Wordy Wednesday

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Hi everyone, I have a lot of medical updates today. I will start with the bad. Spooky’s blood work showed that his kidneys are in rough shape. I was so upset that I don’t remember the numbers, but I will get a copy of them all when I bring him on for fluids. I am going to learn how to do it and he will get them every other day for 2 weeks then we will retest his blood. He is also going to start on a kidney diet. I am hoping he will eat it because he has been getting pickier by the day.

I am very scared, he is acting like Lucy right before the end and will eat something one time and then not want it. He did eat almost a whole 3 oz. can of food today and some turkey lunch meat and some treats which is a lot compared to the past few days. I am trying to stay optimistic which is very hard because my husband is a pessimist.

DSCF0661 I am not giving up on him until he is ready to give up. All prayers and purrs are appreciated.

In better news, Millie’s thyroid was fine, actually better than last time.. I have been really trying to get those pills into him and haven’t been finding them on the floor when I sweep.

Daryl the feral is doing well. He is leaving the drain alone and eating everything I give him.

We are also praying for our dear friend, Flynn who has had some tough days lately. I know Lexi has been having a tough time too so we have been saying extra prayers for both of them- and Spooky too.

Just For FLYNN

 

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81 comments

  1. OMC! What a lot of kitties that need extra purrs and pawyers.Our purr engines are running at full tilt!

    Maybe if the fluids help Spooky to feel better, he might eat better, too. Lets hope and pawray.

    Hugs to all!

    1. Thank you for the purrs. The fluids did perk him up again today and he ate better. I added pepcid to the food so hopefully he will not feel sick and want to keep eating.

  4. My 18 year old Pookie has also kidney problems as apparently all cats have what I do is i add water to her can food so it’s like a soup. Ever since she eats, several times per day, but she eats and has put on weight again. She looks good now, before she was like a skeleton. Try to add some water, maybe it helps ! They need a lot of liquid.

    1. Thank you, that is a good idea. I am glad Pookie has put on weight. Spooky definitely needs too.

  5. We’re hoping the fluids perk Spooky up quickly – – – if anyone can help him, it’s YOU! Happy to hear Millie’s values were good too. Daryl is a brave little guy and thanks to you he will be just fine we think………I wrote to Flynn this morning because we kind of are on the same “path” with our age, health, etc. and I told him I think our Moms and Dads need us too much for us to leave just yet. I will send him POTP and lots of HOPE.

    Love, Sammy

    1. Spooky seems to be on that path too. The fluids did help again and we took him outside which really perked him up. I pray for you daily too Sammy and for Flynn. XO and love to you.

  6. Hugs to Spooky. In the past we’ve had our vet give vitamin B shots when our cats weren’t eating good. They give it with fluids. I’ve used Renavast/Animavast for my kitties too and we do at the office (work for a holistic vet). It’s help a lot of our kidney patients. There’s been some bad press about the supplement but my boss hasn’t had any concern for it since it’s greatly improved most our patients.Good luck with all 🙂

    1. I asked about vitamin B today and the vet said it was in his fluids on Monday so she didn’t think he needed it again yet. Thank you for your suggestions, I am definitely going to get Animavast.

  7. Spooky, you have our best purrayers that you will get better. Fluids usually do help us feel a lot better, so we’re sure that will help.

  8. I’m sorry about Spooky and will pray for him. I hope the fluids will help him feel better. We learned how to give fluids for our Thunder Cat some years ago. I hope Spooky likes the kidney food. With our cats who have had kidney issues, our vet has told us that the best kidney diet was whatever they will eat–if they won’t eat the kidney good, something is better than nothing.

    1. Thank you for praying for Spooky. He seems to respond to the fluids and is good about getting them. I agree, any food is better than not eating.

  9. Hi Ellen, sorry to hear about Spooky. CRF isn’t something I’d wish on any cat owner – it is such a roller coaster.

    Please know that he can still live quite a while happily. Jewel lived for two years after she was initially diagnosed, and she looked *very* poor at the time of her diagnosis because her former owner had neglected to get her vet care. Every cat is different, but please do not lose hope.

    Cats with CRF are often nauseous due to acid in the tummy. I’d ask your vet about giving Spooky some Pepcid. That seemed to help Jewel some. The nausea will cause him to eat a certain kind of food once and then not again because he is associating it with his tummy not feeling good. Carmine has begun to do the same thing lately (waiting for a call from the vet).

    Giving fluids is initially scary and a bit frustrating. Hang in there and stick with it – you two will get a routine going and it will get easier for both of you. Please let me know if there’s anything else I might be able to answer for you.

    Sending purrs, prayers, and love.

    1. Thank you for your words of encouragement. I am nervous about fluids at home, but my hubby will help me. XO and love to you too. I am praying for Milita and Carmine too.

  12. Oh noes! Ellen, looks like there is some really good advice in the comments above, to help encourage Spooky’s appetite. If he’s feeling nauseated, that explains a lot! Make sure the vet helps you with that. We also add filtered water to Angel and Chuck’s canned food; looks like soup to us, but the cats lap it up. I sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top sometimes; they like the taste or texture. Yay for Millie and Daryl.

