Henry May Have Kidney Disease

I am so upset right now. Henry, my eleven-year-old kitty, has been acting off the last week or so. I normally feed a raw chicken diet, following Dr. Pierson's recipe. When I run out, I sometimes feed them some canned salmon or something of the kind (with as few ingredients as possible) until I can make a new batch. That's what I've been doing. Henry, who has eaten it before, won't do so now. I figured, okay, maybe he's just being picky. I bought him another canned food, a Friskies variety (hoping the "cat junk food" would entice him), and no luck. He will eat hand-fed treats, so I'm getting food in him that way, and it's curious that he chooses to eat these, but not other things.

I also noticed he's begun a huge intake of water. Really unusual. So obviously, these things combined have me terrified. I just started a new job, and unfortunately, I do not have any money to take him to the vet. I may try tomorrow; I have a very small paycheck coming in - $200. I dunno if this will cover the office visit and testing that he needs, in all honesty.

What I'm hoping is that he just misses his ground chicken and doesn't like the other stuff, and that because he's only eating dry treats, he's trying to drink more water to make up for that food moisture. If he has kidney disease, what can be done for him? I understand that it is incurable. Are there meds? Would going to the vet make a difference? Or is it something he just lives with for the rest of his life? I'm so scared and so upset, and I feel like a terrible cat mom because I don't know how to help him with no money.

The vet would not do a payment plan (says they're not allowed because corporate won't let them??), and I was denied the Care Card. I don't know what's next then. Thoughts? Advice?

I wouldn't necessarily jump to the conclusion that he has kidney disease. While being picky about food and drinking more water can be symptoms, it may just be what you said, that he prefers the raw ground chicken, and he's drinking more to compensate for the dry treats he's been eating. Unfortunately, you can't know without some blood tests and urinalysis. Is he peeing more than usual?

I would try to get him back on the raw ground chicken as soon as possible and see if his habits go back to normal. If not, then a vet visit is definitely in order for some tests. Here's the most comprehensive site I know of for feline kidney issues: http://www.felinecrf.org/  If he does have kidney issues, then feeding a low phosphorus diet and ensuring good water intake (maybe even supplementing with subq fluids) are very important.

Thanks for your reply. I know I shouldn't jump to conclusions; it's just so easy to do so when he's older and not well, and I'm definitely a helicopter cat mom! I worry, worry, worry! My last credit card payment should finally be posted at midnight tonight, which means that tomorrow, I will be able to go buy more chicken and whip it up for them. I'm hoping, hoping, hoping he'll eat it.

He doesn't seem to be peeing more than usual, no. I hardly ever see him in the litter box. He's not eliminating inappropriately (as far as I can tell), and he doesn't seem to be in any pain at all. I'm sure he IS going to the litter box, just not when I happen to see him doing it.

Is a raw diet inherently low in phosphorous? Would it be safe for kitties with kidney disease? I know there's some back-and-forth debate about cats and protein when it comes to kidney disease. Or maybe I shouldn't even be thinking about that right now. Gotta keep reminding myself not to freak out, that he might not have it.

Sorry to hear about Henry having issues. Other than being picky with his food and drinking more have you noticed anything else different? How has his urine output been normal or has it increased? Has he been vomiting at all, how is his weight? An increase in drinking water could be because of kidneys, but it could also be caused by other things. A blood test will help to see what is going on. When I had blood test done for T4, full blood panel and an urinanylis done for Riley the tests ran me about $100, that wasn't including the office visit fee. To read up on ckd I would suggest checking out Tanya's site http://felinecrf.org/index.htm. Depending on what the test show and how Henry seems to be feeling will determine what course of action you will want to do. Hoping that Henry starts feeling better and that you are able to get him to the vet to see what is going on. Keep us updated on how things are going.

There are things you can do to tailor a raw diet for kidney issues, but again, I wouldn't worry about it just yet. Try his normal chicken and see how it goes.

BarbH - I'm hoping mine will be around that price, too. I should be getting in like $200 tomorrow, and I needed it for other things, but obviously getting him urgent treatment is the most important thing. Maybe I CAN do it with the funds I have. I figure, I can at least get SOME testing done, rather than not taking him there at all.

Would you guys still take him in even if he starts eating the chicken tomorrow? Or keep him home and monitor his symptoms?

No other unusual behavior. He's not a frequent litter box user to begin with, but honestly, he does not seem upset or to be in pain. Maybe a little more lethargic than usual, but then, I would be, too, if I wasn't eating much, so I'm not freaking out about that particular symptom.

