Newly Diagnosed CKD Cat seems to want to eat but can't

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siami

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I am in the process of reading up about feline CKD but would like to ask if other CKD cats approach their food bowls as if they really want to eat and then turn away, as if it's going to hurt them to eat?  This is not just with the special kidney diet but with her usual croquettes too.  Sammy has just eaten a very small amount of chicken breast from my hand so this is progress as she has eaten very little over the last 2 days and I"m at the stage where she can have anything she likes as long as she eats.  

The vet gave her an injection to increase her appetite on Friday and said if this didn't work Sammy would have to be hospitalised and go on a drip Monday or Tuesday.  She is having Semintra each morning.  Creatinine is 3.3 but the vet did not do a urine test.
 

denice

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This is a common behavior with nausea.  I would ask your vet about treating the nausea. I am not sure if the medicine she is on is for this.  If it is, often a kitty that won't respond to one medication for nausea will respond to another.   A lot of kitties with this have issues with excess stomach acid.  In the States the most common treatment is an OTC medication called Pepcid, I would also ask your vet about an antacid.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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I have a kidney cat, and this is absolutely classic behavior on "bad" days.  Today my little one is behaving this way, darn it
  She'd been doing great for the past month until today. 

Have you seen this website?  http://www.felinecrf.org/index.htm  This is the BEST site I know of for anything kidney cat related.  It is my "go to" any time I have questions about anything, I usually even check it before a Vet visit just so I'm currently on things. 

It absolutely could be caused by nausea, although she would probably be licking her lips when she smells the food if that's the case.  Could be she's in pain from too much stomach acid, also quite common , and also easily remedied.  Or maybe she just doesn't like the food, so she comes to check it out, doesn't like it so walks away.  My girl could be starving, but if I serve up something she doesn't like, she will not eat.  Believe me, that is a hard fact
.  I feed her at least 7 times a day, and I offer up a smorgasbord of food for her to choose from, because she is one picky eater and she needs so badly to eat.  Usually I can get her to eat at least 3 oz of a good quality canned food (she only weighs 4 lbs so 3 oz is pretty good!), lately she's been eating over 4 oz, so we've been elated!And we do NOT feed k/d because she just won't eat it.  Our Vet says feed her anything she will eat, but then we give her sub-q fluids at home twice a week, and I also monitor the amount of phosphorus in the foods, trying to make sure they aren't too high.

Check out the above website.  They also have suggestions on how to get a cat to eat.
 

micknsnicks2mom

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my snick, who has CKD stage 2, did similar this morning. but this morning for snick, thankfully she was just being a picky eater -- which she is anyway.

that feline crf website that @mrsgreenjeens posted a link to is the website for info about feline CKD and pretty much anything to do with it. it's also my 'go to' website for anything related to CKD. and i do the many smaller meals throughout the day/night thing for my snick too -- it seems to work really well. maybe even prevents some of the excess stomach acid from bothering (some) CKD cats -- because they've pretty much always got food in their stomach...?

my snick also gets pepcid ac, just 1/4 tab about once every 10 days or so, but just as a preventative measure. if your vet okay's an antacid for your Sammy, it would be a good thing to have on hand.

something that's extremely easy on the stomach and easily digested by cats is stage 1 meat (ie, chicken, turkey, beef, or ham) baby food, in the little jars by gerber and beechnut -- the kind that is pureed smooth and has only meat, water, and some have a little cornstarch in them. many cats love these baby foods too. snick has eaten the baby food when she's had gastro upset. at times, i've watered the baby food down a bit, then syringe fed my snick when needed. i always keep several jars of the baby food on hand, just in case.

semintra is a medication i know a little about. i had read about it maybe a year ago or so, and did discuss it with our vet as a possibility for my snick. semintra is used for treating proteinuria in CKD cats. here's a link to the press release from Boehringer Ingelheim (pharmaceutical company), which gives some info about the drug -- http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com...eases/2013/02_september_2013animalhealth.html. in our case, snick wasn't suffering from proteinuria so there was no need for this medication. proteinuria is simply the presence of protein in urine. persistent and increased protein levels (in the urine) are abnormal, and can contribute to other/additional medical issues.

my snick gets sub-q fluids at home every other day now. i do suggest discussing with your vet giving your Sammy sub-q's (at home or at your vet's office) on a set schedule. my snick was originally diagnosed about 4 years ago with 'the beginnings of kidney issues', not actually CKD at that point, and my vet started snick on twice weekly sub-q fluids immediately.  just doing that, starting the sub-q treatments early on, has almost certainly slowed down the progression of my snick's CKD significantly.
 
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siami

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Thank you for your replies.  I have been immersed in the feline crf website.  Sammy is reluctant to drink as well as eat and I can't see this symptom anywhere on the website.

