My Kitty may have the beginnings of kidney failure. Sorry for this long post.

[catmadjax]

Hi everyone, sorry for this long post, just cant make it any shorter if i tried, if anyone has had cat kidney problems. Please advise, CAN ANYONE RECOMMEND A GOOD VET IN TELFORD AREA?

Basically, ive taken my cat Kitty twice now to the vet,
Kitty is 17 and had a benign tumor removed from her thyroid over 2 years ago. Basically, once it was removed, that was that, no medication has been given and I have a
T4 test done 3 times a year. Plus what they call a "geriatric" blood profile which covers, diabetes, kidneys, liver, and all the ailments associated with an older cat.

She had these tests in October, and while i was there i mentioned to the vet that she had become stiff in her joints. The vet said she had a little arthritis, so she gave me serquin, a natural product much like our glucasamine.The nurse said her blood tests were ok,
including the T4.

Last week Kitty developed a cold and I had noticed that she was drinking even more than usual. I took her back to the vets and explained this to the vet. I asked if it could be the seraquin tablets for her arthritis making her thirsty? OR perhaps the fact she had a cold?

The vet was reluctant to look in her mouth to check for a sore throat "in case she got bitten"(shes never bitten anyone) but I insisted she look(and i was right, her throat was sore) The vet then gave me a 5 day course of claveseptin. I questioned the blood results taken in October and asked her to compare the results against previous times because i was worried about her kidneys.

She said that the levels of Creatinine and urea were up slightly but it was nothing to be concerned about, and said her blood sugars were completely normal. She said there was no need to do another blood test this soon and to basically be grateful she has lived this long.

I came home, gave her the claveseptin and booked an appointment to take her back for a check up after the course of antibiotics. I asked the nurse on the phone if i could have copies of her test results so i could learn everything i could about her "potential" illness and
what everything means on paper. She told me i should be glad I had had her for 17 years already and refused to give me them.

I took Kitty back last night and saw a different vet, he showed me the blood results and showed me that the Creatinine was 119, i managed to catch a glimpse of the whole page and noticed that it said "High" by the side of some results but i didnt know what they were, i think Phrosphus level was 11. In a very condisending attitude the Vet said that this was nothing to worry about and said "so what if they were on the high side? they are still quite low for a cat of her age" He said he couldnt see the point in doing more tests either as its stressful for the cat.

He then showed me some results of a terminally ill cat to compare, and this cat had levels of Creatinine at 859! this cat had cancer.

So basically, although some of her results were described by the lab as high, the vet says they are still good for a cat of her age. he told me to stop feeding dry food and see how her thirst is in 6 weeks time.

Her cold has now cleared up, but she is still very thirsty (taking a long drink each and every time after she had eaten, taking a drink between every half hour to every two hours. She is NOT PEEING FREQUENTLY,( I dont know if this is a good thing or bad??) but does do a long pee when she goes. Her breath is clear, and her urine smells normal.

I know cats hide illness very well, but if she is in the early stages of Kidney or liver failure, surely it should be treated in the early stages? as when they show real signs of illness, its usually in the last stages (I think this is the case anyway). I know my cat better than anyone and I know there is more to this, when she is not well she sleeps under the spare bed, and shes started doing that now.

From my point of view, im having these tests done so as to catch things EARLY in order to get her on treatment and give her a longer life. I dont think its right for two different vets (from the same practice) to be ignorent about her results or not care about her just because "she's old".

Sorry for the long post, i didnt get a very good look at all the results, as the vet showed me them too quickly but the Creatinine was definately 119, but i dont know what normal levels should be. I am booking on Monday into a different vetenary practice.

Any advice please would be gratefully received. Jackie and Kitty.

[Tinker]

I'm afraid I have no advice for you as you are doing the right thing getting a second opinion from a different vet practice. I hope the new vets are better and that Kitty is OK.

[alexgirl73]

Hi Jackie, what vets are you currently using?

