CKD

THIS IS MY FAVORITE CHANNEL

 

Fiona WATCHING HER FAVORITE CHANNEL OF BIRD TV

 

Please forgive us for our very late post. Our server was under brute force attack last night, and we could not sign-in to our account. Mom finally gave up and went to bed.

Today is my monthly re-check at the vet. Please keep my in your thoughts and prayers. We all have our paws crossed that my numbers will have improved and  I will have gained a bit more weight. I’ll be back to tomorrow to let y’all know how I’m doing.

Purrs and paw-pats, Fiona

 

BP_Wordless_wed_Hop_Logo_2014

 Wordless Wednesday at Create With Joy

APRIL UPDATE FROM FIONA

vet waiting room-001April

Hanging out in the cat-only waiting room.

Yesterday was a good day at the vet. Vet Tech Tamika was there to take me to our usual exam room. She’d put her favorite leopard-print blanket on the exam table just for me. My usual shaking and quaking were at a minimum.

The first thing up was my weigh-in. Four paws up, it was a good one. I weigh seven pounds and six ounces. That’s my best weight since my CKD was diagnosed in December and up two ounces from last month. Happy dance!

All my numbers have improved as well. My BUN is at 91. It has been going up and down. It also was 91 back in January, and that number is my best. Normal range is (10 to 30 mg) so my number is still super high but going in the right direction again…down.

You may recall that Dr. Neel said I could stop the Maalox since I hated it so much and usually spit out more than I ingest. Unfortunately, that caused my phosphorus levels to jump up. So after my March check-up I went back on the Maalox.

 

Fiona after spewing Maalox - April 2016

 

As you can see, I still don’t like Maalox. Mom tries to clean me up after each dose, but Dad noticed yesterday that I have it in my tock’s furs from sitting in it after I spew all over the kitchen counter. Good mews; though, my phosphorus number is down. Okay, still high, but better. My Creatine level also came down.

My treatment will remain the same with subQ fluids, current medications and the yucky Maalox. I will have a recheck in a month.

I was totally chill while we waited for my blood work results. I hung out on the exam room bench next to Mom and purred away while she gave me lots of love and scritches. I did a bit of singing on the way home. I just couldn’t help myself and joined in with George Harrison on “My Sweet Lord.” I was quiet when Al Stewart was singing “Year of the Cat.” I didn’t want to miss any of the intricate lyrics. (You can listen to these great songs by clicking on their titles.)

So that’s my April report. I obviously still need your purrs, prayers and POTP. I know all those that you’ve already sent my way definitely have been what has allowed me to do as well as I am. I love and thank everyone as does Mom.

Though I spewed out lots of words today, we are purrticipating in our usual Wordless Wednesday blog hops.

Purrs and paw-pats, Fiona

BP_Wordless_wed_Hop_Logo_2014

 Wordless Wednesday at Create With Joy

 

OUR ANNUAL ROUND-UP DOES NOT MAKE US THANKFUL

Well, today may be Thankful Thursday, but we can state unequivocally, “We are not!” Depending on when you read this, Dr. Neel and Tamika are on their way here, are here or have been here. Today is our yearly Round-Up. We will be weighed, examined, vaccinated and have pawticures. Lily Olivia, Mauricio and Misty May will have blood drawn for senior panels as well.

We actually are an itty bitty bit thankful. We don’t have to get stuffed into PTUs and hauled across town to the vet office. And, of course, we’ll have treats for which we are always thankful; though, we know we deserve them even when it isn’t Round-Up.

Fiona will be the fortunate kitty today. Dr. Neel is not going to vaccinate her. She thinks it will be too much of a strain on her system. We’ll all have our shots, and as she is only around us, so she should be safe. We’d say she’s a lucky girl, except for the fact it’s her CKD that’s letting her off the hook. And she gets stuck with a needle for subQ fluids every other day.

We all have been practicing our stink eye, including Fiona. We want to make certain to be in our best form.

 

Stink Eye Portraits on Round-Up day.

 

Of course we can do much better than what we are showing you. After all, we didn’t want to peak too early!

Drop back by tomorrow when we will be sharing highlights and photos from today.

You can check out our previous round-ups on these posts:

Annual Round-Up – 2013

Monday Meowsings: The Round-Up – 2014

Thankful Thursday: Our Yearly Round-Up – 2015

Wishing y’all a Thursday for which you can be tankful.

Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

FIONA’S VET VISIT UPDATE

I’m not so smug today after my Tuesday appointment with Dr. Neel. That said, I’ll start with the good news. I gained 1/2 ounce. Must be all those treats!

 

Fiona's Vet Visit Update

 

I look pretty good, don’t you think? (Well, maybe a little fuzzy!) I am the picture of nonchalance when I am seeing Dr. Neel. I am shaking out of my furs, but I never make a peep or struggle. Totally unlike how I act at home.

Now that you have agreed I look meowvoolous, I’ll share the less than good news. My BUN went up to 114. It had been down to 91 on my last visit. My Creatine is at 5, more than double the high normal.

I did get some good news from Dr. Neel. No more nasty, disgusting, icky Maalox. Though my phosphorous is slightly high and has been creeping up a tenth of a point each time my blood is tested, Dr. Neel says that it is stressing me out too much to have to take it. Ya think? Most of that white goo ends up on the walls, in the humans hair and on their clothes as well as pretty much head-to-toe in my furs. If my phosphorus level goes higher, we will revisit the situation.

Mom has ordered a Sleepypod for me. She thinks it might be more comfy than my PTU when I get my subQ fluids.  I doubt it, but I have no plan to turn down a comfy new nest that is going to be all mine!

So that’s my report. I’m sorry the news wasn’t better. As it wasn’t could you please find it in your hearts to send me a few more prayers, purrs and POTP?

Purrs, paw-pats and thanks, Fiona

p.s. It warmed up enough today to melt most of our snow and for us to spend sometime on the catio!

p.p.s. Mom said I needed to tell you that the photo of me hanging from the screen was taken when I was about one year old. I know I could still do that if I wanted.

PRAISE FOR QUICK BATH WIPES

quick bath review

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. We received these products from International Veterinary Sciences free of charge for our fair and honest review. We were not compensated monetarily for this review. All opinions are solely those of The Cat on My Head

As a VIP paw-tner of the pet-loving Propel Communications team, we receive cat-related items to test and review. In December we received two packs of Quick Bath® for Cats and one of Tushee Wipes from International Veterinary Sciences. At the time I didn’t know how handy they would prove to be.

Quick Bath is available for dogs (large and small) and cats. The wipes are formulated to conveniently and safely remove bacteria and odors from your pet’s skin, coat and paws.  They contain vitamins A and E as well as soothing Aloe Vera to promote healthy skin and coat while leaving your pet clean and shiny. Quick Bath wipes are pH neutral and alcohol free. The pre-moistened wipes come in packs of ten. The five by ten inch rectangles are extra thick and heavy duty. They come in five by ten inch rectangles and can be warmed in the microwave.

 
According to the packaging, uses for Quick Bath include:

  • Anytime your pet needs cleaning and you are short on time.
  • Control pet odor by removing germs.
  • Wipe down pets before they come indoors from dusty, wet or muddy conditions.
  • Use prior to and after brushing to remove loose dirt and hair.
  • Use when the weather is too cold to bathe your pet.
  • Use on pets that have sensitive skin.
  • Wipe off excess drool or slobber.
  • Clean paws, nose and ears.
  • Convenient to use when traveling, hiking, camping, boating and other outings.
  • Great help for Senior Citizens.
  •  
    Since Fiona was diagnosed with CKD, Quick Bath has become a most helpful product. As stated above, Quick Bath can be used to wipe off excess drool and slobber, which in Fiona’s case, includes Maalox and liquid vitamins. Fiona absolutely hates receiving these two medications. She spits out more than she actually swallows. What doesn’t land on the walls or her dad and me leaves her face covered in these thick, gooey concoctions. After using paper towels to clean her up with little success, I decided to try the Quick Bath wipes. They have been the perfect solution to removing the mess completely and leaving her fur not only clean but soft and shiny. Dry skin accompanies CKD, and the ingredients in Quick Bath have helped to alleviate this problem as well.

    I found Quick Bath available from a few different online retailers at various prices. At this time, they are on sale at EntirelyPets for $2.99. I definitely will be purchasing several packs.
    I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to try this product and highly recommend it for any of the uses listed above.
    I have not had the need or opportunity to use the Tushee Wipes® and will review those in a later post.

