Very Worried

I'm very worried about Romeo waiting for the vet to open. Just not eating, drinking water though. Anyway got really sick 2 days ago threw up up it seemed everything he had ate in 2 days. Just don't like some of these side effects of these drugs. He will not eat his gastrointestinal food the vet gave me, it really don't smell well I don't think I would eat it either if I was a cat. Syringe feeding him baby food and he is drinking pedialyte. I thought I smelled a bad odor coming from his mouth or maybe his tummy that is worrisome. I am afraid if I can't snap h out of this I'm afraid I will loose him. I'm going to get a shot of Cerrina and talk to the vet about the B12 shot and sub q fluids today. Hope there is a opening today. Please any advice Am I doing the right thing. He got blasted with not pancreatitis but acute kidney disease. HELP

Let's hope they can get enough fluids into Romeo to flush out toxins. The smell you are noticing is urea---it's the toxins emitting from his skin--my first kitty had that--she smelled chronically of pee. But, kitties with kidney disease also develop ulcers in their mouth.

Sub cue fluids will help, and I'm sure they will give other medications as well. Hopefully an anti nauseant and maybe b-12 if they feel it's useful to Romeo.

I hope the vet helped you and Romeo and that you are home now and resting/sleeping.  Hugs to you!!! I know what you are going through and it's horrid. Ask about a special diet (food) for Romeo and antacids for any acid reflux too. Foods for kidney disease slow down the process and hopefully will make him feel a wee bit better. And, they have a variety of flavors which my kitties LOVE!

How did it go at the Vet?  Are you giving him fluids at home, or are you going to start?  With kidney disease, that's your best defense, really.  Over food or anything else, once they reach a certain stage, which it sounds like he's at. 

My kidney cats always had good days and bad days.  During bad cycles, I always questioned if it was "time", then they would turn around and have good days and start eating well again, sometimes for many weeks before another down cycle.  Hopefully this will be the case with Romeo.  I read another of your threads where you asked about Mirtazapine.  Our last kidney cat was on that drug twice a week for the last year of her life.  It definitely helped her appetite, as did finding a food she liked .  We never fed her any prescription foods because she wouldn't eat them.  We used that chart I provided you in another thread and  went from there.   Plus, did I mention that I fed her 7 - 9 small meals per day, each one with at least 1 T of filtered water added to the already wet food?  and that two of those meals were in the middle of the night?  I'd freeze them and let them thaw out on my nightstand so I didn't have to get out of bed to feed her.

that Romeo perks up

. 

Went to the Vet today thank goodness they had a opening! Anyway he got a shot of Cerrina , sub q fluids and B 12 shot. We spoke about maybe a plan for the future ,have to get bun & creatinine check when I get paid Friday. He also sent some KF food( kidney food) and he gobble it up Boy I was happy. I want to thank you for all the advice and well wishes.. He is resting now and I am just happy he feels some better. Bless you again

So glad he's feeling better .  You may seriously need to think about starting him on sub-q fluids at home, depending on what his BUN and creatinine are on Friday.  If you've never done it before, it seems daunting,but most people, once they've actually done it, realize it's not that hard.  they just tell themselves they are not hurting their furkids, they are helping them   And it's true.  We've got lots of people here who didn't ever think they could do it, but they did.

Yipppeeee!!! That KF is awesome. And they have a variety of flavors so if your kitty was nauseated and didn't want his old food, this stuff you can rotate. And the appetite stimulants will surely help! 

Kitties will let you know. As long as he's happy, snuggling with you and purring, that's a happy kitty. 

I just want to say again how much I appreciate the help and advice and well wishes from you.! Anyway this Friday I'm going to get his lab values rechecked. The vet spoke to me about giving sub q fluids at home and I'm down with it. He said my kitty got felt a ruff hand and I will do anything for my little feller. I wrote down the advice that you gave me and spoke to the vet about it and told him where I got the ideas. Much love and blessings to you again for the advice thanks for walking with me on this journey I hope it's a long one. He ate pretty good yesterday after the shot of Cerrina , He hasn't ate as well but has ate.. The vet did give me Mitrazapine, and I may have to give him this but I don't like the side effects he gets so wired! I will have to give him this if I am off from work, my husband couldn't handle it. Romeo sends kisses for the unconditional love he is getting[emoji]128536[/emoji]

If he gets wired from the Mirtazapine, ask for a different appetite stimulant.  There are more than one out there.  Sorry, right now I just can't remember the name of the other one that people usually fall back on, but there is definitely a 2nd one of choice after Mirt.

