Kidney disease newly diagnosed
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LindaKat
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Kidney disease newly diagnosed
Hi. My little kittie Harry has recently been diagnosed with kidney disease. I took him to the vets as he was intermittently peeing at the front door. Had urine tested, very dilute and blood showed as well. He's lost weight too. Only aged around 6. Tests done and scan today. Left kidney shrunken and right affected too with stones. All very sudden. Now on K/d food. He's been given antacids and potassium supplement and had a steroid injection Back for blood pressure check on Friday. Oh and the poor little man has grade 3 heart murmur which is just being monitored at present. Will have to get the vet to write me up test results levels. Anyone else had this happen to them. All seems very sudden and he seems quite young from what I have read about this. Sorry for the length of this query.
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Mollycat
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Re: Kidney disease newly diagnosed
Hi LindaKat and welcome to the forum. So sorry to hear poor Harry's news, I think a crisis or diagnosis is what has brought a lot of us here.
Firstly kidney disease. Yes Harry is young for this but that doesn't necessarily mean he can't still have a great life. My first CKD girl was 8 when she was diagnosed and treatment options were incredibly limted back then (1995) so she was on Hills k/d dry without restricting her treats. She never had cat treats she had fresh meat and fish. She was fine for another 8 years before her kidneys actually failed. During that time a drug called Fortekor was licenced for CKD cats but we chose not to take it as she was doing well on the diet. As a matter of fact today is the 16th anniversary of her passing.
There is an excellent website devoted to renal failure in cats from early all the way through to end stage http://www.felinecrf.org/index.htm and as kidney issues are unfortunately a cat's weak spot no shortage of support from members here. There are now lots more options to keep up a good quality of life. Blood in the urine can also be a simple water infection, which ironically is more likely with dilute urine, it's the blood test that tells you what's going on in the remaining good kidney.
Secondly the grade of a heart murmur usually refers to the loudness and doesn't necessarily match how severe it is or (according to Cats Protection) even that there is any heart disease at all https://www.cats.org.uk/media/1040/vg11 ... isease.pdf. How much diagnosis has Harry had? If it's graded 3 just by listening, remember it will be worse if his heart rate is raised from the stress of being at the vets as well. Our dog was told heart murmur but the next time we took him for a checkup we didn't take him for a 2 hour walk before the appointment and his murmur had disappeared - daft owners!! And my Bobbycat's heart rate would go to 240 just for being at the vets, prompting a load of tests that showed nothing at all, he was just a cat whose heart rate shot up at the vets. Was the scan on his heart as well as his kidneys?
With both of these conditions, don't panic. Weight loss can be due to kidney issues but if the vet has given him steroids maybe there is some gut inflammation? A lot depends on whether it's muscle wastage or fat loss, with kidney problems sometimes protein is lost through excessive urine and they can have a protein binder powder on their food to help that. The urine test should reveal if that's appropriate for him. There's a lot for you to take in but thankfully lots of information out there and support right here.
Firstly kidney disease. Yes Harry is young for this but that doesn't necessarily mean he can't still have a great life. My first CKD girl was 8 when she was diagnosed and treatment options were incredibly limted back then (1995) so she was on Hills k/d dry without restricting her treats. She never had cat treats she had fresh meat and fish. She was fine for another 8 years before her kidneys actually failed. During that time a drug called Fortekor was licenced for CKD cats but we chose not to take it as she was doing well on the diet. As a matter of fact today is the 16th anniversary of her passing.
There is an excellent website devoted to renal failure in cats from early all the way through to end stage http://www.felinecrf.org/index.htm and as kidney issues are unfortunately a cat's weak spot no shortage of support from members here. There are now lots more options to keep up a good quality of life. Blood in the urine can also be a simple water infection, which ironically is more likely with dilute urine, it's the blood test that tells you what's going on in the remaining good kidney.
Secondly the grade of a heart murmur usually refers to the loudness and doesn't necessarily match how severe it is or (according to Cats Protection) even that there is any heart disease at all https://www.cats.org.uk/media/1040/vg11 ... isease.pdf. How much diagnosis has Harry had? If it's graded 3 just by listening, remember it will be worse if his heart rate is raised from the stress of being at the vets as well. Our dog was told heart murmur but the next time we took him for a checkup we didn't take him for a 2 hour walk before the appointment and his murmur had disappeared - daft owners!! And my Bobbycat's heart rate would go to 240 just for being at the vets, prompting a load of tests that showed nothing at all, he was just a cat whose heart rate shot up at the vets. Was the scan on his heart as well as his kidneys?
With both of these conditions, don't panic. Weight loss can be due to kidney issues but if the vet has given him steroids maybe there is some gut inflammation? A lot depends on whether it's muscle wastage or fat loss, with kidney problems sometimes protein is lost through excessive urine and they can have a protein binder powder on their food to help that. The urine test should reveal if that's appropriate for him. There's a lot for you to take in but thankfully lots of information out there and support right here.
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booktigger
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Re: Kidney disease newly diagnosed
That sounds more than kidney disease, between his age, and the size and stones - what breed is he? If he isn't keen on the k/d, don't despair, there are other brands, my Lucy has 4 different brands to stop her getting bored with one of them, and most find the dry more palatable than the wet. Surprised they gave a steroid injection, they don't often use them with kidney issues, did the vet say why?
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LindaKat
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Re: Kidney disease newly diagnosed
Hi
Heart murmur has had scan in August and basically keep an eye on him. Suggested repeat scan in 9 mths so they have something to compare it against.
Steroid was to help with his appetite.
He seems to like the k/d dry so far. He was on ordinary science plan anyway. He's not a fan of wet food tends to lick the gravy. May eat a bit of the pate style food.
Hoping that at tomorrow's appt we will get the outstanding results and I will ask what stage the disease is.
Thanks for the info. I'll have a look tonight at it all.
He's a moggy but a very cute and affectionate little cat.
Heart murmur has had scan in August and basically keep an eye on him. Suggested repeat scan in 9 mths so they have something to compare it against.
Steroid was to help with his appetite.
He seems to like the k/d dry so far. He was on ordinary science plan anyway. He's not a fan of wet food tends to lick the gravy. May eat a bit of the pate style food.
Hoping that at tomorrow's appt we will get the outstanding results and I will ask what stage the disease is.
Thanks for the info. I'll have a look tonight at it all.
He's a moggy but a very cute and affectionate little cat.