Question for Cat owners

[ckupets04]

My cat is 17 years old. He seems to be quite sick right now. He is not eating or drinking anything. Its late in the evening and most of the vet offices are closed but I found a mobile vet that was able to come to my house and give me a diagnosis. He said he thinks its most likely kidney failure.

Has any cat owners been in the same situation in the past ? I want to explore every possible opportunity to try and get him back to health . Putting him down would be an absolutely last case resort. It would be difficult for me to have him put down.

Any recommendations or suggestions?

Of course, the vet said he thinks its most likely kidney failure but obviously he didnt take him to the clinic downtown to do the blood tests and do all the necessary tests to confirm if that was the case.

I plan on taking him to an animal hospital tommorow morning.

Any recommendations or suggestions on good vets are appreciated.

You can pm me if you like.

Thank you.

 

[someone]

My cat is 17 years old. He seems to be quite sick right now. He is not eating or drinking anything. Its late in the evening and most of the vet offices are closed but I found a mobile vet that was able to come to my house and give me a diagnosis. He said he thinks its most likely kidney failure.

Has any cat owners been in the same situation in the past ? I want to explore every possible opportunity to try and get him back to health . Putting him down would be an absolutely last case resort. It would be difficult for me to have him put down.

Any recommendations or suggestions?

Of course, the vet said he thinks its most likely kidney failure but obviously he didnt take him to the clinic downtown to do the blood tests and do all the necessary tests to confirm if that was the case.

I plan on taking him to an animal hospital tommorow morning.

Any recommendations or suggestions on good vets are appreciated.

You can pm me if you like.

Thank you.

I would be careful of “mobile vets”. I have never used one but years ago, with a former cat (also older) I went to an emergency vet on the Danforth (around Pape). They really tried to take advantage of the fact they knew people who used them are desperate and used the opportunity to recommend a lot of unnecessary tests (others I talked to also had the same experience). Their recommendations were completely wrong as my regular vet determined within minutes Monday morning. If possible, I urge you to take him to a regular vet that you normally deal with.

This being said, 17 years is old for a cat. I hope that a regular vet can help you give him a quality live for the next few years. I know from personal experience that it is very hard to put a cat to sleep no matter how necessary.

Recently I got a new cat and have taken her to a place at King and (I think) Shaw. However, I don’t have enough experience with them to really recommend them (but they seem fine). Years ago, I had a cat that lived to 20 years of age (the one mentioned in my first paragraph) and went to the MacDonald animal hospital on Bloor West. The staff have likely changed but at the time I was very happy with their service.

 

[blueman]

My cat is 17 years old. He seems to be quite sick right now. He is not eating or drinking anything. Its late in the evening and most of the vet offices are closed but I found a mobile vet that was able to come to my house and give me a diagnosis. He said he thinks its most likely kidney failure.

Has any cat owners been in the same situation in the past ? I want to explore every possible opportunity to try and get him back to health . Putting him down would be an absolutely last case resort. It would be difficult for me to have him put down.

Any recommendations or suggestions?

Of course, the vet said he thinks its most likely kidney failure but obviously he didnt take him to the clinic downtown to do the blood tests and do all the necessary tests to confirm if that was the case.

I plan on taking him to an animal hospital tommorow morning.

Any recommendations or suggestions on good vets are appreciated.

You can pm me if you like.

Thank you.

-----------------------------------------------------

I am so sorry to hear about your cat.

A few years ago my cat had kidney failure and it was awful. I am sorry to tell you that the best answer for her was to humanely put her to sleep. She was suffering and past the point of meds helping her.

If you catch the kidney problem early enough there is medication available. If not your cat will be suffering and then the difficult decision has to be considered.

I sincerely hope all goes well and she lives for many more years!

no matter what immediate attention is required

 

[Moraff]

I've been in your shoes and you have my deepest sympathy. I had the option of trying expensive surgery with a small chance of success but with a severe decrease in my cat's quality of life. Even though it was the best thing for my cat (and the vet agreed with me), having her put to sleep was the hardest decision I've ever made in my life. Still chokes me up.

 

[james t kirk]

Well, a simple blood test will determine whether it's kidney failure, or kidney issues, or whatever. The only problem is that it is friday evening.

If it is kidney failure you should notice that your cat smells very bad. Also, the cat will urinate all the time (kidneys are not concentrating urine) and will drink allot.