He may just be wired because he's feeling better. SO glad for you and Romeo!!!!

Well Four Steps Back, Today had to work got a little sick. Feed him his baby food this morning and he ate ok not great. Husband suppose to feed him but he said he threw up it looked like bile but he didn't even try to feed him. I'm pretty mad. Anyway I am going to take him tomorrow and get fluids and get lab work bun and creatinine. He is really not doing well. He is sleeping or lying in his cat house. I hope I can get him turned around but this just don't look good he gets a little better than he steps backwards.

The "other appetite stimulant" that mrsgreenjeans is thinking of is probably cyproheptadine (sigh-pro-hep-ta-dean).  Is Romeo on an antacid of any kind? Sometimes, that can help them feel a lot better and settle the vomiting and retching. Your vet can suggest one that's suitable for Romeo and his current regimen, and that would be a good question for them. But vets I've worked with have used ones like Pepcid, Tagamet, and others that you can find easily (and sometimes inexpensively-- I know that's a consideration when we have multiple cats on multiple meds!)

Sometimes, just having an empty belly can cause queasiness and indigestion when the belly is already in an upheaval.  Bile usually means an empty stomach, and an empty stomach is more susceptible to the effects of stomach acids and bile. As contradictory as it might seem, a few bites of food might calm down a queasy belly, too. I don't know if you've ever had morning sickness with pregnancy or been with someone who has-- but a pregnant woman knows that often a couple of soda crackers or a bit of bread and some ginger ale can help. As a "former pregnant woman" (a mom), I can vouch for this. Basically ANY food in my belly at all times during the first trimester and the first 3 weeks of the second tri was essential, and it didn't matter what it was. Even a mess of Hatch chili peppers and some chips was fine and dandy as long as it was food. Not suggesting you feed Romeo Hatch peppers or any sort of chili (LOL, NO!) but perhaps 'just a bite' every hour if that's what it takes.  So it might be worth offering a bite or two of a couple different foods or treats when Romeo seems a bit 'green around the gills' as my mother used to say. Don't force it, but offer him a snack frequently during the day, and keep the buffet open. It's perfectly fine and normal with renal kitties for them to cruise the offerings and to reject at 'elevenses' what he devoured at his eight o'clock late breakfast (Frühstück).

Mrsgreenjeans talked about feeding her renal kitty 7 to 9 small meals with extra water mixed in, every day, even having a frozen portion or two that could defrost overnight and be available for her cats in the middle of the night. That's a great idea. Perhaps Romeo would do better on a 'nibble routine', where he eats a little bit at a time, many times a day... instead of 3-4 bigger meals. These renal cats just don't have the ravenous appetites that they did before their kidneys went naughty, but they do need to eat, and they need hydration. Between the stomach acids playing havoc, and the toxin build-up, it's no wonder they don't want to eat well.

Added:  Have you discussed adding some B vitamins to the routine? The old classic is a liquid called Pet-Tinic (Pfizer/Zoetis), and that one is a B complex with some iron. Your vet may have this in stock, or if it is appropriate for your cat, your vet may okay you to order it on line. You may not even need a script for it, as I get it for my own cats from a local vet when I'm out running errands. My cats aren't seen there, but they have Pet-Tinic, and they sell it to me. But as with any supplement or drug, it's good to talk to your vet and ask about an appropriate dose for Romeo. But typically, we give 1/2 to 1 ml once or twice daily (1 ml once daily or 1/2 ml once OR twice)... I also use a few drops as a "lick" to help my cats swallow their pills. My cats really like the taste and a little liquid does make pills go down easier... who likes dry swallowing medicine? Yuck! But renal cats lose B vitamins from frequent urination, and they become anemic over time. This stuff or something like it can be a good boost if your vet thinks it's okay for Romeo. B vitamins can also perk appetite, so it's worth considering.


