Community Chat

[kittymomNC]

Tansy, I'm so sorry your cat has been diagnosed with kidney disease. What is her name? You didn't say if she is on fluid treatments or not. Did your vet suggest subcutaneous fluid treatments? The reason I ask is that these treatments not only help keep your cat hydrated, but also help to flush the toxins out of the kidneys. If a cat gets too dehydrated, it can become very sick and possibly die. I don't want to scare you, but hydration is so important. I would think that lack of hydration could be at least partly responsible for constipation.

My Baby Cat was diagnosed 3 years and 5 months ago, in stage 2. She was 13 at the time of diagnosis. She received 2X weekly fluid treatments and was put on a special diet, and did very well for 3 years. Hers has now started to escalate, and she has recently reached stage 3, so we have increased her fluids to 3X a week. She also has developed high blood pressure, which is apparently fairly common in cats with kidney disease and is on medication.

I'm giving you this history so you will know that I'm pretty much up on kidney disease treatment. Even at age 16, if you get her on regular fluid treatments, either done by the vet's office, or you can do them yourself if your cat will allow you to, she will feel much better and you could have her with you longer. I didn't know when Baby Cat was diagnosed, if I would have her for a month, 6 months, a year?? I've been so blessed to have had her with me for an additional 3+ years, and hopefully for a while longer. These fluid treatments and special diet saved her life, and gave me this wonderful time with her.

Please take this into consideration...it can make so much difference in her quality of life. And let me know how she's doing.

BTW, I know about "skittery" cats and vet visits - I just had to give my other one a sedative pill to take her to the vet, and she still was a real handful. But Baby Cat is so good about going, thank goodness.

[kittymomNC]

Tansy, I had another thought. How long do you think it has been since she went? She could have a blockage from a hairball, which could be serious. It sounds like she really might need that vet visit.....

[tansy]

On 9/3/2014 kittymomNC said:

Tansy, I had another thought. How long do you think it has been since she went? She could have a blockage from a hairball, which could be serious. It sounds like she really might need that vet visit.....

It's been two days, we think. I have two cats, so it's hard to be positive. She's got short hair and I brush her almost every day because she loves it.

[tansy]

On 9/3/2014 SPURT said:

On 9/3/2014 tansy said:

My cat is almost 16 and was diagnosed six months ago with stage 2 kidney disease. We have a small home and have three large water bowls out for her. She may be slightly dehydrated but not much. I judge this by how quickly the fur on the scruff of her neck goes back down when pulled up and released. She does walk around and jump on furniture for a bit of exercise. She makes frequent, unproductive trips to her box but is able to pee.

I've never had a cat with constipation before. Suggestions welcomed. She's very skitters about vet visits.

My sister's cat has this same problem, my sis had to take her cat to the vet to have her rear end glands cleaned out--although your cat does not like vet visits, it might be the only way to help the problem. And as you already have done, make sure the cat drinks plenty of water...he also gave her some medicine in a tube....

If this problem doesn't resolve itself by early afternoon tomorrow, we'll take her in for sure. You're that funny poster over in Q Talk, aren't you? I have enjoyed your posts. I meant "funny poster" in a good way

[kittymomNC]

On 9/3/2014 tansy said:

On 9/3/2014 kittymomNC said:

<em>Tansy</em>, I had another thought. How long do you think it has been since she went? She could have a blockage from a hairball, which could be serious. It sounds like she really might need that vet visit.....

It's been two days, we think. I have two cats. She's got short hair and I brush her almost every day because she loves it.

It might not be that, then. I've never had a problem with either of mine having constipation. So I don't know what would cause that, but it could be lack of hydration. Did the vet say anything to you about the fluid treatments when she was diagnosed?

[tansy]

On 9/3/2014 Jeremiah 2911 said:

Try giving her a little milk or cream. Butter also helps with constipation.

Thanks, Jeremiah. She's never cared for milk but will lick a little butter off my toast plate. I'll look that up.

[tansy]

On 9/3/2014 kittymomNC said:

On 9/3/2014 tansy said:

On 9/3/2014 kittymomNC said:

<em>Tansy</em>, I had another thought. How long do you think it has been since she went? She could have a blockage from a hairball, which could be serious. It sounds like she really might need that vet visit.....

It's been two days, we think. I have two cats. She's got short hair and I brush her almost every day because she loves it.

It might not be that, then. I've never had a problem with either of mine having constipation. So I don't know what would cause that, but it could be lack of hydration. Did the vet say anything to you about the fluid treatments when she was diagnosed?

Sorry, kittymom, I forgot to answer you on that. He did say we might need to do that as she progressed, and that even though she is drinking frequently, it might not be hydrating her properly. I think we would be able to handle getting the fluids into her if necessary.

[tansy]

Kitty? She has the most uncommon cat name of Lucy

[GCR18]

I haven't come across this type of problem. My boy loves butter. I would probably try that first before going to the vet. I had twins from the same litter. I named the girl Lucy and the boy Ricky. Lucy passed away suddenly a couple years ago. Ricky turned 17 last month and is going strong. He hates going to the vet. We always run into dogs in the waiting room and the barking terrifies him.

[kittymomNC]

On 9/3/2014 tansy said: Kitty? She has the most uncommon cat name of Lucy

I like Lucy for a cat name! When Baby Cat got her name, she was the baby of my family of three cats, and I kept calling her that until it just stuck.

My vets have been somewhat surprised at how long Baby Cat has been doing so well, and they're convinced that it's because the treatments were started immediately upon diagnosis, early in her disease. Her kidney numbers stayed very stable for a full three years. She won't let me do anything to her at home by myself-even giving medicine is difficult. I'm mixing her BP medicine in wet food and putting it in a syringe, and she's been very good about that. I don't have anyone that can be here regularly to help me with the fluid treatments...so we have been to the vet well over 350 times since April 2011, and two more recent visits to the Vet Emergency Hospital. We haven't missed a single week in all that time getting her the number of treatments she needs, and it's apparently what has kept her doing as well as she has.

I love her so much I feel like I might have given birth to her!