I would start with the chicken and see how that works first. With the fact that he is not using the litter box more and if you haven't seen other symptoms such as vomiting or weight loss, if he starts eating the chicken waiting a couple of weeks should not be a problem. If you wait I would still get a blood panel done so that you have a reference of what his levels are. It is not all that unusal for older cats to develop ckd. Most of the time visible symptoms don't start showing until there is a significant loss of kidney function. Yearly blood test are not a bad idea on senior cats and gives you the possibility of catching something early. When my Riley was diagnoised things where already fairly advanced. In about a year and a half he went from just under 12lbs to 9.5lbs, his urine output increased greatly, I use clumping litter and his clumps range anywhere from about baseball size to that of an orange. He also started having issues with vomiting, sometimes food, but most of the time bile or clear liquid that may or may not be foamy. These are the main symptoms that I have seen in my guy so far. If you are not seeing these things in Henry and if he takes to the chicken, I would say that you would probably be safe on waiting a little. Also not meaning to make you worry more, but I do believe that diabetes can make cats drink more. However I do believe that usually urine output increases too. Blood tests will be able to confirm or rule out any of these possibilities.

I tend to agree with Barb.  If he goes back to normal on his raw food, then I wouldn't rush him in, although I would definitely take him sooner than later for bloodwork.  How long have you been feeding him raw?  I have a kidney cat who was on kibble for 11 1/2 years, then on raw for 1 1/2 years.  I would have kept her on raw even after her diagnosis, but suddenly she started refusing to eat it, so now she is on low carb canned with extra water added to it. 

The reason I ask how long Henry has been on raw is that cats on long term raw have a much lower rate of diabetes (and my Vet agreed that even though I have a pudgy cat on raw, we don't really have to worry about him developing diabetes), so you can probably toss that one out of the mix.  Cats on raw can develop kidney disease, but if you aren't seeing some of the other things mentioned above, if he has it, it may not be too advanced. And if he does have it, there is no cure, and no meds to really improve the kidneys, but meds to help improve their quality of life, like acid blockers, the sub-q fluids, that type of things.  But diet sometimes can help for a very long time, especially in the early stages.

One of the main things my Vet told us to do when our girl was recently diagnosed with kidney disease was to cut back on phosphorus.  So what I did was order eggshell powder to use as her source of calcium rather than bone.  Of course, now that she isn't eating raw anymore, it's a moot point, but it's one thing you could consider if his numbers come back too high.  Our Vet did say she didn't want us feeding Callie bones at all, but feeding raw was certainly ok, because high protein was ok, as long as it was good quality protein, accompanied by good fats, which raw is. 

Let's just hope  Henry is missing his chicken mix and that's all there is to this

He hasn't been raw too long. Maybe something like ten weeks? That's when I switched everyone over. I adopted him end of August, and when I got him, he was eating Meow Mix. I immediately transitioned him over to a high-quality dry, which was what I was feeding the others at the time. I can only assume he was eating Meow Mix-type foods for most of his ten years. 

Update: Henry won't eat the raw chicken. Granted, I haven't put any of the supplements in yet, like Taurine, but I don't think those are make-or-break. Unfortunately, I'm so broke, so I'll likely have to wait for money to come in on Friday, and then since I work, take him on Saturday. I'm so worried about him. He used to be so fat, and now he's lost quite a bit of weight. He still has a swinging gut, but I can feel his spine and hips.

thevegancuddler said:

 
Update: Henry won't eat the raw chicken. Granted, I haven't put any of the supplements in yet, like Taurine, but I don't think those are make-or-break. Unfortunately, I'm so broke, so I'll likely have to wait for money to come in on Friday, and then since I work, take him on Saturday. I'm so worried about him. He used to be so fat, and now he's lost quite a bit of weight. He still has a swinging gut, but I can feel his spine and hips.

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OK then, based on this, and the fact that he was eating basically "crap" for most of his life, he could very well have diabetes or kidney disease.  It's not surprising that he has lost weight since he's not been eating , but feeling his spine and hips...classic kidney disease "signs".   

But, really, other things can cause cats to lose their appetites.  Could be pancreatitis, could be constipation, could be ?????????????  Can you assist feed him until you can get him to the Vet?

Another update. Just managed to get him into a vet who would take a payment plan. He is yellow. I didn't notice; I guess the lighting in my home is poor. She asked me, 'Why didn't you bring him sooner?' after hearing he'd been on the decline for about a week. I keep hearing those words echoing in my head. But I didn't have a way. It's not a matter of "I don't want to have this financial burden." It's a matter of the money literally not existing in my account.

Anyway, he is AIDS/leukemia negative. They did some blood work, which I'll hear back about tomorrow. But he probably needs hospitalization and a feeding tube to reverse what is like hepadic lipidosis. I thought since he was at least eating a few treats, that'd stave it off, but I was wrong and now it's cost him. I can't afford even fifty percent down payment, and I doubt there's a place near me (I live in western Mass) that will do a generous payment plan. They gave me antibiotics for him as well, just in case. But basically, even if we figure out what his underlying condition is, he needs to eat again, and he probably won't do so without a tube.

