My Garfy Kidney

Dear All,

I have a very very bad news on my litlle son Garfy. He got a high fever two weeks ago (3 days before his one year old birthday). When I sent him to the vet, they found that he has a enlarge left kidney !!!! After taking activio for 5 days, his condition is getting better except for the enlargement of the kidney. So I sent him fot ulta sound and Xtray and found that he has Persian genetic polykidney which cannot be cured according to doctor. For the moment the doctor said that 70% of his kidney has gone . I feel veryveryvery sad. So far he is as active before except for drinking more water than ususal. I just cannot take it when I think of this boy has bad kidneys!!!! Doctor said that he can still live comfortable if we take good care him such as feedng him with special food for kidney problem cat. Try to makesure he has drink a lot alot of water (even I have to give him by force that is inject water into his mouth). I really suffer a lot since yesterday. Why, Wht god do this to him, he is just a year and 7 days old. Me and my hubby love him very much. I wish very much to tell god "Don't take my boy away from me". Please give him a healthy life so that he can enjoy it. Below is a photo of my little boy.


MH

You may see Grafy picture in the thread of the name

this is the pic of my boy boy Garfy

Thanks.

I'm so sorry about you baby.. I know it must be so difficult.. I would feel the same way. But at least his condition is treatable. Sending some kisses to Garfy....

Seems like Garfy hasn't had a good stretch of it so far. If you can invest in a water fountain for cats like Drinkwell or one similiar, that will help to encourage him to drink more water perhaps.

There are many members on this board who are fighting CRF in one degree or the other. I am sure they will chime in soon.

Originally Posted by hissy

Seems like Garfy hasn't had a good stretch of it so far. If you can invest in a water fountain for cats like Drinkwell or one similiar, that will help to encourage him to drink more water perhaps.

There are many members on this board who are fighting CRF in one degree or the other. I am sure they will chime in soon.

Click to expand...

Hi Hissy,

What is CRF?

Ya. You are right, Garfy never really can enjoy a totally healthy life even for 3 months. I still remember when he first day I bring him back, Doctor said that he has ring worm and ear tick!!! This take us about 2 months to cure the two problems totally.

Later, Just about going to be three months old, when we prepared to give him the first injection, he has a big ulcer on his tongue until he cannot eat at all and we have to inject fluid food into hid month every 4 hours. The problem is that dr and we all cannot figure out what causes him the ulcer in between 24 hours. Due to this problem, we have to delay his injection.

When he take his first injection which is divided into two part when he was in 4 months old, he have a fever. Start from them I change his food from Science diet to royal canin kitten 32 as I heard that it suit him more.

Later at arounf 7 months old, he keeps have wormit problem from time to time. The doc said that is due to his hair ball problem. Until he was around 10 months old, I found in oet shop that Royal canin has a new type of special food for persian that will help to reduce hair ball problem, so I mix his kitten food with the persian one. From that onward he stop wormit. But then after about 1 month, he start to have diarrhoea together with wornit problems. And two weeks ago he has a high fever and that is we found that he has kidney problems!!!

Yeasterday after coming back from the clinic, him run, play chasing with his mate Ambel at home, he look so happy and normal. How I wish he really healthy. I just cannot control and I cried at that moment. Why? Why must he has to suffer so much? He is so young so much more to enjoy. I really love him a lot, just cannot imagine what type of life I have if he is not around!!! I will miss him a lot a lot alot .................

My friends they all scold me as I shouldn't have taken a cat as a son. Then I won't feel so suffer. I don't know, but i just very naturally love him, care for him and slowly he has become one of the center of my life. Oh God.

Just take it a day at a time, and celebrate each day he is with you. You love him that is very apparent, and no matter how long, or how little they are in our lives, they always teach us something about ourselves. Don't beat yourself up asking why it has happened. Things like this just do, and no one can ever explain it to any satisfaction. He is in your life for a reason, and you are in his because without you there, he would not even know what love is.

(CRF=chronic renal failure)
What a strong little boy you have to successfully overcome each of these challenges! I'm so sorry for the pain you must be feeling. This is a treatable condition, and I pray that he will be feeling better soon! Please keep us up to date on his progress!

Oh you poor thing and poor little Garfy!.

The good thing is it's something that can be controlled by the vet, and as long as he's as active i would imagine you would eventually adapt to his new routine of feeding etc..

Sending you hugs and headbutts from Rosie and myself

So sorry about all the problems you have had with Garfy.
My older Persian also has polycystic kidneys (PKD)
2 years ago when the ultrasound was done the vet said about 70% of her kidneys were damaged. I was very upset when I was told the bad news.
Her blood tests are still almost normal- but she does drink a lot.

She also vomited a lot and was also diagnosed with a sensitive stomach- totally unrelated to the kidney problem- improved with a change in diet and some medication. I found out about the kidney problem when tests were being done for the vomiting.

Are Garfy's blood tests for his kidney function still OK?
A good site to find out about the kidney problem is
http://www.felinepkd.com
There is also a support email list connected to that site
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PKD-list/
I would also agree that a water fountain may help him drink more- my cats love the Petmate fountain.
As Hissy said- there are a lot of us here who have cats with kidney problems Best wishes- and keep spoiling Garfy
Catherine

I'm very sorry to hear about Garfy but you do have options, and there are a lot of folks here who know what you are going through and can support you.

Bibby has given you some great sites, here is another one...even though it is on the topic of Chronic Renal Failure (CRF), it has so many links, such incredible information on foods, meds, kidney value tests etc., that I wanted to list it for you. Feline CRF Site

My beloved Patrick was diagnosed with CRF almost 2 years ago...information from the site I've listed, and a feline-crf-support list has helped us give him these extra years. If you check out nothing else from the site I listed above, be sure to find the link for canned and dry cat foods (the katkarma pages)...they list all prescription foods, and most non-prescription foods - with key information listed for each (the protein/phosphorus/fat/sodium content)...it has helped me with Patrick since he didn't like eating his prescription diet

Hissy's suggestion of a Drinkwell fountain is an excellent one that I've read can be very helpful, definitely worth checking out.

best wishes to Garfy for many stable years with you,

I am so sorry to hear about your Garfy. I can relate. My wonderful Furball, my 6 year old Persian, was diagnosed this week with polycystic kidney disease, and is currently in chronic renal failure. I am heartbroken and crying constantly also. My prayers go out for you and Garfy.

Hi all,

Thanks for all the support and help that you all have give to me. I was very busy for last 2 days. I really appresiate your all help. Garfy looks fine these few days. Will keep you all updated.

I'm sorry to hear that Garfy has PKD. At least its manageable.

Sphinx is bordering CRF at his last senior blood test but hasn't quite gone into it yet.

Enjoy the time you have with your precious baby. Give him plenty of hugs and kisses.