Hi,
Even though my cat's most recent bloodwork, done at the end of November, shows quite decent numbers - BUN at 26. Creatinine at 2.4 - she is suddenly just acting very lethargic and not meowing much. She did have a bit of a crash a few nights ago - her head was shaking and she just really looked bad - also had a bout of diarrhea. We took her in that evening for an emergency visit and saw that she had more fluids.
She is on cyproheptadine, and I read that a side effect of this can be sedation. Could this possibly be what is causing the difference in behavior? I'm thinking of trying discontinuing the appetite stimulant for a bit and see if there is any noticeable change.
The vet just seems to think that, with the low numbers that she has, and her hyperthyroidism being regulated pretty well, that she should be feeling better. She gets fluids once weekly. Next week she gets blood drawn again to find out where the levels are at. I'll be interested to see if they are holding about the same or are elevated. Her numbers came down once she started fluids back in September (Bun was 38 and Creatinine was 3). Her weight over the past half year or so has varied between 7 lb 14 oz. and 7 lb 2 oz. Currently she is at 7 lb 5 oz. Most of her life she was a 9 lb. cat.
She also had an ultrasound a few days ago that was interpreted as indicating her pretty much only operating on one kidney. From the pictures, the doctor who took the ultrasound feels that the left kidney is basically non-functional.
Any thoughts or advice? I want to help her as much as I can for as long as I can, but neither do I want to prolong her life if she seems to be not feeling well. And yet, with only stage 2 (insufficiency) numbers not much more above the normal range, it seems like it should be very premature to start thinking of end-stage renal failure.
Thanks,
three4rd
Even though my cat's most recent bloodwork, done at the end of November, shows quite decent numbers - BUN at 26. Creatinine at 2.4 - she is suddenly just acting very lethargic and not meowing much. She did have a bit of a crash a few nights ago - her head was shaking and she just really looked bad - also had a bout of diarrhea. We took her in that evening for an emergency visit and saw that she had more fluids.
She is on cyproheptadine, and I read that a side effect of this can be sedation. Could this possibly be what is causing the difference in behavior? I'm thinking of trying discontinuing the appetite stimulant for a bit and see if there is any noticeable change.
The vet just seems to think that, with the low numbers that she has, and her hyperthyroidism being regulated pretty well, that she should be feeling better. She gets fluids once weekly. Next week she gets blood drawn again to find out where the levels are at. I'll be interested to see if they are holding about the same or are elevated. Her numbers came down once she started fluids back in September (Bun was 38 and Creatinine was 3). Her weight over the past half year or so has varied between 7 lb 14 oz. and 7 lb 2 oz. Currently she is at 7 lb 5 oz. Most of her life she was a 9 lb. cat.
She also had an ultrasound a few days ago that was interpreted as indicating her pretty much only operating on one kidney. From the pictures, the doctor who took the ultrasound feels that the left kidney is basically non-functional.
Any thoughts or advice? I want to help her as much as I can for as long as I can, but neither do I want to prolong her life if she seems to be not feeling well. And yet, with only stage 2 (insufficiency) numbers not much more above the normal range, it seems like it should be very premature to start thinking of end-stage renal failure.
Thanks,
three4rd
