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Acute Renal Failure
Tortle, my 8 1/2 year old tortoiseshell kitty has been diagnosed with acute
renal failure. It does not appear to be related to food (she doesn't eat any of the recalled foods). Her creatinine is over 11 and her BUN is a little over 100--the phosphorus level is elevated, too--I think around 8. Since our regular vet doesn't have 24 hour coverage (very small town, none of the vet clinics here have 24 hour coverage), we drove Tortle to a 24 hour hospital about 1 1/2 hours away so she can start getting fluid therapy. I've been told, both by my regular vet and the emergency vet that her prognosis is guarded. We don't know what has caused the renal failure yet. I'm just devastated. The crazy thing is she doesn't act sick, other than a decreased appetite. Her eyes are bright, she is not acting depressed, she was purring at the vet's--I'm having a difficult time accepting that she very well may not survive this disease. Any healing thoughts you could send this way would be appreciated. Bonnie |
#2
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Acute Renal Failure
On Mar 30, 11:58 pm, "22brix" wrote:
Tortle, my 8 1/2 year old tortoiseshell kitty has been diagnosed with acute renal failure. It does not appear to be related to food (she doesn't eat any of the recalled foods). Her creatinine is over 11 and her BUN is a little over 100--the phosphorus level is elevated, too--I think around 8. Since our regular vet doesn't have 24 hour coverage (very small town, none of the vet clinics here have 24 hour coverage), we drove Tortle to a 24 hour hospital about 1 1/2 hours away so she can start getting fluid therapy. I've been told, both by my regular vet and the emergency vet that her prognosis is guarded. We don't know what has caused the renal failure yet. I'm just devastated. The crazy thing is she doesn't act sick, other than a decreased appetite. Her eyes are bright, she is not acting depressed, she was purring at the vet's--I'm having a difficult time accepting that she very well may not survive this disease. Any healing thoughts you could send this way would be appreciated. Bonnie My tortie, Kahlua, suffered renal failure when she was seven. She didn't act sick, just decreased appetite and some vomiting. She was hospitalized for about week, then came home and went on Science Diet K/ D. She didn't love it, but she did eat it, and she healthy, happy, and a joy to be with for five or six more years. Eventually, her kidneys failed completely, and fluids and special diet couldn't do anything more for her, but we did have those additional years, and when the end came for her, it was very quick and peaceful. She broke into the other cats' food, gorged, and went to sleep. (The vet assured me that no, it wasn't that off-diet meal that did it; she just had one really good, tasty last meal when her kidneys were already crashing.) What I'm trying to say, probably very clumsily, is that if your vets think it's worthwhile to put her in the hospital to put her on fluids, there's a very good chance she has years of happy life ahead of her. Lis |
#3
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Acute Renal Failure
"Lis" wrote in message ups.com... On Mar 30, 11:58 pm, "22brix" wrote: Tortle, my 8 1/2 year old tortoiseshell kitty has been diagnosed with acute renal failure. It does not appear to be related to food (she doesn't eat any of the recalled foods). Her creatinine is over 11 and her BUN is a little over 100--the phosphorus level is elevated, too--I think around 8. Since our regular vet doesn't have 24 hour coverage (very small town, none of the vet clinics here have 24 hour coverage), we drove Tortle to a 24 hour hospital about 1 1/2 hours away so she can start getting fluid therapy. I've been told, both by my regular vet and the emergency vet that her prognosis is guarded. We don't know what has caused the renal failure yet. I'm just devastated. The crazy thing is she doesn't act sick, other than a decreased appetite. Her eyes are bright, she is not acting depressed, she was purring at the vet's--I'm having a difficult time accepting that she very well may not survive this disease. Any healing thoughts you could send this way would be appreciated. Bonnie My tortie, Kahlua, suffered renal failure when she was seven. She didn't act sick, just decreased appetite and some vomiting. She was hospitalized for about week, then came home and went on Science Diet K/ D. She didn't love it, but she did eat it, and she healthy, happy, and a joy to be with for five or six more years. Eventually, her kidneys failed completely, and fluids and special diet couldn't do anything more for her, but we did have those additional years, and when the end came for her, it was very quick and peaceful. She broke into the other cats' food, gorged, and went to sleep. (The vet assured me that no, it wasn't that off-diet meal that did it; she just had one really good, tasty last meal when her kidneys were already crashing.) What I'm trying to