Tuesday was my first vet visit (besides the four days of boarding while the humans were at the BlogPaws Conference) in two months. I had been doing so well at my last monthly check-up that Dr.Neel thought we could try to stretch the interval to two months. That won’t happen again.
Mom reported a few days ago that I was puny and hadn’t been eating well. The proof was in my weighin. I’ve lost 14 ounces since mid-May. I am down to six pounds ten and a half ounces. If that wasn’t bad enough, my BUN is up to 91 from 84. Still better than the original 157 but going in the wrong direction. Both my creatinine and phosphorous jumped up as well with the latter being the worst (up from around 9 to 12).
We are trying some kidney foods again. So far, I have left them in my bowl. Mom asked if I could take the appetite stimulant more often. The medication prescribed is Mirtazapine, an antidepressant for humans. The dosage for cats is 1/4 of a tablet every three days. It has sedative qualities and can cause vocalization in kitties. Dr. Neel said Mom and Dad could try giving it to me every other day but is afraid it will be too sedating. So, we are going to try it with my humans monitoring me closely. I’ll also have RenAvast added to my food.
So, I guess I need to ask for more purrs, prayers and POTP please.
This is onespoiledcat Sammy’s Thoroughly Poetic Thursday, and I wrote a poem so we could pawticipate. The letter of the week is “E.” My poem has the same title as this post, and my “E” word is easy.
Living with CKD Isn’t Easy
Nothing about visiting the vet is easy.
In fact it makes me downright quesy.
I quiver and I sometimes shake.
You’d think we were in an earthquake.
But I never holler, scratch or bite
Even when needles come into sight.
Dr. Neel always treats me with respect,
Gently removing my paws from Mom’s neck.
Yesterday’s visit was not a great one.
If you want some good news…there was none.
My numbers are up and my weight is down.
I was sorry to make my humans frown.
We’ve got plans to try some new meds
And some new foods to keep me fed.
Life with CKD just isn’t ever easy.
In fact in makes us all downright quesy.
To Catch a Cat Giveaway
If you missed Monday’s post, Mom reviewed this heartwarming book of kitten rescue by Heather Green. She has three copies to give away and is willing to mail worldwide. To have the opportunity to win, leave a comment on here. To be included in the drawing, your comment must be added prior to 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 16. Winners will be selected using random.org.
If you visited on Monday prior to 10:30 a.m., you missed some really darling photos of the kittens. The publisher sent them to us after our post was published. Mom added them to the post.
Purrs and paw-pats, Fiona
I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been having a hard time. Your last vet visit seemed so encouraging. Always purring for you, sweetheart.
Fiona, we are very sad that your visit to the vet did not go well. We will keep hoping and praying that there will be reasons to celebrate at your next visit. We love you and your family, and are keeping you all in our thoughts.
We are so sad that your visit did not go well. We send you prayers, purrs and love. Andy, Tater and Shelly
Fiona, we are sad to hear this. We know how difficult all this is on you and your humans having gone through it with our Angel Tulip. You will continue to be in our thoughts and hearts and we will continue to send you good vibes. Please eat more than treats! Sending love and hugs and lots of support to your Mama as well.
the critters in the cottage xo
Oh my dear Fiona, I am sorry to hear that you haven’t been feeling so well lately especially given the fact that you had been doing a lot better. So I am sending many, many purrs, prayers, good thoughts and kitty kisses and cuddles your way. Please eat more of your food so you will feel better, okay? (Kisses to Giulietta too:))
Oh, drat! I was hoping for good news. I hope that appetite stimulant does the trick. I know my Troy wouldn’t eat worth a darn when his kidneys were bad, and if his saliva tasted anything like his breath, I can understand why! Maybe when her numbers improve, that bad taste will go away and her appetite will come back. And least I hope so!
Jean from Welcome to the Menagerie
I’m so sorry your visit wasn’t a good one. Hugs and prayers that you’ll improve and things will be better for your next visit.
Purrayers & POTP for you, Fiona, and the people taking care of you !
I am sorry you didn’t get good results at your vet visit, Fiona. I hope you can find a renal food that you like. I am purring for you.
Fiona we know how hard ckd is and we sure are keeping you in our daily purrs and prayers.
We cross our paws that the drugs will work and hope you will eat that special food. We send you purrs and positive thoughts. Purrs
Oh sweetheart we hate reading this. We have our paws crossed that you will want to eat that food (wish the manufacturers could make CKD food more yummy)……….hopefully the meds will help (((hugs)))))))
Oh sweet Fiona, we will definitely send your our best healing purrs and positive vibes. Now you have to do your part and eat sweetie pie and hope that you can keep this thing under control.
