HELP...cat not eating...

I didn't post this earlier cuz I was in a hurry...but check this out...

RIGHT after we got home from the vet, my kitty goes over to her food bowl and takes several nibbles! I'm like...:censor::censor::censor:?!?!?! Did the visit to the vet scare you hungry?!?! It was just three bites of food...but that's three more voluntary bites than she's had in the last 36+ hours!!!!

Before resorting to the appetite inducing meds, I got a little experimental. I went out and got some cat nip. I sprinkled that stuff on her food. BLAM! Worked like a charm! She hasn't eaten her food that fast since the time I left for work early without feeding her and didn't get home until evening!!!

BUT...here's the wierd part. She experiences no thirst. Still hasn't taken any voluntary sips of water in forever. Still refuses even milk!!! I even tried sprinkling cat nip in her water bowl...she attempted to eat only the cat nip without drinking the water. She was unsuccessful. So she left the bowl.

Why is she so opposed to drinking anything? I guess the bloodwork will tell. In the mean time, does anyone have any ideas?

Also...will the appetite meds the vet gave me stimulate my cat to drink??????

Thanks!

Aww i hope the best for your kitty.
I dont have any more advice with this stuff as i havent gone through it.
But i hope your kitty will get ewll reall soon

Try letting a faucet dribble, show it to her and see if she'll drink from that.

Three cheers for catnip (LOL)!!! Glad that worked for Angel!

Angel's probably not drinking now because she isn't thirsty due to being given fluids at the vet's. When the fluids have been absorbed, she'll become thirsty again.

Hope you'll get good results with the bloodwork. Got my fingers crossed for you and Angel.

I'm practically in tears...

My Angel's kidneys are failing. The vet said they're doing real bad. At least 75% compromised. They want to get her on some med that binds the phosphorous, to get that out her system. And they want me to give her IV fluids daily. I have an appointment this Friday for them to show me how and to get me the meds. And they want to get her on a lower protein diet.

They want to see her again real soon after they get her on meds, IV, and low protein diet...to more blood work...and see where she's at.

I forgot to ask the vet how much quality time my kitty has left...

Originally Posted by celerystalksme

I'm practically in tears...

My Angel's kidneys are failing. The vet said they're doing real bad. At least 75% compromised. They want to get her on some med that binds the phosphorous, to get that out her system. And they want me to give her IV fluids daily. I have an appointment this Friday for them to show me how and to get me the meds. And they want to get her on a lower protein diet.

I forgot to ask the vet how much quality time my kitty has left...

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I am so sorry, I know this was not the diagnosis you wanted to hear. Fwiw, by the time kidney damage is usually found, 70% of kidney function is gone, so that number is NOT unusual to hear.

The support list I belong to is incredible, if you'd like their address, please PM me.
Please take the time to go to both the links I sent you, they are detailed and accurate sites on all the issues involved in caring for kitties with chronic kidney failure, the meds, the how tos, food lists to consult that will give you the levels of protein and phosphorus in foods, etc.

We'll support you here...I've been doing sub-q fluids (which is what you'll be doing, using IV fluids but giving them just under the skin=sub-cutaneous aka sub-q) for over 2 years with my sweetie Patrick, it's a very quick procedure.

Ps...financially, it will be beneficial for you to order iv fluids, tube kits and needles, versus what you will pay if you buy them from your vet...and I am talking from reputable medical supply companies. Your vet just needs to supply you with the necessary prescription.

Joining the list I mentioned will give you access to reviewed, trusted sources.

hang in there, there may be several more good years with your kitty,

I'm sorry to hear that.

Please know that some cats with kidney failure can still have a good quality of life, depending on many factors. My CRF cat lived well for almost 5 years after her diagnosis.

If Angel tolerates the medication, diet, & you giving her fluids (it really sounds harder than it is), hopefully she'll feel much better for some time.

The www.felinecrf.com and www.felinecrf.org websites that Pat mentioned earlier are great sources of information, if you haven't already taken a look at those.

I hope sweet Angel is feeling better soon.

I'm so very sorry The websites provided have been invaluable to me! My kitty was just diagnosed with CRF two weeks ago. I know the shock you feel but it will get better. My cat is feeling so good right now I'm just taking it day by day and enjoying what time we have left together. I hope all goes well for you both.

I am sorry about the diagnosis, but at least you know what you are facing. The list that Pat gave you is invaluable for support and ideas. As for quality of life, you need to watch your cat closely. If you are in tune with your kitty, she will tell you when she feels the fight is no longer worth it-

My kitty is not drinking very much at all. That's a bad sign, isn't it? Her CRF is probably pretty advanced?

Her followup appointment to get meds, low protein diet, and daily IV/SubQ fluids is scheduled for Friday...

*sigh*

Originally Posted by celerystalksme

My kitty is not drinking very much at all. That's a bad sign, isn't it? Her CRF is probably pretty advanced?

Her followup appointment to get meds, low protein diet, and daily IV/SubQ fluids is scheduled for Friday...

*sigh*

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It's not good for her, that's true. Things to encourage her...take her favorite canned food that she can have and add water to it to make 'gravy', try putting ice cubes in her bowl of water, getting a fountain (i.e. drinkwell), getting her onto meds for the stomach acid that causes the nausea so many crf kitties experience. Sub-q fluids will help a lot with her dehydration, until Friday though, try anything...even plain chicken broth to just get her drinking.

How is her urinary output? Is she still going her usual amount? Is she doing any vomitting at all - many crf kitties will have a clear to foamy white emesis(vomit).