Here's a website devoted to CRF

http://www.felinecrf.com/


Now, having said all that, my cat who is now 18 was supposed to be dead 4 years ago if I listened to my first vet. I was shocked when they told me that she had kidney disease and would die within a year. They wanted to put her on 2 different kinds of meds and of course - sell me their special vet kibble for Kidney Disease.

(I have posted on TERB about this in the past.)

Anyway, long story short - I took her to see a vet who is more into natural treatments for animals (she's a vet btw). Her big thing at the time was diet. Don't feed your cat kibble -EVER. She told me, and I now believe that kibble and processed pet foods will kill your animal. She also said that vets make a ton of money selling drugs and selling vet pet food (something she refuses to do).

She gave me a recipe for home made cat food that is essentially meat (chicken or fish) with some vegetables and greens. No rice, no grains, EVER for a cat. Even if you buy your cat a can of sardines in tomato sauce from Loblaws for 49 cents, it's better than kibble.

I started feeding my cat this recipe and her health improved. Her kidney levels actually got better. (I ended up taking her to the Cat Clinic in Hamilton (after giving up on my Toronto vet) and even they were amazed in looking at her kidney levels.) I now firmly believe that processed pet food, especially kibble is terrible for your animal and will never feed it to them. One, cats can't digest grains, they get metabolized as sugar and stored as fat, and 2, cats get their moisture from their food (being desert animals, they don't have a developed sense of thirst to drink enough.) and kibble has next to no moisture (as opposed to meat which is 60% moisture). Chronic dehydration is the worst thing for kidneys as it will burn them out. Kibble = no moisture = chronic dehydration = kidney issues.

Anyway, my cat is going strong (knock on wood). She's 18 now, her weight is good, her coat is good, etc. For a cat that was supposed to be dead 4 years ago, she's looking pretty good.

With respect to your immediate problem, cats often won't eat or drink when they are under the weather and they will also hide. If it is a kidney issue, they can give her an IV to re-hydrate her. I know people who have cats with CRF that do this at home. However if the cat's kidneys are burnt out, it's sad, but too late.

Worth a shot though.

Good luck.

And never feed your cat kibble - ever. Same with dogs.

http://www.optimumchoices.com/Chronic_Renal_Failure.htm

As far as cat vets go, I like Dr. Obrien at the Cat Clinic in Hamilton. Obrien is one of 3 "Cat Practioners" in Canada. All she does is cats and I must admit, she is a very good vet, very skilled.

www.thecatclinic.ca

There is no place in Toronto like this. The only thing....if you want to take your cat there, you have to INSIST on seeing Obrien when you book, otherwise you get one of the run of the mill vets. There is guy there who is pretty good, but ALL of the other women there are really fucing bitchie and patronizing, especially the one fat dyke (who looks like Rosie O'Donnel). She is to be avoided like the plague. Not only does she clearly have a hate on for men, but she thinks she's so much fucking smarter than you. Ironically, Obrien, (who is the smartest one in the joint) is quite the opposite. She's friendly and approachable and treats you like a human being. She'll talke to you, not down to you.

 

[jiiimmm]

had the same experience a few years back, spent a small fortune because the vet said there was a slim chance, just prolonged the poor things suffering.
Its hard but say your goodbyes and let it rest in peace. Good luck

 

[The Bandit]

Had to put mine down at 17, it might be the best thing for it, they don't last much longer. It's always hard to let go, but it might get better and then something else will pop up. It's not worth the cost, have it put down and get another one.

 

[tboy]

Had to put mine down at 17, it might be the best thing for it, they don't last much longer. It's always hard to let go, but it might get better and then something else will pop up. It's not worth the cost, have it put down and get another one.

Kind of cold but there is truth to what you say. I had one that might (I express MIGHT) have been saved with numerous treatments, tests, and a prolonged stay in the hospital. I know the stay alone would have been agony for her because she hated being in a cage, carrier, or box. The vet I saw estimated that it would be around $2500.00 and they might not find out what was wrong (sounds similar to what the op's is going through).

I still ache to this day having to put her down but to prolong her sufferring would have been cruel.

I also had mine for 17 years and it is hard to let go but it might be for the best.......