There are other similar products... this is just one that's been around a LONG time, and most cats like or at least tolerate it pretty well.

So I hope this helps, as well as mrsgreenjeans' words of wisdom... I'm now following this.

~Mackie

Thinking of you! Sending mega vibes that your kitty rallies and feels better!

It is always so hard when our sweet kitties aren't well.

Thank for the words of wisdom the vet suggested small meals I just can't get him to eat. I just feed him his baby food slurry but it just don't seem enough but he is taking it. I will fix him some of his KF in a slurry and see if he will in about 2or 3 hrs got to get up at 430 to get ready for work and I work 12 hours and depend on my husband to help and he thinks Romeo shouldn't be poked on and should be left alone I've tried to tell him understand how sick he is but we have had so many arguments over this cat but that another story. Thank you again I will ask about a antacids. Do you know what Greenjeans made or what she was talking about when she said she would let them thaw out what kind of food? Thank you LotsofFur for sweet vibes. Sandpaper Kisses to all[emoji]128538[/emoji]

our cat won't eat any kidney diet, and he's always changing what he will and won't eat.  he's currently underweight, and while this one turkey food was his favorite last week - he'd clear all his small meal plates - this week he won't eat a bite.  i'm always catching up with what flavors he will and won't eat.  maybe the same for romeo?

speaking of antacids, our cat was given famotidine (pepcid ) for a while. he really hated it, but it did help at the time.  he really hated it whether it was compounded with chicken or fish.

good luck with your kitty!

Well, mrsgreenjeans can answer that last question better than I can, as I don't know what her cats ate. But I bet you can freeze any sort of wet food and have it to thaw out overnight so your cat can have something at, say, O-Dark-Thirty, when you are deep in sleep. That's just to keep the food fresh and appealing while you sleep, so you don't have to get up and fuss with a 2 am feeding. Infants are 'bad' enough, LOL!!

Perhaps it'd be worth discussing an antacid... and how is his hydration? Being dehydrated can make you feel awful, too. My stomatitis cat was dehydrated, because his mouth hurt, he had an infection, and he wouldn't eat or drink much. I had to give him SQ fluids. After he got pumped up, he would eat a little. After he got his pain drops, he would eat a lot. Once the fluids were better (hydration), he began eating on his own-- not much, though, because stomatitis is serious pain in the mouth! (imagine your mouth full of canker sores or MAJOR pizza burns that never go away... ouch!). Others here will probably remember all that we went through... but getting him hydrated also helped, along with managing his other discomforts.

You may not be able to cure his renal failure, but you have ways to manage the symptoms, and the challenge is to find what he needs at the moment-- antacid, which one? Something in his empty belly-- what will taste good 'right now'? Fluids? It's harder because cats don't speak Twolegs and they can't tell us how they feel at the moment, or what will help them to feel better, or what would taste good. You have a hard road, and I commend you for keeping the course. Patience is key, and knowing that Romeo will have rough days, and he will have better days, and that's the nature of the kidney beast.

As for 'kidney diets'-- yes, they help many cats who will eat them. Most kidney diets do put thought to palatability, as it's so common for renal cats to not want to eat. They do try to make these things taste and smell good, trust me. Yet kidney disease is famous for whacking out an appetite. But it IS possible, with the help of your vet and someone knowledgeable in medical nutrition, to come up with a kidney-friendly menu of 'better-for-the-kidneys' regular diets, or by making familiar foods more kidney friendly, or by looking for more kidney friendly protein sources to add to the 'finicky-days' menu. I won't go into all of that here, as it's a good topic of discussion to have with your vet.

Do you keep your food refrigerated? My vet said that sometimes it takes away the scent/flavor and suggested heating it up (to comfortable temp) and it makes it more appealing.

All of my kitties have thrown up on an empty stomach--I read somewhere that the fur can irritate their tummies. I have a friend whose cat does this too.

Sadly, with KD, this is what happens. Ten steps forwards, eleven steps backwards and so on.

I'm sorry your husband isn't more understanding.  

