CRF - Chronic Renal Failure:links and experiences with

I'm so glad that she seems to be doing better! Sometimes a hairball will just upset their whole little system, and it takes a little while before they're back to normal. Hugs for you both!!!

Hi! I'm new here and haven't had a chance to read all the pages in this thread, but I wanted to report on my CRF kitty Keiko. She was diagnosed with renal failure a year or two ago and slowly went into decline. By the first of this year she wasn't eating as much as she had been, especially because we were trying to put powders and meds in her food, making it even less palatable than it already was. We started her on sub Q fluids, which she didn't tolerate well. Finally the vets told us our only other option was a feeding tube. I don't know about anyone else, but my immediate reaction to feeding tubes was, "No way!" That just seemed to be cruelly prolonging the inevitable.

After some research, though, it seemed like maybe an e-tube wouldn't be such a bad idea. It's not quite the invasive, horrific procedure I had always envisioned. The thing that forced our hand was the fact that we were leaving for Europe for two weeks on business, and even though we would have a live-in vet student as pet sitter, we didn't want Keiko to waste away and die while we were gone because she wasn't eating. After days of soul-searching and debating, we decided to give it a try.

We are very fortunate to live near the University of Missouri Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Even though it can be frustrating to deal with learning students sometimes, the diagnostic and care opportunities are fantastic. We knew that Keiko would be in capable hands. We took her in for the procedure, hopeful that she could withstand the anesthesia but knowing their anesthesiologists are top-notch. The tube insertion went well, but unfortunately she reacted badly to the anesthesia. By the time we took her home she was pretty lethargic, and by the next day she was flat on her side and staring, as cats will do when they're about to die. We sat with her constantly, waiting for the worst. The worst never came, and somehow she rallied and slowly perked back up.

Fast forward to the present, three months later. Keiko might as well be a healthy kitten, not a CRF 17ish-year-old. She runs around, plays with toys, meows for food, and generally acts more spunky than she has in 15 years. She still has her e-tube, but she eats quite a bit on her own. Her kidney values have actually IMPROVED a little and overall she is the star of the internal medicine department of the vet school!

I wanted to share her treatment here in case it would be useful to anyone else struggling with CRF. We are lucky to have all this cutting-edge research at our disposal, so I thought by passing along our story it might help others.

1. Food: Keiko gets a can of k/d per day through her feeding tube (3 feedings) plus she has dry k/d at her disposal all the time. We also give her canned Pet Guard once or twice a day.

2. Azodyl: this is a probiotic which is new in the treatment of renal failure (that's my understanding), so the test results are still circumstantial but the vets at the vet school told us they have seen amazing results with it.

3. Aluminum Hydroxide: this is a liquid that we give her at each feeding which helps keep her phosphorous levels down.

4. RenaKare (potassium gluconate): a powder mixed with her food (also comes in a paste like Laxatone) to increase potassium.

5. Famotidine (Pepcid): keeps the acid levels down in her stomach.

I would recommend consulting your vet about any of these options in case you're interested. I'm sure all cats and cases are different, but we're overjoyed at how well Keiko is doing and hope this might be helpful to other CRF cats.

Wow...sounds like Keiko is one very lucky girl to have you for her Meowmy!!! I have never had to resort to a feeding tube (yet), only because syringe feeding has worked for me. I'm glad that you decided to make that (sometimes difficult) decision....and that it has worked so very well for both Keiko and you! Keep up the great work!!!

Thanks, Pookie! I feel lucky to have Keiko as my companion (one of 6 kitties and 2 dogs)! Her pluckiness is certainly an inspiration!

I apologize for not posting in a long time. Life has been hectic with moving, getting married (destination wedding in Vegas!) and planning a reception in our hometown.

A Sassy La Rue update: NORMAL NUMBERS for FOUR MONTHS!!! When August roles around we will been have be winning the CRF fight for one year. And, when we initially were diagnosed, we were told that Sassy would only be around for 12 more months, if we were lucky.

Honestly, you guys kept me and my (now) hubby calm through the storm and gave us the knowledge to help treat our baby's disease.

I wish I could give each and every one of you a hug!!!

