Winston goes for MOT

Good luck on the treatment. Winston is indeed a very handsome boy and obviously has a wonderful, loving home.

Thank you all for your well wishes and support. Am gonna be pretty tied up over the next few days. Am doing as much research as I possibly can and getting a list of questions together for the new vet.
I am adamant that my old boy get the best possible treatment that I and the new vet can give him.
Will let you all know how it goes next week and thanx again.

Originally Posted by e_peery

Thank you all for your well wishes and support. Am gonna be pretty tied up over the next few days. Am doing as much research as I possibly can and getting a list of questions together for the new vet.
I am adamant that my old boy get the best possible treatment that I and the new vet can give him.
Will let you all know how it goes next week and thanx again.

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I am sorry to be so late to this thread (and btw, I did clear out some room in my pm box..sorry about that!)

I know that giving Patrick subq fluids seems to perk him up, not to mention helping him with his constipation issues. I can't say that after 3 years of this he doesn't get a bit fidgety, but a treat at the end leaves him cat smiling <G>.

Please keep us posted, I am encouraged at hearing you've potentially found a new vet.

Thanx Pat & Alix, I did try to pm you back
We are booked in for tuesday afternoon, so am going armed to the back teeth with questions etc. Am really hoping for a more positive outcome from all this. I know Winston is no spring chicken but I have to try to give him the best chance at what time he may have left. He still has quality of life and until that stops I wont give up on him.
Will let you know how it goes.

Elaine - It's incredible to me that not only your vet, but others you've contacted don't want you to administer subQ fluids to Winston!!! That's one of the FIRST things recommended here in the US to do for CRF kitties - and the sooner the better. It is NOT a therapy of last resort!

Winston sounds like a very strong boy, and there's a good chance he'd benefit *greatly* from fluid therapy.

If in fact, his heart is strong, there is no reason I can think of why he shouldn't get fluids. I hope you've found a more enlightened vet this time.

Best of luck to you and your handsome boy. Please let us know how he's doing.

I like this pic of Winston best:


He certainly looks like a stately fellow.

Certainly you do consider age in treating anyone. However, just like some people live to be 100 where others live to be 60, we do not want to deny care for a basically healthy animal who may still feel good for a long time! I am so happy Winston is with you, and getting a second opinion from a vet who specializes in CRF. Best of luck to you and Winston!

Vets in Scotland certainly seem to be living in the dark ages. This will actually be Winstons 3rd vet and I really hope this one works out. They certainly talked as though they were more enlightened to all the possible treatments etc.
I am begining to think, after much reading, that Winston may also have hypertension. If so then that may have cause his numbers to rise. Will have to wait and see what the new vet says but I am not prepared to settle for this nothing more can be done attitude.
Have gathered together so many notes that the new vet is gonna be there all day going through them haha. Will have to try to condense some of them.
I am delighted you all like his pics. I am bias but I beleive he is one of the most handsome gentlemen I have ever had the pleasure of sharing my life with.
Ok have done enough study on CRF tonight, I'm off to cuddle my darling furbabies.

Winston is such a cutie!!

Winston is a beautiful cat. I wish him the best.

He is a lovely fellow..keep my fingers crossed. My more recently diagnosed with crf fellow, Tyler, also was found to have high bp, we are controlling it with a medication called Norvasc.

Ditto on the Norvasc for my girl - she's just out of the normal bp range so we've now begun the medication. FYI, my vet tells me that until recently, normal bp for cats was considered up to 200. That's now been revised to 170.

Originally Posted by KTLynn

Ditto on the Norvasc for my girl - she's just out of the normal bp range so we've now begun the medication. FYI, my vet tells me that until recently, normal bp for cats was considered up to 200. That's now been revised to 170.

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Good revision I think. I'm glad you found your girl's bp before it impacted her vision. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for my Tyler

Thanx. Have been reading up on all sorts of things, Norvasc being one of them.
Winston has been on Fortekor since his diagnosis. Thats the most popular vetinary treatment here for CRF. However I have read that if creatinine levels are above Uk 300, I think that might be around 4 USA, that Fortekor is maybe not the best thing for CRF cats and maybe Norvasc would be better, especially if he does have hypertension.
My vet has never taken Winstons blood pressure, which is one of the many things on my list for the new vet on Tuesday.
I just hope we can get him on a better treatment plan and make him more comfortable.

Elaine, it's great that you've been educating yourself and will be seeing the new vet armed with lots of info and questions. Winston's got a very devoted mom!

I'm stunned that your vet not only didn't get Winston started on subQ fluids long ago, but that he *never *took a blood pressure reading. Good grief.

A creatinine level of 4 (US) is high. The high end of the normal level for creatinine is 2.4.

Hydration (subQ fluids), Norvasc, Tumil-K (to keep potassium levels up, if necessary), as well as other meds should all be used together in the effort to battle CRF. Hydration especially is basic and absolutely necessary to help the kidneys function. It is amazing how much better a cat feels after hydration.

I applaud your determination to get Winston the best vet care possible. Hope the new vet will be a winner!

Have just made a post which concerned the use of Prednisolone tablets. I am now wandering if the long term use of this anti inflamatory drug would also have an adverse effect on Winstons kidneys. He has been on this since he was diagnosed with CRF over a year and a half ago. I am almost certain the answer will be yes but would be interested in any one elses views or experiences. Am also concerned about Metabolic acidosis mainly because he does have a very boney spine.
Cannt wait till he gets seen by new vet now. I really want so much to be done to help him.
He is a very cuddly kitty today and is enjoying lots of attention and kisses.

I just saw this thread and i also admire your determination to get Winston the best vet care possible. He sure is one lucky little kitty! (oh and dont tell my boys but I reckon he is quite the handsome gentleman as well

I most certainly will be keeping track of this thread and my heart and thoughts are with you from across the ocean. Good luck on Tuesday - sure hope this vet is as great as he sounds!

Elaine he's a little beauty! I have every hope in this new vet your seeing

Prayers for Winston from Michigan too. I`ll be watching to see what the new vet has to say!
Linda

Originally Posted by e_peery

Have just made a post which concerned the use of Prednisolone tablets. I am now wandering if the long term use of this anti inflamatory drug would also have an adverse effect on Winstons kidneys. He has been on this since he was diagnosed with CRF over a year and a half ago. I am almost certain the answer will be yes but would be interested in any one elses views or experiences. Am also concerned about Metabolic acidosis mainly because he does have a very boney spine.
Cannt wait till he gets seen by new vet now. I really want so much to be done to help him.
He is a very cuddly kitty today and is enjoying lots of attention and kisses.

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I have one kitty on every other day prednisolone, and am not happy but she has asthma, this is the only med that is working for her, and at least, it is every other day. Patrick, far older, either has lymphoma or severe ibd..we tried to wean him off the prednisolone he's on, couldn't, tried an every other day dose...doesn't cut it. So, he's on a daily dose and has been for over a year+ It gives him quality of life, and that is what I am shooting for. I think one has to be cautious in using pred, be aware of the potential side effects so you can watch for them, but I would use it.

Thanx. Will run everything by the vet tomorrow. Have made a list and am prepared, I think.......
Just hope I dont start to cry coz I get very emotional talking about my boy.