Hi Streetangel,
I stumbled across your page to me in the Jewelry Forum, so I'm sorry I did not reply earlier to you -- and I'm so sorry that your poor Radar had such a horrible kidney infection. Here are my thoughts:
1. If the vet isn't convinced he has kidney disease, what does he/she think it is, specifically? Do they have a theory of the problem?
2. I would insist to see his labs and compare them to prior labs in order to see a trend, if any. Compare his values to the chart on this website: www.felinecrf.com under "tests and diagnostics." It's important to note that there are ranges for the main kidney numbers.
3. He could just be getting older and developing chronic kidney insufficiency/failure. This generally comes on gradually and can be characterized by more frequent UTIs. But there is also something called FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease), in which crystals and obstructions can happen that can be quickly fatal, esp. in a male cat.
Lastly, the kitties' kidneys can be starting to go because of another health condition, i.e., diabetes, lupus, etc. -- not to panic you, just to tell that may be where your vet is thinking. He also could have a bladder problem vs. a kidney problem; he could have high blood pressure causing kidney problems (and sometimes kidney problems cause high BP in cats, too!)
4. Kitties with kidney problems have trouble putting on/keeping on weight. There are Rx diets for kidney problems; however, they often taste yucky to kitties. It's a good idea to try esp. the wet food and mix it in with his regular food (if they recommend this) to try to get him to eat it. But if he doesn't, it's more important that they eat, period. Access to lots of fresh water is critical -- put several water bowls throughout the house. Change the water twice a day.
5. Kitties whose kidneys are compromised have a tough time filtering toxins. To minimize strain on them, food that is lower in sodium and phosphorus is good (there are charts all over the internet that can give you content of typically cat food, canned or dry -- if you can't find one, I'll help you). Never feed kitten food; it's too high in protein, too.
6. If you notice straining at the litterbox, or little drops of blood, or a general malaise -- UTI or kidney problem. Get to the vet ASAP to prevent a worse infection.
7. Watch output in the litterbox. It usually goes up with kidney disease.
8. Another development over time: potassium starts to get depleted -- check this figure on the labs. The vet can help you supplement this, but do not attempt it yourself w/o the go-ahead from them. It will make the kitty with kidney disease feel better (this becomes more important as their kidneys decline).
9. The website www.felinecrf.com is excellent and is quick reading to get you going. You can also try www.felinecrf.org. Both are very helpful.
Let me know what Dr. Bowers' office says! I'll post a shout-out in the Pet Lovers Forum to you, too, for cross-referencing!
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