[yola]

Jackie - don't worry about the long post. It's a very important subject. I can't offer specific advise as I've not has a cat with kidney failure; there are members here to have - I'm sure they'll be along with details.

However I do feel that you have been shoddily treated by your vet. If you have paid for tests then the results are technically yours and you should be able to request to view them and to have them explained to you.

You obviously care deeply for Kitty and you deserve a vet that does likewise. I suspect that you should push for copies of the blood tests and once you have these, seek a new vet practice. However, the new vet will still probably want to run their own tests!

Whatever happens, good luck to you and Kitty - please do let us know how you both get on.

[catmadjax]

Thank you for taking the time to read the post. Alex the vets i am currently using are Wrekin View vets at WEllington.

[Elaine]

http://www.felinecrf.org/how_bad_is_it.htm#how_bad_numbers

Check out feline.org. Its a good source of up to date info in CRF. I am more than a little angry at your vets attitude. Ofcourse your cat should be given treatment whether early or late stages of the illness. Your vet should also be able to give you a copy of the blood results or at least allow you to write them down for your own references as to how the illness is progressing.
Personally, I would call around all the vets in your area and just ask if there is a vet who is more sympathetic and knowledgeable to CRF.

I agree whith you 100% when you say that you know your cat better than anyone and its brilliant to hear that you have been trying to find out as much as you can about CRF. The only other thing I would say is not to lose sight of Kitty while trying to read up and learn as much as you can.

http://www.catsey.com/showthread.php?t=16080&highlight=Winstons+legacy

[alexgirl73]

Well I'll recommend the CP vets Jackie. On monday phone up Oakville vets in Lawley Bank. It's Sarah you want to see. They are a small practice, Sarah is the only vet (with someone who comes in to let her have a day off) and she is very good with all our cats. good luck and let us know how you get on.

[random]

Don't worry about a long post!

I'm sorry I don't have any specific advice on kideny faliure in cats but (and I don't want to frighten you here) I did have a rabbit died suddenly, showed no outward signs of illness apart from just a couple of days before we lost him he started drinking a lot more than usual. It was cold weather and I had started leaving the heating on for long periods of time, and I thought it was that. I had made an appointment which was due a few days after he died, just to have him checked but he died so suddenly we never found out what it was as I didn't have the heart to have him an autopsy.

The vet however thought it could have been kidney faliure due to him drinking more than usual, and that rabbits (like cats) often hide when they are unwell. So just please be very careful and if I were you I would get a second opinion on this AND ask for a copy of the results yourself and ask for them to be explained!

[Kazz]

Hello

Kitty sounds like a much loved cat. And still a teenager..:)

The thing that scared me in being told my Oscar had CRF was it was like being given a punch in the stomach without warning Chronic Renal Failure sounds so final BUT its not, the point is to always remember no matter how much experience the vet has and other people tell you no one knows Kitty better than you do. So listen to any "niggling" thoughts in your head an act on them.

I found my Oz diagnosed just before his 20th birthday hated the prescribed food so I did not feed it to him, he just continued as normal and lived happily till he was 23 years and 4 months, Cleo his sister the same diagnosed at 22 and lived happiky till a month before her 25th birthday.

So as you can see they were elderly when diagnosed and lived a full and active life thereafter. Same with Winston (Elaine's much loved and missed cat) he lived a happy and full life after being diagnosed.

The point of this is no matter how scared you feel other people are there and here to support you seriously any hour day or night Elaine is the expert she understands the "jargon" and sure she will be along I am a novice and just knew my own cats. And what was best for them. I worked by gut instinct and a learning a bit of what I needed to know but adapting it to suit "mine and the cats" circumstances.

Take no notice of the vet showing you results of a terminaly ill cat - Kitty is not that cat. Ignore other results take notice only of your cats results.

I would go to your vets get the results and anything else he has. I must say I found one vets totaly useless when dealing with CRF so much so I changed vets and felt much happier, not saying they knew anymore but they listened to ME hence I felt better thats important.