Yay, Yay, Yay!! Good for you and for Miss Sassy La Rue (love that name).

I thought I ought to post it here, too!

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=175967

Do any of you have any advice for me? I'm taking Jag back in on Thursday and hope to get a new/updated lab report and I'll post the results. This waiting game SUCKS.

Coco dosent eat very much at all.
What can I do to get her to eat more?
The vet said to get Pepcid Ac and cut the pill up.
The problem is Coco hates pills.
She has a kidney panel next month but I think it will be worse.
I think she has lost 4 ounces since last month.
The vet dosent want her on sub q's right now.
I am afraid I will not have her much longer.

Originally Posted by mews2much

Coco dosent eat very much at all.
What can I do to get her to eat more?
The vet said to get Pepcid Ac and cut the pill up.
The problem is Coco hates pills.
She has a kidney panel next month but I think it will be worse.
I think she has lost 4 ounces since last month.
The vet dosent want her on sub q's right now.
I am afraid I will not have her much longer.

Click to expand...

Hopefully someone will come with the name but I was actually given a antihistamine for Kandie to increase appetite ... Tuna or clam water added to food can sometime s help.. Silly >>??? why did the vet say no sub q's?? will Coco take a pill pocket???

He said no sub q's yet.
We do plan on doing them later on.
He said he wants to see what her numbers are without the baldder and kidney infection.
She can not have tuna at all because her bladder problems and her allergies. She used to take pill pockets until she bit into a Baytril.
Now she wont touch them.
Her bp meds are compounded into liquid and she takes them with no problem.
I wonder if they can compound the pepcid.
I hope someone has ideas for her.
I wonder if clam juice is ok for her.
She has never had clam juice before.

Yes pepsid can be compounded Kandie liked hers in salmon

Do you remember how much you paid for it?
Coco's norvasc is 73 per bottle.

Originally Posted by mews2much

Do you remember how much you paid for it?
Coco's norvasc is 73 per bottle.

Click to expand...

I think about 40 ...

You can also consider trying slippery elm bark syrup - the recipe for making this is at the www.felinecrf.org site. You just have to be sure to give it spaced from any meds.

I found that sometimes blending their favorite canned food with some warm water into a slurry works as a neat "drink".

Chicken broth (plain, homemade) can also help.
Any freeze-dried treat can be crumbled and sprinkled atop the cat food - number of brands of this, most offer a chicken, beef, fish varieties, some a chicken liver.

The nausea, increased stomach acid sure can knock their appetite off, treating it may well help.

I will try that.
She can not have fish though.

Ask your vet to write Coco a script for cyproheptadine (Periactin). It is an antihistamine that works as an appetite stimulant for cats. It comes in 4 mg tablets, which are about the size of a regular asprin. Most vets prescribe too high a dose, and the CRF-Support-Site recommends dosing to affect. Start with 1/8 to 1/6 of a tablet. It should start working within approximately 1/2 hour. If the small dose doesn't work, try 1/4 tablet. You can increase gradually until you see an increase in appetite. When the dose is too high, many cats can become agitated and vocal, or conversly, they can act sleepy or sedated. It can be given once a day, or every 12 hours. I wouldn't give it more frequently than every 12 hours. It works well for Cleo's inappetance from her CRF. My parents used it with Samson for several years, and it continued to be effective for the entire time they used it.

You can also ask your vet for an anti nausea prescription, metoclopromide (Reglan) which also comes in a liquid form. Spooky got 1/2 cc, 1/2 hour before feeding. It worked like a charm!

Good luck to you and Coco.

Thanks,
I will ask next time we go.
Coco got liquid pepcid ac today.
My kitten Cleopatra is coming the first week of Dec and she will see the vet the day after she gets here.
I will ask then.
Coco goes around Dec 30th unless she gets sick.

I just looked in my nursing drug book...

Cyproheptadine (Periactin) comes in 4 mg tablets, and also in a syrup that is 2mg/5ml.

Metoclopramide (Reglan) comes in 5 mg and 10 mg tablets, it also comes in a syrup that is 5 mg/5 ml, and also an injectable formulation.