Progressive Retinal Atrophy in Cats

My Siamese Cat named Sam has Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) which is a common disease in Siamese cats.  PRA means that the cats will go blind over time. 

 

At first, we noticed that Sam seemed to not function well at night so we would turn on night lights in every room just so he could see where he was going.   We learned early on that if Sam had this disease that he would go blind and that there was no cure. 

We were told that blind cats can adapt well to the disease and as long as we did not move furniture, food bowls, water bowls or litter boxes.  To not make major changed to our home.

 

We were assured that our 18-year-old FIV cat named Sam would adapt and could life a full life and be a great kitty.  Sam would use scent to mark his way through the house and we always call him by name before we approach him as not to startle him. 

We have other cats and in our observation of them we can see that even our alpha cat Hairy a large Ragdoll seems to be caring when it comes to Sam.  We have seen Hairy grooming Sam and also backing away from the food bowl to allow Sam to eat. 

Sam has lived a very long life and we know that he is at the end of his life.  He is still eating, drinking and using his litter box.  He still sleeps at the foot of our bed and he still loves his catnip toy.  When it is Sam's time, he will let us know and we will take him to the veterinarian to be euthanized. But for now, he still has more kitty lives to live. 

Sam was rescued in 2008 when he was abandoned by his people who moved away.  He was skin and bones and was infected with FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus)

Natural Salmon Oil Supplement for Feline Arthritis

Recently my FIV cat lost his footing and fell off the dresser. This injury caused him to limp and I called the veterinarian. Sam was seen quickly an X-ray was taken of his injury We learned that my cat had arthritis in his kneecaps.

Had Sam not fallen we would have known the seriousness of his arthritic condition. Both my husband and I told the veterinarian that our cat never acted as though he was in pain and his activity level never faltered.

Sam would need a pain and inflammation remedy however since he is an FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) our veterinarian suggested a natural supplement for feline arthritis.

She suggested Omega 3 / fish oil and the one at the veterinarian's office was very expensive so I contacted a friend who is an animal expert and they recommended VitalPetLife Salmon oil.

I bought the brand VitalPetLife wild Alaskan salmon oil and add it to the top of my cat's food. Know that Sam is a picky eater but he has no problem with this fishy tasting supplement.

I give him the salmon oil daily and within three weeks he was no longer limping. Now two months later you would not know that my cat has an arthritic condition as he is running through the house and playing with the other cats and the dog.

If you have a cat that is suffering from an arthritis condition that you may want to try this natural salmon oil product. But before you buy please check with your veterinarian to see if an Omega 3 supplement will help your cat.  

Note: This product will also improve your cat's coat, you will notice that it will become soft and shiny.

Prescription Diet Multi-care Urinary Cat Food Review

When my FIV cat named Sam had some health concerns the veterinarian recommended that I feed him Hill's Prescription Diet c/d Multi-care Urinary Care food. I could feed him both variety’s; canned or the kibble and I was told that Sam would need to eat this food for the rest of his life. 

I was warned to not give Sam treats, or any other food that he could only eat prescription food, that other food would make him sick.

I loved my cat and wanted his health to improve so I bought the Hills prescription C/D food with the written prescription from my veterinarian at Pet Smart and from my veterinarian. I figured the cat food was a prescription and that there must be medicine in it to heal my cat of his urinary/cystic condition.

Normally all of my cats eat out of the same bowl, but with this prescription food, I had to feed Sam in another room. Know that it was difficult to separate my cats and one day my other cat who did not have the same urinary condition as Sam ate the prescription food. I was so upset that my cat ate this veterinarian prescription food and called my veterinarian office immediately.

My veterinarian told me that the cat would be fine that I could feed all my cats the C/D cat food and it would be preventative so the other cats would not have the urinary condition.   So from that day forward, I was buying a case of 48 cans(2 cases) and a 15 lb of kibble twice a month.  I did this because I wanted my cats to live a long healthy life without developing the condition that caused them to have blood in their urine, and cysts. The Prescription Diet c/d Multi-care Urinary Care Food would prevent all of my cats from getting the urinary disease.

"I did have concerns about the medication in the food, but my veterinarian assured me that the food would not harm my cats, that it was good for them"

After two weeks of feeding Sam the prescription food, I did not see significant improvement in Sam's health.  He was still nervous, straining to pee and there was cloudy pink tint in his urine. When I called the veterinarian I was told that I needed to continue feeding Sam the cat food and in about a month I would see improvement.

Two months came and went and Sam's urinary condition showed some improvement but his litterbox usage was hit or miss, and he would still strain occasionally to pee and there was slight pink cast to his urine.

I was doing everything my veterinarian recommended and thought the medicated food was not doing what it was intended to do, cure my cat.

Along with the canned and kibble prescription food my veterinarian suggested buying more litter boxes, keeping them very clean, and adding the Feliway diffusers to keep Sam calm.  I was told that stress was bringing on my cat's condition.

My cat was not stressed before he got sick, he was the sweetest Siamese cat, that loved to go to the office with me and play with his toys or sit in the window to watch the birds.  But when Sam got sick with the urinary condition he was nervous, pacing in the house, and no longer wanted to lie on my lap or play with his toys.

