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My cat Mona, who is awesome, turned 15 in April. I love her desperately, and have had her since she was four months old. She's the oldest pet I've had--most of our pets growing up lived to be between 12 and 14. Naturally, she's been slowing down a bit with age, but she always seemed relatively healthy. Recently I noticed a couple of things: she started getting a little pickier with food, and she had a couple mats in her fur. She's a domestic shorthair and her fur is really fine, so it's easy to get a comb through, so the mats surprised me. They're not terrible, probably could comb through them easily, so I figured I'd start combing her again (which she loves), and I started playing with her meals to find something that was healthy that she'd actually eat. She always begged for human food, but I figured deli meat and cheese weren't that great for her and put her on a combination of FreshPet and the gravy from whatever wet food she was currently in love with. I started out with Friskies wet food but that stuff is awful and I slowly transitioned her to the best pet-store brand she would tolerate stirred in with a healthy dose of her PetFresh. It worked. Her poops became much more solid and regular, and she started going in the litter rather than in the floor. Other than some gray at the tips of her ears, I thought all was well. Then, today, I was watching NFL and getting ready for a small party I was having tonight and she ran into the apartment from the balcony, and suddenly flopped over on her side, and started seizing. I have to admit, I didn't handle it well. I begged the boyfriend to "please come help her!" while I stood there and panicked. I called the e-vet and they asked me to bring her in. Well, the seizure was over within 30 seconds and my cat was hunkered in a corner while my boyfriend cooed to her and calmed her down. By the time I got her in her carrier she was purring like a machine. She was an angel at the vet, which was surprising, and the vet said since Mona was responsive and seemed healthy that it was unlikely that the seizure meant anything serious. She took some blood and promised results within a few days. I paid my bill and was merrily on my way, and Mona was purring on my lap on the way home. She snuggled into a hidey hole and eagerly ate and drank but stayed hidden for a few hours. The vet had told me there was no reason to cancel the party so we continued getting ready. About three hours later, she emerged from her hiding spot to get some water from her fountain, and promptly seized again. This time it lasted only one or two seconds, one flop, a couple arm flails and then she ran back into her hiding spot. She was back to normal, but about an hour later our guests started trickling in. About an hour into the party (it was about ten people coming over to watch movies), she ran into the bathroom and hunkered behind the toilet, where she stayed until everyone left. She's been receptive to food and pets, purring up a storm, but I'm concerned that we haven't seen her really walk or run extensively since coming home from the vet. The vet said it could be a virus, a tumor, kidney disease, or some other thing, and that the bloodwork could help us figure it out. If the bloodwork rules out any of the above, it could just be a thing that we have to manage. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep her safe and healthy, no matter what. I guess there's nothing I can do but wait for a call from the vet and in the meantime I'm just hoping you guys can give me some comforting examples of how this is not a dangerous or life-threatening condition. I love my cat and I'm not ready to let her go. She's been healthy up to now. What can I do while I wait? I'm scared, but I don't think Mona is. Edit: UPDATE! I got a call from the vet and she said Mona's creatinine and proteinuria levels were elevated, and diagnosed her with Stage II chronic kidney disease. I was prepared for this and almost expected it, since kidney disease is common in all cats, especially older ones. We're going back in to give a urine sample tomorrow (she voided her bladder during the seizure so the vet was unable to get a sample then) for confirmation, and to learn how to give subcutaneous fluids and pick up a script for CKD food. During the initial exam, I told the vet about losing another, much younger, cat to end-stage renal failure and she mentioned that older cats respond better to treatment--not sure why, but younger cats who develop CKD see a much faster progression of the disease. On the phone this morning she said it's not uncommon for cats at this stage who get treatment to see 4-5 years of high-quality life. Since she's almost 16, I'm thanking my lucky stars for that and hoping it's the case for her. I spent the night in the living room so I could keep an eye on her and she acted normal. No trouble walking or getting out onto the balcony to use her litter box. As of 8 am, she hadn't pooped yet, but I expect she will soon. I spoke to the BF who's at home with her today and he said she's acting normal now too. Thank you to those who checked this post. I'll be sure to update with any news or changes. I just needed to get my feelings out on a page yesterday; it was a highly emotional day. Thanks! Maggie Fletcher fucked around with this message at 20:28 on Oct 27, 2014 |
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Oct 27, 2014 07:26
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I don't have much useful to add here -- I did tl;dr a bit about sub-Q fluids in my thread, and if you have questions once you start trying, please feel free to PM me! But I wanted to say that that sounds terrifying, having to watch your kitty have a seizure. I would have been such a wreck. I'm so glad you have a diagnosis, now, and can start helping her. (And my Bella's also the one who insists on human food, all the time. You need a spotter if you're headed to the bathroom, seriously.) The nice thing about fluids is they really seem to perk the cat up quickly. It only took a day or so for Bella to seem like her old self again.
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Oct 30, 2014 11:21
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spacing in vienna posted:I don't have much useful to add here -- I did tl;dr a bit about sub-Q fluids in my thread, and if you have questions once you start trying, please feel free to PM me! But I wanted to say that that sounds terrifying, having to watch your kitty have a seizure. I would have been such a wreck. I'm so glad you have a diagnosis, now, and can start helping her. Thanks so much for sharing your experience on this and your thread. It's making me feel much better about Mona's prognosis and quality of life. We administered her first dose of subcutaneous fluid. It was scary--I was shaking and not quick enough to shove the needle in, but I felt the skin break a little and my poor cat gave me the saddest kitten mew I've ever heard. I wanted to stop then but I remember how well she felt after the vet did it, so I asked my boyfriend to try. He has a little experience with self-injecting (used to use insulin), and after two tries he got the needle in just fine. Surprisingly, when it went in, she didn't squirm or cry or even seem to notice, so he must have done it right. She started to squirm when we got about 50 mL in. We finished about an hour ago and she immediately went to use the litter box. I've been offering her food and chunks of chicken but she's not interested and is hiding under my desk right now. I gave her a snack beforehand to entice her into the bathroom, so maybe that's why. The only thing that concerns me is that about ten minutes ago, she got up from her spot and ran into the kitchen, terrified and staring off into space. She settled under the kitchen table and stared out as if she'd seen a ghost. I pet her until she purred but she still seemed a little freaked out. I don't think this has anything to do with the fluids, although she's been fairly subdued since we did them, but I wonder if she had a petit mal seizure or something. I did notice a tuft of fur nearby and she settled down after I picked it up and threw it away. She has a couple of small mats in her fur, which I've been slowly working to comb out, but sometimes she pulls the whole chunk out herself and maybe she hurt herself. (These are not large mats, and they can be combed out without having to use scissors. The vet has seen them and said just to comb them out. I'm just doing it slowly because she doesn't particularly like me combing them out all at once.) Any thoughts?
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Nov 1, 2014 21:54
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Did your vet check Mona's blood pressure?
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Nov 1, 2014 22:15
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I give needles all day at work, so to make things easier for you and your cat, here are some pointers  Grip her skin firmly, and hold it taught. It's much easier for you to poke, and it's much less painful for her if her skin is taught. Commit to just sticking that needle in. Going slow is torturous. Once you've got a good grip, stick that sucker in fast. It's hard at first until you get some accuracy down. Hold your hand as still as you can while the needle is in. Hold the syringe with your thumb and first two fingers, and then rest the ring finger and pinky on her back to stabilize. This is assuming she is compliant, of course, but cat's tend to be surprisingly compliant about insulin or subcutaneous fluids. In my experience. I hope your kitty is ok.
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Nov 2, 2014 01:32
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Crooked Booty posted:Did your vet check Mona's blood pressure? Yes, and although it's hard to get an accurate read on a nervous cat at the vet office, she said it was normal. Echeveria posted:I give needles all day at work, so to make things easier for you and your cat, here are some pointers Thank you very much for the tips! I think she'll take to the fluid administration once I get the hang of needle insertion. I felt bad mucking it up today; it's not her fault I can't get it and I don't want to hurt my cat. But I'll remember this for next time! After a few hours, she got back to normal. She's napping happily now with a full belly, and my boyfriend said she's been normal all afternoon. I bought a new comb to try to get through her mats and she doesn't love it, but she used to love being brushed and I'm hoping she'll start to like it again. Like I said, I know this is ultimately terminal, but she's got a lot of time left and she's so healthy for 15 1/2 that I'm counting our blessings.
