A good day!
So my oldest cat Sputnik is going to be seventeen next month. About a year and a half ago I ran blood and urine on her. Her kidneys were a little weak and her potassium low, so I put her on a supplement. Didn't change her food because she was eating it well and she's a hard cat that way.
I had wanted to test her again before the move but life happened and then we got to the new town and one thing and another and here we are a year and a half on. I did order her some Royal Canin renal food recently and was surprised to find she really likes it.
Then on Saturday evening, I discovered that she was passing blood in her urine. I stopped just short of a trip to the emergency vet. Gave her some fluids and Lugol's and put her in the cat room for the night. Next morning, no blood but very little urine. Monday I called the vet in town and the first time they could see her wasn't until today. Fortunately, she also was peeing pretty normally on Monday so that turned out to be fine.
Anyway, I took her in today and we ran blood and urine. Had to leave her there for a couple of hours and they gave her a big dose of fluids to get her to produce some urine on demand. That worked and the blood and urinalysis came out just about perfect! This was quite a surprise to all concerned. She's got one liver number (alt) that's a little high and her sodium looks slightly high but her kidney numbers are NORMAL. Still traces of blood in the urine but no bacteria. This is the second vet that's said to me "I wasn't expecting that" in regards to iodine and finding no more bacteria. I guess they don't discuss it in med school :E
At this rate, I could have her obnoxious little self around for a couple more years if I'm lucky. Not half bad for an old lady. Instructions are to continue the renal diet and call if anything more comes up, then recheck in six months. I may add some milk thistle to her regimen though.
And besides that, I got out of there for under $250! Which was like a miracle. Very relieved to find that this hospital isn't unreasonable in terms of their rates.
I had wanted to test her again before the move but life happened and then we got to the new town and one thing and another and here we are a year and a half on. I did order her some Royal Canin renal food recently and was surprised to find she really likes it.
Then on Saturday evening, I discovered that she was passing blood in her urine. I stopped just short of a trip to the emergency vet. Gave her some fluids and Lugol's and put her in the cat room for the night. Next morning, no blood but very little urine. Monday I called the vet in town and the first time they could see her wasn't until today. Fortunately, she also was peeing pretty normally on Monday so that turned out to be fine.
Anyway, I took her in today and we ran blood and urine. Had to leave her there for a couple of hours and they gave her a big dose of fluids to get her to produce some urine on demand. That worked and the blood and urinalysis came out just about perfect! This was quite a surprise to all concerned. She's got one liver number (alt) that's a little high and her sodium looks slightly high but her kidney numbers are NORMAL. Still traces of blood in the urine but no bacteria. This is the second vet that's said to me "I wasn't expecting that" in regards to iodine and finding no more bacteria. I guess they don't discuss it in med school :E
At this rate, I could have her obnoxious little self around for a couple more years if I'm lucky. Not half bad for an old lady. Instructions are to continue the renal diet and call if anything more comes up, then recheck in six months. I may add some milk thistle to her regimen though.
And besides that, I got out of there for under $250! Which was like a miracle. Very relieved to find that this hospital isn't unreasonable in terms of their rates.
