More Concerned for Boo

Boo was at the vet in April 2013 for a check-up at which point he was declared in good health for his age. He had a dental in May 2013. He's still very active and plays with his toys and the other two cats. But I've started to become more concerned about him based on the cumulative effect of what I've observed over the past 6 months. I put a call into the vet this morning, and I'm waiting to hear back. I'm sure she'll want to see him.

I read on another thread that a boney spine and hips (muscle wasting) can be a sign of CRF. Boo has a boney spine and hips, and more pronounced now than it was 1-2 years ago. He's 13 (will be 14 in February). So then I started doing some reading (dangerous!).



Here's what I've observed in Boo:

Constipation
Muscle wasting/boney spine and hips

Weight loss (not drastic, but enough to notice)
Decreased appetite (not drastic, but eats a little less)

Scratching/itching (no fleas)
Twitching/jerking/trembling/shaking sometimes accompanied by increased respiratory rate
Feline hyperesthesia (back rolling and twitching)

Teeth grinding (only when eating, though)

Lazy eye (on left side)
Hot/red ears (new symptom)

Increased vocalizing (new symptom)

Makes me think possible CRF, metabolic acidosis, hypertension and/or potassium/phosphorus imbalances. However, he does not have increased thirst or urination. Aren't these the first classic signs of CRF?

I have no experience with CRF. But there's really no point in speculating. :heart2: At this age, "annuals" *should* be every 6 months, as they're aging at about the human rate of 2-3 years for every one year.

Ugh...the vet didn't call me back today. Boo hiss!     I am going to call again in the morning.

Actually, I'm going to physically go there in the morning because I have to pick up something for Caesar.

I guess my other question would be...if the nutritional needs of cats change as they get older, should I be feeding him a low phosphorus diet anyway, even if he doesn't have CRF?  I don't want this to turn into a nutrition thread, but I'm just asking in general.

I agree that there is no use in speculating.  He needs to get complete blood work done to find out what's going on.  Feeding him a diet that is easier on his kidneys would be a good idea though, it certainly couldn't hurt.  I used to watch an emergency vet show on animal planet and they had an elderly cat come in with smoke inhalation.  I remember one of the vets saying that all cats over the age of 10 have some loss of kidney function.  That doesn't mean all cats have loss of function that puts them in the category of CRF.  He was concerned about the strain on his kidneys from removing the toxins from the smoke.

Oh, no! You have enough on your hands with Sebastian!

I have heard that as cats age their digestive tract becomes less efficient, so sometimes you have to feed more volumewise.

Good luck at the vet.

I had a cat with CRF and his first symptoms were having "accidents" on the rug. I do believe that was the first sign something was amiss. I thought it was a behavioral issue at first. Then his next symptom was blindness because his BP spiked and his retinas detached so those symptoms were different than Boo. He did have the slight tremor thing like Grace has now too but the vet chalked it up to old age back then since he checked out fine at that point. This was probably a year or two before he got diagnosed with CRF though so who's to say it was related. Also, the course of his disease (and his decline) was so rapid, it's tough for me to even compare him to anyone else.  I also heard like @Denice that all cats show "signs" of kidney function declining after 10 as well. My Tito that passed from cancer sometimes showed elevated levels in his blood but the vet said it was nothing in which to change anything in his life. He just said he was "showing his age." He never had any symptoms of kidney problems and his kidney levels were even considered normal for his age when he passed. Anyway, I just want to give mega vibes  for Boo since you are always so kind to me. Also, hope you hear from your vet soon. I'm waiting for a response from mine as well.

Denice said:

Feeding him a diet that is easier on his kidneys would be a good idea though, it certainly couldn't hurt. 

Click to expand...

I agree. :nod: I'm using primarily eggshell now to lower the phosphorus. The diet I feed the cats is about 0.8% phos on a dry matter basis. Scroll through Dr. P's commercial food list: most foods are over 1%, some over 2%, though the prescription renal diets are below 0.5% (the minimum AAFCO is 0.5%).

Hazel, now long gone, started with the bony weight loss at 14 or 15 and the vocalizations. It wasn't until she was 17 though that the tests showed that her kidneys were having trouble. The vet told me it was part of aging and then she got switched for her food--which she didn't enjoy.

I thought warm ears might indicate fever.

Thanks all. I didn't wait. I called back and made Boo's appointment for Monday morning.

I'm sure it doesn't come to any surprise that I've already scoured the felinecrf.org website and found the phosphorus tables on both that site and Dr. P's.    As a precautionary measure, I'll see if I can start feeding him some foods that are under 0.8%. The foods he is eating right now are actually pretty high...like over 1.2% 

Of course, Boo was fed mostly kibble for the first 10 years of his life. It wasn't until I brought him with me when I moved out that he regularly got wet food.

I thought red/warm ears could indicate hypertension. Since he also has this trembling thing going on, perhaps it is all related. I'll probably have to ask for them to take his blood pressure. I don't think it's part of a normal exam.