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Nov 2, 2014 02:41
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You guys have all been so helpful, and the news is so positive (relatively), that I thought I'd reward you with some super awesome kitty pics. This was about a year ago during a cuddle session. Nothing like turning the heat off to get her to snuggle!  This was on July 4 after a day at the races. Mona was probably like "don't point that drat thing at me after spending the whole day away instead of doting on me."  This was Mona's favorite position for awhile. She picks a spot that's "hers" for several months. For awhile it was in the middle of the floor, then under the coffee table, and now it's on one of the kitchen chairs, where she's napping comfortably. She's tolerating the subcutaneous fluid injections well. My boyfriend has become an old pro in no time, and the last two sessions he's gotten the needle in on the first try. I keep telling him I should probably try but he says he doesn't trust himself to hold her because he's not sure he can be as firm as I am. (He's not as experienced with cats as I am and he might let her wriggle.) She very clearly feels better after the fluids, and she is IN LOVE with the k/d food. I've ordered a case of it and have it on automatic reorder. It's made her poops a bit runny but less so than with regular wet food. I'm considering supplementing with k/d dry food to make her poops a bit more solid but I'm not sure she would eat it. She's always been partial to wet food. The vet also took a bladder sample and turns out she has a UTI, which could be inflating her bloodwork numbers. We're giving her antibiotics by mouth for seven days and I'm hoping it might mean her creatinine and proteinuria numbers weren't as high as they initially read. She doesn't love the antibiotics but she tolerates me giving them, and she forgives me once I feed her. Anyway, she's doing well and I think we'll have lots more time together. I just have to be diligent with her food and fluids. Thanks everyone for all your help!
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Nov 9, 2014 02:42
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That's great that your kitty is tolerating the kidney treatments thus far. Lots of people have problems with needles and it is great you have found a method that works. Chronic kidney disease cats are more prone to getting UTIs as well, so careful monitoring for "silent" UTIs is in her future. The one thing that is bothering me a bit is that the average chronic kidney disease doesn't cause seizures. That she hasn't had another one since the vet visits and kidney treatments is great, but if she does start having seizures again then pursuing the workup you described (MRI) would be the way to figuring out what caused the seizures in the first place. It may be that it was a self-limiting seizure disorder that just happened to let you find the CKD before it got too far along, but it's something to keep an eye on, or at least, not forget.
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Nov 9, 2014 23:29
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HelloSailorSign posted:That's great that your kitty is tolerating the kidney treatments thus far. Lots of people have problems with needles and it is great you have found a method that works. Chronic kidney disease cats are more prone to getting UTIs as well, so careful monitoring for "silent" UTIs is in her future. Definitely. I thought the connection was really weird, too--it seems like a seizure would be indicative of something much worse. Everything I've read (plus my vet) said that CKD could cause seizures, but it didn't seem like a seizure would indicate early-stage CKD, perhaps later-stage, but...who knows. The vet said to keep a seizure journal--date, time, length, other circumstances--and if they become frequent to go ahead with more testing. We've ruled out poisoning or head trauma as a source of the seizure, and truthfully, I can't think of what another cause could be. So I will definitely be monitoring her carefully. Thanks for the reminder. 
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Nov 10, 2014 02:07
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Thanks for the update. I like to know how things turn out. I have a kitty who obsessively has spots. For months he would sleep on top of the cupboards in our kitchen, or in my decorative glass bowl on the coffee table. Now it's under the side table, or still the glass bowl. In a few months, he'll pick another spot.
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Nov 10, 2014 06:06
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Echeveria posted:Thanks for the update. I like to know how things turn out. Excuse me, but I'm going to need some proof that your kitty sleeps in the glass bowl, please. Also your username is the same as my best friend's maiden name so I totally did a double-take.