 

[lonecoxxman]

I once had a cat that died fairly young from failed kidneys. I think James T. Kirk pretty much told you what I would say and a lot more. A low ash diet was recommended but it was too late. Possibly getting your cat to drink soft or demineralized water might be an approach as well. Maybe even distilled water. But be sure to check out with the vet before going to these water approaches.

My sympathy is with you. I still feel the pain from pets I've had to put down.

 

[The Oracle]

I would follow james T Kirk's advice to the letter. Well thought out and very logical. I had to put my cat down two weeks ago and it nearly killed me. Wasn't going to watch him suffer though.

 

[ckupets04]

Would like to thank everyone who has posted on this thread in response to my original post. And will thank anyone in advance who will post on here in the future. I tried taking my cat to the vet today to have some IVs done but my cat really does not like going places. I took him to the vet a couple times many years ago for a minor ailment when he was younger and he would not like the trip to the vet and he would not like the vets waiting room with all the animals. He would get very agitated and/or scared when he saw the other animals in the waiting room. also when handled by the vet his heart would start to race and he would get quite angry. I figure, at this age, it would be even more stressful. I was scheduled to take him in for IVs this morning but as I tried to put him in the carrier to take him out of the house and into the car he started hissing and got very angry. I tried to pick him up to put him in the carrier and he seemed to put all his strength and might into his paws. He really did not want to go anywhere. Seems as though his wishes are to stay at home. I have however, found a vet that said he can come over to my place and do the IVs at home. So I guess this will be a lot less stressful for my cat.

Thanks again to all those who have offered their kind words and helpful suggestions and advice.

 

[lawyerman]

James T Kirk offered some great advice. I know that some people give their cats dry food and that has to be one of the worst possible things to give them.

 

[spatial_k]

She gave me a recipe for home made cat food that is essentially meat (chicken or fish) with some vegetables and greens. No rice, no grains, EVER for a cat. Even if you buy your cat a can of sardines in tomato sauce from Loblaws for 49 cents, it's better than kibble.

Wow, I'm switching my cats off kibble. Care to share the recipe?

 

[Kyra.Graves]

I am sorry that your cat is ill, it's very hard to watch them go through such serious illnesses. You did a great job in calling a vet, far too often people go online and ask questions first and call a professional second so I think it's important to aknowledge the fact that it sounds like you are doing the right things already. It's normal to question your judgement, to be unsure as this is going to be new territory but you are demonstrating that you have your cats best interest at heart and in the long run you know your cat better than anyone else and will make the best decisions for your cat as hard as they are going to be.

Kirk posted a great link about CRF, read it in advance and if it does turn out to be renal failure then go into the vets office with whatever knowledge you can find and ask the questions you need to fill in the gaps. This will help you make the important decisions.
If on the other hand the bloodwork shows a different diagnosis then ask questions, work with your vet and trust your judgement. I can't stress enough that it sounds like you've done really well so far and getting your cat to 17 years presumably happy and up until now healthy is no small feat. It's not easy when they get older but these are the years when they count on you the most and when you can give back to them for all the wonderful companionship they gave you.
Give the little one some extra ear scratches from me and if you need a vet recommendation PM me, I know a few that are excellent that keep irregular hours.
Good luck!

 

[Tangwhich]

I'm sorry to hijack this thread, but I wanted to respond to what kirk said regarding the food.
I don't have a cat but I do have a dog. My vet was always trying to sell me the science diet crap they have so I decided to do a little research.
Amoung other web sites, I came across www.dogfoodanalysis.com which said that the stuff the vet sells it not only poor quality, but is one of the worst on the market.
I used a list of the top rated foods to pick a new one and my dog is doing great on it.

Unfortunately, there isn't a cat food version of it but I just wanted to back up what Kirk said about how not to trust those selling you food.

 

[james t kirk]

My old hippie vet refuses to sell manufactured pet food. She told me she could make a ton of money selling it, but refuses because she knows it's very bad for the animal.

When I first met her, she asked me how much my Toronto vet wanted for a bag of his Vet Kibble. I think it was around 40 bucks. So my hippie vet says, "so that means he paid about $20.00 for it"

She went on...

That means the wholesaler bought it for less than $10.00, which means the manufacturer probably made it for about $5.00 or less.

Puts it in perspective.