Listen to what your common sense and heart tell you about Kitty - and there is always someone here too talk too. Even if our responses like mine now are rambling and off topic sometimes.....and you thought your post was long ...I aint started yet. ;)

Try and take the good with the bad and most of all enjoy Kitty "great name by the way"

Karen

[Kazz]

Opps see now Elaine has already popped onto the thread serves me right for taking so long to post.

[Elaine]

Opps see now Elaine has already popped onto the thread serves me right for taking so long to post.


:lol: :lol: :lol:
You snooze, you lose:-D

I am not an expert by any means but made it my business to understand as much of the jargon and terminology as I could coz i had a really crap vet also, he had little compassion and no social skills.
The vet I changed to was brilliant, she would simply start by standing back and asking me to tell her exactly how Winston was where as others have the attitude that they are the vet and they know better.

CRF is an emotional rollercoaster, each cat is different and each cat copes differently, whether it be to medication, food etc. No one can tell you how long Kitty has and you are her advocate so stay strong, learn fast and love her to the end.

As Kazz said, any time you wanna talk, rant, cry, we are here for you.

Elaine xxx

[dandysmom]

Don't apologize for post length, it was nicely detailed and gave enough info for people to respond! I've been fortunate enough never to have had a case of CRF, but a close friends cat was diagnosed with it (at Kitty's age, 17!), and she's responding well to treatment with a sympathetic caring vet. I'm shocked that the vets dismissed your concerns as "well, she's old" ! !! Definitely change vets and get a copy of her lab tests! Best of luck, and please do keep us posted!

[sarahd]

Good luck with the new vets on monday and I really hope you get to the bottom of Kitty's excessive drinking and that its nothing too much to worry about.
Some people need to learn the word and meaning of compassion. So what if she is an old cat, just because she is old doesn't mean she is any less needy of medical attention than a young cat. As for saying you should think yourself lucky she lived this long is beyond belief.

Good luck and lots of hugs to Kitty

Sarah
x

[Grete]

I can't believe how your vets have treated you. I would definately change vets! Saying what they is condescending and shows absolutely no empathy with your cat nor you. As for not wanting to look in her mouth... hello, you are a VET! Cats do have mouth and throat problems occasionally so how they can say that is beyond me.

I would ask for copies of all the latest test results which you are entitled to and you can then show them to your new vet.

I do understand to a certain extent why they are reluctant to share the results with you as a little knowledge can sometimes be a dangerous thing *but* with a cat that age I would want to be on top of it too and fobbing you off the way they are doing is just wrong. Showing you results from a terminally ill cat with cancer - where is the relevance?? If it had been from a cat with CRF then at least you would have some basis for comparison.

I wouldn't worry too much just at the moment but DO get a new vet. Cats do drink more in winter because of central heating etc and because her urine output is normal and not smelling any more than usual, eating well and seems her usual self, if she is in renal failure, it's very early.

Good luck, let us know how she gets on :)

[Elaine]

I took Kitty back last night and saw a different vet, he showed me the blood results and showed me that the Creatinine was 119, i managed to catch a glimpse of the whole page and noticed that it said "High" by the side of some results but i didnt know what they were, i think Phrosphus level was 11. In a very condisending attitude the Vet said that this was nothing to worry about and said "so what if they were on the high side? they are still quite low for a cat of her age" He said he couldnt see the point in doing more tests either as its stressful for the cat.

He then showed me some results of a terminally ill cat to compare, and this cat had levels of Creatinine at 859! this cat had cancer.

So basically, although some of her results were described by the lab as high, the vet says they are still good for a cat of her age. he told me to stop feeding dry food and see how her thirst is in 6 weeks time.