say, probably very clumsily, is that if your vets think it's worthwhile to put her in the hospital to put her on fluids, there's a very good chance she has years of happy life ahead of her. Lis Thank you for telling me about your experiences with Kahlua. I'm hoping that is the case with Tortle. This is a new vet for me and I'm having a bit of a time communicating with her--she talks very softly and fast and I'm not sure I'm getting everything she says. She's been quite pessimistic, though which is coming through loud and clear. Did you give fluids to Kahlua after she came home? If Tortle does pull through this we may need to give her Sub Q fluids. I hope we'll know more today if the fluids are affecting her blood levels yet. Thanks again for posting--I need some positive stories right now. Bonnie |
#4
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Acute Renal Failure
"22brix" wrote in message ... Tortle, my 8 1/2 year old tortoiseshell kitty has been diagnosed with acute renal failure. It does not appear to be related to food (she doesn't eat any of the recalled foods ..............What does she eat? You are aware Hills pulled feline dry m/d? Does her food contain any wheat gluten? We still don't know if the unnamed pet food companies getting loads of wheat gluten from the same company as Menu Foods have all come clean. So far Hills m/d and Alpo have been added since FDA announcement yesterday. One announcement came out at midnight. Better safe than sorry - if it's got wheat gluten don't feed it. Any healing thoughts you could send this way would be appreciated. ......Done. May she spend many years with you. buglady take out the dog before replying |
#5
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Acute Renal Failure
on Sat, 31 Mar 2007 15:15:17 GMT, "22brix"
wrote: Thank you for telling me about your experiences with Kahlua. I'm hoping that is the case with Tortle. This is a new vet for me and I'm having a bit of a time communicating with her--she talks very softly and fast and I'm not sure I'm getting everything she says. She's been quite pessimistic, though which is coming through loud and clear. Having a pessimistic vet is Not helpful. Is there another vet in the practice you can work with, or another emergency hospital in the same general area? If not, just grit your teeth and don't let this vet's negative attitude affect yours. Make sure she understands that you want to do EVERYTHING possible for your cat. Then stay on top of her treatment. Did you give fluids to Kahlua after she came home? If Tortle does pull through this we may need to give her Sub Q fluids. I hope we'll know more today if the fluids are affecting her blood levels yet. Thanks again for posting--I need some positive stories right now. I wish I had some positive stories for you, but all I can offer are some positive, healing thoughts for you and Tortle. -- Lynne |
#6
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Acute Renal Failure
"buglady" wrote in message link.net... "22brix" wrote in message ... Tortle, my 8 1/2 year old tortoiseshell kitty has been diagnosed with acute renal failure. It does not appear to be related to food (she doesn't eat any of the recalled foods .............What does she eat? You are aware Hills pulled feline dry m/d? Does her food contain any wheat gluten? We still don't know if the unnamed pet food companies getting loads of wheat gluten from the same company as Menu Foods have all come clean. So far Hills m/d and Alpo have been added since FDA announcement yesterday. One announcement came out at midnight. Better safe than sorry - if it's got wheat gluten don't feed it. Any healing thoughts you could send this way would be appreciated. .....Done. May she spend many years with you. buglady take out the dog before replying Thanks for responding! Tortle is very finicky--about all she'll eat is Hill's T/D, which does not include wheat gluten--I have checked and rechecked this! The vet feels that one of the kidneys has not been functioning for awhile. It is smaller than the other. They did x-rays last night but food in her bowel made it difficult to see what was happening with the kidneys. She's thinking there are stones in her kidney(s) and is saying that even if Tortle pulls through, she could little kidney function left. She started talking about kidney transplants but didn't know if Tortle would be a good candidate. She's hard to understand--out of frustration I finally asked her if things were so bleak, was it even worth trying to treat her? I wasn't sure if that was what she was trying to say. She immediately backed off and started being a little more positive. I am so frustrated not to be able to work with my own vet. I realize this is extremely serious but Tortle just doesn't act that sick. Thanks for listening to me vent. We're going down to see her today--hopefully her lab values will have started responding to the fluid therapy. Bonnie PS Thanks for researching and posting up-to-date news regarding the food recall. |
#7
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Acute Renal Failure
