Henrys just been diagnosed with Kidney Problems

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Great news 

[Gillian Harvey]

Thought it sounded like it must be ARF when the vet said reversible  - do they know whats caused it? I know kidney infections can cause ARF. Good to hear his blood results arent too alarming, and hopefully the antibiotics and fortekor will bring things back to normal very soon 

By the way, Fortekor can make them feel a bit off initially, so maybe thats why he wasnt so good yesterday?

[Jennywren]

Thankyou so much to everyone for the help you have given me.
 I spoke to the vet yesterday evening and he said Henry does not  have CRF at present but more like acute renal failure with only a slight rise of blood results from the norm However blood was found in his urine.
 He had been given a long acting antibotic and is on Fortekor.
  He will see him  in a month and reveiw the situation.
Henry  has perked up, but had an off day yesterday and just sat outside and wasnt interested in anything.
 Today he is following me round for food and just loved some raw chicken The vet said at this stage there is no need for a restricted diet and wants him to put on weight Thanks again

[maddercow]

Hi,

You may find Tanyas Feline CRF website helfpul, I did when My Holly was diagnosed with CRF aged 16.  It has lots of FAQs and general advice about what to expect and how to manage the symptoms.

Holly was given Fortekor and did quite well on it for a year before we had her PTS as she had a seizure and then just stopped eating altogether, the vet thought her kidneys had finally packed up.  She was 17 though so don't be put off......by the sounds of it your Henry is pretty hale and hearty and could have years to go yet. I have heard of some CRF cats going on for over 5 years before age overtook them.

I can vouch for the Royal Canin wet food, Holly liked that, as well as Chicken and ground rice which I cooked up for her.  Basically, as many here have said, its a case of keeping him fed if he's hungry and making sure the food is a decent quality.  I spoiled Holly rotten, whatever she fancied she'd have, often plain poached salmon or roast lamb from my plate ( a great favourite)

If Henry gets dehydrated your vet nurse can do sub cutaneous rehydration and if you ask they may allow you to do it at home, Holly had it done regularly and it perked her up no end. Kn

Apparently CRF isn't exactly painful but makes you feel like you have a big hangover which of course isn't nice.  Holly would have the odd off day, throw up and then would be fine for a while, I think that was due to toxins building up.

Anyway, check out Tanya's CRF page as it has loads of info and I hope Henry continues to improve on his meds and has a long comfortable life.

[Rosella moggy]

Quite the opposite of what I thought then.     Sounds brilliant    I imagine he is able to charge higher fees as a specialist.

It's amazing the price ranges across the UK with vet fees.  I think here in Birmingham (well at least at our vet surgery) prices aren't too bad.  I would make an educated guess at say £130 for consultation and geriatric bloods profile including thyroid at our practice. 

I know our vet was more than happy to let me see blood test results.  They show the result, normal range and clearly indicate any results that are too high or low.  I am sure that your vet will be used to the fact that people need to come back and discuss things after initially being told of kideney issues.  It's a very common reaction to be blown away by initial diagnosis but hope fully he will be able to give you some idea of how serious Henry's condition is 

[Jennywren]

My cat clinic is a special centre with just one vet, he specialises in cats and does not see any other animals. People travel miles to   to bring their cats to him I will however talk to him today

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Afraid here Rosella £180 doesnt go far!

Over £100 for full blood test and another £50 or so for urine, and £28ish for consultation (the first one).

Everything gone up cos of VAT change and infaltion.

Definately agree ask for copies of test results and find out what he has been tested for, he needs to see an experienced cat vet fast 

[Rosella moggy]

Oh dear.  Is it possible for me to just ask some questions and make comments straight from the hip without anyone reading anything alarming into it becoz I am hoping for that.....

What is a cat clinic?  Is it a training surgery?

What exactly has the £180 been charged for?

If you do not have a copy of the test results, absolutely insist on it without any delay  Do not be fobbed off by "we'll let you have a copy in  a few days"

Need to find out for definite whether T4 (Hyperthyroid) has been tested for.

About 6 months ago I noticed his terrible thirst I was convinced it was diabetes.   The Vet tested him then and said he was OK .Questioning it now .

Tested him for what?

Henry is skinny skinny but he wont stop eating he is crying for food all the time I am feeding him all the time He has improved and is much more perky Something seems strange

It is terribly terribly important that you are open, frank and give as complete a picture as possible to the vet of how Henry "doesn't seem right".  Write it all down to make sure you cover everything and do not leave until you understand exactly what the vet is telling you.

£180 entitles you to alot .......... even if you are in London!

