On 7/3/2014 kittymomNC said: On 7/3/2014 Sammycat1 said: Hi Terrier3,
<br /> Sorry I'm just getting back to you -- of course I remember Murray! I just got home from work -- by now, you've seen your vet.
Cats with kidney issues often develop high BP, which can trigger seizures. High blood pressure can arise from failing kidneys as well as the cardiac system. My cat Schmoo was placed on blood pressure medicine for his heart problems -- but that also alleviated any potential problems via the kidneys too, as he also had kidney failure.
Schmoo had his BP measured with a digital "mini" cuff placed on his back leg -- this was done every other month to make sure his dosing was correct. Vets can measure this but don't often attempt to do it because many cats fight it (it's not painful; they just don't like it). Ask for it to be attempted -- it can save your cat's life. We live in a rural area, and our vet had a mini-cuff that was state-of-the-art---so they DO have the capability.
The other possibility is that Murray's potassium bottomed out. Cats with kidney failure are susceptible to potassium dropping....in many cases, it can look normal on bloodwork, but because potassium is stored in the cells, when a cat's body runs low due to kidney failure, it pulls the "reserve" potassium from the cells...and thus makes the blood counts look normal! Our vet was on top of this and gave Schmoo potassium supplements that equalized his body.
I'm sure your vet has many options for getting to the bottom of this scary episode for Murray, and treating him (likely with medication aimed at the root cause). I'm hoping that tonight Murray is still with you and your vet has arrived at a solution for him.
Please let us know how he is doing -- you are doing a fantastic job with him!
Terrier3, I hope you've had some good news from the vet by now about Murray--please let us know.
Sammycat, I have posted on your thread about my Baby Cat's kidney disease, and I also have a question for you. Can you tell me of any symptoms associated with low potassium so that I might know what to be on the lookout for? I did not know that could be a problem. As I mentioned above, we have been on a real roller coaster ride these last 3 months, including two trips to the emergency vet. I haven't posted on your thread in a while, because I can't resist reading all the posts and especially about Schmoo, and I get so awfully emotional. My emotions and my nerves have been so on edge that I've tried to keep myself as calm as possible (which sometimes is really hard to do). Baby Cat is doing much better since they discovered her high blood pressure and put her on daily medication, and she is getting fluids 3X weekly now. But I'm always on the lookout for any unusual symptoms, so if you could let me know anything you can think of, especially about the potassium, I would so appreciate it. (BTW, my vet uses the small cuff and takes her blood pressure on her tail, about 2 inches from where it connects to her body--I had never heard of that before!) I hope you're doing well, and I really want to get back to reading Schmoo's story (maybe when I have a few minutes when I can let the tears flow........) Thanks for anything you can tell me!
Hi KittyMom!
I'm so glad to hear that Baby Cat is doing so well -- you are watching her like a hawk and taking such excellent care of her. I understand completely the emotional rollercoaster you are on -- Schmoo had kidney insuffiency then failure for 5 years, then the heart failure on top of it. Come back to the Schmoo thread when you can -- we miss you -- and I promise, I'm writing quite a few amusing posts in addition to the moving ones, also.
The potassium situation is one I didn't know about either until once I had to give Schmoo some extra lasix to get the fluid of his chest, and it pushed his kidneys so hard that the bloodwork showed his potassium level on the low end of the normal range. I might add he was vomiting, too. My vet considered even the low end of normal rating a problem based on what I wrote above. So we started potassium supplements and he was on them the rest of his life to varying degrees. He said not all vets address this, but they should, because it could keep your pet with kidney failure feeling so much better.
Low potassium symptoms can be lethargy, poor appetite, vomiting, nasty constipation, muscular aches and pains to the point that they can't jump or get up the stairs, muscle wasting -- and one big telltale sign: the head/neck drooping downward. I recommend you ask to see Baby Cat's bloodwork results and see where her reading is.
The supplement is prescription only and it's called "Tumil-K." It comes in a caplet or paste form. The paste form you can literally take a bit of it, put it on your finger and pop it inside Baby Cat's mouth. Warning: this is messier than all get out! Schmoo and I were both covered in the stuff!! So to make sure Schmoo was getting enough, I went the caplet route. Everyone was happier -- and cleaner!
I'm so glad to hear that Baby Cat is still fighting the good fight -- it sounds like you are doing a marvelous job with her. I remember all too well how emotional it can be, but it sounds like you are a Cat Mom with nerves of steel! Good luck for more happy, healthy days for your beloved kitty and I hope I was helpful!
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