Forum Discussion

Code2High's avatar
Code2High
Explorer
May 16, 2013

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.

15 Replies

  • 17...wow that is amazing..sounds like she will be around for a few more years hopefully !
  • AZPops wrote:
    Great news that she OK! Since we're back in town. Calvin's gonna see Dr Hehn Monday morning to have his semi-annual blood work, and have her give him the whole once over as well!

    Pops


    Back in which town? AZ? I can't keep up!
  • CA POPPY wrote:
    Ha! She's Edna's twin. Edna will be 17 next month, the longest living cat we've ever had. We got her at five weeks. A year ago Feb we had the new vet do the first bloodwork of Edna's life. Like Sput, liver # was a little off, but that's all. She's had no problems, so we haven't been back. The different thing about Edna is that she has eaten nothing by dry food her entire life. Well, and dry treats. She never would eat canned food or people food. Vet said that's unusual, but okay, as long as she drinks a lot of water, and she does. I notice Edna sleeps about 20 hrs a day. It's okay, we're not that peppy anymore, either. Hope you and we get to keep these old girls awhile longer.


    They really are twins.... Sput likes dry food and won't eat enough of anything else to keep her alive. She has, in her dotage, taken to tasting bits of cooked chicken. But the one time I tried canned she dropped weight like a rock. NOT helpful.

    So she's getting Royal Canin renal diet kibble (chicken flavor) and she thinks that's the bomb. As is the case with most "medical" diets (they sell it without a prescription, unlike Hills) the ingredients make me cringe but I'll deal with that. Vet says it's fine for the liver issue as well, which in retrospect seems odd. I was too stunned to think when I heard all this... I really thought that she had to have lost some ground on the kidney thing in 18 months.
  • Great news that she OK! Since we're back in town. Calvin's gonna see Dr Hehn Monday morning to have his semi-annual blood work, and have her give him the whole once over as well!

    Pops
  • Ha! She's Edna's twin. Edna will be 17 next month, the longest living cat we've ever had. We got her at five weeks. A year ago Feb we had the new vet do the first bloodwork of Edna's life. Like Sput, liver # was a little off, but that's all. She's had no problems, so we haven't been back. The different thing about Edna is that she has eaten nothing by dry food her entire life. Well, and dry treats. She never would eat canned food or people food. Vet said that's unusual, but okay, as long as she drinks a lot of water, and she does. I notice Edna sleeps about 20 hrs a day. It's okay, we're not that peppy anymore, either. Hope you and we get to keep these old girls awhile longer.