There is absolutely no comparason there and it was unrealistic and irrelevant of the vet to show you those.
Creatinine shows the levels of toxins in the cats blood stream which the kidneys have not been able to filter out, so to show you a cat with cancer's blood results has no relevance to your cat at all.
Are you sure the phosphorus levels were 11 and not 1.1? 11 is very high and if this is the case I would be asking about phos binders etc to reduce this level. If it is 1.1 than I wouldnt worry too much as it is within range.
B vitamins are extremely helpfull to CRF cats, because the urinate more they lose alot of B vitamins.
What are you feeding Kitty? Is she eating ok?
http://www.felinecrf.org/diagnosis.htm#ranges

[catmadjax]

Gosh thank you everone! My vet told me it might be the central heating making her thirsty too! the idiot toldme to stop feeding her dry food for six weeks and see how i got on! how rediculous! shes always had dry and wet food, its like a running buffet for the cats in our house! so what difference would that make to comparing her water consumption? geezzee.

[Elaine]

All that would do is make her obvious water consumption a little less obvious as she would be getting more water from the wet food:roll: :?
I would deffo change vets and asap. Print off as much info as you can find that is relevant to how she is right now, arm yourself with info on treatments, causes and effects so that you know what you are talking about. It has been my experience that by doing this they are a little less likely to fob you off with rubbish like they have been doing so far.
Its is generally considered better to feed CRF cats wet food to dry because of water content. But there is no harm in adding a little extra water to her wet food.
Its also a good idea to write some of the questions you want to ask when trying to find a new vet also, make sure you think you know or have an idea of how you'd like them to answer so you can weed out the good from the not so good. If they start directing you to CRF sites on the internet etc, this can be a good indication that they are trying to learn more about it too.

[catmadjax]

Right, ive had a look online and there are 5 potential vets near by. Alex has recommended me one and this one is included. They all have email addresses for contact and im wondering if it might be a good idea to email a few basic questions to see who responds the best. I thought of something like this.... (Please excuse the spelling i will spell check it etc and i need to re-word it). CAn anyone think of anything else? or do you think this is OTT?
--------------------------------------------------------
I am looking for a vet near to where i live.

I need a vet that is compasionate and gentle and it would be a bonus if they had a particular interest in cats.
I am a very caring owner who is very pro-active when it comes to veternary treatment and like to be involved and
work as a team with the vet.

I am not in favour of using drugs unnecessary, however I am a great beleiver that prevention is better than cure
and catching things early. The most important thing is that i am looking for a vet who not afraid to try or look
into alternative or new treatments in order to prolong quality of life, nothing should be too much trouble.

Also, it is important to a caring approach towards our oldies, my cat is 17 and unfortunatly ive come accross
vets and their staff that take the view that they dont consider it necessary doing further tests dispite
having symptoms of illness and I am told "I should be grateful they have reached that age." and one nurse
even said "what do you expect at her age". I personally dont think old age is a disease, so if she is 17,
why not aim for 20? Im not prepared to write my cat off because of her age, and i dont want my vet to either.

If you are the sort of vet that shares the same views as i do, then i would like to register my cats with you,
and look forward to meeting you.
---------------------------------------------------------

What do you all think? should i send this off?

[smudgley]

I deal with haygate on a regular basis & aslo Companion Care on the Telford retail park. I find them both good vets, although companion care vets bend over backwards to be obliging to the needs of us as an organisation (this is for a dog charity I work for) - I have never had complaints about either of these practices.

However there is one vet in telford that I wouldn't be so keen to recomend, because we had a newborn pup that needed to be PTS & they wanted us to make an appointment for evening surgery & wouldn't see us straight away. (this was at 9am) :shock: Every other vet I have ever dealt with has always been willing to see a client fairly quickly for a newborn PTS. (Not that we have that many newborns needing to be PTS)

[catmadjax]

thank you for that advice, I know Companion Care had to put down my birman down a couple of years ago, i had never taken her to that vet but it was after midnight and her airways collapsed. They were good and sent me a sympathy card too which helped. Can i ask which vets you would not recommend?