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

It's not good for her, that's true. Things to encourage her...take her favorite canned food that she can have and add water to it to make 'gravy', try putting ice cubes in her bowl of water, getting a fountain (i.e. drinkwell), getting her onto meds for the stomach acid that causes the nausea so many crf kitties experience. Sub-q fluids will help a lot with her dehydration, until Friday though, try anything...even plain chicken broth to just get her drinking.

How is her urinary output? Is she still going her usual amount? Is she doing any vomitting at all - many crf kitties will have a clear to foamy white emesis(vomit).

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She's not vomiting at all, so I guess that's good. Her urinary output seems about normal. She's peeing once a day...and that's normal. The amount peed seems to be the same as well. But she's drinking less than normal...so that makes me freak out. I've been putting a little water in her canned food to supplement her fluid intake. Also, she gets some fluid intake whenver I give her the appetite meds...cuz I crush it up and put it in a food/water slurry, which I administer to her via the syringe. She's drinking a little "cat sip" cat milk...but I wish she'd drink water since the milk will just tax her failing kidney's. I really gotta get some low protein food too...now that I know it's her kidney's, I feel like I'm aiding in killing her whenever I give her normal and a/d canned food.

Our family crf kitty ChiChi wont touch any of the special foods.. so she is still eating Friskies But she is getting her fluids every other day or twice a week and an appetite stimulant and she seems to be doing ok. I know its different for each cat though and also depending on how far advanced the disease is. Did they tell you what her BUN and Creatinine levels were?

Originally Posted by Sicycat

Did they tell you what her BUN and Creatinine levels were?

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No...but I'll ask the vet on Friday. I'm sorta afraid to know though...

Originally Posted by celerystalksme

I really gotta get some low protein food too...now that I know it's her kidney's, I feel like I'm aiding in killing her whenever I give her normal and a/d canned food.

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If you haven't checked these out yet,they are a godsend. KatKarma Canned Foods list - I generally try to feed Patrick foods with a phosphorus as low as he'll tolerate - I also go for the lowest protein canned food he'll eat.

Here are some low ones from the list - PetGuard Venison and Rice - protein is 25%, phos is .57 of a per cent. Nature's Recipe Rabbit and Rice protein is 41.93% and phos is .78 of a per cent, Fancy Feast Minced Beef - protein is 54.63 % and phos is .75 of a per cent, for comparison, a usual prescription food is Hill's KD (with minced chicken or the original formula/flavor). both feature a protein of 28.90 or 28.20 and a phos of .38 or .46 of a per cent.

Here is the KatKarma Dry Food Lists

Both lists are a bit of of date re any new formulations on the foods listed, but are still a solid reference to use. Both prescription and non-prescription foods are listed so that you can compare what your vet prescribes to what you might like to try in addition (re canned) - **with their permission of course**. I use the lists with my vet's permission as Patrick wasn't too compliant with eating his prescription dry or canned.

Right after the Monday appointment, after she got some fluids in her from the vet, her energy level really picked up for 24-36 hours. But now she's lethargic again. Man...Friday can't come soon enough. I need get her on the meds, the fluids, and the low protein diet...

If you aren't squeamish about needles, ask the vet to show you how to give subcu and tell you how to determine if she needs them.

Try dribbling tuna juice, or sardine juice in her water, even sometimes putting the water in a glass bowl and dropping colored pebbles or marbles to the bottom will encourage them to drink- float some toys in the bowl, or make ice cubes of tuna juice and drop those in the bowl of water.

Welp,

Went to see the vet again today. Got some phosphorous-binder meds...got some needles, tubing, and bags of fluid (I have to poke her daily for 200cc's of fluid)...and they set me up with 5 different kinds of renal diet foods.

Have another appointment set for Christmas eve...they'll do some blood work and find out if her numbers are better/worse/same. I didn't even inquire as to what her numbers are right now...I sorta don't want to know...just gonna do everything I can and hope for the best...

She seems pretty normal right now besides her refusal to drink any water...but since she's getting the IV daily, it's not THAT big a deal anymore...

Luckily, she took to the first low-protein renal food I popped open...it was some renal Eukaneuba food...she seems like it. She ate it real good and begged for more several hours later...

Administering the phosphorous binders is a PAIN IN THE ASS! My kitty hates it...it must taste like crap. As soon as she gets a whiff of the syringe filled with 1ml of meds, she's twisting this way and that, clamping her mouth shut like a steel trap...and when i pry her mouth open, she starts flicking her tongue WILDLY to try to expel any of the medicine that gets in her mouth...

It's a real struggle...she's quite skilled at trying to avoid that med...paws pushing anything that comes near her mouth...head and body turning and twisting rapidly...mouth clamping shut...tongue flicking away madly....

So of that 1mL...I probably got about .000001mL of it in her mouth. I'm gonna have to figure out some method. She didn't flip out when I was syringing her food...and the appetite meds...but she doesn't like something about this phosphorous med...

So if anyone has tips about administering oral meds to a cat that is very disagreeable about taking the meds, let me know!!!

So if anyone has tips about administering oral meds to a cat that is very disagreeable about taking the meds, let me know!!!

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If it's possible, try putting the dose of phos binder into an empty gel cap (best sizes for a cat would be discussed on the felinecrf.org site I believe)...many folks find it easier to get a tiny gel cap down, versus nasty tasting stuff!

Hth,

thanks!

one other thing...is it any harm to put some catnip in her food? i've found that i don't have to use the appetite meds if i sprinkle some catnip on top of her food.