Willy ~ Renal failure

[Taz_Zoee]

Oh no. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I knew Willy was so young.
My Taz was diagnosed with renal failure shortly after he had surgery to remove some sacks that were surrounding his kidneys. I believe there was more to his health than I knew. Or the surgery brought on the failure. Not sure, but he was around 14/15 years old at that time. He did not make it a year.
But I know there are lots of others here on Pet Talk that have had (and still have) cats that are staying strong through the years. I remember reading somewhere recently (can't remember who posted or where I read it) that their cat was diagnosed 5 years ago. With proper care (and I know you will give proper care) Willy can be with you for years to come.
It might come down to you needing to give him sub-q fluids at home. Have you done that before? I had read about it here on PT and thought I'd NEVER be able to do it. I did it with Taz and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. They seem to know it helps them.

I will be thinking of you and Willy.

[carole]

oh Lisa, i am so sorry to read this, he is so young, but i am sure with the love and expert care you give him and advice from your vet Willy will live a long life, i went through it all with Ash, but then he was an old cat, and he was on steroids, which may or may not be suitable for Willy,i wish you and Willy all the best and i hope he will continue to do well on his new diet.,thinking of you both. HUGS.

P.S as for SUB Q'S i would discuss this fully with your vet first.

[Catty1]

Lisa, if it is CRF - the chronic kind - Willy could live many good years yet with the right food (great that they BOTH like it!) and sub Q fluids when the time comes. I don't have kidney cats (yet?) but I seem to recall that a few can get by on extra wet food and going to the sub fluids later.

Thank goodness you saw to this early! Willy looks perky and healthy - I bet he'll fool the vet and then some!

[pomtzu]

While Myndi isn't a cat, she was diagnosed with kidney disease, tho not full blown kidney failure. She has been on prescription k/d for about a year and a half, and is doing very well considering that she is now 16. She takes no meds for it and does not require fluids. Once you get the k/d into Willy, you should notice a drastic change in the amount of water he drinks, and of course the peeing that goes with it.

Prayers that he does well and is with you for a good long time to come.

[Karen]

This is from Sunday's Cat of the Day's thread, the person who posted it promised she doesn't work for that company, but has had such good results with it, she wanted to make sure people knew about it.

Has your Momma heard about "Tripsy"? It is a liquid drops supplement for cats with kidney problems. It has VERY GOOD reviews. Please have your Momma search for Tripsy at
www.petwellbeing.com. Read the reviews for it. It has a 4.6 out of 5 stars rating, with 303 reviews. I give it to a couple of my older cats to prevent future kidney problems.

[Cataholic]

Lisa,
Please, do not dispair! Tex was in renal failure for years, on two different meds, and did very well. If your vet is giving you a poor picture, please, find someone else to assist Willy.

Lots of luck and love coming to you two.

[kuhio98]

Thanks guys. I really like our vet so I was shocked that he seemed so negative.
He recommended the food change and sub-q fluids when the time comes. He didn't even mention medication.

I'm ordering the Tripsy. I'll do some more research -- please keep the advice coming -- and book another appointment and get some answers. If he doesn't seem interested in exploring treatment options, we'll change vets.

[pomtzu]

Another thought - and you might want to check this out with a vet.

Since Willow doesn't have kidney issues, she probably should not be eating the k/d because it is so low in protein, and she would not be getting the amount of protein that is required for a cat of normal health. That's probably why the k/d is only available thru a vet or with a prescription.

[AvaJoy]

Schuyler was recently diagnosed and we give him sub-qs daily and half a a pill (forget the name; begins with a "b") for his heart to help his kidneys function better. He is doing really well so far. Try to get Willy off the dry food because wet is what cats need for optimum health, as stated earlier by someone. Visit www.catinfo.org to understand why cats should not eat dry food. I am surprised your vet did not do blood work for a conclusive diagnosis, and also why sub-qs were not prescribed. Along with others above, I suggest you consider getting a second opinion. Willy may not even have CRF, and without blood work your present vet could simply SUSPECT that is the condition. So, you need a definitive treatment plan, upon getting a thorough diagnostic work-up. If his blood levels indicate the disease, then you can begin management. Many cats live quite a few years, and I wish this for your Willy and my Schuyler.

[kuhio98]

I stopped by the vet this morning to pick up more k/d food. Dr. Townsend gave me a few minutes to ask some questions.

1. Willy does not have Chronic Renal Failure. He has Acute Renal Failure. I asked him what the difference was and he said that chronic comes on slowly over time. Acute can be the result of a kitty being blocked where the kidney's got damaged. (Willy has never been blocked). Or it could be that he was born with one or both kidney's damaged. That's what he suspects at this point.

2. It is okay for all our cats to eat the k/d food. He said that if we had cats 3-years old or younger, he would not recommend it but since all of ours are older, it's okay -- expensive -- but okay.

3. All kitties are liking the k/d. They don't LOVE it, but they like it. After Willy sacks out at night, I gave Willow (she's a night owl) some regular food.

4. We take Willy back to the vet for more urine and blood tests mid-April.

5. Results of Willy's tests:
BUN (normal 14-36 mg/dL).................Willy is 99 - high
Creatinine (normal 0.6-2.4 mg/dL).......Willy is 8.0 - high
Phosphorus (normal 2.4-8.2 mg/dL).....Willy is 10.0 - high
Potassium (normal 3.4-5.6 mEq/L).......Willy is 3.3 - low
Na/K Ratio (normal 32-41).................Willy is 45 - high