[smudgley]

thank you for that advice, I know Companion Care had to put down my birman down a couple of years ago, i had never taken her to that vet but it was after midnight and her airways collapsed. They were good and sent me a sympathy card too which helped. Can i ask which vets you would not recommend?

I'll pm you the details.

[angieh]

Hi Catmadjax! Your Kitty is a lucky girl to have such a champion. Neither you nor she are to be fobbed off by vets saying she's too old to be cared for - what rot and, I would consider, totally unprofessional! My cat Merlin is 21 and although not in the full flush of health, still has a good quality of life and is interested in his surroundings and what's going on. My vet has never used the excuse of his age but always reminds me of the things to look out for in relation to diabetes and CRF. My vet has had the blood tests done that you have had done for Kitty, but I have never asked to be given a copy, so I can't comment on whether they would have been handed over. Good luck with your new vet.

[catmadjax]

Hi everyone, i thought i would post you my diary for kitty for the past 2 days. It may or may not be relevant, either way i feel i have to do something.

Saturday: Morning she went out and had a wee,
1pm water and food
2pm water
2.24pm water
3.22pm water
7pm water and food
9.45pm water and food
9.47 water
10.08 food and water
10.30 food and water.
She used her tray in the night and had a wee, and i think sometime during the day went out for a wee and poo.

Sunday: had a wee at 7.30 (yes, i was up early to watch her!) lol.
8am food and water
10.40 food and water
1.15pm food and water
4pm water
5.15pm water
6.00 water
7.00 food and water

She seemed to have a bit of a gravelly meow at times but she definatly doesnt have a sore throat now and her cold has gone apart from a couple of coughs today.

total water consumption i measured it to 110ml in 24 hours.

I have no idea if this is normal water consumption for an older cat.

I have now emailed all the vets recommended,so we will see what comes back tomorrow. DO let me know if i should avoid any partiular vets in the telford area, you can PM me with the details.

[dandysmom]

That's an excellent idea keeping a diary! My friend I mentioned with the 17 year old CRF cat does the same thing; her vet (the good one!) says it is helpful. She also keeps a spreadsheet with all Kate's lab results to easily keep track of the changes.

[Tinker]

total water consumption i measured it to 110ml in 24 hours.

I have no idea if this is normal water consumption for an older cat.


I think my 19 year old cat drinks rather more than that. It is likely that since Kitty goes out she is drinking when out. Would she object if you kept her in for a couple of days so that you can monitor exactly what she is drinking and how much she wees?

When I was concerned that Bobby (previous cat) had a kidney problem I measured what they drank, and the two cats (both large adult cats without access to outside, eating roughly 1/3 canned food and 2/3 dry food) were drinking 450ml of water each day between them. The vet assured me this was normal m(and Bobby's bloods came back as normal). Now we only have Tinker and I think she probably drinks about 150-200ml per day.

[catmadjax]

Thats really interesting, I will keep a diary but the only thing is that i am at work, so it cant really be accurate. But i have measured the water each day, measuring out a quantity, then 24 hours later, measuring it again and recording how much is gone. This does work, but i do have another cat in the house BUT she wont drink tap water, only rain water, so even if she did take the odd drink (which ive never seen her do) 150ml a day is still not bad for both cats and not bad just for the one. I suppose a little evaporates when the heating is on so you have to allow a little for this too.

[catmadjax]

Good news about a new vet, out of the 4 i emailed, with the questions 3 responded AND rang me within 1 hour of their opening hours! WOW! so,, tonight, i visited them all and chose one, spoke to the vet about my concerns, they showed me around the practice, all within 1 hour of me getting back to them after their emails! So it is a very good start. ALSO I have Kitty booked in for WEd morning 9.10am for a blood test. AND this vet has asked me for a urine sample (he gave me some special litter to use with a bottle and pipette).