      

    FIONA IS FEELING SMUG!

    Fona is feeling smug

     

    Do I look smug in this photo? I guess I am just a bit.

    I went to see Dr. Neel on Tuesday. I was a bit of a stinker at home. I hid UTB and could not be tempted out with treats. Dad had to start pushing a dust mop at me. I came out to escape it, and Mom grabbed me. Then to show my displeasure I pooped in my PTU. Score: Fiona – 2 and Humans – 0.

    However, when we got to the vet office I was a purrfect kitty. I let Dr. Neel take my blood for a full kidney panel and give me my subQ fluids. I never made even the littlest meow of protest nor did I try to rip open her flesh. That alone made me feel smug.

    We had to wait a while to get the results of my blood work so I snuggled next to Dad atop Mom’s scarf and waited quietly.

    So here’s the news you have been waiting to hear: My blood work was mostly unchanged from two weeks ago. So that is neither good nor bad news. But I do have some great news. I gained 4 1/2 ounces during the past two weeks. I now weigh 7 pounds 3 1/2 ounces! Yet another reason to feel smug; though, that’s still about three pounds below normal for me. Additionally, my dry skin has improved dramatically.

    The reason I have gained weight is that I am eating a bit more and not just treats.

    I still hate taking any of my medicine, especially the Maalox. But as I stated in a previous post, I am now letting Mom and Dad give me my subQ fluids. Some of you asked what had changed. So here’s the story. The last time Mom took me to the vet’s office for fluids, the tech who did it said she left me in my PTU and that she was able to do it without any help. Of course, I was being my usual purrfect self.

    The next time Mom and Dad tried to give me fluids, they put me in my PTU. It made me much easier to hold onto and control. Then they discovered if Mom inserted the needle and Dad held me that I was much more cooperative. I don’t always let them give me the full amount, and I let them know when I’ve had enough by squirming around and whining. But all-in-all the process has been going much better.

    So that’s the full report. Unless I take a turn for the worse, like not eating or refusing my fluids, I don’t have to see Dr. Neel for an entire month.

    Though I am feeling smug, I still need your purrs and prayers as my numbers didn’t improve, and I am not eating the renal foods. If you don’t mind me asking, please keep me in your thoughts. I would be most appreciative. Thank you so much for all the good wishes and prayers you have already sent.

    Purrs and paw-pats, Fiona

     

    IS YOUR VET A CAT FRIENDLY PRACTICE?

    The AAHA-Accredited Animal Practice

    As a pet parent the health of my kitties is extremely important to me. Getting them the best medical attention available is a part of this. With that in mind, taking my cats to an AAHA– (American Animal Hospital Association) accredited hospital is a must.

    What does taking your cat to an accredited hospital mean to you and your anipal? According to AAHA,

    “It means your hospital holds itself to a higher standard, and that your pet is receiving care at a hospital that has passed the highest standards in veterinary care. To become accredited, companion animal hospitals undergo regular comprehensive evaluations by AAHA veterinary experts who evaluate the practice on approximately 900 standards of veterinary care.”

    "Hey, who stole my tail."Veterinary hospitals are not required to hold accreditation from the AAHA. Only about 12 to 15 percent of veterinarians in the U.S. and Canada are accredited. Our vet, Vinton Veterinary Hospital, is AAHA accredited. Do you know if your vet is accredited?

    Most pet parents can tell when they visit a small animal veterinary practice if it is more dog-centric, cat-centric or if both species are treated with the same care and concern. They also know how traumatic a vet visit can be, especially for cats.

    If your vet has only one waiting room and your cat is constantly being sniffed by a big dog or subjected to barking and yapping, her level of stress immediately sky rockets. For this reason, as I’ve reported in other posts, our vet comes to the house for our yearly round-up of vaccinations and physical exams.

    The AAFP Cat Friendly Practice

    But when one of our kitties becomes ill, as Fiona did recently, an actual visit to the vet is necessary. And though visiting the vet’s office is still a traumatic experience, our vet has gone above and beyond by becoming an American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) Cat Friendly Practice. Our vet is only one of four CFPs in our area and the only one with a SILVER ranking.

     

    cat friendly

     

    What You Can Expect from a Cat Friendly Practice?

