Does 25yr old cat need pain meds for CKD and ear cancer

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Daisycat1976
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Does 25yr old cat need pain meds for CKD and ear cancer

Post by Daisycat1976 »

Hi,

We have just 3 weeks ago taken on a 25 Yr old cat called Daisy who has scc ear cancer, quite a large ulcer which goes through a cycle of Daisy scratching the scab off it bleeding and then scabs up again and about 5 says later she scratches it off again. It seems to annoy her but not massively though it looks bad. She had bloods done 3 weeks ago. The abnormal ones are below.

ALP 300 (7-75)
ALT 152 (30-60)
UREA 10.8 (3.5 - 8)

Vet says she is in kidney failure but due to the above bloods has prescribed no pain relief as she said this could make kidneys worse.

We were asking about pain relief as she had been pulling fur from the fur on the right legs back and front though this has now reduced as we started her on high dose arnica which has improved her mobility as she is now grooming more and lifting her leg above her head and interacting with us.

She is a lovely little cat who does sleep alot and takes overnight to slowly eat all her food. She left about a third this morning :( I never see her drink anything but she has all wet food.

So should she be on any meds do u think?? I am conscious of side effect of meds as she is so old but don't want her in discomfort.
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Mollycat
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Re: Does 25yr old cat need pain meds for CKD and ear cancer

Post by Mollycat »

Aw sweetie, so lovely that you've given her a caring home for her twilight time.

Those abnormal readings are normally associated with liver failure rather than kidney, and that would explain why pain meds could be a problem too.

Are you sure it was kidney failure the vet said? Or was it kidney failure but those liver readings contraindicate pain meds?
Daisycat1976
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Re: Does 25yr old cat need pain meds for CKD and ear cancer

Post by Daisycat1976 »

Thank you MollyCat for ur reply. I have monitored her health from afar and got treatment for her ear when required whilst she was with her current owner but now she needs extra comfort and care now so it was an easy decision to let her stay with us. She is so sweet and so grateful.

Yes vet said kidney failure but when I googled the other readings I saw liver issues too. I got her bloods printed out so am going to send them to another vet for her thoughts. What treatment is usually given for liver failure?? She did have a corvenia injection about 3 weeks ago. Wonder would that have affected her liver readings?? Just a thought. Would she be in pain with liver failure??

Thank you.
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Mollycat
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Re: Does 25yr old cat need pain meds for CKD and ear cancer

Post by Mollycat »

I really don't know much about liver failure, my only experience were some abnormal liver readings in ine when she was first diagnosed hyperthyroid following an out of character couple of days not eating then yellow vomiting and diarrhoea, and I rushed her to the vet fearing hepatic lipidosis. I believe the readings were hyperthyroid related from my own research though the vet thought not - ALT was expected with hyperthyroid but she also had elevated bilirubin which the vet said not but I tracked down how it could well be. And by the time further bloods were taken a fortnight later bilirubin was normal. Anyway that's by the by.

Pain from failing kidneys I believe happens at quite an advanced stage and in my limited experience seems to show by an arched back, muscle loss (that's when you feel the backbone and hip bones sticking out even if the cat's overall weight is good) and sometimes hissing when touched near the kidneys. I have always found cats in pain or under great stress (after all pain is stressful) to get dandruff near the base of the tail and the coat feels rough and possibly sheds a lot more than usual.

Pain from liver issues I'm not sure about. As I understand it some liver problems cause pain for us humans but others don't there are so many ways a liver can be underperforming, as it has so many functions. But as one of its functions is to process toxins, that's what makes me think pain meds might be not recommended if it's not working properly. Cats as you know tolerate quite a bit of pain before showing it and with this cat being new-ish to you it might be harder to spot. This is a pretty good guide to the more subtle signs of pain https://www.preventivevet.com/cats/how- ... is-in-pain. I would say under their title 'eyes' that the face has a slightly rounded and tense look, a bit stiff. And sitting in the loaf position with all 4 feet down, combined with the facial look, would be a strong indicator of pain.

If you think she is in pain, and meds are out of the question, a heated pet mat can help some cats. Some may avoid you but some can want to be near you but not be touched, a hard thing for us to understand as we need to cuddle and comfort, but that can be too much for a cat in pain. I have heard of cats purring and even padding when they are in pain or stressed, I had never seen this is any of my cats until this hyperthyroid one who turns on the engine every tie on the way home from the vets having squeaked and mewed and yowled all the way there!

Natural remedies may have something to offer for pain but go careful if she is on other meds as seemingly innocent herbal preparations can interact badly with prescription drugs. Always check with the vet.
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Re: Does 25yr old cat need pain meds for CKD and ear cancer

Post by booktigger »

I'd have said some kind of liver issues rather than kidney failure from those values - raised urea isn't indicative of CKD without raised Creatnine, as raised Urea is often related to inflammation, so could be related to her SCC instead. I had a cat with a liver disease and when I asked the vet if she was in pain, she told me she would feel like she had a really bad hangover.
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Re: Does 25yr old cat need pain meds for CKD and ear cancer

Post by Daisycat1976 »

Thank you both for your very helpful replies. Her creatinine is within range 117 (40-180) so it does look more like liver from what you are saying. I have just this evening bought her a water fountain to encourage her to drink but she hasn't really been interested but it could take time.

Mollycat I checked out the pain signs but I'm still not sure as she sleeps alot curled up. She is still very very affectionate and chins us alot which is lovely and is loving long head and chin rubs.

I have been quite upset this evening as she is eating only little bits . I am going to Tesco now to buy food in gravy and mouse type stuff to try and tempt her. I know if she doesn't eat more in the next day or so we may have a decision to make. I don't want her to fade away. We have only just got her and i don't want to have to say goodbye yet. I just love her she has a beautiful soul.

She is currently asleep and snoring.
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