I expressed my concerns to him and the way the previous vets had treated us, and as i was explaining things he started to smile, I said "why are you smiling?" he said, "you are a very wise owner" LOL. He agreed i was correct that she should have a further test and the old vet SHOULD have done one in the first place. And he said the old age is definately not an illness, obviously her results wont be the same as a 2 year old cat, but as i told him, if the results are higher than those taken in October, then we know we have to act quickly!



The practice is a completely new building, all the upto date facilities, and what they dont have they can refer me to a clinic down the road for ecg's and ultrasound if ever i need it. I did ask about emergencies, and he said that he was on call 24 hours, on the odd weekend it would be another vet, but that would be rare ( i do understand that he has to have a night off occasionally) but the surgery took me just over 5 minutes to get to, so it all looks quite good so far.



Oh yes, and i forgot to mention, The blood tests that she has, the T4 and the geriatric profile, can be done in minutes and the results take about 10 minutes! At my old vets they took 3 days!!! (and they never used to ring me with the results, i always ended up chasing them) so this new surgery at least has its own lab.



I will keep you posted of the results on Wednesday FINGERS CROSSED EVERYONE. XX Jackie and Kitty. ( will make sure to post this onto my other groups as well.)

[dandysmom]

What great news! That new vet sounds like a treasure; pity they're all not like that! Do keep us posted with the results...and well done, you!!

[yola]

Super news Jackie! I hope they get to the bottom of Kitty's trouble; sort it out; and then you can both continue with business as usual :D

[catmadjax]

Do you know i have to say, all the vets i approached were good but i had to make a quick decision and not loose focus that Kitty needs to get to a vet as quickly as possible.

Its also sooo nice to hear of furbabies living into their 20s! I hope i am as lucky with Kitty. Gosh when i think she was born in 1989! lol

[dandysmom]

Do you know i have to say, all the vets i approached were good but i had to make a quick decision and not loose focus that Kitty needs to get to a vet as quickly as possible.

Its also sooo nice to hear of furbabies living into their 20s! I hope i am as lucky with Kitty. Gosh when i think she was born in 1989! lol

Jackie, Patches, my tortie, lived to 20, Misty, blue torbie to 19 1/2, and the cat I grew up way back in the days cats were free roaming, disappeared at 17. And those were youngsters compared to some here!

[sammy]

My Teddie lived to 20, and had a tumour removed from her mouth at the age of 18. Whilst I was obviously terrified of her having a general anaesthetic at that age, my vet was of the opinion that she was fit enough - age is just a number, all cats are individual, just like humans! :lol: I really hope the new vet can help you, and just want to say I was appalled by the attitude of your previous vet! :shock:

[Kazz]

My Oscar was PTS aged 23 years and 4 months and was in good health till then for an older older cat. Apart from his CRF for which he never received any treatment, other than lots of love my choice however he was never in discomfort from his CRF and a touch of arthritis he was treated by steriod jab when needed (but only approx 3 months before he was PTS not on a long term basis)

My Cleo was PTS aged 24 years and 11 months, due in most part to simply old age wear and tear.
She underwent an operation for a "cyst" removal and teeth cleaned when she was 23 years and 5 months. Which she bounced back from like a youngster. :)

So Kitty hopefuly has a fair time in front of her, the only thing with older cats they sleep so much although Oscar could still jump from the wardrobe and the shed roof when he was in his early 20's......

Best of luck and so pleased you are happy so far with your new vets. I think owners being happy means such a lot confidence in the medical information is paramount when treating anything let alone CRF and long term illnesss.

Karen

[angieh]

Fine news about the new vet Jackie. Look forward to hearing from you when Kitty has her test on Wednesday.

Merlin sends purrrrs!

