Early Stage Kidney Failure in Cat

[hazelrunpack]

Oh, wow, growler!!! That's wonderful news!!

Good going, Duffygurl!!

You have an for a mommy...

[growler~GateKeeper]

I got even better news Hazel!!!!


WoooooHooooo!!!! can you tell I'm thrilled

I just got the results emailed to me We're back down closer to the levels from 18months ago, not the lowest they've been since diagnosis but pretty darn close to it

Urea 15.0 (ref range 5.0 - 12.0 mmol/L) last test 3 months ago was 25.1
Creatinine 216 (ref range 71 - 203 umol/L) last test 3 months ago was 268
USG 1.014 (ref range 1.015 - 1.060) last test 3 months ago was 1.02. This drop was expected given the increase in subq fluids, and after a CRF cat/dog begins receiving regular fluids the USG test is unreliable - though it is still good to have the urinalysis it done as to check colour, clarity, pH, blood, protein etc

[Mad Catter]

That is so fantastic!!!! I am so happy for the both of you!!!

If I knew more about how to add stuff here, I would put a huge smiley face!!!!

Congratulations!!!

[chico2]

Growler,you must be soooo happy,that's great news

[Love4himies]

Wow, I am so happy for you and Duffy

[hazelrunpack]

Omd, omd, omd, what fabulous results, growler!!!!!!!

Duffy, you gooooo gurl!!!!!!



And the Pack goes wild with jubilation (except Ember who is keeping his tail out of the fray)!!!!!

[Chris21711]

Fantastic news Growler I'm so happy for Duffy......and you of course

[gkjones]

That's wonderful news, Growler -- what a careful (care full) good job you have done!

[Jim Hall]

excellent what a great job!!!

[growler~GateKeeper]

Thanks everyone

Duffy is doing so well & she's feeling great

[luckypenny]

That's absolutely fantastic news Growler !

[growler~GateKeeper]

Thanks LP It is wonderful her vet is also very pleased

[Sylvie]

This is the best news I have heard in a long time

[growler~GateKeeper]

Thanks Sylvie

[14+kitties]

growler - you must be soooo happy with those test results!! Just goes to show what perceverance and lots and lots of love can do!! Great job!!

[growler~GateKeeper]

I am so so very happy about those results Thanks Gerri

[growler~GateKeeper]

Mad Catter I just wanted to point out a correction in the amount of food Duffy is eating:

Originally Posted by growler

Duffy is eating roughly about 100g ground raw per day sometimes upto 125g especially if its Turkey her current fave. The Natural Instincts ground raw comes in a 250g chubb so I partially thaw & cut in half then store in Ziploc Single Serve freezer containers.

[growler~GateKeeper]

I posted this in another thread & thought I'd also put it in here:

There are 4 stages of renal failure according to The International Renal Interest Society (IRIS)

Stage 1 pre-failure: Creatinine below 140; approx loss of kidney function 0-33%; labeled as non-azotaemic (at this stage kidney problems would be suspected only if an anatomical or functional abnormality had been detected - felinecrf.org)

Stage 2 mild failure: Creatinine between 140 and 250; approx loss of kidney function 66-75%; labeled as mildly azotaemic

Stage 3 moderate failure: Creatinine between 250 and 450; approx loss of kidney function 75-90%; labeled as azotaemic

Stage 4 severe failure: Creatinine over 450; approx loss of kidney function over 90%; labeled as azotaemic

If the vet ever uses the term "End Stage Renal Disease" ask them to clarify exactly what they mean.

From http://www.felinecrf.org/how_bad_is_it.htm#ESRD

This expression literally means that the cat's kidneys are at the point of failure and there is no longer anything that can be done. Some vets use it in this sense, referring to a cat who is rapidly becoming unable to deal with the CRF, ceasing to respond to treatments and likely to die very soon.

However, other vets use it to mean any cat with numbers in the range of Stage 2 or 3, which does not necessarily mean that death is a couple of days away.

....if he/she merely means that your cat has high numbers, consider treating the cat; the numbers may come down with treatment, and even if they don't, your cat might be able to handle high numbers. Even if your vet thinks death is imminent, it may be worth treating your cat regardless to see how he or she responds; cats are real fighters and can often pull through. Obviously though, you don't want your cat to be in pain when it is a hopeless situation.

I also want to point out that the values can fluctuate between the stages for example 06 Aug 2008 Duffy's creatinine was 322 = Stage 3, two weeks later she was retested 20 Aug 2008 Duffy's creatinine was 218 = Stage 2

[brewerk]

I just wanted to post in here.... I'm a new user to this site, but I just wanted to extend a huge THANK YOU to Growler for this thread.

Long story short, our 18 year old kitty and our 13 year old schnauzer passed within three days of one another at the end of 2008. At this time, my wife and I have our remaining two kitties (10 yrs & 4yrs) and a 6 month old Catahoula puppy.

When our older pets passed, our 4 yr old kitty got very sick. She stopped eating, was in the litter box every five minutes, etc. Took her to the vet and she had a horrible UTI and her kidneys were functioning at about 25%. (Some backstory - she lost an eye to infection when she was a kitten. Found in very poor conditions before my wife adopted her.) At any rate, the vet gave us antibiotics for 30 days and told us to get her on a low protein kidney diet. As you can imagine, that did not work. I think they gave us Hill's K/D. She wouldn't touch it. She progressed even worse and needed subq fluids every few days.

After reading this thread and learning what cats with kidney issues really need, we decided to try something different. We FINALLY got her to eat cooked chicken breast and some chicken liver. From there, we transitioned her to canned regular Friskies, and now she's eating canned Wellness Chicken Formula and she is doing FANTASTIC. She's gained almost a pound back (she was down from 10lbs to almost 7lbs). We finally have a happy kitty again. She comes out from under the bed, purrs and dances around the room begging for food.

So, I guess I just wanted to say thank you. I'm so glad I found this thread and I have learned SO MUCH. I know ultimately a raw diet would be best, but she's so picky, we don't think she will touch it. So we'll continue with the high quality / low phosphorus food for now, maybe try the raw in the future, if necessary.

Right now we are just so happy she's eating and happy. So thanks again...

[chico2]

brewerk,how nice of you and how wonderful that your kitty is doing good.
Our Growler is always very helpful and knowledgeable,I am sure she'll appreciate your praise very much.

[growler~GateKeeper]

brewerk First let me say I'm sorry for the loss of two of your family members especially so close together they are reunited at the Rainbow Bridge

Your welcome, I'm so very glad our experience has helped you & yours it's always wonderful to hear how a kidney cat/dog has bounced back & is doing great

[TeriM]

Growler, I just wanted to add my congrats and express how wonderful I think this thread is. If I ever have to deal with this situation I know the first place I will be looking for info .

[growler~GateKeeper]

Thanks Teri

[Love4himies]

brewerk I am sorry to hear about the loss of two of your loved ones and am so glad to hear your current babies are now eating a healthy diet .


I too had a kitty that was not doing well (Puddles, who was eating crap kibble) and with the wonderful help of Growler (and Sugarcatmom) I was able to transition her to Wellness and now eats part raw. It made the WORLD of difference in her and her bloodwork is much better. I think they extended the life of Puddles by years and will be eternally grateful to them.

[growler~GateKeeper]

L4H The fact that Puddles is doing so well is all the thanks I need

Did I ever tell you that one of Duffy's nicknames is Puddle? Has been ever since she was a wee kitten & she responds to it too

[Helene4]

Growler, this thread is inspiring! Duffy, keep up the good work!

[mikischo]

Growler, thanks for your very informative thread. I am happy to hear that Duffy is doing so well.

I have an 18 year old cat named Mickey. He was diagnosed with early CRF in mid 2007. In early March it escalated very suddenly to Stage 4 with his creatinine numbers since then varying between 369 (4.17 U.S.) and 592 (6.70U.S.). Prior to that his readings were in the 200's and on January 21st they were still at 283 (3.20 U.S.). Needless to say we have had a very rough ride these last couple of months. I know what people mean when they call it being on a roller coaster.

It was this very thread that kept bringing me back to Pets.ca. Frequently, when I googled something related to CRF it would lead me to this site and usually to one of your posts. In the last couple of weeks since I joined this forum, I have read your thread from beginning to end. I plan on starting my own thread, possibly before the weekend is over, with more details on what has been happening with Mickey. I have a lot of questions still, and look forward to hearing more from people such as you, sugarcatmom and others who have knowledge of, or are going through or have gone through similar situations.

There are so many controversial issues related to CRF. My vet pushes the prescription low protein diets. I also disagree with her on the type of fluids to use (I am presently giving Mickey sub q fluids twice a day). She insists that 9% sodium chloride fluids are best for CRF cats (she is concerned about potassium getting too high) and I feel, from what I have read, that lactated ringer's is better and it seems that most people with cats with CRF use lactated ringer's. We have now compromised on this and Mickey is on lactated ringer's 2/3rds of the time and sodium chloride 1/3rd of the time. His potassium levels are currently just above the mid range of normal and have never been higher than that.

I realize that this disease will win in the end but I am still hopeful that he will stabilize and have at least a few more months of reasonably good quality time ahead.

Once again, thanks for this very informative and inspirational thread.

[growler~GateKeeper]

Hi mikischo I'm sorry to hear Mickey has had a rough go lately

I'm glad this thread has helped you & I hope it will continue to do so. Any questions you have I will gladly answer & try to help find some solution for you & Mickey.

Since you've read the thread I guess you can tell I don't follow the low protein theory being that Duffy is raw fed .

About the type of fluids: {Duffy gets LRS (Lactacted Ringers Solution) every other day}

Sodium Chloride aka Saline Solution is often used with cats that have high calcium levels, and because it contains no potassium - which some cats do need added - it's good for cats with high blood potassium levels. However it can be too acidic for some & it may sting when injected which makes the process uncomfortable for the cat. Because of the level of sodium & chloride it may not be good for a cat that has either liver problems or high blood pressure.

LRS contains lactate which when metabolized by the liver into bicarbonate it acts like a buffer to help control metabolic acidosis & it doesn't sting . It does contain sodium chloride but also potassium, and calcium.

Are you getting your fluids, lines & needles from the vet? You can purchase these from any pharmacy usually much cheaper. I purchase from a medical supply company locally. What needles are you using? I and many other CRF parents prefer the Terumo Ultra Thin Wall 20 gauge, the flow rate is about the same as the 18g regular ones from the vet but the actual poke is hardly felt due to the thinner walls & sharper beveled edge & tip.

I wish you & Mickey many many more good months

[brewerk]

Just wanted to come by and update.... I posted in February about our 4 year old kitty Cinders and her early stage kidney failure diagnosis. For the last month and a half, she is doing GREAT! We have an appointment to get bloodwork later in the month and I can't wait to see the results. I probably don't even have to see them, she's clearly so much improved from January.

She is exclusively eating the Wellness Turkey, Chicken & Chicken/Beef varieties (and a bit of cooked chicken twice a day) and is already up to 8.5lbs. Anyway, just wanted to let you know. I think the vet gave her only a few months left, but I just don't see that even being a possibility at this point. We've NEVER seen her behave this way... begging for food, hallway stair racing at night, and giving the puppy a run for her money!

Thanks again for all the info, growler. If we had listened to our vet, she probably wouldn't be here today!

[hazelrunpack]

What a great update, brewerk!