that and he thinks he's getting a treat. I hope that things will go well and that Fern will be able to keep her food down and make an overall improvement. More prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.

[Medusa]

I've not administered Pepcid, just the subQ's. They helped Puddy tremendously. In the beginning, they were every day, then after a while, every other day, then twice a week, etc. Regular subQ's should help w/the nausea; it did for Puddy. Prayers continuing for Fern and you.

[smokey the elder]

Pink Nose was just diagnosed with kidney failure (very early stage; caught it on a senior panel.) He's on fluids, and two medicines. One is called "epakitin" and is a phosphate binder. See, for example, http://www.vetoquinolusa.com/CorePro.../Epakitin.html. This is sprinkled on the food.

The other medicine is "Azodyl". "Developed by Kibo Biotech, Inc., Azodyl is marketed by Vetoquinol. Azodyl is designed to lower BUN and creatinine by populating the patient's bowel with beneficial microorganisms that catabolize the urea toxins in the intestine." (from www.felinecrf.com)

Pink Nose doesn't need Pepcid as yet; my vet said between 1/8 and 1/4 a tablet. At such a small dose, you might wish to have it compounded.

I'm fortunate that PInk Nose is such a good patient; I had to fuss with a new bag of fluids, and he was sitting there patiently waiting for me to give them to him! Good luck with Fern.

[Barbara]

Smokey just added the felinecrf website which is excellent.
I am afraid Fern's fur already looks ruffled in a way that points to kidneys.
If the sub-q fluids don't work she may need IV for a night or so. I hope very much she overcomes this crisis.
Of course eating is very important for kidney kitties. In Filou's bad times I always had success with egg yolk which was more than one time the thing that got him back to eating.
We keep our paws crossed for Fern.

[jenluckenbach]

I am taking Fern back to the vet tonight. But I do not have much hope. She just seems too far gone. She hasn't kept even the smallest amount of food down.