Worried about cat

My 16 year old just passed in January. She was hyperthyroid (did Radiocat) for about a year and a half and then she passed of kidney failure. She was an itty bitty kitty- just 7.6 pounds for a spayed Maine Coon. She was not eating as much, so we switched to kitten food towards the end as she seemed more interested in that than her preferred Science Diet T/D RX food.

On 4/19/2014 lolakimono said:

My 16 year old just passed in January. She was hyperthyroid (did Radiocat) for about a year and a half and then she passed of kidney failure. She was an itty bitty kitty- just 7.6 pounds for a spayed Maine Coon. She was not eating as much, so we switched to kitten food towards the end as she seemed more interested in that than her preferred Science Diet T/D RX food.

Sorry you lost your beloved cat.

I figure we already know her kidney numbers are somewhat elevated. I was wondering if FOR HER the numbers are leading to symptoms even though they are not super high.

Loss of appetite is such a common side effect of medications. I guess I would rather it be that than her kidneys, but I have been through the kidney disease before.

Vet said we could try the senior version of her food (Purina One), but I don't feel like she's really eating her regular food as well as she should.

Hadn't thought of kitten food. Thanks, may give that a try.

Hyacinth

I believe that the weight loss is a side effect of the medication, Felimazole.

"The most common side effects associated with Felimazole include a change in food consumption (increase or decrease), lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea. Less common side effects include anemia and low platelet count in some cats, FDA says."

Full article:
http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=13126

Have you tried giving your cat a supplement to help her gain weight? I've used Nutri-Cal to help two of our cats gain weight back after suffering illness and weight loss. It definitely helped them gain their weight back. One of cats has gained more weight than his original weight and the other cat, who is much older is almost up to her former weight. Ask your vet about Nutri-cal.

I'm also giving our cats a vitamin & mineral supplement called "Spectrin". I put 1ml in a dropper and gradually squeeze it into the side of their mouths. (The label says to give 5ml but I think 1ml is safer to start out with, observing how they do on the smaller amount before adding more to their daily regimen. )

Also, you can mix your cats canned cat food with no-salt chicken stock and that will help hydrate her and increase the calories. If your cat is on dry cat and is suffering from any level of kidney dysfunction, you might consider changing her diet to a canned cat food diet. as the dry cat food absorbs much of the moisture in the cats system.

Just some suggestions to consider -- with the guidance of your vet, of course.

Hope kitty gains her weight back and is feeling better soon.

Happy Easter.

I've had a cat with hyperT, kidney failure and heart failure. Treatment for hyperT masks the true nature of how seriously the kidneys are failing.

I'd ask your vet about potassium supplements (tumil-K). Potassium can look average to low-average in blood work, but because it is stored cellularly, as the kidneys fail, they go into those cellular reserves, and they make the potassium reading look better than in truth it is. This supplementation made a world of difference for our cat and beat back the kidney decline many times. It also improved his appetite, his digestive system and just made him feel better.

Also, see about Pepcid. When kidneys start to worsen, stomach acids can rise, leading to inappetance. 1/4 tab once a day of the ORIGINAL strength only, and only with your vet's permission. Also a godsend.

Secondly, when they're not eating, or eating enough:

- When they're losing weight, food is food and weight on their bones is the most important food. Watch kitten food with the kidneys though; however just a tiny blop mixed in to the regular food might do it.

- The gold standard: Fancy Feast. The stinkier the better. Beef flavors take too long to digest (beef in any food does) so avoid it. Chicken, turkey, fish flavors are an elixir of the gods. Heat slightly in a microwave on a plate (7 seconds), then scrape onto a cool plate and stir to test that it's not to hot.

- Right behind it: 9 lives. I don't know why, but it works.

- There's a liquid diet for them, Rx, called "Clinicare RF." -- It's fed to kitties hospitalized for renal failure but can be used to put pounds onto kitties with kidney issues who are struggling to eat. It's like a thick milk (but it's not milk) that they can either lap or get by syringe in the mouth.

Just a few suggestions. Hope this helps!

Wow, great input!

I asked the vet about it being a side effect of Felimazole, and she said she doesn't see that. But, it all happened about the same time.

Great thoughts about kitten food. It may be higher in protein, which is not good for kidney failure.

She is a PICKY eater. She was probably overweight, but only with her favorite food. I have tried three brands of kidney diet from the vet - Royal Canin, Hill's Prescription k/d, and Purina.

When we adopted her from the shelter, they told us that she was picky. She will NOT eat canned food. Although I would be happy to try again!! She does not eat treats.

Her BUN is staying the same but the creatinine is higher. Vet said change food but not fluids yet. Even her coat doesn't look as beautiful.

Hyacinth

On 4/19/2014 hyacinth003 said:

Wow, great input!

I asked the vet about it being a side effect of Felimazole, and she said she doesn't see that. But, it all happened about the same time.

Great thoughts about kitten food. It may be higher in protein, which is not good for kidney failure.

She is a PICKY eater. She was probably overweight, but only with her favorite food. I have tried three brands of kidney diet from the vet - Royal Canin, Hill's Prescription k/d, and Purina.

When we adopted her from the shelter, they told us that she was picky. She will NOT eat canned food. Although I would be happy to try again!! She does not eat treats.

Her BUN is staying the same but the creatinine is higher. Vet said change food but not fluids yet. Even her coat doesn't look as beautiful.

Hyacinth

Just another thought: has your vet done an x-ray or scan of her heart? HyperT is hard on the heart....and heart disease also can cause inappetance.

Also, we mixed grain-free kibble in with our cat's normal kibble, and he loved it! There's something about it that attracts them. Worth a try!