Adult Cat Diagnosed with Kidney Disease

My tabby cat is five years old and he was diagnosed with kidney disease.  The veterinarian said that he would need to eat a prescription diet food for the rest of his life.  

The Hills Urinary Care prescription diet would not cure him but I was assured that he would not get sicker.

 

The diagnosis was due to my cat's elevated blood phosphorus reading.  It was over the normal 6 mg/dl (USA) and indicated kidney disease.  There were no crystals in his urine or any other indicator.

 

There are many reasons why a cat would develop kidney disease.  Many older cats develop this condition due to kidney changes as they age, they drink less water or their diet is primarily dry kibble.

 

Another reason would be due to an infection, or a cat ate something toxic (lily flowers or antifreeze) and it damaged their kidneys. Also, cats with FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) may develop kidney disease.  My FIV cat named Sam has chronic kidney disease.  Read the article here. 

 

For my tabby cat, the reason was clear, he was not a big water drinker, and he preferred dry kibble over wet canned food.  When cats eat only dry food  which is half the moisture of canned food, and not being a water drinker, those two factors will cause kidney/bladder disease.  I was told that dry cat kibble was the leading cause of urinary and bladder infections in cats.

 

Know that we always topped our cats Purina ONE True Instinct Natural Real Chicken Plus Vitamins & Minerals High Protein Grain-Free Dry Cat Food with wet canned food but this cat would only eat a little canned food, as he preferred dry.  This food has a 12 percent moisture, it's higher than many kibbles on the market, and many have less.

 

Due to his kidney disease diagnosis, we must feed him the prescription canned food.  I mix a little water in the food for extra fluid which is good for his kidneys. He is not a fan of the canned food so I will ask the veterinarian if there is a prescription kibble that he can eat that I could mix with the canned food.

 

Learn more about cat kidney disease by reading this article 

Rushed FIV Cat to Veterinarians

Two days ago my FIV cat named Sam was playing with his toys and talking to the birds from the window.  he was fine happy and loving life then the following day he did not eat his food.  All that he did was drink water and this was a red flag that something was wrong.

My Siamese Cat named Sam, Playing one day, next day sick.

Because Sam has feline immunodeficiency virus we react differently to any changes in diet or mood because stress or illness could be a fatality for an FIV cat.

After 10 hours Sam did not attempt to eat his food, all he did was drink water so we took him to the veterinarian.  They gave him a physical exam, took blood for tests, and urine and said his urine was cloudy and not concentrated the way it should be.

The veterinarian told us to feed Sam k/d kidney care diet.  this canned food made by Hill's Prescription was formulated to support my cats kidney health.  We have no idea how Sam's kidneys were damaged, not sure if it is part of the FIV condition.  But we were told that this cat diet food will help in maintaining the balance of fluid and minerals and support my cat's kidney health. 

We bring Sam home tomorrow morning and I am to watch him over the weekend, if he does not eat his food I am to call the veterinarian office on Monday.
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Prayers Answered: Cat No Longer in Kidney Failure

In January I published a post letting all of my followers know that my cat Sam was diagnosed with kidney failure.  My veterinarian told me that he suspected it was the nature of the FIV virus and that it had progressed.  Sam had stopped eating,  had a fever, and was in the animal hospital for two weeks. During this time I went to see him daily to hold, pet, talk and kiss his furry head.  I loved my cat Sam and hoped and prayed that he would overcome this illness.  

Sam when he first got sick

After two weeks of medical care, Sam was released to come home and aftercare was to feed him food formulated for cats with kidney failure.  Well, Sam hated the food and continued to lose weight.  The veterinarian said "what does he like" I replied "Friskies special diet turkey and giblets.  The veterinarian said okay to feed him this canned cat food because Sam had to eat.

After several weeks of a poor diet, Sam got his way and got his food back.  He loved it, put on weight, regained his strength, and was back to his old self within 10 days. 

Know that in March Sam had his wellness checkup and his blood was drawn to check his white count and kidney. My prayers had been answered because his blood was fine, and the kidneys were working as they should.  No kidney failure was noted.  I am not sure if this FIV cat is exercising his nine lives, or if God said it is not your time.  All I know is Sam is back and he is his ole self.

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.

FIV Cats Sleep More Than Normal Cats

When you own an FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) infected cat you tend to read books and search online for information regarding this feline disease.  Then you do everything that you can to keep your cat healthy and happy so that he does not get sick.

My cat Sam sleeping on the sofa.  He sleeps 90% of the day

All the information that I have read indicated that cats that are infected generally do not show signs of the disease for five to seven years. I rescued Sam in 2008 and he was diagnosed with Feline AIDS which was reduced to FIV since he had no symptoms. Sam has been healthy and happy for seven years and now he is sick; renal failure and possible cancer.

The veterinarian said that the renal failure is due to the FIV and he suspects that he may have cancer also. My cat is slipping away from me and there is nothing I can do to stop his illness from progressing. We had hoped that we could spend one more year with him but I do not know if that is possible.

Sam is still happy, talks to me daily plays with the dog but overall he sleeps more than before.For now, we are keeping all veterinarian appointments.  He has had a B12 shot and that has helped some.  His weakened immune system cannot fight off the diseases and for now, I have my Sam even though he sleeps 90% of the day, the 10% is still quality time spent with my cat Sam.

My FIV Cat Has Kidney Failure

My cat Sam was rescued after he was abandoned in the woods by my home. It took us less than a year to catch him because he was so scared. By the time we got him, he was skin and bones and from the looks of his coat, he had been in one too many fights.

We took him to the veterinarian and he tested positive for feline leukemia and aides. The veterinarian at the time wanted to put Sam down but I said no and that was in 2008. To make a long story short I nursed Sam back to health and have enjoyed this talkative, playful, and very loving Siamese cat for the last seven years.

Everything was great in fact in August of 2014 his medical exam and blood work should not have changes, but come to the end of November it was clear that something was wrong. Sam who loves to eat, decided he was not going to eat anymore. We thought maybe he suddenly did not like his only natural food by Merrick.  We fed him the best-canned cat food; de-boned chicken canned cat food that was grain free and had no corn wheat, soy, or gluten so we spiced up his food and gave him Merrick Purrfect Bistro Surf and Turf canned cat food and my cat turned away from his food bowl.

The next day he went to the veterinarian because if Sam is not eating there is something wrong. Well sure enough he had fervor, and an infection from an unknown source, his blood work came back fine but his urine showed that his kidneys were not working properly. Sam was in the veterinarian hospital for 10 days and when he was discharged we were told that his teeth due to feline stomatitis had to be removed but the surgery day was unclear due to his renal failure.

Sam has been home now for two weeks and he is doing better, but the veterinarian told me that he needs a follow-up exam and then he will decide if they will go ahead to remove his teeth. I will know more on Tuesday as it is Sams's next appointment.