[Gillian Harvey]

When I picked him up he said this thyroid was OK but it was reversable Kidney problems

Reversible? I would question that - CRF isnt reversible, but ARF (actue renal failure) can be if caught early enough. Did they give you a copy of all his test results? I'd ask for a copy, and also ask the vet to go through the results with you, both bloods and urine. The hunger, definitely unusual for CRF, and I would imagine, for ARF too. 

[Jennywren]

Yes I am Uk based and take my cat to a Cat Clinic .
About 6 months ago I noticed his terrible thirst I was convinced it was diabetes.
 The Vet tested him then and said he was OK .Questioning it now .
Then last week his fur was coming out in chunks and he didn't appear to be well If you know what I mean
I took him to vets and was convinced it was his thyroid ,I goggled it and I think he has all the symptoms
The vet on our arrival took a urine sample and kept him in for the day to do tests £180 worth
When I picked him up he said this thyroid was OK but it was reversable Kidney problems and to give him beta blockers and he would check his weight in a month
.Henry is skinny skinny but he wont stop eating he is crying for food all the time I am feeding him all the time He has improved and is much more perky Something seems strange Thankyou for all your ongoing advise!!!!!!!!!111I am so grateful

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

And so he should, the handsome little man 

[Rosella moggy]

It's very reassuring to hear that we are doing the right things for Fred.  He eats RC renal wet pouches and cooked chicken in the main.  I think Royal Canin do Tuna, Beef and Chicken flavours.  He doesn't like the chicken at all  , he puts up with the tuna and really rather likes the beef    He started off loving the renal biscuits and, after I bought a large bag, decided he detested them ...typical cat 

Extremely kind of you to offer to send me a pouch Amanda

The one major draw back of having 7 cats with varying appetites is not be able to let them graze and Freddie would do better I think as a grazer.  My latest trick that is working well so far is to lock him in here with me and his fud whilst I'm on the PC and ignore his pleas to escape.  He drifts back to eat every 5 or 10 mins and eventually most gets eaten in about an hour or so.  I also sleep with a bowl of his fud right by me so I can feed the little beggar sweet, darling, angel boy  around 3 or 4am.  He rules my life.....

[Amanda (mad4moggies)]

I do try hard to ensure he sticks with the proper renal food if possible but, as with most CRF cats, they do not generally have very good appetites and it's much better they eat anything than nothing at all     

I spend a great deal of time trying to get him to eat a decent amount

Rosella, have you tried the new Royal Canin tuna sachets? I couldn`t get my cat to touch any of the renal diets at first as he only ever wanted his own food. I tried this flavour and he loved it. He now has it all the time and doesn`t need any others. If you were interested i don`t mind sending you a sachet to save you having to buy a whole box. Just PM me if you are interested.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Another tip.........write a long list of questions before chatting to vet cos I find my mind just goes blank. Also try and write the answers down.

[Amanda (mad4moggies)]

Sorry to hear your puss has been diagnosed with CRF but like others have said there are various things that can be done.

Firstly i agree with Rosella, it does sound like he has some symptoms of hyperthyroidism. This condition makes them very hungry and lose weight. Do you know if the vet tested for this? Also, i`m not sure if you have done this already but it would be worth asking the vet to test a sample of Henry`s urine to see how well he is concentrating it. This can give you a lot of information about the kidneys and how well they are working.

My own cat has CRF and was diagnosed nearly 2 years ago in the early stages. I am lucky as he will eat the renal food and his condition is very stable.

I have just received the months vet nurse magazine and they have done a special feature on feline CRF in anyone would like any info from it. I found it quite interesting. It suggests that ideally cats should be fed a specific renal diet and preferably the wet form if the cat will eat it. If not you can use phosphate binders in powder form to put on the cats current food to try and mimic a renal diet.

Has he only just been put onto beta blockers and did they check his blood pressure before prescribing these?

You must have a lot of questions so it might be worth chatting it through with the vet on Monday and seeing what advice they can give you.

[Rosella moggy]

Ask your vet about phos binders - these can be added to his normal food and will reduce the overall phos. 

I add a little Ipakitine to any normal cat food that Fred may eat on the odd occasion.  It's just a powdery supplement that he doesn't seem to mind and I understand it's supposed to help reduce phosphates.  I do try hard to ensure he sticks with the proper renal food if possible but, as with most CRF cats, they do not generally have very good appetites and it's much better they eat anything than nothing at all     

I spend a great deal of time trying to get him to eat a decent amount which is why I'm wondering how come Henry eats so much 

Can I ask... are you UK based?

[Gillian Harvey]

There is no need to restrict protein, as Rosella mentioned, its the quality of the protein thats important, although feeding foods lower in phosphorus can be beneficial. Ask your vet about phos binders - these can be added to his normal food and will reduce the overall phos. 