With regard to Semintra, I don't understand how proteinuria could have been diagnosed without a urine test.  The protein totals result in the blood test was not out of range.  Sammy has just had a little chicken and earlier she had 6 Catisfactions  -  can't remember the English brand name but they are the Whiskas treats.

Do you think it"s too soon to think about putting Sammy on a drip?  The vet said today or tomorrow if there's no increase in appetite.  She also said for 24 or 48 hours but the feline crf website says that 24 hours is as good as useless.  Sammy will hate being hospitalised and on a drip but of course we will take this route if absolutely necessary.

Thank you for sharing your experience and advice.
 

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Usually they only have to be hospitalized for an IV drip if they are in crisis mode.  I have had three kidney cats and NEVER had to have one get an IV drip.  We have always just done sub-q fluids at home.  Have you read about doing that?  And usually, as with humans, sub-q fluids make everyone feel so much better.  I know with my currently kidney cat, she always eats better on her sub-q days. 

BTW, my girl was just re- tested last Tuesday, and her creatinine has risen to 3.6
,  but this is not the only figure to take into consideration.  The Vet should look at everything to determine treatment. 

I don't know, but if your little one isn't even drinking much at this point, she may BE in crisis mode.  Hard to say not knowing much about your situation.  I would follow my Vet's opinion on this, I think.  Surely without drinking much, she IS dehydrated, so needs fluids either IV or sub-q at this point.   One or the other is bound to make her feel better. 

 
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siami

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Thank you.

Sammy has just had a good drink of water but hasn't eaten as much as yesterday.  She amazed me by going for a walk over to the far corner of our large garden.  I don't know how she has the energy.

I would have thought if the vet considered Sammy to be in crisis, she would have insisted on the drip asap rather than giving an injection to increase appetite and tell me to come back Monday or Tuesday if the injection hadn't worked.

I have read about sub-q fluids.  I"ll do whatever's necessary.  I've just read that the Semintra should kick in after 7 days which will be tomorrow.  I will be taking my little precious back tomorrow and will follow my vet's advice.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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Have you tried many different foods? I THINK I mentioned that my girl eats quite a variety of foods.  Sometimes she will love something one meal, then completely reject it the next time I serve it, then love it again, then meh another time, so I just never know.  And I use toppers too, on those days where nothing seems to hit home with her.  FortiFlora is a favorite, also freeze dried Cod, but NOT freeze dried salmon or tuna.  And my girl seems to like the really strong flavors like beef or venison or lamb vs the tamer flavors like chicken or turkey.  Warming up the food helps too...they can smell it better.  (I guess you already read up on all the tricks to help them eat).  I feed pretty small portions at a time, and actually "float" them in water to help her get extra water in her.  By floating, I mean I add about 1 -  2 teaspoons around the food and somehow it helps her when she's licking up the food to get more food in with each lick   She will not chew wet food, so everything I give her has to be in pate form, whether that means I have to put it in the blender to make it that way, or simply buy pate food.  Silly cat, she has nothing wrong with her teeth, because she certainly will chew treats in the middle of the night
  (I keep them under my pillow for her )

Anyway, I would definitely try different foods, different flavors, different textures, using different toppers.  If she has any favorite treats, don't be afraid to crush some up and use them as toppers to peak her interest
 
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siami

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I had tried several different foods including chicken breasts and some tinned food for pampered pets which I wouldn't normally even look at.. Fortunately my other cats are happy to eat whatever Sammy leaves.

Well, Sammy is now on a drip at the vets.  They had to anaesthetise her to put the drip in.  We had a very hot and stressful journey and Sammy was pânting but she calmed down once in the waiting room as it was thankfully very cool and empty of other pets.  She has one of my tee-shirts with her.  I so hope this treatment  works.
 

denice

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I know fluids will really perk a kitty up.  Hopefully get her feeling better so she will eat better and be able to hold her own.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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I know fluids will really perk a kitty up.  Hopefully get her feeling better so she will eat better and be able to hold her own.
Absolutely
.   So...how old is Sammy?  Is she indoor/outdoor?  I wonder if this is acute kidney vs chronic kidney since she is newly diagnosed and (possibly) in  crisis?  Could she have gotten into some sort of chemical (like anti freeze) or something?  Or maybe things are just done differently in France?  I know in England used to be they never wanted to do sub-qs for kidney disease for some reason...that may have changed now.

Hoping she fees much better soon
 
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siami

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Sammy is a Siamese cross aged somewhere between 8 and 12 and she is an outdoor cat but only within the confines of our garden.  With the exception of just before bedtime when I walk our dog to the end of the lane and back and Sammy accompanies us!  She's handicapped and can't jump very high.  I don't see how she could have had access to anything harmful.

Thank you for your good wishes.  The hours are passing very slowly without her.  I will update tomorrow.
 
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siami

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My poor Sammy suffered an acute pulmonary oedema this afternoon while on the IV drip and couldn't be saved.  No words for my feelings right now. 
 
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