Angie & Merlin

[Grete]

That's really good news Jackie, He sounds like a great vet :)

Fingers crossed for good results :)

[catmadjax]

Thank you so much for all your thoughts and good advice, its so nice to hear of our furbabies living so long! The vet asked me for a urine sample from kitty... well! He gave me some special litter to put in the tray, so i did this and left it there and locked her in the house for today. I went home at dinner time and no pee... Got home at 5pm, no pee! So i decided to let her out (she like me to go out with her in to the back garden, she doesnt go out the front anymore as she cannot jump fences). I took a saucer out with me, and as soon as she squatted, i placed the saucer under her bum!!! lolol. She peed on the plate lolol! So I took the sample to my new vets immediately, it was still warm, but i must say, it smelt normal, looked clear etc, so fingers crossed. Blood tests in the morning.

[dandysmom]

Oh clever you! That's definitely a fresh specimen!!

[Grete]

Haha nice work CMJ! We used to have a devil of a time getting a pee sample from Squeak and never thought to do that :)

[stormy1]

im realy sad about your cat :(

[catmadjax]

why are you sad stormy1? shes ok, i had the blood tests done today, ive posted them seperately below:

[catmadjax]

Good news about Kitty so far but i need some advice about her arthritis.

Blood tests are all within normal limits, TF4 is perfect. They tested her urine at the surgery and thats fine too, but

but he wanted to do a Protein/Creatinine Ratio test on the urine as well, so the results for that part
wont be back till Monday.

HOWEVER, Kitty has arthritis, the old vet i was with started her on a glucasomine suppliment called Seraquin 8 weeks ago, she is moving alot better
but still a little stiff. My NEW VET says the seraquin is not working cos she is still stiff (but he never saw her before!). Anyway,
he said that if her kidneys are all fine (depending on Protein/Creatinine Ratio test on the urine) then he wants to
put her on Metacam. Well Ive heard all sorts of horror stories about Metacam, but he said that it was the quality of life
that counted not the quantity.

BUT In saying that tho, If ive been this lucky with her, why compramise her Kidneys now? I told him she may be a bit stiff but she doesnt seem in any pain.
and he said that cats dont show pain like we do and they hide ailments well. I told him she doesnt jump fences anymore but neither would i at my age!(39)
He said he would do regular blood tests on when on the metacam (tests to be done 3 times a year) BUT surely once CRF has set in, the kidneys
dont repair themselves do they?

Is there not an alternative to metacam in the UK? as there is no way im agreeing to risk her getting with CRF!!

The only thing i will say about this new vet, he is a bit rough with her which i dislike cos she wont co-operate unless they are gentle with her.

Love and light.

Jackie, Kitty and Angel Tuppence. x

[Elaine]

Hmm tricky one. I wouldnt want to use metacam either due to it compromising the kidneys even further. My old boy Winston was on prednisolone for spondilosis. He was put on those by the old vet, second vet didnt change it but third vet questioned it but as he had been on them so long and given his age at that time we decided it may do him more harm than good to take him off them. Not sure but they may have played a part in the progression of his CRF.
The kidneys are not repairable but the creatinine and urea levels are variable, meaning that if these numbers can be reduced by treatment/diet this may reduce the progression of CRF.
There is also a CRF support group on yahoo which may be more knowledgable with regards to how best to treat the arthritis with damage limitation.
Would you like me to pm you the link?

[Tinker]

I have no experience with metacam, but Tinker is quite arthritic (I guess it is to be exptected at 19). She was having trouble getting upstairs until we put her on cortaflex. She can now zoom up the stairs.

[catmadjax]

Well Kitty is on Seraquin, its ok but i would like to try something better, where did you get the cortaflex from please?

For Elaine: I am a memeber of the CRF on yahoo and the geriatric yahoo group. And they have all warned me about metacam! dont think i will be risking this.

[Tinker]

where did you get the cortaflex from please?

We get it from VetUK
http://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_241&products_id=382

Might be best to check with people who know about CRF first though.

[Grete]

Sorry but am I just being dense? Doesn't Kitty's test results indicate she doesn't have CRF?

[Elaine]

Sorry but am I just being dense? Doesn't Kitty's test results indicate she doesn't have CRF?