    Staff members of a Cat Friendly Practice have been trained in how to approach and handle your cat in a kind, empathetic and caring manner. The immediate goal is to minimize your feline’s stress, which probably began before you left home at the moment you placed them in their carrier. In order to accomplish this and provide a cat-specific level of care, CFPs have:

    • established a waiting room that reduces stress and includes a feline-only area and appointment times. (Our vet has completely separate waiting rooms for cats and dogs.)
    • staff trained to understand individualized needs of cats, including feline-specific body language and facial and behavioral clues.
    • implemented cat-friendly handling techniques to facilitate a more positive experience. (If our vet needs to leave the examination room to perform tests, our kitty is always gently wrapped in a warm blanket to help her feel secure.)
    • a feline-only or feline-centric examination room that provides a safe and non-threatening area where cats can be examined calmly and effectively. (Our vet has cat-only exam rooms, Feliway diffusers and thick, cushioned pads and warm blankets or towels on the metal exam tables.)
    • experience to recognize signs of anxiety and/or fear in their feline patients and adapt accordingly.

    cat friendlyAdditionally, the Cat Friendly Practice has the appropriate and smaller-sized equipment to meet all the needs of feline treatment and care.

    To learn more about Cat Friendly Practices or find one near you, go to www.catvets.com. The link is above.

    Fiona Updates her CKD Treatment

    Hi all. Well, I am being a total stinker. I spew Maalox all over my humans, kitchen countertops and walls each day when they try to squirt some in my mouth. And I absolutely will not let them come near me with a needle. My humans are doing all the things everyone has suggested and more, but I am having none of it. I scream, flail, wiggle, gyrate, lash out and generally turn into a cyclone of pure cat energy. Not bad for a six-pound light weight! Right? I also spit out my pills over and over again. Mom rubs my throat and croons, “nom, nom, nom” in my ear to no avail.

    I got packed up in the PTU yesterday and hauled to the vet so they could give me my subQ fluids. I was a purrfect angel puss there.

    When I got home I did require a bit of self medication. I spent some quality time rubbing my face all over one of our new catnip toys…pure bliss!

    I’ll be going back to our vet office on Saturday (pffft!) as Dad won’t be home. Mom knows she isn’t going to try to do fluids on her own. Good call on her part. I wouldn’t want to have to hurt her.

    Thanks for your continued purrs and prayers.

    Purrs and paw-pats, Fiona

    Sources for information included in this post:

    www.AAHA.org and www.catvets.com

     

     

    SISTERS SNUGGLING AGAIN!

    Fiona’s Current Vet Report

    Yesterday was my appointment with Dr. Neel. Mom had to coax me out from under the bed with treats, catnip and a purple pipe cleaner. At least I’m not easy!

    The trip to the vet office was eventful. Dad drove and Mom had the carrier on her lap and put the seatbelt around the both of us. Before we even got out of the driveway, there was a poop incident (and another one on the way home). Following the clean-up, the pee started to flow, and I soaked Mom’s jeans. MOL! I also trembled during the entire trip. But I didn’t make a peep.

    Mom and Dad brought my fluids with us to the vet as I have been very bad about letting them give them to me. For two days in a row I threw a fit about half way through the process and the needle came out. Then on Sunday I totally refused to allow either Mom or Dad to stick me. In spite of losing about a third of my body weight, I am still a fighter.

    Once we got to the vet office, we had to wait a little while. I couldn’t even give the stink-eye to Kiki the resident cat. She was curled up inside her “cave” with just a paw sticking out. Boring!

    When we got to the exam room, my weight was taken. Since December 21 I have gained five ounces. I am eating a bit more food now and not just treats. I still am not eating any of the renal foods. Bleh!

    I got my subQ fluids while I was there and had a little bit of blood drawn to test my BUN. So…are you ready for the GOOD news? My BUN was 92! That’s 46 points lower than last week! Mom was so happy and excited. She asked Dr. Neel if eventually we could get it back in the normal range (14 – 36 MG/DL). Unfortunately, she said, “no.” But any drop is in my favor, so we are celebrating.

    Since I am being such a big stinker about my fluids, Dr. Neel said my folks could give them to me every other day as long as I continue to do well. I will continue with all my daily medications. And I don’t have to see Dr. Neel again for two weeks. Yippee. I don’t like going out in the cold weather and neither does Mom.