"Lynne" wrote in message m... on Sat, 31 Mar 2007 15:15:17 GMT, "22brix" wrote: I wish I had some positive stories for you, but all I can offer are some positive, healing thoughts for you and Tortle. -- Lynne Thanks, I appreciate it! Bonnie |
#8
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Acute Renal Failure
On 31 Mar, 04:58, "22brix" wrote:
Tortle, my 8 1/2 year old tortoiseshell kitty has been diagnosed with acute renal failure. It does not appear to be related to food (she doesn't eat any of the recalled foods). Her creatinine is over 11 and her BUN is a little over 100--the phosphorus level is elevated, too--I think around 8. Since our regular vet doesn't have 24 hour coverage (very small town, none of the vet clinics here have 24 hour coverage), we drove Tortle to a 24 hour hospital about 1 1/2 hours away so she can start getting fluid therapy. I've been told, both by my regular vet and the emergency vet that her prognosis is guarded. We don't know what has caused the renal failure yet. I'm just devastated. The crazy thing is she doesn't act sick, other than a decreased appetite. Her eyes are bright, she is not acting depressed, she was purring at the vet's--I'm having a difficult time accepting that she very well may not survive this disease. Any healing thoughts you could send this way would be appreciated. Bonnie I am so so sorry to hear of Tortle's troubles. Unfortunately, I personally can't share a healing story with you, but you might find it helpful to read Cindy's post regarding Alex's troubles which she posted recently. I noticed that Phil gave her some very valuable information, that helped her to question why this had happened to Alex. I think that you might find it of benefit to you & it might help you find the reason that you are looking for. She also sought a second opinion which might be something that you might want to consider, given the negative outlook you were given as a prognosis in her case? It is entirely possible that you might have to start fluid therapy for her, but if you have a supportive vet, it will go a long way to helping both you and Tortle too. They will explain any questions that you might have regarding how to go about fluid therapy & how to care for Tortle too. As Lis points out, with the care that she needs, there should be no reason for you not to share many years to come with her. I wish you well with Tortle and want you to know that we are sending really soothing purs across the pond to you and both. If I come across anything of interest, then I will forward it to you..& if you need something explaining, try pinging Phil as he seems very well informed regarding this issue. Best Wishes, Sheelagh x |
#9
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Acute Renal Failure
"22brix" wrote in message ... Tortle, my 8 1/2 year old tortoiseshell kitty has been diagnosed with acute renal failure. It does not appear to be related to food (she doesn't eat any of the recalled foods). Her creatinine is over 11 and her BUN is a little over 100--the phosphorus level is elevated, too--I think around 8. Since our regular vet doesn't have 24 hour coverage (very small town, none of the vet clinics here have 24 hour coverage), we drove Tortle to a 24 hour hospital about 1 1/2 hours away so she can start getting fluid therapy. I've been told, both by my regular vet and the emergency vet that her prognosis is guarded. We don't know what has caused the renal failure yet. I'm just devastated. The crazy thing is she doesn't act sick, other than a decreased appetite. Her eyes are bright, she is not acting depressed, she was purring at the vet's--I'm having a difficult time accepting that she very well may not survive this disease. Any healing thoughts you could send this way would be appreciated. Bonnie My cat Amber (RB) had a similar diagnosis when she was 13 years old. She was not expected to live more than a few weeks "or 3 months at most." She developed IBD at approximately the same time. My vet put me in contact with vets at Texas A&M and Ohio State veterinary schools, and they both spent a great deal of time on the telephone with me. This was 24 years ago, long before I had access to the Internet and the information it provides, and these vets gave me a lot of help (and neither of them charged anything for their time!). We put Amber on a prescription cat food diet, and we had to change a number of times before we found one that she could tolerate. She had very bad diarrhea for awhile, and she was put on a program (gradually increasing, then plateau, then gradually decreasing to none) of prednisone for awhile. She would need fluids every few weeks. Well, this regimen gave us an additional *3 years* instead of the few weeks that originally been expected. She was happy and had a good quality of life during those years, although I had to monitor her healthy carefully and take quick action (such as fluids or diarrhea control) as soon as I noticed early signs of problems. I hope you can have similar results. The point is, don't give up too quickly. My vet said that most people lose their cats much earlier, but he also said that most people will not follow their care so closely. You can do the same thing! Nothing is guaranteed, but it is well worth the attempt. Moreover, that was 24 years ago, and you will undoubtedly find better information today than I had at that time. You can see a picture of Amber at the link below my signature, at the age of 15. She was a little angel and still had that "kittenish" look, even at that time. MaryL http://tinyurl.com/a5tpn |
