Pray for Speedboat

[blueyedgirl5946]

Just wanted to give an update. He is still holding on, just poor appetite. Other than that he seems fine. He is still taking the clavamox although the dr. realizes he doesn't have an infection. He said the antibiotic wouldn't hurt the cat and it might serve as a preventative because of his fouled up low blood counts. He did change his diet and Speedboat is eating K/D food by Hills. I am having to coax him. The vet did start him on vitamin K1 because the only other thing we could think of is the possibility he caught a poisoned mouse, although the vet thinks that is a long shot possibility. We have not ruled out doing an ultrasound or x-ray, just not certain. If he does have lymphoma we aren't going to put him through chemo, etc. because of his age and he does have a heart murmur.

What I wanted to ask here is what does anyone else feed their cat with kidney failure. We do know that in addition to the low wbc and low platelet count, his kidneys show damage by the numbers on both blood tests. He is eating the K/D, but I am having to encourage him a lot. Are there any other suggestions. Is a low protein or high protein good. I have read pros and cons for both.
Thanks for input.

 

[mews2much]

I give Coco the Purina N/F dry and Royal Canin L/P Renal wet.
Coco hates the K/D and will not eat the wet at all.
She loves the Purina Dry N/F but hates the wet N/F.
Clavamox might be giving your cat a stomach ache also.
It does that to some cats.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

He has had fluids two times this week to help his kidneys. By Friday, his appetite declined so the vet changed him to NF Purina. He wouldn't even smell it. All I could get in him yesterday was a little bit of rotisserie chicken and some people tuna. This morning he vomited for the first time. The dr. called in Metoclopramide to help the vomiting and told me give him that. Wait two hours at least and give him 1/4 Pepcid tablet every day. If no change he is going to start him on prednisolone syrup. Keep the prayers going.
Many thanks.

 

[the_food_lady]

When it comes to CRF, to be honest, I think it's more important that a cat "eats" than ensuring it eats some type of prescription food. Back years ago when i had a CRF cat, the 'thinking' back then was that a CRF cat should have a low protein diet but it seems that over time it's been discovered that this isn't necessarily true.

My 2 oldest cats (who passed away last year) both had CRF and I learned from my first CRF cat (of several years ago) that I just wasn't going to force them to eat prescription CRF diet food because let's face it, most can't stand it. I let them eat whatever canned food they liked and I really didn't notice a huge impact in their Creat and BUN numbers (both had elevated BUN and Creat for several years, like we're talking 6+ yrs).

If i was you, I'd feed Speedboat whatever canned food he likes most. They say Fancy Feast is one of the canned foods that cats love most, even ill kitties.....and Vet clinics often keep it on-hand for just this reason. Try some of those; the chicken or turkey......I'd maybe stay away from the "chunks" or 'slices' variety (the ones with gravy) unless your cat like these.....i find some cats hate chunky/sliced canned food and prefer the pate variety..........while others love it so you know your cat best.

Sometimes offering a variety of food is good, too.........so buy small cans of canned food, different kinds to see what your kitty likes, sometimes keeping 2 plates of different kinds out.......that's what I found worked bes with my oldest kitty Tigger toward the end.......some days I'd leave little plates out for her, a different kind on each plate.....3 different types.......

You'd mentioned your kitty was eating litter............is this frequent? Eating litter can be a sign of Anemia (which is common in CRF cats) though you said RBC are normal. What about Hemoglobin and Hematocrit (aka PCV)? (the latter can often be low in CRF cats).

If they're giving SubQ fluids twice weekly, ask them to put some injectable Vitamin B in the fluids.........this is great for CRF cats.......helps give energy, helps increase appetite.......and in an anemic cat, helps to stimulate production of red blood cells.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

He has been on the low end of normal, but the last bloodwork didn't show anemia. He is going to get his blood done again the first of the week. I will keep that in mind about the B-12. As far as the food is concerned, I did buy some Fancy Feast Turkey when I went up to the drugstore to get his prescription. He has had the medicine today and at two thirty he is going to get 1/4 Pepcid for the first time. His vet said wait a little after he gets both meds before trying to get him to eat. I am just not sure what to offer him.
I am thinking just try the Fancy Feast first since he really needs some food in this stomach.

Thanks again for the input.

 

[sharky]

Plain meat baby food with clam juice was a fav of Kandies