    1. Thank you, I did manage to sneak 1/4 of a pepcid in his food today so hopefully he will feel better and want to eat more. He drinks a lot already so I don’t think he needs water in his food, but I will look into the nutritional yeast. I appreciate your caring.

  13. I am so sorry to read that dear Spooky is having kidney issues. I would recommend the Royal Canin feline diets. Not only does Chloe Jo love their food, so do picky Grizelda and Maggie. Please ask your vet.

    Giving fluids is not difficult. Just remember to have everything ready and handy. Try to be quick and assured, as it will help him relax.

    You are all in my prayers, as always. I am here for you. Hugs.

    1. Thank you for caring and for your suggestions. We got a sampler of the Royal Canin wet and dry today. He didn’t like the first dry, but he ate some of his other food today and any is better than none. Thank you for your prayers. XO

  14. We are sending lots and lots of purrs and prayers to Spooky, Flynn, and all sick kitties.

    I know it’s a scary diagnosis for Spooky, but please do try to stay optimistic. My angel Rosie lived with renal disease for her last 3 years, and it wasn’t even her kidneys that gave out in the end (she ended up with heart failure and cancer, all unrelated to her kidneys).

    When Rosie was first diagnosed with renal disease, she weighed only just over 7.5 lbs, was vomiting essentially every day, and was a very picky eater. Then, though, we got her on a renal regimen that worked great for her. Our daily routine with her included administering sub-q fluids at home, as well as giving her pepcid (to combat ulceration and stomach aches caused by renal toxins, which can lead to inappetence), potassium supplements (many kidney cats will have low potassium, and bloodwork will help determine if they need supplementation), and a nutraceutical called RenAvast (which promotes healthy kidneys, and which I believe has since been renamed AminAvast). Rosie would only nibble on prescription renal food, and often refused to eat it altogether. So, we fed her what she would eat (primarily Fancy Feast moist pate food), and focused on giving her the medications that would help her, and she did great with that. Within a few months of starting on all those above treatments, Rosie was eating much better, and her previous daily vomiting subsided to maybe once every couple of weeks. What’s more, she gained her weight back, and then some. She ended up going from 7.5 lbs to 11 lbs, which actually put her at slightly overweight, so then we got her down to a healthier 10.5 or so pounds.

    Rosie’s renal values would sometimes fluctuate. For the most part, after starting on the above regimen that worked great for her, Rosie’s renal values ended up staying pretty steady in a range just above normal. There was at least once that we took her in and her values had increased, but she was acting fine. Then we took her back in a couple weeks later and her values had decreased again. One time her renal values even came back in the normal range, believe it or not.

    Every cat is different, but please have hope for Spooky. If you can give him fluids at home and find a regimen that works for him, renal disease can potentially be managed for quite some time.

    I apologize for the length of this comment. Renal disease is a topic very near to my heart, because of my sweet angel Rosie. I’ll be purring and praying for all you.

    1. Thank you for all of this information, it is greatly appreciated. I am glad you were able to have 3 extra years with Rosie – I hope we are so lucky, but Spooky is 15 or 16 ( or older) so any extra time is a gift. I am definitely getting Aminavast. Fancy Feast beef pate is what I got Spooky to eat. He has several Royal Canin cans and dry to try, but right now I just want him to eat. I did manage to sneak 1/4 of a pepcid into his food today and he ate it. Thank you!!! XO

    1. I feel like that too. I may need to open one to pay all our vet bills.

  17. Oh dear me… we are so sorry Spooky. We hope and purr the food and IV treatments work. My human uncle did sub fluid treatment on his kitties many years ago..it helped too.
    hugs madi your bfff

  18. millie & daryl, we iz buzzed happee for ya both that yur doin sew grate…..spooky…dood……az all wayz… we haz asked R pal frank ta send sum blessings yur way…..him will send plentee sew if ya knead ta squirrel sum a way….pleez feel free ta due sew …we iz sorree de mewz iz butt crapped, but trool lee, we haz known a bunch oh kittiez that haz lived good qualitee yeerz after a CRF diagnosis…..troo lee ♥♥♥♥

    1. Thank you sweet kitties. St. Francis must be very busy right now with so many sick kitties. XO

    1. Thank you for the purrs and prayers. Merlin is in our prayers as well.

  21. I am sorry to hear that Spooky’s kidney results were not good and will purr for him.
    I am glad though that Millie and Daryl are doing well. Thank you for your prayers for me.

  24. Oh! My!
    There is so many purrayers1 But mes up to the task! Mes is sending everybody extra Nellie Kisses
    Kisses
    Nellie

  25. We are both praying for Spooky here! I am sorry he is so unwell. you are doing everything you can for him so do not feel you are letting him down. We are ‘here’ for you Ellen.
    {{{hugs}}} Sherri-Ellen & Siddhartha Henry =^,.^=

  27. We’re purring loud and hard for everyone….crf is a roller coaster but can be managed. Let’s hope the fluids put Spooky’s numbers back where they should be.

