Pebbles is poorly

Pebbles has gone down to the weight she was when she had her dental 2 months ago (3.58kg, she did go up to 3.70 a month ago), and the vet said she really wasn't looking too good, so rather than just getting her kidney function tested, which was the original plan as she has an infection and they wanted to check it wasnt from her kidneys, they are doing a full blood test, including thyroid. They have marked it as urgent in the hope that we can get the results back tomorrow lunchtime. There is obviously something underlying, as her weight has been up and down constantly since i got her in Jan. She also has some spots in her mouth that the vet said are a sign of the calici virus and has some gingivitis, she was tested for FIV and FeLV back in Jan though as the vet thought she had something underlying then. I am just hoping the test results come back showing something that can be dealt with. The vet did jokingly say she wanted to get me a healthy kitten!! She was also nice and only charged me the lab fees, not for taking the blood as she knows how much i spend up there!!

I'm sorry Pebbles is doing well. How old is she? What kind of food are you feeding her? If her mouth is sore, then dry food may be too difficult for her to eat.

She is 10, so not mega old. She has had a bit of a rough life though, and was in a poor state when her owners had to give her up, which is why the vet said she had to be tested for FIV/FeLV before she could be rehomed. She was getting Felix As Good as it Looks and Gourmet Mini Fillets in Gravy, plus Purina biscuits, but i thought she had cystitis last week, so stopped her biscuits. Forgot to ask the vet if she could have them again, so will ask tomorrow, I have to ring at 3 for the results. She only had a dental 2 months ago though. She was eating quite well till the weekend, but she could have just got fed up of the food, as i gave her her food in gravy again and she has been eating fine.

Poor baby, I wish both of you the best of luck, please let us know once you find out!!!!!!!!!!

I am so sorry...I hope whatever the underlying problem is, that it can be easily resolved.

I will be thinking of you & Pebbles & hoping for a good outcome.
Lei

Well, her blood test results didnt come back today, so i have to wait till Mon for the results.

Oh no...I hope you & Pebbles have a peaceful weekend. Try to stay calm & think positive thoughts. Let us know Monday about the test results.
Lei

Spoke to the vet earlier, unfortunately it wasnt the normal vet, which explains why she wanted the results back so quickly. Nothing too drastic with her results, thyroid and red blood cell levels are normal. One of the type of white blood cells are low, this is normally a sign of infection or stress, so that ties in with what the urine sample showed. No signs of diabetes or liver probs, thank god. Out of 3 kidney levels, one is marginally high, although the other two are normal, which could be a sign of an early kidney problem, but she doesnt want to make a diagnosis on the strength of that. Her urine strength was quite low, which is also a sign of an early kidney prob, so they want another urine sample (how fun!!) to see if there is any more blood in it, as i do occasionally see blood in the litter. This vet doesnt see up and down weight as an issue, only if she continually loses it. She also told me i was wrong for thinking Pebbles isnt young at 10, as the average lifespan is 11-12!!! Decided against telling her she was wrong!! I also have to keep her off biscuits till we know fully either way. Not as bad as i was expecting, but on the other hand i would have preferred something a bit more clear cut. PEbbles is also really really quiet, sleeping a lot and keeps asking to go out, but only for 10 mins at a time, it is out of character.

Still not been able to get a urine sample from her, although she does seem to wee at certain times, and I know when they are!! Will be ringing the vets tomorrow (my vet is back) to see if they still want to go down that route, as if she does still have an infection, she has gone over a week without antibiotics. Also, she isnt pooing a lot, even though she is eating well, should I be worried? I do have Katalax, and did use it on her once last week when I realised it had been a couple of days, but I dont think she has been since then. I was grooming her on Wed, and she is really bony - you cant tell by looking at her, as she has fairly thick fur, but if you properly touch her rather than a quick stroke, you can feel most of her bones.

i just saw this and I am so sorry to hear that Pebbles isnt doing so well. Glad to hear that your vet is back tomorrow as I am sure that will make you feel more comfortable and hopefully you can move forward and work out where to go from here.

sending lots of healthy healing vibes to you & Pebbles from across the ocean

I know you said her thyroid test came back normal, but it really sounds like a thyroid issue. You might want to ask the vet about doing a Free T4 test. It is more accurate than the regular test. It's also possible that she has a hairball or is constipated. You might try adding some fiber, such as through canned pumpkin, to see if that helps.

I'm so sorry that Pebbles is not doing well. Hopefully, your regular vet can help you sort through all of this and get her on the road to good health again.

Sending you lots of thoughts and vibes. Best of luck!

It is so stressful when we do not have clear answers about what is wrong with our kitties. I hope that your regular vet has a plan that will help you find out what is going on with Pebbles.You will be in my prayers. Please keep us updated.
Lei

Precious Pebbles, you are certainly in my prayers that you will promptly return to perfect health. Sending sweet snuggles your way!

I am praying for her and for you.

You mentioned her urine is dilute and one kidney value is up...in case I didn't already do so, please go read through this site I am giving you a link to (yes, the entire site): feline crf dot org It is written and maintained by a european member of a support list I am on, so it has appropriate notes for those living in Europe re meds and more.

Constipation is a common problem for kitties with chronic renal failure, and there are various approaches that can be taken. Sometimes pumpkin or canned peas added to the diet are enough, some use slippery elm powder syrup (she has a recipe on the site, under holistic treatments), or use Lactulose.

Unless your vet wanted to wait and retest,feeling there was another explanation for the one value that was off (which one was off? The most common two measures are the BUN - Blood Urea Nitrogen, and the Creatinine), though potassium and phosphorous levels also can change with crf - potassium to be low, and phosphorous to being too high. Potassium supplements can be added to the food if it is low, and phos binders (as a powder sprinkled atop the food) can be added if that is too high.

It is an extensive site covering all you could ever want to ask or know about CRF from early to late stages. Please check it out.

Thanks for the link, will try and remember to find out which value was off tomorrow, as my normal vet might be more willing to discuss it. I don't know why the other vet didnt want to say anything definite (although this is a vet who says a scar and bald patch isnt enough to say that a cat has been spayed). I do think she has gone thinner since last going to the vet, might make an app just for her to be weighed, that is free. I know that if she does have kidney probs then they aren't curable, but I would be willing to manage them, I had a cat with liver probs for a year before it developed into something untreatable, so am sort of used to it. In a way I am glad that constipation can be connected, they might be more willing to make a diagnosis now, as if it is just an infection, it isnt being treated, and I am worried that will make it worse.

Well, have spoken to the vet, and she doesnt think Pebbles will be constipated as she is eating well, and thinks she may be going outside, which hadn't occured to me, as she has been going out for months and still pooing in the tray. The kidney level that was raised was the urea, and could just be high because of an infection, so my friend is coming round tomorrow aft to get a urine sample for me!!! This should show if she does still have an infection and if she does we can get her on antibiotics. Am feeling more hopeful now.

That does sound more hopeful keep us posted, wishing her all the best.