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_...ow_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...instons+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.