OK, as to food. I only fed my last kidney cat (Callie) wet food, and she wouldn't eat any of the prescription kidney foods, so I went by this list:   http://www.felinecrf.org/canned_food_usa.htm#canned_usa  and looked for foods as low in phosphorus as possible  that she would eat.  I just started going down the list until I found foods she liked.  Believe me, we went through probably dozens of foods before I found something she really liked, and that was Iams Purrfect Delights.  (at .84 phos, I felt pretty good about giving it to her, even though it was fish...what the heck, she had something that wasn't curable, so it was quality of life versus quantity at that point) 

   So, at her last feeding (10 p.m)  I would make up THREE bowls of her food and put two of them in the freezer.  At bedtime I would take them out of the freezer and put them in small ziploc bags and set one on an icepak on a towel on my nightstand, and the other just on a towel on my nightstand.  Callie would know to wake me up in a couple hours  for her first feeding.   By that time the bowl NOT on the icepak would be thawed since it only had about 1 tablespoon of food in it (plus water).  I would take it out of the ziploc bag and set it on the bed for her to eat.  The other cats were just trained to wait for her to eat and then I would give them a treat for waiting (I kept treats for them under my pillow ).  When Callie finished eating I would put the bowl back in the ziploc bag and put it on the nightstand, then move the bowl that was on the icepak onto the towel to start thawing for her next feeding.  Callie would return in another couple hours for more food.  This was our routine until the day she died.  I'd say we did this for probably a year. 

For the antacid, we gave Pepcid A/C in prescription form so we could give it to Callie as an injectible, which was so easy.  She never acted like she even knew she was getting it since it went right into her scruff and the needle was only about 1/4 inch long.  Hubby did her shots twice a week as she was his princess so I would hand him the syringe and he would give it as she was getting her "pets".  This is how she got her appetite enhancer too, but as a transdermal gel that he rubbed into her ear.  Oops, maybe the shots were every other day and the ear rub was twice a week.  Can't remember now, but your Vet would give you specific instructions, even for over the counter medications.

I hope Romeo is ok!!! And you too!

Hello to everyone and special hugs to my friends following my thread. Romeo is I hope not reading to much into it is a little better. After I got over being mad at my husband for not feeding him all day yesterday, he is taking his slurry pretty well , still won't eat solid on his own. Im off today going thank goodness will call the Vet today to get his lab work Bun & Creatinine plus going to see about Sub Q fluids also. He is also taking his Cerrina. Will be getting him some Pepcid AC today that seems a really good idea. I am just happy he hasn't got sick in a whole 24 hours and seems he was really wanting his slurry. Should I be also giving him his pain medication. I read that Cerrina has pain medication properties. I know I say it maybe to much you just don't know how much you all the information and well wishes from you. I am hopefully going to take my scrap gold and my wedding ring to sell has anybody done this just didn't know how much to expect. I need this because I'm the bread winner and on Secretary pay I just don't have the funds for what all these tests and medicine costs.. Bless You All Again Sand paper Kisses from Romeo too! Also what do you think about KMR for added nutritional or cottage cheese, I can't forget he has (or had) pancreatitis also I need to check it also Oh what to do!!!!!

Of course, selling thing is always a good way to pay for care, but selling your wedding ring?  Hubby might not forgive you for that.  Maybe there are other ways around the money issue.  There are actually lots of things in this article that might help.  Be sure to read it all the way thru:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/no-money-for-vet-care-how-to-find-help-and-save-your-cats-life

Additionally, we know inexpensive places to buy fluids, needles, iv set-ups, etc. for your furbaby.  For instance, my Vet charges $65 for an IV set-up kit.  I buy them on-line for $1.10 .     Plus you can get the fluids from Walgreens or Costco (without being a member) for pretty cheap.  I think we paid $11 per bag this year. And one bag should give you 7 or 8 doses, on average.  There may be others who know of places less expensive.  Just call around on those once you have a prescription.  Needles are only about $20 for 100, so that's pretty cheap in the scheme of things.  We can tell you what are the best needles to use, etc.  But it's also here on that same webtsite I referenced for the food, just in a different section:  http://www.felinecrf.org/subcutaneous_fluids.htm