I honestly don't think 1.2% on the phos level is all that high for what you have been feeding him.   There are lots of foods a lot higher than that, so don't beat yourself up about that.  I HAVE a kidney cat, and would be thrilled if she would consistently eat foods that low .  I'm just happy when she eats, period .  But, from what you have described, if he has kidney disease, I would have to say it's probably only in the beginning stages, simply because you've said he's not drinking or urinating more than usual. 

Boy, these symptoms are certainly odd.  The excessive vocalization could simply mean his hearing is going.  Our Sven used to do that as he aged, and our Vet speculated he was either losing his hearing or starting to get feline dementia, because he would mainly call out at night.  Constipation is just part of aging, and so is muscle wasting, to a point.  IF he isn't running around as much as he used to, you would expect a certain amount of muscle loss, but that wouldn't really account for the boney spine and hips, I wouldn't think.

I'm just glad you are taking him in for a work-up.

In her senior years, my cat would yowl mournfully at night--as if she didn't remember where she was and that she was lost. She would calm down when I would come and get her from where ever she was in the apartment.

Boo goes in tomorrow morning, but I just wanted to write in and say that I've been able to observe him a little more closely this weekend. Unfortunately, he is drinking more...a lot more. Within a period of two hours, he went to the water fountain like six times.    And this was even after feeding him canned food.

And the vocalizations are really bad. This really creeped up. He wasn't vocalizing like this two weeks ago.

I just hope the numbers from his labs aren't too bad.    

ETA: I forgot to mention that he really wasn't eating enough, so I had to give in and give him some Fancy Feast mixed in with his other food. He ate that all up, thank goodness.

Well, I have to feed Fancy Feast to Callie often, and even then she rarely eats much.  But it's very high in phos if you go with the Classics.  It's a Catch 22, since the Classics are lowest in carbs, but highest in phos. 

Here's  hoping he's ok, but it's good to know either way, so you can start treating as best you can.  There are always phos binders if you need to go that route, depending on what all his numbers say. But I'm getting ahead of myself.  First, let's get the results of the exam

[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <woNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]It’s good to do annual checkups. Dentals are sometimes needed, too. It’s good to hear that he is still active. But, I’m sorry for your concerns. Your vet is your best friend when it comes to your feline’s health. It would probably be best to have the vet see him. A bony spine can be a result of a URI. A cat being sick and just not wanting to eat causes it. But, at his age, I would be worried about CRF. Too much information can be a bad thing. For the constipation, I recommend mixing beans and pumpkin to his food. While you are at the vet I recommend having a thyroid panel run, as this can cause the muscle wasting. Have there been any changes in his lifestyle lately? Loss of appetite can indicate roundworms, hookworms or tapeworms. A cool bath may help with the itching. Twitching can be a sign of head trauma. Make sure your cat is getting proper exercise, too. Teeth grinding can result in severe dental damage. There are several causes of lazy eyes in cats. Hot ears indicate a fever. Go to your cat when he vocalizes to give him comfort. The symptoms aren’t making me think of CRF, though. He would have increased thirst. I’m thinking he has a URI.

What happened at the Vet?  Are you still waiting for the blood results? 

Thanks LillyDSH. I'm not sure if you read through the posts, but I did say I was taking him to the vet and that he is drinking more. He doesn't have a URI.

@mrsgreenjeens, I won't get the blood results back until Tuesday. They attempted to take his blood pressure at the vet, which was tricky. They had trouble getting a reading because Boo was being fiesty, but in the end his blood pressure seemed fine. I'm upset that they had to give him his 3-year rabies vaccination. He was overdo and it's the law here. Delaware is very strict and doesn't have medical exemptions. It just urks me to no end because he could have kidney failure for all we know, and he show signs of possible neurological issues, but yet he still has to get his rabies vac. 

Oh poor Boo! He's so beautiful! I really hope the bloodwork checks out okay and he is feeling better soon. Maybe the shot made him feel unwell too.

The rabies vaccination is the law here too and I don't want Grace having it either with her allergies and neurological issues. However, I had to prepay for it to "protect" them and every time I take her in, I have to beg the vet not go give it to her. However, I'm probably going to have to soon.

for the numbers today.

I am soooooo lucky. Rabies is NOT required in my county.

Boo is beautiful! :lovegrin2 He reminds me very much of one of our outside kitties, Baloo. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/252410/most-of-the-current-feral-crew

Oh, Boo looks like an angel.

They just instituted a rabies law about 5 years ago over here. I heard from my friend the city actually sent foot patrol squads out looking for evidence of cats. My friend got caught because she had a big picture window with a cat apartment visible from the outside.

Some good vibes for Boo--

If you are dealing with CRF, you will want to find a food that doesn't contain preservatives. Find a low-protein food, too. Make sure to give B vitamins, too (can be purchased in liquid form and added to the food). You will need to do IV fluids at home, too.