1/4 of kidney function left

luvmy2cats

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Popsie saw the vet today because he was eating good but losing weight. The vet said he could have an IBD causing malnutrition but she suggested we check his kidney funtion. He had a urinanalysis done and his urine is diluted. They did a blood panel to check the numbers.
BUN is 51 normal range is 16-36
CREA is 3.6 normal range is 0.8-2.4
The vet told me he probably only has about a fourth of his kidney function left.
This happened so fast. In April his BUN was normal and his CREA was only 2.5 He was prescribed blood pressure medicine because I guess it can help increase the blood flow to the kidney so they function a bit better. I need to take him back in a month to see where he is at.
 

mews2much

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My Cat used to get Shots for her Crf. Procrit and Winstrol Shots. We also did Sub Q's . the vet gave her a year and she lasted a little longer. I hope your Cat feels better.
 

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Originally Posted by luvmycat1

Popsie saw the vet today because he was eating good but losing weight. The vet said he could have an IBD causing malnutrition but she suggested we check his kidney funtion. He had a urinanalysis done and his urine is diluted. They did a blood panel to check the numbers.
BUN is 51 normal range is 16-36
CREA is 3.6 normal range is 0.8-2.4
The vet told me he probably only has about a fourth of his kidney function left.
This happened so fast. In April his BUN was normal and his CREA was only 2.5 He was prescribed blood pressure medicine because I guess it can help increase the blood flow to the kidney so they function a bit better. I need to take him back in a month to see where he is at.
Most cats are diagnosed with CRF or insufficiency at 75% lost ... please read the crf sticky
 

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luvmy2cats

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Originally Posted by cloud_shade

Because of the way the kidneys function, the tests don't show any loss of function until they have lost 66 to 75% of their kidney function--up to that point, their kidneys are able to compensate. Here are some better descriptions of why this is the case, and why it just seems like it happened so fast:

http://www.felinecrf.org/what_is_crf...ssary_function
http://www.felinecrf.org/how_bad_is_..._function_lost
Thank you.
It's just so overwhelming because I feel like if I don't get him proper treament fast he will die really soon. I'm going to do whatever I can but I'm on a tight to non existent budget. I've been looking for part time work so I can go to school but I'm going to sacrafice school for now and find full time work so I can take care of Popsie. He means the world to me.
 

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I know this is completely different, but my parrot is currently in renal failure and I've been doing a lot of research on this condition. I also know a lot about kidney management in dogs, so I'm wondering...is Popsie already on a kidney diet which restricts the amount of phosphorus he's ingesting? The phosphorus restriction seems to be the very first thing many dog owners do (not sure if this applies to cats, but I would imagine it to be similar).

Has your vet spoken to you about supplementing with Coenzyme Q10? Studies show that it's effective in many renal failure patients.

I'm sorry to hear this and I hope he'll be okay.
 

cloud_shade

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Did your vet check Popsie's thyroid levels, by the way? If not, that may be something to consider--hyperthyroid cats typically lose weight while eating well. Hyperthyroidism and kidney disease can occur together at times as well--that's what is going on with my mom's cat. Actually, she started out mildly hyperthyroid and couldn't tolerate the medication. I believe she was diagnosed about a year ago. She was recently diagnosed with renal failure as well, though she's been showing symptoms of it for several months (drinking more, rear leg weakness, etc.). I once knew of a cat who was 20+ and had survived all kinds of things, including hyperthyroidism and paralyzation, and he was living with managed CRF (chronic renal failure) as well. He had been diagnosed with it four years prior. Blood tests can help to track the disease some, but it's more important to treat the cat based on symptoms. How is Popsie doing right now?
 