[Rosella moggy]

Ooops nearly forgot....

You say you leave water down for him.  I have water bowls in most rooms of the house and Fred drinks from them all including the cup of water left by the sink.  He has never touched the water that is adjacent to his food......

[Rosella moggy]

  to Purrs and sorry it is under sad circumstances but, as Gill says, a cat with kidney problems can go on for some time.  Just don't panic 

Our Fred has CRF but, although his last blood tests were not good, I am buoyed on by the fact that we are managing to maintain his weight at the moment.  So here goes for what it's worth...

He is starving all the time and is continually wanting food and drinking.  He has stopped moulting. Big chucks on fur have come out and the is very bald in places , he is very thin.

This doesn't sound like "just" kidney problems.  Sounds more like Hyperthyroid "HyperT" problems.  What tests did vet carry out?  Was one of those tests for thyroid (T4)?  Did you get a copy of blood test results?  Is it possible that Henry has both conditions? If he has, then that makes his problem a little more complicated as, strangely, HyperT helps the kidney function better so any treatment for HyperT can affect kidney function.

I am concerned that you are just like me  and panicked at the vets and were not able to concentrate on what you were being told?     Somehow need to force yourself to stay clam when you speak to vet.   

I now realise I have to cut out some protein

For kidney problems, it's the opposite.  A cat with CRF is unable to retain as much protein as normal so it is imperative that he is fed high quality protein and cooked chicken is excellent in that respect.  I would give the tinned tuna a miss though.  I am finding Royal Canin Renal wet food helpful for Fred at the moment (he eats both flavours but prefers the beef to the tuna) which is also low in phosphates which is also important.  It is expensive but I firmly believe it is keeping him alive and maintaining his weight.

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/royal-canin-veterinary-diets-royal-canin-renal-c-62_65_77/royal-canin-renal-feline-so-12-x-100g-pouches-p-279

Fred is also on benezacare tablets (1/2) a day which does the same job as the more generally known Fortekor but obviously your vet will know what is best for Henry.

Best of luck and hope you have  along time with each other now that you know there is a problem and also ways to help him 

[Jennywren]

Thanks for that

Theres loads to read.

 I tend to agree with you He has been such an independant cheeky little cat and although hes a chincilla he never thinks of himself as one. He guards the house and loves surveying his territory and is still doing it this morning in the rain
Apparently the beta blockers will lower his blood pressure and that in turn will reduce pressure on his heart and kidneys He has improved no end sine taking them

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

If you go to this link there are two links for CRF

http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php?action=links;cat=3

To get to them another way is through one of the blocks above where you type but hopefully the link above is easier.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I dont think he would like oats either but it doesnt matter where he drinks and if he will eat chicken, purrrsonally I would give it too him.

My other birman Ducha has been on metacam everyday for arthritus in his back leg......he only has one,,,,,,,,,,but its not good for kidneys............so had an agreement with my vet as I know he cant be pilled for kidneys, that is better for him to have a slightly shorter life but happy.

I believe that its preferable to have a happy cat and well fed if possible rather than a miserable cat who may live a very long time.

Everyone has a different opinion of course and still hope somebody else with CRF knowledge will come on.

There is a CRF bible I just remembered and its in our links, so will get you the link

[Jennywren]

Thanks so much He is after me all the time for food I have tap water down fo him but he prefers water from outside barrel I cant stop him so I hope its Ok
So is it OK to give him cooked chicken What about oats


 You have given me hope

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Feed him, dont let him be hungry, anything is better than nothing........some cats dont like  special diets and the main thing is to not let them starve.

He needs to drink loads, so make sure he has access to water.

I am not up on the medications, but dont think I have read beta blockers being used before.

As far as I know cats need protein and dont think you will catch him eating rice by itself, cats have to have meat to survive.

The main object of this post is to bump up yours and hope that someone else can give you good advice

I have just lost my beautiful Napoleon to kidney probs aged 17 3/4yrs and still have his brother who possibly has kidney issues. My late Locka had kidney issues too and all had/have the same problem which was getting them to eat. Its the case that all have had anything to eat that they would eat and none have been medicated.

Napoleon only had one working kidney for at least two years but could be a long time.

[Jennywren]

 Henry is 13 years old he is still active
I was in shock when the vet said he had kidney problems and I know I should have asked some questions and must now ring on Monday
In the meantime I need help and advice on his diet .
He is starving all the time and is continually wanting food and drinking.
He has stopped moulting Big chucks on fur have come out and the is very bald in
places , he is very thin .
I now realise I have to cut out some protein He loved cooked chicken tinned
tunna as well as his wet and dry food So what do I give him I have just cooked
organic rice is this ok He has been given beta blockers Help Help