Anyone have any luck syringe-feeding a cat? What did you use? I'm desperate. I feel awful and I feel like it's my fault that he's going to die, and there's nothing I can do about it because there's no way I can come up with that money. I was denied on the Care Card thing, and I've no family or friends who can contribute. I'm lost. He's only eleven years old. I knew when I adopted him that he'd be the first of my fur babies to go, but it's too soon!

I had a cat with hepatic lipidosis and he survived.  He did have a feeding tube but with perseverance and if your cat will cooperate a little bit it is possible to get him through it with syringe feeding.  There are videos on youtube and one on this site that shows how to do it.  Basically you use the side of his mouth and go very slow.  There is a prescription diet called Hills A/D that is very good because it is both high calorie and nutrient dense.  It is also a smooth pate style of food which is the easiest to syringe feed.  You may need to thin with a little water to get it through the syringe.

You should aim for a full 5 1/2 oz can of food per day.  That would certainly be enough with the A/D because it is high calorie.

The thing that is most important for this disease is the cat getting enough food to stop his body from trying to use it's fat stores.  The feeding tube just makes feeding easier.

I agree with Denice.

Also, other than treats what does he like?

Denice said:

 
I had a cat with hepatic lipidosis and he survived.  He did have a feeding tube but with perseverance and if your cat will cooperate a little bit it is possible to get him through it with syringe feeding.  There are videos on youtube and one on this site that shows how to do it.  Basically you use the side of his mouth and go very slow.  There is a prescription diet called Hills A/D that is very good because it is both high calorie and nutrient dense.  It is also a smooth pate style of food which is the easiest to syringe feed.  You may need to thin with a little water to get it through the syringe.

You should aim for a full 5 1/2 oz can of food per day.  That would certainly be enough with the A/D because it is high calorie.

The thing that is most important for this disease is the cat getting enough food to stop his body from trying to use it's fat stores.  The feeding tube just makes feeding easier.

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Others have done it via syringe feeding.  Here is the video showing how to do it. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/227858/syringe-feeding-lucky-video-if-your-cat-is-not-eating    THAT explains a LOT.  However, it still doesn't explain why he stopped eating in the first place, but sometimes there really is no explanation other than they just do.  Happened with one of my cats.  They never did find anything wrong with him, but he stopped eating and got HL (long time ago). 

Now, the A/D is prescription food, so may be more than you can afford right now.  Maybe you can afford Wellness in the BIG cans?  (13 oz)  Then with added water it will probably last you 3 days. 

Here is another thread about HL and this poster also could not afford a feeding tube.  It discusses the use of some OTC meds as well:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/265534/hepatic-lipidosis

Sweety, am so sorry to hear of your and your kitty's situation. I know you are going to have some tough decisions to make.

I had one on a tube and it saved his life. It is not as scary as it sounds. I posted a pic.

However, it will be pricey and the diagnostic tests will be even more so. Thus, the difficult decisions.

I will be thinking of you and your kitty.

Thank you for all the sweet words. I began syringe feeding Henry tonight. I took his raw food and put it in my high-powered blender with some water. He did surprisingly well. We didn't get the whole amount down, but he let me open his mouth and get some down. I'm giving him a break, and then gonna try again in a couple of hours.

Addendum: Sorry for the double-posting. My mind is everywhere tonight, trying to get my thoughts in order. If the syringe feeding does start to work, how long will it take before the yellow fades away? I just wanna know the signs of improvement and know when to be further alarmed if it DOESN'T work (or how to know it's not working). Right now, I'm thinking that if I can at least reverse the HL, that'll buy me time to do diagnostics and figure out what caused him to stop eating in the first place. A few weeks is better than a few hours or a few days. Maybe the underlying problem can wait a bit, if only he'll eat.

I'm just tuning in here and wanted to say that I'm so sorry you're going through this with Henry.      I really hope he pulls through. 

I never had a cat with HL, but I did have to syringe feed my Sebastian for a week or so after his bout of pancreatitis to prevent HL. I used the Hill's A/D, but there are other non-prescription canned foods that have a consistency that will work for syringe feeding.

Recovery time varies but it isn't something that he will recover from quickly.  Patches started eating a little on his own after about two weeks.  It took 3 or 4 weeks for him to eat enough on his own.  It can be a long haul.  I think Patches actually recovered a little quicker than average.

The yellow will begin to fade and when he begins to eat a little on his own then you will know that he is starting to recover.