CRF - Chronic Renal Failure:links and experiences with

Originally Posted by luvmycat1

How bad does CRF need to be before cats need routine sub-q treatments? See Popsie was just diagnosed yesterday with the very begining stages. The vet said it's not that bad but I do have to put him on a renal diet.

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Please go to this page and read the section on "when to start" as sub-qs may not yet be appropriate for your kitty.

http://www.felinecrf.org/fluid_thera...hen_use_sub-qs

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

Please go to this page and read the section on "when to start" as sub-qs may not yet be appropriate for your kitty.

http://www.felinecrf.org/fluid_thera...hen_use_sub-qs

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That was helpful. Thanks.

You are welcome

Hi ! I've posted here before. My oldest cat was diagnosed with early CRF and was put in renal diet (she eats waltham pouches, and a little of dry as tastes better according to her and does not upset her stomach)
The thing is that about every 7 or 10 days she gets nausea and vomits undigested food. It does not happend more than once.
I know it happens sometimes but how often is "safe" or when should I start getting worried?

Thanks !

I wouldn't be worries about vomit once a week or less. My cats vomit occasionally too, but it's not somthing I worry about....I just pass it off as "a cat thing!"

If your kitty is vomiting frequently, or vomits white foam, or yellowish colored bile, or exhibits 'lip smacking', then it is probably related to the CRF. This happens because CRF can cause an increase of stomach acid, which, in turn, causes vomiting. This can be treated by administering 1/4 of a 10mg Pepcid (famotadine) tablet, once a day. Of course, always discuss treatment with your vet to be sure that this is what is causing the vomiting, and to make sure that your vet is on the same page with you and your kitty!

Good luck!

Pookie-poo: Thank you, she does lick her lips, and not in the "i just finished eating a feast" kind of licking. So that's why I think is nausea and vomit can be crf related.
I will ask my vet about the Pepcid .


In general, what is the opinion of the phosphorus binders?

Thanks !

Ronit

Originally Posted by ronit

Pookie-poo: Thank you, she does lick her lips, and not in the "i just finished eating a feast" kind of licking. So that's why I think is nausea and vomit can be crf related.
I will ask my vet about the Pepcid .


In general, what is the opinion of the phosphorus binders?

Thanks !

Ronit

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I am a very firm believer in keeping serum phosphorus under strict control. I use phosphorus binders in any food that my girls eat, which isn't a prescription renal diet. From everything I've read, I believe that low phosphorus is much more important than low protein in slowing the progression of CRF. Both of my renal failure girls' serum phosphorus remains at 3.5 - 4 mg/dL. I order my Aluminum Hydroxide phosphorus binder from THRIVINGPETS.COM I add 1/4 teaspoon to each 5.5 oz can of food that they eat, which isn't renal food. I also give Cleo Calcitriol, to prevent secondary hyperparathyroidism. For Calcitriol to be effective, serum phosphorus must be below 6 mg/dL, and the closer to 4, the better. Maggie's renal failure isn't at the stage where she needs any other treatment besides diet, so I also feed her phosphorus binder laced foods.

If there's anything else I can help you with, please don't hesitate to PM me!
~~Hugs to you & Hija~~

Well the news isn't so great on Zoe's repeat bloodwork
Even on 100ml of sub-q for 10 days her creatinine went back up to 3.2
She also lost another 0.2 pounds in the last 10 days

I was pretty bummed out.

She seems happy though. She has been playing.

We are just going to keep plugging ahead as long as she tolerates treatment and has a quality of life. We got the calcitriol ordered, so she will start that in a couple of days. I am hoping that this will keep her from rapidly getting worse.

Originally Posted by kittymonsters

Well the news isn't so great on Zoe's repeat bloodwork
Even on 100ml of sub-q for 10 days her creatinine went back up to 3.2
She also lost another 0.2 pounds in the last 10 days

I was pretty bummed out.

She seems happy though. She has been playing.

We are just going to keep plugging ahead as long as she tolerates treatment and has a quality of life. We got the calcitriol ordered, so she will start that in a couple of days. I am hoping that this will keep her from rapidly getting worse.

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Don't be too bummed. My parent's cat, Samson, lived for well over 4 years with a Creatinine of 3.3 - 3.9. He only tolerated sub-Q's twice a week (he was a NASTY cat!!!) and that was pushing it, lol! One of the sayings on the CRF-Support-Site is "treat the cat, not the numbers." If Zoe is acting well, playing, eating, peeing, pooping, etc., then her quality of life is pretty darn good. I really believed the Calcitriol helps Cleo a lot. Her eating really perked up and her activity increased impressively once she started it. Her renal numbers have remained stable for the entire 4+ years that she's been on it. I wouldn't be surprised if Zoe perks up after being on it for a bit. I bet she'll either maintain or re-gain her weight also, as it seems to jumpstart the appetite. Please keep us posted. You and Zoe continue to be in my prayers.

Excellent post above me - I agree "treat the cat, not the numbers" and I love what Calcitriol did for all the crf kitties I've used it with in the past.

Sending

I've got a quick question...isn't hunger NOT usually a symptom of CRF? My Tigger just loves to eat. I'm hoping that's a good sign.

at times some CRF kits loose appatite but for Kandie those were usually when she had a infection at other times she ate like a horse

Patrick and Tyler both got extremely picky re food, and I ended up assist-feeding both for more than a year each (oof!)

