[sugarcatmom]

Hi Owlman, welcome to the board (and sorry that it isn't under better circumstances).

Originally Posted by Owlman

A trip to the vet and $1200 worth of tests later I found out he is diabetic.

Yikes! Considering a fructosamine test costs somewhere around $50 the last time I checked (and a blood glucose test much less than that), it's crazy that it took your vet $1200 to figure out Spanky was diabetic. What other testing did they do to rack up a bill like that?

Originally Posted by Owlman

I kept him on this diet and he has remained in remission ever since.

Fantastic! As the caregiver of a cat who has had diabetes for 10 yrs now (requiring insulin shots the whole time), you hit the holy grail of FD.

Originally Posted by Owlman

After a visit to the Vet a couple days later he was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney failure. I had no idea. He showed no symptoms.

Do you have a copy of all the lab work that was done, including blood and urine results?

Originally Posted by Owlman

My vet is terrible for trying to bill me to the max.

Any other vets you can go to instead? It's not an ideal relationship if you think your vet is always trying to take you to the cleaners. He should be doing things based on what's best for Spanky, not what's best for his wallet.

Originally Posted by Owlman

I was sent home with antibiotics, probiotics, laxatives (2 kinds) Hills KD food, Azodyl and subQ fluids. Its alot :/

It sure is. Most of it completely unnecessary. Why the antibiotics? Which probiotics did he send you home with?

Originally Posted by Owlman

The first issue is he wont eat the Hills KD.

Good for Spanky.

Now I realize I'm not a vet, but I do have a great deal of experience (and tons of research behind me) dealing with various feline health problems. My advice is to ditch the Hill's K/D (along with the notion of feeding Spanky a low protein food). What he needs is good quality protein. Not sure if you or Spanky would be interested in going the raw diet route, but that would be the very best option. If that won't work, there are some decent lower phosphorus canned foods (they don't have to be as low as the prescription foods). Check out this link for some ideas: http://www.catinfo.org/docs/Food%20C...%209-22-12.pdf

And info on why low protein is not a good idea, even in cats with renal insufficiency: The Nutrient Your Pet Needs More Of As They Age

Originally Posted by Owlman

I picked up some Wellness Chicken, Beef and Chicken and Turkey. He is eating it but it's still too high in Phosphorus and protien.

No it isn't. It's actually a great choice, especially if Spanky is willing to eat it.

Originally Posted by Owlman

The second issue is the subQ fluids. I was told to give him 120mm/day. He only weighs 3.7 lbs.

That does seem like an awful lot of fluids to be giving per day. I can't advise you on whether that's an appropriate amount for Spanky, but maybe another vet can.

Originally Posted by Owlman

I haven't been able to give him much as it takes 2 people to do this with him and I'm on my own.

Do you warm the fluids first? What size needle are you using? Most vets send clients home with the big 18g harpoons, which aren't terribly comfortable. You can get 20 to 22 gauge Ultra Thin Wall Terumo needles that deliver fluids almost as fast, but are much nicer to insert.

Originally Posted by Owlman

Also I was given sodium chloride, Ive heard this isn't the best.

You're right, not the best choice unless Spanky has high blood potassium levels. (One of the reasons I'd like to see what the blood work shows). I would at least double-check with the vet on that one. The saline fluids could also be stinging when they go in, another factor in Spanky's discomfort with the whole process.

Originally Posted by Owlman

Third issue is the Azodyl.

I would also ditch the Azodyl. There actually is no concrete evidence that it helps, and it can be a b!tch to administer (not to mention expensive). You'd be better off finding a human probiotic with a similar strain profile and giving Spanky that. MegaFood's Mega-Flora probiotic is one to consider. Can be mixed with food. I know there are people that feel Azodyl has helped their cats, and if they don't have any problems getting the cat to take those giant horse pills or paying that much for a product made by a rather sleazy company, than that's fine. But I personally don't think the cost-benefit ratio is worth it. Much better to spend the money on the best meat-based wet food one can afford.