    But the very best news of all…my sissy Gulietta is no longer shunning, growling or hissing at me. She’s cuddling and letting me sleep with her. And here’s the evidence: photos of her spooning me.

     

    Giulietta and Fiona snuggling

     

    Though this is a great report, I still need any purrs and prayers you can spare. I know it is the ones you have already said for me that have helped me improve as much as I have. Thank you my friends for your support.

    Purrs and paw-pats, Fiona

    FIONA RETURNS TO THE VET

    Today was my recheck at the vet since I was last there on Christmas Eve. They were waiting for me when I arrived.

     

    Fiona returns to the vet for her CKD.

     

    See, they even have my name on the white board. Vinton Veterinary Hospital is an American Association of Feline Practitioners Certified Cat Friendly Practice*, and they always treat me wonderfully.

    I got weighed today, had my blood drawn to check my values and got a shot of cerenia as I had vomited a couple of times. I also got some liquid vitamins to take everyday.

    GOOD NEWS: My BUN has come down from 157 to 138. Now, I know that isn’t much, but my humans and I are happy for even the teeniest improvement.

    I am letting my humans know my displeasure when I get my daily SubQ fluids by twacking them with my tail and emitting my best caterwaul until the needle in withdrawn. The fluids make me a bit perkier. When we had some balmy weather on Sunday, I spent time on the catio. And I purrticipated when we finally opened our Secret Paws gifts last night. (We’ll be telling you all about that in our Thankful Thursday post.)

    The biggest obstacle right now is getting me to eat one of the renal diets or even just something other than treats. I licked some juice off one of the Royal Canin canned renal foodables and a little juice off our regular stinky goodness. Otherwise it is all treats all the time. My preference is Friskies Party Mix.

    Mom and I want to thank Savvy and Sage’s mom (Savannah’s Paw Tracks) for sending us the article, from the  veterinary medical school at Tufts University, on feline kidney disease diet. Mom also found a great article about boosting appetite from Frederick Cat Vet in Mount Peasant, Maryland. We’d be happy for any additional information or suggestions anyone can provide.

     

    Fiona and Mom Janet at the vet.

     

    Something totally unexpected happened today just as we were getting ready to leave the vet. Mom’s favorite word is serendipity, and this was a totally serendipitous event. As we were going out, Jeanmarie (aka Dr. Short) was coming in. Jeanmarie started as our vet tech so long ago we can’t remember. Then she went to Vet school and became our doctor and our cat sitter when the humans traveled. A few years ago she left our vet office and the area to study to become a dermatological specialist.

    In town for a couple days, Jeanmarie stopped by the office to see one of the other veterinarians. She and Mom were all giddy and hugging, laughing and smiling. It was nice to see Mom happy. She’s been so sad ever since I was diagnosed with CKD.

    My next appointment with Dr. Neel will be next Monday. So, unless something unusual happens, our next update will be a week from today. If you can keep purring and praying for me, I know it will help. With all my thanks and appreciation.

    Purrs and paw-pats, Fiona 

    * Mom will be writing a post in the near future to tell you about this certification.

     

                         

    PURRS & PRAYERS PLEASE FOR FIONA

    This is not the post we planned for today, and it will not be wordless. We are asking you to keep our sisfur, Fiona, in your purrs and prayers. Though only five years old, she has been diagnosed with CKD. After an ultrasound and ex-rays, our vet is fairly confident that this is congenital.

     

    Purs and Prayers. Fiona needs purrs  and prayers.

     

    Fiona spent the day in ICU at our veterinary hospital on IV fluids. She is home with us now. She will return to the vet for the same tomorrow and a half day on Christmas Eve. Our vet will show us then how to give subQ fluids at home.

    Tomorrow Giulietta will have blood work done to make certain she does not have CKD as well. As most of you know, Fiona and Giulietta are sisfurs.

    When Mom wasn’t crying today she was reading everything she could about CKD.

    We know lab numbers but aren’t going to list all the technical info here. Suffice it to say, she is not in good shape. We will share a prognosis when we have one.

    The good news is that she is eating a bit more and doesn’t have anemia or hypertension.

    We know prayer works, so we ask you to please add Fiona to your prayer list. Thank you.

    Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo