Polly's progress (cat stuff)

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After about six weeks of high-quality protein/low-phosphorus food, subcutaneous liquids (half saline/dextrose solution, every 3 days), Pepcid AC (every other day), Lotensin (every day) and occasional squirts of flaxseed oil for omega-3 fatty acids, Polly has gained some weight. I cannot tell you how much because she wriggles like mad when I put her on the baby scale but I can tell she's a bit heavier and her backbone isn't as knobbly as it was. She ran up the hall day before yesterday and has also returned to jumping into the bathroom window, keeping an eye on the birds and squirrels.

CRF cats can crash at any time but can also come back after a crash for more weeks or months of quality life. I always keep that in the back of my mind so I won't be too upset when it happens. And I also keep $40 in a stash for a cab to the emergency vet.

Yesterday I put together a month's worth of pills for Polly. The 1 mg Lotensin caps went on top of crushed B-complex, just placed in an empty cap. Those finished caps were placed in a 31-day pill keeper, one every other day. Then I made up similar caps but with the addition of crushed Pepcid AC; those go into the empty compartments. Poll's a bit stiff so I checked out the dosage for glucosamine/chondroitin and Vit C, made up some caps and put two in each compartment. The consensus is it will be at least 20 days before there is any sign of joint loosening. In the meantime, I shall order kitty caps of Gluco/Chon/C, which come in smaller caps and will be easier to administer. I wave a bowl of food at her then pop the pills--eventually, she'll learn that pills are followed by food. I hope.

Although I give her different cat foods, Polly seems to like Hill's Senior chicken best, so she gets some of that every day. It's the only Hill's (apart from scripts) which is low enough in phos. I also have that home-made cat food in the freezer and I give her that sometimes, drenched in home-made chicken broth or cooked fish.

I'm telling you all this so that if your cat or dog, or those of someone you know, come down with CRF, you'll be assured the condition CAN be managed, CAN result in quality life, and it really doesn't take that much time. Remember, the record for keeping a CRF cat going is eight years!

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2002

Answers

what is CRF??????

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2002

Chronic renal failure. A large number of older cats develop kidney failure, possibly because they're not built to last as long as they now do or maybe it's because of the high phosphorus content of a lot of catfood, even premium foods. By the time symptoms show up (you might see excessive thirst and urination or the vet might catch it in an annual physical via a blood test), 2/3 to 3/4 of kidney function is gone.

If you take no steps, your cat can die in a matter of months. If you're proactive, you can extend the cat's life--comfortably--by months to years. Kidney transplants are an option but there is no dialysis as yet.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2002


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