#10
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Acute Renal Failure
On 31 Mar, 21:07, "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER
wrote: "22brix" wrote in message ... Tortle, my 8 1/2 year old tortoiseshell kitty has been diagnosed with acute renal failure. It does not appear to be related to food (she doesn't eat any of the recalled foods). Her creatinine is over 11 and her BUN is a little over 100--the phosphorus level is elevated, too--I think around 8. Since our regular vet doesn't have 24 hour coverage (very small town, none of the vet clinics here have 24 hour coverage), we drove Tortle to a 24 hour hospital about 1 1/2 hours away so she can start getting fluid therapy. I've been told, both by my regular vet and the emergency vet that her prognosis is guarded. We don't know what has caused the renal failure yet. I'm just devastated. The crazy thing is she doesn't act sick, other than a decreased appetite. Her eyes are bright, she is not acting depressed, she was purring at the vet's--I'm having a difficult time accepting that she very well may not survive this disease. Any healing thoughts you could send this way would be appreciated. Bonnie My cat Amber (RB) had a similar diagnosis when she was 13 years old. She was not expected to live more than a few weeks "or 3 months at most." She developed IBD at approximately the same time. My vet put me in contact with vets at Texas A&M and Ohio State veterinary schools, and they both spent a great deal of time on the telephone with me. This was 24 years ago, long before I had access to the Internet and the information it provides, and these vets gave me a lot of help (and neither of them charged anything for their time!). We put Amber on a prescription cat food diet, and we had to change a number of times before we found one that she could tolerate. She had very bad diarrhea for awhile, and she was put on a program (gradually increasing, then plateau, then gradually decreasing to none) of prednisone for awhile. She would need fluids every few weeks. Well, this regimen gave us an additional *3 years* instead of the few weeks that originally been expected. She was happy and had a good quality of life during those years, although I had to monitor her healthy carefully and take quick action (such as fluids or diarrhea control) as soon as I noticed early signs of problems. I hope you can have similar results. The point is, don't give up too quickly. My vet said that most people lose their cats much earlier, but he also said that most people will not follow their care so closely. You can do the same thing! Nothing is guaranteed, but it is well worth the attempt. Moreover, that was 24 years ago, and you will undoubtedly find better information today than I had at that time. You can see a picture of Amber at the link below my signature, at the age of 15. She was a little angel and still had that "kittenish" look, even at that time. MaryLhttp://tinyurl.com/a5tpn- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - She looked Beautiful Mary. I am so pleased that you had a possitive outcome. It seems, reading through this thread and lots of others too, that the attitude of the vet that you have, has a lot to do with the outcome & prognosis of the cat? I agree, there must be any amount of vets who would be more than willing to help Tortle through this episode, the question is more, which is the best to approach? Where would you suggest that Bonnie start with? I was frankly shocked to hear that the vet was so pessimistic regarding Tortle. It is really sad that the vets were not very helpful, & that Bonnie had to be pushed to the stage where she was threatening not to treat her cat to make them change the tone of their tune.. You would expect more from a vet that you have traveled over one & a half hours to see wouldn't you? If the outlook is pessimistic, then they should be forthright & say so.. not blow hot, then cold at the suggestion that Bonnie might decide not to treat Tortle. In a situation like this, you need to hear exactly how it is, rather than a half hearted wishy washy attitude regarding her cat. It is distressing enough to know that your cat is ill, without the added stress of not understanding what the vet has to tell you. I'm so glad that there are people like you and Lis out there, who can give Bonnie positive feedback, because @ times like this, it is just the tonic that you need to hear. Positive purrs S;o) |
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