Sorry, I'm a little confused now. Is Kitty in early stages of CRF? Think I have missed a post or something.

[catmadjax]

hi, Kitty's blood results indicate that she does not have CRF. BUT the results of the protein in her urine sample wont be back until next Monday, ( they have to send some of the urine away for this) with the bloods and urine results combined, then we will know if she is in the very early stages of CRF, thats why the vet wanted to wait for these results before perscribing the metacam.

The Cortaflex wont compromise her kidneys, its a natural suppliment similar to that of the seraquin she is taking at the moment for her arthritis. BUT Cortaflex is different in that it makes the body produce the fluid in between the joints AND rebuilds the glucasamine etc, where as the Seraquin is just for rebuilding the glucasamine. Thats what it says on the net anyway. So i would rather give this a try before any nasty drugs.

Sorry, i want clear about the results in the last post.

[Elaine]

Ok thanx.
It does make me question loads about your last vet though. Does your new vet have the notes from the old vet? Would be interesting to know what they were on about coz CRF doesnt just disapear.

[catmadjax]

Hi Elaine, yes they asked for copies and they faxed them over apparently. If when the urine results come back, it shows she does have early stages of CRF, the **** (excuse the word) will hit the fan, i will be lodging an official complaint about them. I have to confess tho, this new vet is ok, especially when i visited the surgery, but when it came to him handling kitty, i wasnt too happy he was rough and upset her. He wants me to go back in the new year and have her blood pressure took (she could have hypertension) and i think i will request to see the lady vet for that, i will just use the excuse that i havent met her yet lol!

[catmadjax]

Oh look the word SH*t has been starred out! how clever is that!

[Elaine]

Hypertension is almost always associated with CRF, hyper active thyroids and heart conditions:?

[angieh]

I have been reading these posts with huge interest. Merlin has been on Metacam for ages. Firstly he had struvite crystal blockage and was unable to pee. He was "hospitalised". This was at least five years ago, maybe more. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatories later and his bladder condition improved. He was first put on diet food to increase acidity of urine so that crystals would not form. Was on this for several years and had (if I remember rightly) 2 further occurrences of cystitis-like infection. The vet suggested Metacam when it was only licensed for dogs - only one drop per day. This actually did seem to suit him fine and with the Metacam and the diet food, we had at least a couple of trouble-free years. I do so wish I had kept a diary of all the episodes. The vet changed hands during this time and the old records have unfortunately gone.

However, when Merlin went back to the vet after his stroke at the end of October, the vet told us that Metacam now was licensed for cats and gave us the different prescription.

The vet was definitely concerned about it and stressed the risks of overdose, so much so that as Merlin has a very small appetite and, I am sure, has lost more weight now, I underdose him rather than the 3 units prescribed. I would be very grateful for any pms with links to sites detailing the concerns about Metacam.

CMJ - my fingers are crossed for your Kitty's results on Monday.

[catmadjax]

Great News everyone! Kittys urine tests and blood tests are all normal! kidneys working fine, just thought i would let you all know! i can get a good nights sleep now. Thank you to everyone who showed their concern and gave advice, im still swatting up on CRF as i may need the info one day.

Yippie! im so pleased!

[angieh]

Just had to let you know how very pleased I am for Kitty and for you! Thanks so much for letting us all know promptly about the good news. Hope you still find interesting things to keep you coming back to this Forum.

All best wishes
Angie :D :D :D

[dandysmom]

[quote=angieh;442933]Just had to let you know how very pleased I am for Kitty and for you! Thanks so much for letting us all know promptly about the good news. Hope you still find interesting things to keep you coming back to this Forum.

All best wishes
Angie :D :D :D

I second that! Pics of Kitty, maybe?

[Elaine]

I third what Angie said and second the request for pics:D

[Grete]

That is such great news!! I'm so pleased for you and Kitty :)

And yes please on the pics from me too :)

[Kay]

So glad Kitty has recovered.