    The Florida Furkids

    1. Thank you for the purrs. We are retesting in 2 weeks and I hope they improve.

  28. We’re sorry to hear about Spooky. The mom had a cat before us with CKD and she gave him fluids. You may be scared at first, but you’ll get the knack of it. The mom says you can email her if you want any tips. We’re purring for Spooky. And that’s good news about Millie.

    1. Thank you and I will email if I have any questions. I appreciate your offer to help.

    1. Thank you, he is eating today and I added a 1/4 pepcid so I hope he will keep eating.

  30. Purrs for Spooky. I hope the fluids and renal diet help him. My one tip for giving fluids is to make they are warm because it’s much more comfortable than cool or even room-temperature fluids. I set the i.v. bag upside-down in a bucket of hot water for 10-15 minute before giving fluids to Ed. Paws crossed.

    Good news for Millie’s thyroid. They can be little buggers about spitting out those little pills!

    1. Thank you, that is a great idea to warm them up. I want him to be as comfortable as possible.

  31. When our angel Tulip had CKD, we found fancy feast was all she would eat. Some times I sprinkled it with a bit of parmesan cheese to entice her to eat more.She also liked fresh chicken and ham. I know all of this probably wouldn’t be recommended by a vet but I felt that her eating was more important than anything else. We hope Spooky feels better. We know how difficult this can be.Good news about Millie.

    Hugs and love,
    the critters in the cottage and their Mama Sophie XO

    P.S. I am also an optimist and my husband is a pessimist. It can be tough at times.

    1. I agree that eating is more important than anything and he likes the Fancy Feast, I will try the parmesan trick. Thank you. XO

  33. I’m sorry about Spooky, but like others here I also want to encourage you. I cared for my cat, Simba, for three years. He had CRF. At first he had fluids a few times a week but then daily. I think you may see Spooky feel better after he’s had some regular fluids. The kidney diets are good for them, but even better is just that they eat, so if they won’t eat that but something else, that’s much better than nothing. I know at first it seems scary and overwhelming, but you will establish a routine and get good at it. If you don’t have a place to hang the bag, one of you can hold it up while the other does the fluids.

    I’m glad Daryl is doing better.

    1. Thank you for the words of encouragement, 3 years was a long time to manage that. I am happy if he eats anything right now so Fancy Feast it is.

  34. I’m sorry that Spooky has CRF. We gave Tommie fluids for several years and I know they helped him a lot. He would never eat the special diet, but the vet said it was more important for him to eat anything. Don’t panic if Spooky doesn’t like the food. Fluids can work wonders and I know you and Spooky will become more comfortable with the process in no time. The pepsid helped too.
    xxoo

    1. Thank you for your kind words, I hope I can keep Spooky going for as long as you did with Tommie. XO

  36. We sure can relate to all those problems and we’re sending our best purrs and prayers to dear Spooky. Yep, we’re still pretty darn sad about sweet Lexi. Hugs from all of us.

  37. Oh dear, so sorry to hear about Spooky. Yes, Mario will purrs for him and M will have him in her prayers. The kitty before me (Misty) had kidney problems and was on a special diet from the vet and had to have fluids. M says they started at once a week and she and D learned how to do it. Misty was very good about taking them. M & D put a towel on the kitchen counter and put her up there to sit in a loaf. Then they were working at their arm’s level and were comfortable, and Misty was comfortable. They gave her fluids like that for a couple of years, then had to increase them. Of course it isn’t a cure, but it sure does extend their life and make them more comfortable. Misty never minded getting the fluids. It almost seemed like she knew that if she put up with it for a few minutes that it would instantly make her feel better. Getting her to eat kidney food – well that was a chore. We kept going back for different kinds. One week she’d like one brand, the next week another. The vet said that is the most common complaint among kidney cats – the food doesn’t apparently taste very good. Good luck and keep us posted. If we can be of any help to you, please feel free to email.

    1. Same here with the food, Spooky doesn’t seem to like it either. He is good about the fluids and that is helpful. Thank you for your words of encouragement.

  38. Spooky love, I missed this one. But I am here now and I will be purring hard every single day and Mom will pray every single day. You ate well with that 4 oz. of foods and some lunchmeat. Do you think your mommy might want to investigate an appetite enhancer for you?

    I will be right here Spooky. XOOX

  40. Prayers for Spooky. My first sisfur had also kidney failure. She only one kidney left (She had one shrink kidney) , the other only working for 30%. She lived for more then 5 years with this. Mom gave her a lot of wet food and special medicine. Wet food is so important for cats with kidney failure.
    There is a product, Ipikatine that helps a lot with kidney failure, expensive but when mom gave it to Ukkie she got much better and the vet visits went down.

    Love you <3
    Billy, Amy & Fientje

    1. Thank you for the words of encouragement, I will be thankful for an extra year. Also, thank you for the name of that medicine, I will look into it. I love you all too! XO

  41. It look like you have every tip possible so I won’t add any but sending purrs. It’s always scary when pets go off their food but worse after your recent losses. Thank goodness for our loving community. xoxo and mega purrrrrrrrs.

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