Also, the pet food industry is inherently unregulated. There isn't enough resources to regulate human food, let alone pet food. The pet food industry is a multi billion dollar industry serving clients who can't complain. As long as the animal is eating, generally people are happy. Most people want what's best for our pets, but like me, most of you were probably raised to think that cats and dogs aren't supposed to eat human food that they need "special nutrition" just for dogs and cats. Think about that for a minute. Exactly what food is out there in the world that only dogs eat? It's not about the animals, it's about humans. Humans making tons of money and better yet, not only getting rid of the shit that they can't legally feed us, but actually getting PAID in the process for getting rid of it. The pet food industry is simply a waste disposal mechanism where crud gets sold as pet food.

The pet food industry is a business not unlike any other business. It's driven by profit. Now, we all know how you increase profit - you cut costs, or you increase price. So how do you cut costs? You buy shit from China laced with antifreeze to boost protien levels. Remember a few years ago when cats were dying by the thousands due to burned out kidneys and it was all traced back to Menu foods. Turns out they make something like 50 different kinds of pet food labels. Everything maybe in one bag or another, but it all gets made by 1 company.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menu_Foods

 

[james t kirk]

Cat Food recipe is quite simple:

Materials:

Chicken Thighs (get them from Costco - boned and skinned).
Bag of mixed veggies (Beans, peas, brocolli, carrots etc.- costco)
Multi vitamin (shoppers)
Calcium citrate (shoppers)
Potassium supplement (shoppers)



I cook the chicken thighs to elminate bacteria. (Big roasting pan.) But you don't want to cook them too much either.

Veggies are raw.

I then food process the thighs adding a handfull of mixed veggies and salt with the supplements. Add broth left over from the chicken roasting to hide the flavour of the veggies and to make the mixture more fluid. Ratio is about 80% meat, 20% veggies. NO GRAINS, NO RICE ever.

Scoop enough food into a tupperware container to last about 3 days. Freeze all said containers. Take out containers one by one and thaw as time goes on.

I do enough in one batch to last about 6 weeks.


Alternate chicken on some days with some Tuna, or Salmon, or sardines, raw liver, all of which can be bought cheap at costco or loblaws.

It's really just common sense.

 

[lawyerman]

Cat Food recipe is quite simple:

Materials:

Chicken Thighs (get them from Costco - boned and skinned).
Bag of mixed veggies (Beans, peas, brocolli, carrots etc.- costco)
Multi vitamin (shoppers)
Calcium citrate (shoppers)
Potassium supplement (shoppers)



I cook the chicken thighs to elminate bacteria. (Big roasting pan.) But you don't want to cook them too much either.

Veggies are raw.

I then food process the thighs adding a handfull of mixed veggies and salt with the supplements. Add broth left over from the chicken roasting to hide the flavour of the veggies and to make the mixture more fluid. Ratio is about 80% meat, 20% veggies. NO GRAINS, NO RICE ever.

Scoop enough food into a tupperware container to last about 3 days. Freeze all said containers. Take out containers one by one and thaw as time goes on.

I do enough in one batch to last about 6 weeks.


Alternate chicken on some days with some Tuna, or Salmon, or sardines, raw liver, all of which can be bought cheap at costco or loblaws.

It's really just common sense.

Great advice. I do have a question though. I heard that cats do not need added salt since there is enough sodium in homemade foods. Is this true?

 

[james t kirk]

Great advice. I do have a question though. I heard that cats do not need added salt since there is enough sodium in homemade foods. Is this true?

I don't add salt - ie. NaCl.

After that, I don't know.

I have also read that cats need Taurin in their diets as they don't naturally synthesize it, however Taurin (an amino acid) is naturally occuring in meat - chicken especially. Taurin is required for good vision.

I have not looked into Taurin supplements on the basis of feeding them chicken, however, over cooking food supposedly destroys the Taurin in the meat (hence the raw food diets). On the other hand, you have to be careful with chicken and salmonella, so you should cook it, but not over cook it.

If that makes any sense.

I can atest to this, my cat's kidney levels are holding well, and she is a happy cat. My other cat also eats the same diet.

 

[albertp]

I agree with the comments on this thread about pet food. Most of the cheap off the shelf brands are junk. Over time, your cat will have health problems, and the money you saved buying the cheap stuff will be lost to vet bills. I buy the "Holistic Blend" from the Loblaws organic/natural food section.

http://www.holisticblend.com/index.php?osCsid=eb37c5d23367bca2e1e537c5bb9f80cc