Pet Lovers

[MyShadowLove]

I am so worried!...My cat was diagnosed with Stage 2 kidney disease yesterday afternoon, after seeing a new Vet that I thought I would try out...She stated it could be due to a UTI/Kidney Infection which was detected in her urine, so she prescribed Primor for the next 14 days and then I have to take my cat back for another blood/urine test in two weeks.

She did have a complete physical just last August, by her original Vet that she has been going to for most of her 12 years...All went well, bu the Vet did state that her Creatinine level was slightly high and that it would be checked during her next scheduled physical, which will be this August.

This new Vet also included some other findings in her Health Report, which I won't go into now, but I have to say that I left the office feeling very overwhelmed and my head is still reeling this morning...There is something about this new Vet that just didn't make me feel totally comfortable...I won't get into all of the details here, as I'm sure you all would feel quite overwhelmed also....The visit was a little over two hours!...My cat and I were exhausted by the time we left.

I feel like I went in with a perfectly healthy, active, happy and content cat, only to leave with a dire diagnosis and a prescription for medicine that I am very leary about!

I will add that I will be calling our original Vet today to make a consultation appointment with her regarding these findings, since there was no indication of any real concern from her physical last August.

Meanwhile, I would appreciate some feedback from those of you who are familiar with Primor for the treatment of UTI/Kidney Infections in cats.

Thanks so much!

[m0rgan]

Please talk with your old vet.  Also google Primor for cats.  There is lots of info there.  I wish you luck and second opinions are always a good thing when we deal with our pets that can't  tell us how they feel.  Also I have never had a 2 hour vet appointment?

[MyShadowLove]

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@m0rgan wrote:

Please talk with your old vet.  Also google Primor for cats.  There is lots of info there.  I wish you luck and second opinions are always a good thing when we deal with our pets that can't  tell us how they feel.  Also I have never had a 2 hour vet appointment?

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@m0rgan....Yes, I will be calling her regular Vet this morning...I did check into Primor and am very cautious after reading about it...It was a very long ordeal at this new Vet appointment...I've never experienced anything like it before and my instincts have left me rather cautious.

[2blonde]

Wildflowers, I'm so sorry you are having this difficult experience.  It's certainly not unusual for a 12-year-old cat to be experiencing kidney issues, but usually (in my experience) they show signs of problems (can't keep the food down, losing weight, etc.).

Unfortunately, I don't have any experience with that drug.  When my older cat started having kidney problems I was able to help her along for awhile by simply switching her food.  My sister's Maine Coon had that problem too, and when she switched him to a lower protein food he lived for many more years.  I hope you share these findings with your original vet.  I hate to say it, but I think some of the vets now are just looking to take as much of your money as they can.

[qvcaddition]

Go with your gut feeling.  I had a new vet for my cat and she miss diagnosis mine.  After much misery , time and money, I switched to another , got the correct  diagnosis.  The best of Luck.

[carlycat]

I'm not familiar with the drug, but I am with kidney disease. It can sneak up like that and often without symptoms. You should consider yourself lucky you caught it at stage 2. I have 2 cats at stage 2. We are doing special food. Also I am giving kidney support gold drops, can't hurt (google it). Kidney problems are unfortunately very common in cats, especially as they age. Eventually all cats will get it if they live long enough. Power of the paw to you! 

[Havarti]

I know nothing about Primor but I can relate because the most special cat of my life was diagnosed with CRF (chronic renal failure). We went through the same experience you did with the long appointment and leaving with overwhelming doom and sadness. That vet told me there was nothing they could do and to just take him home and love him for whatever time we had left. I was numb. He had always been such a healthy happy cat and now was just going to the bathroom more frequently and had a bout with crystals…how could they think he was dying?????? I took him home and was devastated. Fortunately, my sister knocked some sense into me and said it was my job not to just accept the news and wait for his death but to research everything in my power to find a way to help him – no matter how odd or off the wall, I should look into everything and make my best decisions on how to help him. My niece took me to a holistic Rastafarian man who told me water & hydration was the most important change to make first….he was to have the purest water possible to drink (absolutely no tap water) and he would need subcutaneous fluids to keep him well hydrated. Both the good drinking water and the sub-Q fluids would help keep his system flushed and functioning well for a long time. I had always fainted at the sight of needles, but was a determined learner when I insisted the vet teach me how to administer sub-q fluids at home. I researched where to buy the bags of fluids and needles at the best price (definitely NOT from you vet). The cat and I learned the best techniques for administering the fluid and they made him fell better so he would even “ask” for them by jumping up on the spot where we did it and waiting for me to come. It proved to be good bonding time because I would stroke him and talk to him throughout the process (only a matter of minutes) while the fluids dripped into him. Those were some of the most cherished times when I look back on it. He lived for 2 ½ more years – wonderful years. We would go to the vet for occasional blood work and to have his blood pressure checked (calls for a very tiny cuff). Here is a site that gave me a wealth of information and support: http://felinecrf.com/ Wishing you all the best and if I can help in any way, just let me know.

[m0rgan]

Wildflower you have great instincts and that is why you are proceeding cautiously.  We will all be waiting to see what your old vet has to say.  My neighbor's cat is 17 and has kidney problems also.  She is feeding wet and dry k/d food by Hills.  Her cat loves the food and drinks lots and lts of water.  As someone else said, her vet recommended sub-cutaneous fluids but was pleased on the next visit that the food made a big difference and she didn't need the fluids yet.  I'm thinking that a food change couldn't hurt.  Good luck and prayers for your precious cat.

[MyShadowLove]

@Havarti@carlycat@qvcaddition@2blonde@m0rgan

Thank you so much for all of your replies!...I just called our original Vet and have an appointment with her for Friday...We have been going to her for amost the entire 12 years that we have had our precious black beauty..I am so relieved that I was able to get an appointment this soon so that we can go over this complex and overwhelming Health Report that was given to me yesterday...It also involves other findings that just don't make any sense to me or even appear to be related to my cat in any way whatsoever!

It will definitely be interesting to see how our original Vet reacts to all of these findings.

My little black beauty is bouncing around the house right now, while I'm filled with tears and I just can't stop hugging her...She's looking at me like..."Hey, pull yourself together and play with me!"... I love her so very much! 

[jaxs mom]

I had one cat that had a UTI and he wasn't given that drug, it's been a few years but I think he was given cipro. I do know that we had the urine cultured and he had 3 different bacteria present. 

Have you read catinfo .org there is tons of info there on UTI and kidney problems.