Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: sixfurballs on April 17, 2009, 19:05:54 PM
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My poor baby Purdey (one of the longhairs) was a bit quiet on Monday. On Tuesday she lay around a lot and by Tuesday night was refusing food so I rushed her into the vet first thing Wednesday morning. My vet checked her all over and suspected a blockage from something like a big hairball. I was told to take her home, keep food off her and keep her drinking. My vet hoped she would pass whatever was blocking her up naturally and didn't want her taking in more food and getting more bunged up. On Tuesday she was given a painkiller and a precautionary antibiotic jab. I was given Baytril to administer at home. Her mouth and gums were checked and were a good healthy colour and she was drinking as long as I held the water bowl up to her. She was lethargic but still able to move around.
On Wednesday we went back to the vet. No change so I was to take her in today for x-rays and blood work. When I went back to pick her up I got devastating news. The xrays showed that Purdey's bowels were completely blocked up with poo so she was given an enema and most of it cleared out. However, the real problem became transparent when the first of the blood tests were done. My vet can do some and others have been sent off to a lab.
Purdey is in kidney failure. Her kidneys have completely stopped functioning and my vet says a cat with her blood results should be in a coma. At present we don't know if its acute or chronic kidney failure but my vet suspects more likely its acute. She thinks she may have come into contact with poison somewhere but is surprised that if that is the case she hasn't been sick, isn't fitting or having seizures.
Purdey is on a drip as emergency action now and is being kept in the vets over night. Then I have to collect her at 10.00 in the morning so I can observe her over the weekend. She will remain on the drip at home.
I'm in utter shock. She was so fit and well until Monday when she seemed a little of colour but whilst she was quiet for some of the day she still went outside and saw her prowling round the garden. She has not been sick, has had no fits or seizures and is still able to get up and walk about;she even tried to jump off the vet's table tonight.
Please does anyone have some more information. I just need a reliable source of information as I need to understand this.
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Im afraid i cant offer any advice on this but i can send you lots of positive vibes for Purdy and also hugs for you :hug: :hug:
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So sorry to read this :( I lost my Hamish to CRF and I never noticed He was unwell till the very end :(
your vet thinks it's acute Kidney failure?
Sorry I can't be of more Help
Sending tons of get well vibes Purdy's way :hug: :hug: :hug:
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Poor Purdy :( Thinking of you both :hug:
This link may be of help :hug:
http://www.felinecrf.org/links_and_resources.htm#acute_renal_failure
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I don't know much about acute kidney failure except that it is 100% reversible, unlike Chronic which gets worse over time :hug:
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In that case Mark I will be praying that my vet is right about suspecting ARF, that we have caught it in time and that Purdey will fight for her life. I'm having a very rough time in the pet family at the moment and cannot bear to lose Purdey.
Thanks so much for the link Helen. It is of help.
Purdeys Ceratine level was over 500. The vet told me one other reading was particularly worrying her - I'm sorry I can't remember which it was - the level is supposed to be between 4 and 11 but it was 48. The xray did show that her kidneys are normal size. My vet said she was really shocked at the blood results and even ran them twice just to double check.
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I don't know much about acute kidney failure except that it is 100% reversible, unlike Chronic which gets worse over time :hug:
Lesa, I have been reading everything I can find about kidney failure. Like Mark has said, acute kidney failure is 100% reversible provided it is caught in time.
I'm certain that you caught it in time. Nobody is more aware of their animals behavior than you. Once you saw that Purdey was not well, you took action. I have no doubt that Purdey will survive.
It appears that most likely rapid onset of this is from poisoning. Anti-freeze is a know source and appears to be the common poison cats and dogs get into. All it takes is a car that has leaked from it's radiator and the kitty laps up the water or walks through the spill then licks their paw. Easter Lilies are another poison. I wonder if any of your neighbors recently planted any of their left over Easter Lilies in their garden and that Purdey took a little nibble?
Hopefully by tomorrow morning Purdey will have greatly improved with having the drip all night long.
You and Purdey and Wellington are all in my thoughts and prayers.
Hugs
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Purdeys Ceratine level was over 500. The vet told me one other reading was particularly worrying her - I'm sorry I can't remember which it was - the level is supposed to be between 4 and 11 but it was 48.
That was probably the urea.
