View Single Post
  #7  
Old October 10th, 2009, 02:05 AM
growler~GateKeeper's Avatar
growler~GateKeeper growler~GateKeeper is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 17,568
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tommy Cuddles View Post
he also has a heart murmur, high blood pressure
What grade is the heart murmur and what is his blood pressure number?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tommy Cuddles View Post
1) Re; the CRF. i will get the blood work. We take it every 3-4 months to see where he is. his numbers have been level for a while. We had originally changed his diet to help with the CRF. We also give him zantac for the nasuea. As mentioned before he gets amlodipine (liquid) for the HBP. We have not needed to do the sub-q's yet, becasue he was drinking well. We have a fountain for him. However he has ceased to use it, but still drinks regularly. We did try phosphorous binders but only for while. his numbers are good. We tried probiotics and other herbal remedies early on. however he is very picky with food and would walk away if he smelled anything he did not like. it came down to a choice medication and no food or find foods he liked and ensure he eats.
Has there been an increase/decrease in the amount Tommy Cuddles is drinking since he stopped using the fountain? Depending on the lab values you might want to start subq's ~ it's not as scary as it may sound I've been giving fluids for a little over a year, right now she gets it every day and she still drinks regularly from her fountain - I use bottled water and don't use the charcoal filters. Sophia gets her Subqs is a great intro/step by step instruction.

My grrl also has a heart murmur either just barely audible or graded at a very low 1, I asked about the fluids and for that level there's no problem. She doesn't have hbp though.

Much of the problem with phos binders is they have a minty taste cats hate. You can get odourless tasteless generic (no brand name) phos binders from the pharmacy. Even if his blood phos value is normal he should have a binder if the food he is eating is high in phos. The binders don't remove the phos that's already in the blood, but prevent the phos in the food from being absorbed into the body.

Natural Factors Ultimate 12/12 Probiotic is odourless and tasteless (yes I tasted the powder) it will also help the intestines by replenishing the good gut microflora. You don't need a full capsule each meal, about 1/4-1/3 capsule twice daily is what my grrl gets.

What herbal remedies did you try? There is a difference between herbal and homeopathic.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tommy Cuddles View Post
Appetite stimulant: the vet said the Dex would increase his appetite, which it does. We also have him on Mertazipine. That really gets him going. The problem, i put the wet food down in front of him and he either just licks it or walks away. I do not know if this is part of the various illnesses he has or just being picky.
My grrl goes nuts for PureBites Chicken Treats, it's just freeze dried chicken breast they are easy to crumble ontop of the food or treat first to get the appetite started.

As sugarcatmom mentions I tell everyone w/a crf cat to raise the food & water dishes between 2-5 inches off the ground helps keep the stomach acid where it belongs in the stomach lessening the feelings of nausea.

When you put the food infront of him is he licking his lips or swallowing frequently? If so that's the nausea which will turn him off food. One thing with nausea is it stops them from wanting to eat, but if they go too long without eating they get nauseous from having nothing in their stomach.

Will he eat more if you offer it on your finger? I know it takes longer & requires patience but sometimes it will jump start the appetite abit.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tommy Cuddles View Post
normal diet is wet food as much as possible. We also leave out dry food (innova). We tried to give him innova and evo wet and he used to like it, but no longer. We have also given him pro-plan. unfortunatley, we give him whatever we can now, just to ensure he gets something. like I said it is better he eats something than trying to get healthy food in him and him not eating at all.
I agree the Innova is too high in phos especially w/out a phos binder, have you tried Wellness? The canned Turkey, Chicken, Beef & Chicken have good phos values. Eagle Pack Holistic Select Canned foods also have fairly good phos levels, again try to stay away from fish as much as possible.

How many times per day are you feeding canned? What is the latest time you have canned out for him or the last feeding?
Smaller more frequent meals are best for crf (see above re nausea) so a small meal right before you go to bed is also a good idea, shorten the distance between dinner & breakfast will keep something in the stomach longer to occupy the stomach acid.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sugarcatmom View Post
If you have access to a holistic vet, they should be able to come up with a treatment plan that involves other modalities like acupuncture, osteopathy, or homeopathy. If it truly is the arthritis that is causing Tommy's current decline, then you might want to consider pain meds, although these can be tricky in a cat with compromised kidneys.
My crf grrl sees a Homeopath vet and a physiotherapist for IntraMuscular Stimulation {GUNN IMS} (very similar to acupuncture) every 3 months, I highly recommend trying homeopathy and physical therapy.

There are several very effective homeopathic remedies for pain management with no adverse affects. (My grrl had a dental cleaning w/a few extractions, her pain management was a couple of homeopathic remedies, she did not require conventional pain medication)
__________________
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do

The Spirit Lives As Long As Someone Who Lives Remembers You - Navaho Saying
Reply With Quote