My CRF Coco is sick and will not eat

[mews2much]

Thanks
she threw up again but did eat some food.

 

[pookie-poo]

Jacky have you tried any Pepcid for the nausea/vomiting? Samson was on it, as well as Reglan...they helped a lot. When Sam was critically anemic (hemoglobin 3.7) our vet suggested transfusion, but we couldn't afford the $2000+. We started Epogen, and his hgb was up to 12.8 within 3 weeks. We were able to stabilize him for a year before his kidneys stopped responding to it.

Just remember....that much fluids will cause the anemia to appear worse. It will dilute the blood more. You should have your vet do a CBC with reticulocyte count to see if it is non-regenerative anemia. If it is, the only thing that can really reverse it would be an erythropoieten type drug. Sometimes a steroid, such as Winstrol, can stimulate red blood cell production, but it isn't as dependable as Epogen.

Have you tried cyproheptadine (Periactin) as an appetite stimulant for Coco? It worked very well for Sam and it also works for Cleo. The effective dose for them was 1/4 pill, twice a day. It is an antihistimine, so it might also be helpful for Coco's stuffy nose. Ask your vet if it could be appropriate for her.

Good luck. I will be keeping you and Coco in my prayers.

 

[mews2much]

Thanks
My Stripe was on Winstrol and Epogen when she had CRF.
She was saved by blood transfusions a few times.
Coco does have Pepcid now.
The vet said to give her 1/4 a pill twice a day.
I have not tried cyproheptadine (Periactin.

 

[dusty's mom]

Originally Posted by otto

I hope Coco improves over the weekend. Some cats just can't tolerate a lot of messing about, and it becomes a quality of life issue. I'm glad Coco is not one of them.Keep us posted.




I'm sorry to read this about Dusty. It does sometimes just get to the point where you have to say enough is enough.

I did that with Ootay (rb 5/09) her last few months. She was fine with getting fluids and taking all her meds and for many years the vet trips and blood taking didn't seem to faze her much.

Then one day as I was putting her in the carrier to bring her to the vet for yet another blood draw, she cried. She never cried before when being put in the carrier. At that point I said, okay, Ootay this is the last time, I promise, and when we got to the vet I told my vet that I would not be doing any more blood draws, blood pressure checks or anything else that involved vet visits, because Ootay told me she was tired of it.

So her last five months were spent staying home and living her life in peace (continued with home care of fluids and meds of course, but no more trips to the vet until the final one)

I told Dusty I wouldn't take her to the vet again either. I even found a vet that makes house calls, so when it's her time I will have that vet come to the house.

Dusty has lost a lot of weight, but she isn't vomiting. She is still eating, but just not too much. She is doing better than she did a couple of weeks ago.

I'm sorry to hear Coco isn't doing well. I hope she will rebound and be good for awhile longer.

 

[mews2much]

Took Coco to the vet and she has to stay for at least 2 days on a I.V.
Her numbers were slightly better.
We also talked about doing a blood transfusion in the future and Epogen. for the anemia.
She hardly has ate anything but did not throw up yesterday.
I hope she will be ok.
I lost Stripe to CRF in 2000.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I'm just catching up on this post since I've been gone for a few days. So sorry to hear Coco has taken a turn for the worse. Hopefully the IV will help and she'll be home and feeling better soon. I'm guessing she's not eating because she's so stuffed up that she can't smell her food? That would explain the coughing too. AT least her BUN hasn't changed drastically, it's just the anemia that is concerning at this point, is that what the IV is for?

Anyway, many vibes for her to be home soon, back in your loving arms.

 

[mews2much]

Thanks,
It is the CRF making her not want to eat.
The I.V. is for the CRF.
The vet wants to keep her until tomorrow afternoon and then do another blood test.
The vet said she does not need a transfusion yet or epigen but she will start taking Pet Tinic.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Hmm. I've never quite understood why CRF makes cats lose their appetites. I know they are all so very thin, but don't understand the correlation. Whatever it is, it's just a good thing Coco is such a good patient! So, what the IV for? Is it just fluids, but instead of 100 cc's twice a day, they will be going in at a slow pace constantly? Maybe I need to go back and read this thread a little slower, as I probably missed something in my hurry to catch up on everything.

 

[mews2much]

The I.V. is so we can try to get her numbers to come down.