So sorry to hear about Purdey, as others have said ARF is reversible if caught in time, which hopefully it has been. Sending positives vibes for her. :hug:
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Sending positive vibes for Purdey. :hug:
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Really hope Purdy pulls through.
Sending lots of positive vibes and :hug:
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Sending positive healing vibes for darling Purdy~~~~~~~~ :hug:
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:hug: Hope she is much better today xx
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Fingers crossed that Purdey is feeling better :hug:
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Fingers crossed it is acute, and that it has been caught in time. Fingers crossed for her
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Thank you all so much for your support. I never get on here as much as I would like too but everyone is always so kind and helpful when I do get a chance to catch up or need help.
Purdey made it through the night. She is home now. Very different girl today. I am allowed to give her 1-2 hours off the drip a day so when I brought her home I let her have a bit of free time in the kitchen. She rambled about with ease, is as bright as a button, really vocal and even jumped up into one of the chairs with ease. She gave herself a good clean as well. She is only sniffing food so far so have to syringe feed her 3 to 4 times a day but at least she is starting to show some interest.
Val lillies would be starting to grow in gardens here now so they are a possibility and would be high up on my vets list of suspects.
My vet is now hopeful for her but has warned me not to get my hopes up too much as what I am seeing is the drip. Once the drip comes off on Monday, the bloods and x-rays will be repeated and then will truly know how she is.
So please still keep all crossed and of course I'll let you all know how she gets on.
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Keeping All Fingers n Toes Crossed :hug:
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Fingers and toes crossed here to, the news looks good so far, and I hope it continues :hug: :hug: :hug:
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Really glad to hear she has had a good night, hope it continues.
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I'm so thrilled that you have Purdey home and that she is showing some signs of improvement. I know it will be a long weekend for you but hopefully by Monday the drip and syringe feedings will have flushed out her kidney's and the blood tests will show that. Of course, I have everything crossed here.
Hugs
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Fingers crossed the drip has flushed a lot out - even in chronic renal failure, 24 hours on a drip can halve their urea and creatnine.
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Hope Purdey continues to improve. Sending positive thoughts from my poorly boy Digby and his (used up most of his 9 lives) brother Dillon.
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All fingers & toes crossed here! :hug:
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Everything crossed here and sending positive vibes for her :hug:
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We had a lot of difficulties yesterday evening with Purdey and her drip so after taking her back into the vet to get it sorted out we all came to the conclusion she would be better off staying in the vets. She was very unsettled in the crate at home, constantly wrapping the drip round her and twisting it and calling me every 5 minutes (which of course I had to answer). My vet had only allowed her home because she had been so inert but when she saw how active she had become she wanted her kept in the surgery in the hope that the unfamiliar surroundings would help calm her and settle her down. At least then they are coming and going to check on her and know what they are doing if the drip gets messed up again.
She ate both wet food and dry food for my vet last night. Some time during the night she did pull her drip out again. My vet had some trouble getting it back in as her legs are swelling a bit with all the fluids but its back in and she is eating the wet food really well. My vet said she is a little quieter today and didn't want the dry food this morning but is still vastly improved from Friday.
Also had tests results back to say negative for pancreatitis so that is good news.
EDIT: also forgot to say that he blood count came back yesterday. Her cell counts were high so my vet suspects infection rather than toxin has been the cause. Luckily she was put on antibiotics straight away as a precaution.
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Sounds like it was a good call to keep Purdey at the vets. She must be a little wiggle worm to have pulled her drip out twice now! I'm glad she is now eating some at least. I still have my fingers crossed that she continues to improve. Will she be coming home tomorrow?
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Fingers crossed the ab's work, I have seen acute renal failure from infection, and it certainly sounds as though she feels better in herself, so hopefully repeat bloods will be good, and she can come home soon
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Any news on how she's doing? :hug:
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Glad she is alot better, hopefully the abs will sort her and she will be well enough to come home soon xx
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Another update on Purdey.
She had another antibiotic jab at vets this morning. She is eating hungrily. She is pooping and peeing and has been allowed home. Her legs are swelling from having the drip in and due to the fact that she ripped the drip out of both legs so vet decided to send her home with no more work today. Vet now wants to see how she copes with the drip gone. She could still go back down hill now that the drip has been removed so will have to keep her in and monitor her closely. Likely she will go back in tomorrow for blood work and xray which will most likely be repeated again next week. In the meantime it is so lovely to have her home and see her just being her usual self. I am of course worried about anything still underlying wrong with her kidneys but at least I can enjoy having her with me again for now as herself.