Frankie and Tippy - never met a bite of food they didn't enjoy

Loss of appetite, nausea/vomiting, weight loss...these are common to CRF. Often it is caused by an increase of stomach acid due to the CRF. If your kitty is experiencing increased appetite (with or without weight loss) I would tend to suspect hyperthyroid, rather than CRF.

Cleo was a very picky eater when she was first diagnosed with CRF. I had a hard time finding food that she would eat, and keeping weight on her. After she started on the Calcitriol, her appetite really picked up and now she'll eat just about any food that is given to her.....so much so, that my vet has officially proclaimed that she is "fat", and put her on a diet. Dr. Sue has jokingly told me that Cleo is the very first CRF cat that she's ever had to put on a diet. It figures! (Cleo takes after her meowmy...we're both a little, ah, 'fluffy'!)

Zoe had her first bloodwork post starting Calcitriol. I am very pleased.
Her BUN is up, but her creatinine is down.

Bun 55
Creat 2.8

So far her electrolytes are still good. Calcium ok, and Phosphorus 4.4
Plus her weight went from 8.7 to 9.3

An unusual thing is that she has NO protein in her urine. Her S.G. is 1.016 but her microalbumin test was 0 and her UPC was 0.1

Anyone else's CRF kitties have no protein in their urine?


On another note, I have Conan, who is almost 9, and he may be very early CRF. BUN 29 Creat 2.5, Urine SG 1.054
Those numbers are not so bad, however his urine Microalbumin is 4.8, which is not good. He just got retested tuesday with another Microalbumin test and a UPC ( this is 2 1/2 weeks since the first test)

Had anyone caught a kitty this early? I am curious about the possible treatment protocol for him.

I feed homemade food and I called Dr. Pierson from Catinfo.org and she gave me a specialized diet for Zoe that Conan and the others can eat. The phosphorus content is about 0.6%. So for now I am ok there until phosphorus binders are needed.

That's absolutely wonderful news about Zoe!!! It sounds like the Calcitriol is doing exactly what it's supposed to be doing. Cleo's appetite improved remarkably after she started on Calcitriol. Her renal numbers have remained stable for the entire 4+ years that she's been on it.

Maggie was diagnosed about a year ago, and her numbers are very similar to your Conan's. I haven't had a USG done on her though, so I can't compare on that finding. Her only treatment is diet. Actually, all three of my cats eat renal food (Lola is non-CRF) and do fine on it!

Thank you, I am really happy about Zoe's numbers! She is really spunky too. Definitely feeling better.

I was wondering if Conan would just need the diet for now, with consistent monitoring.

Since Zoe is on the enalapril, I have done quite a bit of reading on the ACE inhibitors in cats. Seems there is some controversy, but if a cat is protein wasting in their urine the new studies show a significant increase in survival time with the use of enalapril.

I am still hoping that Tues. tests come back showing normal protien levels.

I have lucked out tremedously in the vet department. The one vet that comes to the nearby small town once a week is very up on CRF. She is the one that suggested the Calictriol. She also participates in the VIN.

I will let you know if she decides we should try something other than just diet with Conan for now.

Hello again !

So hija vomited yesterday undigested food and when i took a close look at it it had a hairball in it so i was not worried. What worries me is that she does not have so much apetite, she did not eat anything during the night (she usually eats what she has on her dish over the night) and this morning she did not have apetite, i even brought her other kind of food fish flavored for stronger smell and she just licked it a little.

She was diagnosed with early CRF stage in february, she is almost 17 yrs old...

How much should i worry... is not like her not to eat, I am at work now and I am praying that when I go home I will find her dish empty.

I do not want to bother her or stock her with medicine as she is so old and I just want her to be happy, I tried getting aluminum hydroxide but they got me the one for humans mint flavored and i just do not feel right giving her a bunch of capsules every time she eats so I just keep givin her the RX renal food.

I have a bad feeling... my stomach is a wreck and telling me something is wrong, I do not know if there is point of taking her to the vet as she is only the second CRF case he has seen.... lucky me living in a rural area ... closest city - 6 hours by ferry....

Wish me luck when I get home ! hold your fingers to see her bowl food empty !

Sometimes a hairball will just make them feel yucky for a day or two. Can you try giving her some meat babyfood (make sure it contains no onions.) That may kick her appetite back to normal. Can you call your vet and ask for a prescription? If he will give you a prescription without having to see Hija, ask for some Periactin (cyproheptadine.) It is human antihistamine, which works as an appetite stimulant in cats. You will only need about 1/6 to 1/4 of a 4mg tablet, once or twice a day. It doesn't work on all cats, but it works on my Cleo and it worked on my parent's cat, Samson. Since it is an antihistamine, it sometimes makes them sleepy, but if you bring the food right to them, they will eat it right up. If the dose is too high, some cats will have excessive vocalization or seem agitated, but this goes away once the drug is out of their system.

Good luck! I hope that Hija is feeling better soon. I will keep you both in my prayers!

So when I got home she ate a little... and used her litter box for both issues, i opened a non-prescription can and she ate a little... so i cooked some chicken breast which she loves and she ate it well !
She is sleeping now in my lap... maybe she is just not having a good day... she usually sleeps with my SO but he is away no so I will sleep with her so she will not be alone...

Thank you for your advice, I've used an apetite stimulant when Gris was sick.. they do need prescription here for those but i think my vet will not agree to give her that unless she really not eat... by now we are ok.

Thanks Pookie Poo !