#1
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My Cat needs help
My cat is 13 years old and has always been very healthy - with the exception of her teath, I have brushed and cleaned them and now use the liquid you put into her water.
She has bad tarter and has lost a few teeth, but has always seemed to be ok, She has had her teeth cleaned twice. Now that I am retired and on a small pension I can not affort the 5oo it costs to have more cleaning done. She also has a problem with constipation she sometimes gets a bit of fresh blood with here bowl movement. Our Vet said it was a rectal fisher, but he is concerned that her teeth will cause renal failure, and wants to do massive testing.. can anyone give me advice on this.... I don't see how teeth can cause renal failure. Thanks in advance, Meg |
#2
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It's true, there is a link between dental disease and renal insufficiency, although the jury is out on how they relate. Here is some info from this site:
http://www.felinecrf.com/what0.htm Quote:
http://www.farleyfoundation.org/pet_..._criteria.html http://www.aahahelpingpets.org/news_faqs.html In the meantime, what are you feeding your kitty? I'm concerned about the constipation, which could indicate dehydration (one of the symptoms of CRF). If you feed only dry food, I highly recommend switching to wet (either canned or raw). This will help keep your cat hydrated and believe it or not, might actually help with her teeth as well. The high amount of starchy carbohydrates in most dry foods can be a contributing factor to dental disease. Wet food tends to be higher in protein and much lower in carbs. Preferably you'll want to feed something with little to no grains, like Wellness, Innova Evo 95% meat, Nature's Variety Instinct, Merrick, Natural Balance...... If there's no way you can afford any of these higher end foods, then there are some flavours of Friskies and Fancy Feast that would be acceptable (not all, some are still too high in carbs and phosphorus). If you have the inclination, making your own balanced raw food is the cheapest and healthiest. More info on feline nutrition: www.catinfo.org
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"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
#3
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Hi owlwoman, welcome to the forum.
Quote:
The test for renal failure is a geriatric blood panel and urinalysis, given the age of your cat it really should be done at minimum once per year if there are no health concerns and at least every six months if there is a problem. The cost for the lab tests should be around $150 (depends on vet/area/lab) plus a vet exam, blood collection fee and urine collection fee. If your cat doesn't mind the brushing too much I would continue with that as well as what you've put in the water. The rectal fissure is likely caused by constipation/large sized poops. As for the constipation, is your cat on a canned food diet or mostly eating dry food? Does she drink very much water? If she is eating dryfood you can add some canned food to her diet thereby giving her more moisture in her food or even better switch her to completely canned food. If she is already eating canned food you can add a teaspoon of water to her meals mix it up well.
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