So at that point, I was curious as to what medicine was added to the ingredients to warrant a prescription and I wanted to know why I needed a prescription to buy this cat food.

I researched the product and there is no medicine in Hill's Prescription Diet c/d Multi-care Urinary Care cat food.  In comparison to other urinary cat food that you buy off the shelf at your local pet store, the ingredients in the prescription food are of poor quality because it has grains and corn. GMO foods that I never feed my cats.

Here are the ingredients in Hills Perscription Diet C/D Multicare Urinary Cat Food

Pork By-Products, Water, Pork Liver, Chicken, Rice, Corn Starch, Oat Fiber, Chicken Fat, Fish Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Calcium Sulfate, Guar Gum, Fish Oil, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dextrose, Dl-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Cysteine, Dried Egg Yolk, Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate), Glycine, Iodized Salt, Potassium Citrate, Calcium Carbonate, Beta-Carotene.

Know that this prescription cat food is expensive, $56.00 for 5.5-ounce cans/case of 24.  Since there is no medicine in this prescription cat food I decided to see if there were comparable foods available to the consumer that was formulated to promote a desirable urine PH and did not require a prescription from a veterinarian to buy cat food.  I found a food that was the same but did not have the filler foods, corn, and grains. I found that Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Classic Urinary Tract Health Formula Turkey and Giblets Entree Canned Cat Food has better ingredients, no prescription is needed and it costs less.

Ingredients

1. Meat By-Products, Water Sufficient for Processing, Turkey, Poultry By-Products, Poultry Giblets, Rice, Salt, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Added Color, Taurine, Zinc Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide.
   

Description
Purina Pro Plan Focus targets kitty-specific health issues with Adult Classic Urinary Tract Health Formula Turkey & Giblets Entree Canned Cat Food. Made with real turkey, this specialized formula helps maintain your cat’s urinary tract health by reducing urinary pH and providing low dietary magnesium. Feeding Purina’s Urinary Tract Health Formula canned food will also help increase water intake, a crucial step when it comes to keeping her urinary system healthy.
Key Benefits

• Specialized formula made with real turkey and giblets provides exceptional taste and balanced nutrition for your cat
  
• Extra-care nutrition to help maintain urinary tract health by reducing urinary pH while providing low dietary magnesium
  
• High-quality protein helps promote ideal body composition optimized for lean muscle, strength, and the energy needed for your adult cat to thrive
  
• Omega-6 fatty acids are included for healthy skin and a beautiful shiny coat
  
• Manufactured in Purina-owned U.S.A facilities and does not contain any added artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
  

So there you have it my product review of Hill's Prescription Diet c/d Multi-care cat food. I am not a fan of this overpriced food with the GMO foods of corn, and grain ingredients and I feel that the written veterinarian prescription food is misrepresented as I was told this medicated cat food would improve my cat's urinary condition as long as I fed him the prescription food, nothing else for the rest of his life.

The prescription is misleading because cat food has no medicine, no healing herbs nothing to warrant a prescription from your veterinarian. 

 Prescription pet food is a consumer rip-off, pet owners have been scammed by veterinarians and pet food companies and I am not happy about this because of my cat's pain and suffering.

Read another article about Prescription Cat food here 
Article relating to Sam's Kidney Failure and Prescription K/D Food 
Article about Sam, he will not eat the Prescription food
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About Sam when we rescued him, his first urinary / bladder infection 

Treatment for Cat Urinary Infection

My rescued FIV cat came to us in 2009 as an adult unaltered tomcat.  When we rescued Sam he was suffering from urinary and bladder infections. After several trips to the veterinarians, my cat, Sam was diagnosed with a urinary condition that required him to eat a special prescription diet.

We were told that it was common for unaltered tomcats to suffer stress when they are rescued and from this stress develops urinary/bladder infections.

The veterinarian prescribed Hills CD for urinary care and we were told that we could not feed our cat any other food for the rest of his life.

The veterinarian said "Hills CD for urinary care is formulated with the right balance of nutrients which enables your cat's bladder to be healthy. " We were told that Sam would be feeling better and back to using his litter box within a month's time. 

Our veterinarian assured us that feeding our cat this special diet would remove harmful minerals and this meant that the formation of urinary crystals and bladder inflammation would cease.

 So when Sam was feeling better we did neuter him.  Know that it was a long road to recovery.  I needed to watch Sam's bathroom habits to make sure he was urinating, as we were told if he strains to pee and cannot pee that he may have a blockage and that was a serious condition. 

We feared that we would have to put him down if he could not urinate due to a blockage. 

It is important that your cat is hydrated and this was a problem because Sam is not a fan of water we tried everything to keep him hydrated, and even got him a waterfall.He was not impressed with the waterfall for drinking, for playing with the water with his paws, yes...the waterfall was entertainment. 

We mixed his prescription canned food with water and this was the best way to keep him hydrated. 