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luvmy2cats

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Originally Posted by cloud_shade

Did your vet check Popsie's thyroid levels, by the way? If not, that may be something to consider--hyperthyroid cats typically lose weight while eating well. Hyperthyroidism and kidney disease can occur together at times as well--that's what is going on with my mom's cat. Actually, she started out mildly hyperthyroid and couldn't tolerate the medication. I believe she was diagnosed about a year ago. She was recently diagnosed with renal failure as well, though she's been showing symptoms of it for several months (drinking more, rear leg weakness, etc.). I once knew of a cat who was 20+ and had survived all kinds of things, including hyperthyroidism and paralyzation, and he was living with managed CRF (chronic renal failure) as well. He had been diagnosed with it four years prior. Blood tests can help to track the disease some, but it's more important to treat the cat based on symptoms. How is Popsie doing right now?
No I didn't have his thyroid checked at this time. He had a normal T4 in April plus treament for hyperthyroid can further damage the kidneys.
 

cloud_shade

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Originally Posted by luvmycat1

No I didn't have his thyroid checked at this time. He had a normal T4 in April plus treament for hyperthyroid can further damage the kidneys.
Just to clarify a common misunderstanding, treating hyperthyroidism does not damage the kidneys. It can make the numbers look worse as treatment will reduce the blood pressure and therefore the rate of blood flow through the kidneys. Sustained high blood pressure will damage the kidneys, but it will also mask that damage by keeping the blood flow through them high. Conversely, renal failure cats can have thyroid levels that appear normal in the testing but are not--it may be worth doing more testing (such as checking Free T4 levels as well as T4 levels) to see if the thyroid levels are being suppressed. Dealing with a cat with both CRF and hyperthyroidism is challenging, and unless the CRF is in the early stages, it is usually recommended to use medication rather than radioiodine therapy because the medication can be adjusted as needed.

Since hyperthyroidism damages the heart as well as the kidneys, treatment is still recommended in some fashion, even if the cat isn't a candidate for radioiodine. I would monitor for additional changes in eating, drinking, litter box habits and behavior, and if you notice any new problems, consider having the test run again. In an older kitty, senior panels should probably be done every six months--their levels can change over time, and new symptoms (including eating more, losing more weight, howling, and seeking out cool places to lie down) could all signal an increase in the thyroid levels.

You may want to read Dr. Richard's response to this person's situation--he suggests that treating hyperthyroidism with radioiodine, even when the cat has pre-existing renal disease, is usually the best option: http://www.vetinfo4cats.com/ccrftrea...dney%20Failure
 

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Hi luvmycat1. How is your kitty doing and how are you managing this? I got the same basic diagnosis on Monday with my kitty. Her BUN was 63 and creatinine was 4.3, with potassium/phosphorus, blood glucose and thyroid levels all being normal. My vet suggested putting her on Hill's KD or Purina NF but I prefer going a more holistic route if possible so I'm taking her to a holistic/traditional vet today for a consult. My cat was also completely normal in February so I've been trying to determine how things went so wrong. My guess is this happened from being on Ronidazole since my kitten was diagnosed with tritrich. I feel terrible if that is the case but there is no way to really know.

Anyways, I wanted to check in on you and Popsie and see how you were doing. I hope all is well!
 

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Originally Posted by tamgirl99

Hi luvmycat1. How is your kitty doing and how are you managing this? I got the same basic diagnosis on Monday with my kitty. Her BUN was 63 and creatinine was 4.3, with potassium/phosphorus, blood glucose and thyroid levels all being normal. My vet suggested putting her on Hill's KD or Purina NF but I prefer going a more holistic route if possible so I'm taking her to a holistic/traditional vet today for a consult. My cat was also completely normal in February so I've been trying to determine how things went so wrong. My guess is this happened from being on Ronidazole since my kitten was diagnosed with tritrich. I feel terrible if that is the case but there is no way to really know.

Anyways, I wanted to check in on you and Popsie and see how you were doing. I hope all is well!
10% of cats have some CRF by age 7 ... by age 15 90% have some level of CRF
 

tamgirl99

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Originally Posted by sharky

10% of cats have some CRF by age 7 ... by age 15 90% have some level of CRF
Those are some scary stats Sharky! I just got back and the urinalysis looked really good. There was no protein in her urine and it also showed concentration which is a great sign. We're going to give her some holistic renal supplements over the next 30 days to help flush her kidneys and then we will recheck her to determine if we need to modify her diet. Fingers crossed!
 
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luvmy2cats

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Thanks for asking about him. I've been giving him SubQ fluid therapy. He recently had a check up. His Bun went from 51 to 48 and his Crea went from 3.6 to 3.0 That was with only about five treatments so it's helping.
 

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Amy, I haven't been around a lot lately and I'm just seeing this. I'll be keeping you and Popsie in my thoughts. Good to know that the fluids are helping though. You've got my # if you need anything.
 
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