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Nov 11, 2014 05:34
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Really? Echeveria is a type of succulent. I am very fond of them. I still manage to kill them, though, even though succulents are hard to kill. Here is Hektor sleeping in my decorative bowl. 
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Nov 14, 2014 20:04
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Echeveria posted:Really? Echeveria is a type of succulent. I am very fond of them. I still manage to kill them, though, even though succulents are hard to kill. Cute little (big) guy! Funny, my girlfriends and I were dicking around at Trader Joe's and saw "succulent Echeverias" on display. At the time we didn't know what succulents were in the plant world, just the sexy definition, so we called her Succulent Echeveria for months. Update: Mona tolerated sub-qs for 3 weeks and this last Saturday fought us tooth and nail--literally. She just decided she had had enough of our shenanigans and wasn't going to put up with it anymore. We tried twice, and both times we got her stabilized and the needle in, but she squirmed and wriggled her skin (you know how they make that skin-jump thing happen when something is bugging them) as soon as the drip started that she shrugged the needle out almost immediately. We tried twice Saturday before giving up. We thought it might be a too-blunt needle, but the needle itself wasn't the problem; it was the drip that was bugging her. I spoke to the vet today and she said that if Mona is strong enough to fight us like that (two strong, firm adults using a Kitty Burrito to keep her stable), that the fluids might be stressing her out more than helping her, and asked us to bring her in for a follow-up blood test. If her values are down to a respectable level (the UTI might have inflated them somewhat), they may recommend holding off on sub-qs until they start to rise again. I'm aware that they will rise eventually and I'm prepared to start using them again, but she's back to her strong and feisty self, so we may have to weigh the benefits versus costs. Speaking of her strong and feisty self, she is like a whole new cat with this food. Her appetite is voracious--I'm actually having to take care not to overfeed her because she wants her food ALL the time--she's not as water obsessed and her intake/output are back to normal levels. She's even started playing again--not a lot, but if I stick my hand under a blanket, she gets all kittenish again. So, like I said. I know this disease is ultimately terminal. But if the vet recommends holding off on sub-qs until her condition worsens, I think we can probably go a good long while with just the CKD food. Thank you for all your help! 
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Nov 18, 2014 08:26
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Well...I'm stupid. I don't know why, but I was hoping her kidney values would have gone down after treating her UTI. That was a stupid hope I had and I should have been more prepared for a level increase when I took her in for updated bloodwork. Her liver values were back in the normal range, but her kidney values were slightly elevated. It's only elevated a little since a month ago, I can't remember the numbers but the vet said it wasn't an alarming increase. It was decimal points, but enough to make me wonder if it was progressing too fast. But the vet wasn't concerned. She said if Mona was strong enough to fight the fluids enough to shrug out the needle--twice--that the fluid administration was stressing her out and undoing any benefits. So we're going to scale back to once a week and not try to force it; if she won't let us, we won't push it. She's still eating quite a bit; we've had to scale back her portions a bit because she eats so ravenously she was gaining weight too fast. She's also still drinking enthusiastically. We're careful to keep her water fountain and litter box very clean in case she feels fussy. I spoke to a woman on Facebook who owns a handful of disabled cats (one being Saltwater Taffy, Lobster-Claw Kitten), and she said her oldest cat, same age as Mona, was diagnosed as early-stage CKD and has been doing well on the food for 6 years. He has other health issues, including a bladder tumor, but it's encouraging to know that the CKD food can give them a much longer life and higher quality of life. I'll be very happy if she reaches 18 healthy years, but I'm afraid to watch her decline. It's getting to the point that I'm watching her so closely for signs of distress that it's annoying her. I can see the ":eyeroll: MO-OOMMM!" look in her eyes when I fuss over her, so I'm trying to leave her alone when she gets annoyed. Thanks for listening everyone. I'll post with photos from time to time, and any updates.
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Nov 25, 2014 06:10
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Don't worry about decimal point change after one check up. There's decent variation in kidney value numbers depending on the time of day. If next check up they've gone up more then it starts looking like a trend, which is a little more concerning though still not  territory yet.
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Nov 25, 2014 06:48
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