Sam has been eating this special diet for three weeks now and he is back to his happy self, his energy has improved, and he is using his litter box, (sometimes) and playing with his toys.  Even though we had him neutered he is occasionally marking the sofa and noticed his pee is a little cloudy. Okay, Sam is not 100% his old self, but he is now playing with his toys and he wasn't before. The veterinarian said to keep feeding him the prescription food and in a month it will be in his system and we will see an improvement.

I feed Sam a half can of Hills CD in the morning mixed with the dry kibble and the same portion at night. I also give him purified bottled water. A fresh bowl of water twice a day.

Know that this special urinary prescription diet will prevent the reoccurrence of urinary crystals and stones and as long as we keep feeding our cat the diet food as it is the only food that will manage our cat's conditions so that he will not suffer and there will be no need for urinary / bladder surgery.

Other information about Hills Prescription cat food

Note I kept our other cats away from Sam due to this special prescription food.  I thought the medication in the food would not be good for my other cats.  

My one cat Lucy got into the room and was eating the prescription food with Sam.  I went into a panic I thought his food would harm her.

We have two other FIV cats and now they are all eating the Hills CD urinary diet food. My veterinarian said to not worry about my other cats eating the prescription food because it would prevent the cats from getting a urinary / bladder infection.

The veterinarian said the Hills prescription C/D food is good preventative food for multiple cat homes, it is not recommended for kittens.

** UPDATE Sam refused to eat the prescription food. We tried everything even other brands for prescription food but Sam would rather lose weight than eat it.   Due to his refusal to eat the food I was told to feed him whatever he likes and that the weight loss was a problem for an FIV cat.

Why is my Cat Vomiting - When to call Veterinarian?

It is common for cats to vomit, however not all vomiting is normal. Know that if your cat vomits when they are eating or right after they eat that this is a sign of illness and should not be overlooked. When a cat vomits when the eat it could be a stomach ailment, feline idiopathic cystitis or it could be due the muscle in the cats esophagus.

No harm is done to call your veterinarian and communicate your cat health concern. 

 I had a cat that did vomit when they were eating. I did not call my veterinarian immediately, instead I watched my FIV cat and found that when he ate he would vomit and knew that this was a red flag.  The veterinarian wanted to exam my cat and do blood-work. The diagnosis was a abscessed tooth.

One of my other cats would vomit at his food bowl, however this was due to anxiety. I was told that it might be a nervous condition, due to other cat pushing his way to eat at the bowl and not waiting his turn. It was suggested that I feed the cat in another room, that sharing the same food bowl may be causing the cat to feel anxiety and vomit. The feeding in another room was all that was needed. The vomiting stopped.

Renal Failure in FIV Cats

In November my cat's blood and urine tests indicated that he was in renal failure and I was told that this was an indication that the feline immunodeficiency virus had progressed.  That these FIV cats can live a long life but some cats will get sick when they are older.  Know that we rescued Sam in 2008, which was eight years ago and Sam is approximately 9 years old.  Everyone I know that has an FIV cat has told me that some cats will get sick in 5 to 6 years.

So when it came time for Sam's check-up to see how his kidneys were,  you bet I was worried.  Both my husband and I really love Sam our Siamese cat and feel sad that he is sick.   Sam went in for his wellness exam and lab work last Friday.  It took 4 days to get the results.

The veterinarian called for a urinalysis and blood evaluation.  Both tests came back with normal findings. Sam has been cleared of renal failure. In fact, at this time there is nothing wrong with him except that he has a diagnosis of feline immunodeficiency virus.   That is a virus he will have for the rest of his life.

I  had no idea that we could reverse the diagnosis of kidney failure but I think that before Sam was not getting enough water and now his KD canned cat food diet must be benefiting his health.  Going forward we will keep all of Sam's veterinarian appointments and will continue to feed him the KD prescription canned cat food.

My Cat Sam is Losing Weight

Forty-five days ago my cat Sam was rushed to the veterinarian because he had a fever and stopped eating. These two symptoms are cause for alarm when your cat has feline immunodeficiency virus. My cat was admitted to the animal hospital and stayed there for ten days. That is when we learned that his kidneys were not normal and that he had chronic kidney disease, his teeth needed to be removed, and that he was losing weight.  Pounds were lost while at the veterinarian hospital.

Sam hiding in the water container.

 Sam was losing weight; was a warning flag for cancer. 

Sam had an ultrasound and the results were negative, of course, this ultrasound could not see inside his internal organs and we have no idea if he has kidney cancer or what.

So we bring Sam home and he has to eat special cat food; Royal Canin veterinary diet Renal LP in gravy canned food for chronic kidney disease or renal failure.

The food gives him more energy but also reduces his food intake, plus Sam hates canned food.  He is a kibble junkie cat, and I guess he does not like the taste, eats only when he has to and I can tell he does not like it because he growls at his food bowl.

Yes, my cat hates his kidney diet food.  He eats when is starving and seldom licks the plate clean. I think this is why he has lost more weight.

The veterinarian says the weight loss is not due to the lack of kibble food but thinks it is due to some underlining medical condition.  I am a worried cat mom. 

We go back to the veterinarian on Tuesday for a checkup.