Vet says kitty is having kidney failure...

[candylilacs]

I don't agree with this just yet, though.

We found her last month, wandering around the apartment. She was very, very skinny but wanted petting. We fed her and had her fixed but she never seemed to be very into grooming. (She's long-hair.) But she did put on weight. Turns out the vet estimated her age at 12.

A 12-year-old stray?!? Apparently so. Anyway, her breath was bad (it always had been and her gums and teeth look infected) and she wasn't eating as well so I figured it was time to get her some antibiotics or something for her teeth.

The vet examined her (my husband took her in) and told him (and me, on the phone) that she was probably going into kidney failure. I was shocked. I thought kidney failure was pretty dramatic. They start peeing everywhere and don't eat at all and seem lethargic. She seemed about the same.

So I gave him the OK to take her bloodwork and give her antibiotics. My mother told me not to let her suffer and I told my mother that the vet was only guessing at what he thought was wrong with her and we'd know after the bloodwork.

My mother said she'd pay for the bloodwork because she wanted the veterinarian to check her also for diabetes. Her cat is diabetic.

I think she's an old cat and her mouth is infected. I don't think she's dying any more than any 12-year-old cat but I want to make sure I'm open-minded. The vet did say if it was kidney failure it would be a slow degeneration.

We'll know on Monday.

c.

[davet]

i kinda agree about not euthanizing her for now...if her blood work can get under control the the teeth might be scaled...lots of these cats, depending on their disposition will let the vet chip the tarter off with out anesthesia...there is a slight risk of the process being traumatic but most vets will know when to stop.....between scaling and loads of antibiotics it might work out but it depends on the results of the lab tests.....but i would give her a chance...good luck

[Traci]

Most vets can make an educated guess upon exam whether or not the patient is in early or advanced renal failure. Bloodwork doesn't lie, if the BUN, creatinine, etc are out of normal range, chances are, she is in renal failure.

Renal failure does not always mean instantaneous illness or death, it is simply a term used to describe the kidneys have lost a great deal of function (over 2/3 of renal function is gone by the time of diagnosis). If caught early on and treated agressively, many cats can lead a long, normal life with minimal treatment. Agressive treatment means hospitalization with IV fluids to diurese the kidneys, if the labwork shows critical elevations in BUN and creatinine, and if the patient is severely dehydrated, anorexic, and suffering other affects of acute renal crisis. If the crisis is severe, and the kidneys cannot diurese or filter toxins, then the prognosis is less favorable. The key is early detection, monitoring lab work on a frequent basis, fluids administration where necessary, potassium supplementation where warranted, dietary management, etc. It is a disease that must be managed carefully and consistently.

Do not consider euthanizing this kitty without knowing at what extent her labs are, and without agressive treatment/hospitalization to see if she will respond to treatment. If she recovers, she will probably be able to be managed at home, but you will need to prepare yourself on what to expect, fluids administration, other meds, etc.

[candylilacs]

The results of her lab work will be in by Monday. For right now, I'm giving her a bunch of amoxicillin and love.

I'm glad my mother paid for her bill ($286) since we have to come up with closing costs in a month!

She eats and drinks water but we don't know anything of her history. She does like to be petted and her mouth was VERY infected. There are pet dentists here who don't use anesthesia but we'll wait a bit before that.

My goal is to make her feel better. And having a mouth full of inflamed and infected teeth doesn't feel good.

c.

[davet]

i like this statemen "There are pet dentists here who don't use anesthesia but we'll wait a bit before that."
I don't really think you need a pet dentist to have the teeth scaled....there is no secrete in chipping the tarter...every vet should be able to do this....it is common sense to stop if the animal is excitable...I think the only thing that a pet dentist would do different would be a maxillary or mandibulare nerve block which the cats don't like anymore than the chipping..in any event if it takes two or three visits to chip the tarter go for it...

[Auntie Debbie]

I too am glad you've opted to see what the bloodwork will reveal. I have some links on Kidney Disease under the Feline section of my websited listed under Favorites (Debbie's Feline Health) on the menu on the left side of the board you may find interesting. As Traci mentioned, there are things you can do at home with your kitty to maintain her health if her kidneys are not in total failure. Also look under "Sub-Q's" for tips on giving fluids. I've just recently learned how to do this myself and it's not that difficult.
I hope there is still something that can be done to help your kitty. And tell Mom thanks for being willing to spend the money for the bloodwork to see if she can be maintained at home. I've got my fingers crossed for her! Please let us know on Monday what the results are, ok?

[candylilacs]

I do have my doubts it's kidney failure. Simply because when we first found her, she was extremely thin. Probably as thin as a cat could get before a cat dies.

I started her off with several small meals a day. She had terrible diarrhea at first, but in a few weeks her body seemed to accept the more than usual food and she has gained probably five pounds since then. She's still a pretty thin cat but she does like to eat.

We kept her in a separate area because we didn't want our cats harassing her. (The alpha female doesn't like other cats, she merely tolerates her brother.) She wanted out, so after a month, we let her out and then in the last week she's been hiding and not wanting to come to the kitchen to eat.

I figure it's because the cat has been harassing her. So when I separated her again, she began eating normally.

Now, she probably looks like a stereotypical case. She's thin, she doesn't groom herself very well (but I can't think she feels very good with an infected mouth) and she walks slowly. She was close to dying from hunger, though.

I gave her antibiotics today and it was interesting trying to give medicine to a cat that will not open her mouth. Luckily I had a syringe.

My husband and I were going to give her to his mother who wanted a housecat, because she will probably be so much happier with a house to herself, but I figure it's better that she's healthy and I'm not sure that his mother is willing to manage her health at home. My mother, who's a cat lady, said she would. I don't know if that's best for her, either. (Our house is done in a month and there will be enough room for all the cats to hide from one another.)

As for the pet dentists, they're vets who specialize in teeth cleaning without anesthesia and apparently they're very busy. Two people have recommended them to me.

The vet groomed her a bit before giving her back, so she smells a little like my detangler spray. She's a good kitty. I will keep you posted.

c.

[candylilacs]

Good news! The kitty is fine. Apparently her bloodwork is very good and she's in good health, the vet said, except for her teeth.

I could have told him that! She ate two cans of cat food last night and 2/3 cups of dry food. He said I may have to keep her on antibiotics for a while and maybe some kind of medication for her gums.

I didn't float the idea of dental work without anesthesia yet, but he's not the vet I like (the other vet, Dr. Hicks, is who I deal with on a regular basis.) I'll talk to him about it.

So, you see, don't always believe the first thing a vet tells you, always follow up with tests!

Thank you all,

c.

[LisaLisa]

GREAT NEWS!!!!!

Thanks for taking this little ione in and caring for her...sounds like she is on the road to recovery and getting good health care..

Keep us updated, okay...

[Auntie Debbie]

That's terrific news! Thanks for caring enough to want to make sure first. I hope hew gums will be better soon. Let us know how the dental thing goes. And give her a great big kitty kiss for me, ok?