Purdey is just being so noisy and so clearly happy to be of that drip and home. I don't think I'll be able to stop cuddling her all day.
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Glad she's back home with you again today, fingers crossed the improvements continue.
She certainly sounds bright enough, so hopefully this is a very good sign :hug:
Keep us posted x
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Now that sounds much better!
Glad she is at home as bright as a button....The dreaded drip always makes my arm swell up so bit hug for her! :hug:
...and for you too! :hug:
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Purdey is just being so noisy and so clearly happy to be of that drip and home. I don't think I'll be able to stop cuddling her all day.
Awww I don't blame you for wanting to cuddle her all day! She deserves it too! Poor girl has been through so much and I'm sure she would enjoy the extra cuddles too!
I'm glad she is back home now Lesa.
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Glad Purdey is home now and hope she continues to feel better. :hug:
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Hope Purdy is continuing to feel better today and eats up lots and lots for her doting slave.
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Thank you all for the support for Purdey.
My vet ran the blood tests again today. They have also sent off a blood sample to the lab to have the potassium levels tested as well.
I'm not sure what to feel about the results. I know some of you have experience of CRF and ARF and wondered what you thought? The counts that were so critically high last week have come down considerably - from over 500 to 355 (creatine) and from 48 to 21. However these counts are supposed to be at a maximum of 186 and 11 so she is still in danger. As the catheter was in to draw blood they kept her on the drip again all day today.
My vet gave me samples of RC renal diet and asked me to get a urine sample. I managed to get the sample this evening and rushed it to the surgery. As Purdey was on the drip today it won't give the best reading so I've to try to get another sample on Friday.
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:hug: For you and Purdey
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those blood results are much improved, so hope that that is a really positive sign. :hug: How is she at the moment? I keep plugging Kaminox (got it from my vet who swears by it) but if the potassium levels are low, it seems a lot more palatable and works nicely - the alternative is horrible smelling powder in the food or pills. The amino acids and iron in it seem to help with some of the CRF symptoms too.
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A second urine sample was taken to the vet last Friday but it has to go over to England for testing so still waiting on the results to come back. Bloods were repeated again this week. I didn't get the counts this time as only spoke to vet nurse on phone but said another big improvement. Not back to normal yet but much better.
Purdey still isn't eating much. I just bought some Hi-Life pouches at the weekend just to try and tempt her with something. My vet said would try to get me some wet renal samples to try but no luck yet. Purdey has only been eating one pouch a day but yesterday she ate about 1.5 pouches and has eaten nearly a whole pouch already today. She did eat a very small amount of fry food last night as well and was shouting for food this morning.
Purdey has also been playful the last 2 days - chasing feet under duvets and chasing the laser light.
There has been no treatment since she was on the drip over a week ago but her condition has continued to improve.
So I'm hoping that all of this is indicating it has been ARF rather than CRF and that she could yet make a complete recovery.
I'll let you all know what the urine test reveals and where we go from there.
Thanks again for all the good wishes and support. x
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Glad she is seeming better in herself and that the test results show she is improving, that sounds more like ARF than CRF.
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Glad you have had some good news, give the pretty one a tickle :Luv2:
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This is good news, and all sounding much more positive :hug: ;D
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Quick update. Purdey is much the same and my vet has said is well enough that she is happy for her to go outside again. She seems so happy to be able to get out again and she will have a run round the garden and lie about when its sunny and then come back in and curl up for a good sleep.
I have got the Kattovit and started her on it. Can't say she is screaming happy about it but is at least eating something. She does also go and have a nibble of the others normal RC dry food as well. She does feel like she is putting on weight and looks very well. My vet said that the condition of her coat and mouth gives her hope but has warned me not to get too optimistic as even with CRF blood levels can drop but then settle out at higher than normal. Bloods last week were well down. The creatine was at 280 (I think) and BUN was down to 16.
The urine test did just confirm kidney failure but no other conditions.
I've also just bought them one of the cat fountains now and saw Purdey drinking from it last night so hope that will help as well.
EDIT: forgot to add that Purdey has now been put on Renalzin now as well. Just 2 pumps a day but its difficult enough to get it in her given how off her food she still is.