Head butts.
fiona…we iz troo lee sorree; purrhaps sum stress made yur numberz go
all funkee….we due knot noe if thiz link will werk, frum heer, but ask yur
mom ta chex it out when her getz a chance
http://www.felinecrf.org
all sew, has her ever asked about B12 shotz for yur app a tite?
az all wayz, de manee blessings o st francis two ewe…..all wayz♥♥♥♥♥
So sorry you are going thru this. Sweetpea is our 5th cat with CKD so Mom knows what you are going thru. Sweetpea is eating but not the special foods. At this point we don’t force things on them. Daily fluids seems to help the most. Our other cats had early stage CKD but Minnie who passed last fall and Sweetpea are in 3-4th stage. Minnie did not accept the meds, fluids or special food – she was very resistant so we let her do her thing until it was too hard for her, and then let her go. We don’t know what the future looks like for Sweetpea – hope it is easier on her than Minnie. Sending good thoughts for you guys!
We are purring and purraying for you, Fiona. We hope that you start eating more and that you’ll come around to liking the kidney food.
Darling Fiona,TKS and I are sending our best purrs to you. Our POTP is focused on you. Be better sweet friend.
So sorry the news wasn’t better. Hopefully this new course will help you perk up and gain weight. Purrs and prayers for all.
Poor Fiona, I am sorry you didn’t get better news. Are you taking a phosphorous binder?
Your poem is well done, but very sad 🙁 I am praying for you and I know the whole blogosphere is too. XO
please try to eat more fi it would really help you sending purrrs and zen hugs feel better soon
Oh Fiona, I don’t like hearing that! There are several kinds and types of renal food that you could try.
My Punkin loved his dry Science Diet Renal prescription. However, I didn’t try the wet food. Instead, I used Halo’s Spots Stew which I blended with water so he would get more liquids and protein in his diet.
A friend is giving her cat a different brand of renal food after trying several samples on her cat.
Don’t give up Fiona. Your pawents love you and are trying their best!
We are sure sending you tons of purrs beautiful Fiona. We’ve never had any luck with that appetite med which is why we use cyproheptadine.
We are so sorry that your weight is down and renal values up, Fiona. But, you are in such great hands! I must say, I am so happy that you will be getting RenAvast (AminAvast). My angel Rosie did so, so well on that. I know that every kitty responds differently to meds, but I so hope that you respond as well as my Rosie did, Fiona. I’ll also admit that, with veterinary approval, we started giving Rosie more than the dosage recommended on the RenAvast bottle. Since it is a harmless nutraceutical, my vet ok’d us giving Rosie 2 capsules twice a day. I know, it sounds like a lot, and it is expensive, but my old girl did so good on that dosage. On the day I had to say goodbye to my Rosie because of heart failure and cancer, her kidneys were still going strong, and that was three years after her diagnosis of renal disease.
Fiona, we are sending all of our purrs, prayers, and love! We are all rooting for you!
I’m sorry if this comment is a bit negative and if you disagree wit me that’s fine. I’m smart enough to know I don’t know everything. When you mentioned Mirtazapine, that made me worry even more for you. I believe vets and doctors are cut from the same cloth. They are ok with short-term problems but giving drugs for chronic problems just lead to more problems.
I recently started working for a company that makes natural herbal products and we get lots of calls from people who got worse under a doctor’s care and started doing their own research. That research led them to us.
I would suggest finding a holistic vet. Hopefully there is one in your town. I could only find one who calls himself holistic but I don’t see it. The following article might also help: http://vitalanimal.com/low-protein-diet-myths/#more-6481
Whatever you do, I hope you find a solution that works.
Meow Fiona,
We are purring our bestest purrs for you to be well an stay well. Lilith is a senior nurse cat and she advises you to eat your special noms. PurrPurrPurrPurrPurrPurrPurrPurr…
Lilith, Rosco, Tina, & Miss Lucky
The Feline Contingent
Fiona, we’re sorry to hear you didn’t get a better report from the vet. We hope that you will start eating more. We send you lots of purrs. We know CKD is not an easy thing to have.
Oh Fiona sweet girl, I am so sorry your numbers were up and your weight was down…….let’s hope the new “plan” works – I wish you’d give that CKD food a try – maybe if your Mom adds some water? I will continue to send you lots of POTP and “mental hugs”…..I hope you make a “turnaround for the positive” !
Love, Sammy
We are sending a squillion purrs your way Fiona.
We are purring and praying for you, Fiona. CKD is so hard – but you are strong and when you aren’t, we will be strong for you!!! We love you!!!
Awww…sending tons of POTP to Fiona.
Hope that she will improve a lot.
That was a heartfelt and pawsome poem.
I am sending lots of purrs your way, Fiona. Sparkle got cyproheptadine, and that worked pretty well for her, so maybe you can talk to your vet about that, in case the Mirtazapine stops working for you.
Sendin ya purrs!
I’m so sad you’ve been struggling, Fi. I hope you start feeling better soon and manage to eat a little more. Bear and I send you all our love and well wishes.
Sorry to hear this news. 🙁
We send double purrs and prayers for you. Maybe the good news will come at the next vet visit. We can hope.