Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[cleo]

@Mindthinkr how sweet but your poor flowers.

Does anyone have any experience with a cat with chronic kidney disease? My poor Griffin has it in the early stages I think. I feel bad bc I didn't think there was anything wrong.

One thing is the vet wants to see him next week but it is a completely traumatic experience to take him, for both of us and I don't know if it's worth it just to confirm. He was there yesterday for an exam already. Now the vet wants to do an xray. 

If they can give him some medication to settle his stomach and the early symptoms I would just prefer to do that. My understanding is ckd can't really be reversed.

[Bastet]

4 hours ago, cleo said:

Does anyone have any experience with a cat with chronic kidney disease?

Yes.  I switched her to a reduced phosphorus diet (but NOT also reduced protein, like the prescription food, as that it what dogs [and rats, apparently, as that's who got tested on to come up with this] with CKD need, not what cats need) and she lived another seven years before dying of something unrelated.  She was stage two when I switched her diet, and had normal kidney values when she died; in between, they mostly went back and forth between normal and stage one, with an occasional rise to stage two.

Based on this experience, friends who subsequently had their cats diagnosed with CKD (it's a common chronic illness in cats as they get older) did the same diet switch, with the same result of halting the disease's progression.  Sometimes all you can do is delay it, but when you get on it in the early stages, you have good odds of delaying it for quite some time.

If you want to check the phosphorus content of what you're feeding and consider lower-phosphorus alternatives, here is a chart (compiled by a vet) showing the phosphorus content (as well as protein, fat, and carb content, as cats should eat a low-carb diet) of a wide variety of cat food formulas (canned only).

You can also, if necessary, add aluminum hydroxide (it's a powder) to food as a phosphorus binder, to effectively further reduce the phosphorus content of any food.

[Mindthinkr]

@Bastet You are a wealth of good feline information and give fabulous advice. 

[cleo]

Thanks @Bastet that is really helpful. I'm still playing phone tag with my vet to discuss the whole picture. I've been pretty upset but hoping this can be managed.

[Bastet]

33 minutes ago, cleo said:

Thanks @Bastet that is really helpful. I'm still playing phone tag with my vet to discuss the whole picture. I've been pretty upset but hoping this can be managed.

It absolutely can be managed, so just return to that thought when you get overwhelmed.  And you will get overwhelmed; there is a lot of information out there, which is immensely valuable, but also best digested slowly.  Assuming he is in the early stages (blood tests for several kidney values will show what stage), this is a slow-progressing disease; you have plenty of time to do your research and make your decisions.

Many vets simply recommend the prescription food.  And, indeed, being low phosphorus, it works; they kidney values go down.  But it's made with junk ingredients - for which they charge gourmet prices - and it's also low protein, which is not good for cats.  So feeding it may very well handle one problem, yet cause others.

This is why the modern approach is low phosphorus but not low protein.  It sounds simple, but the drawback is commercial food is all higher in phosphorus than the Rx formula by law -- commercial food must contain a minimum level.  This is where the phosphorus binder comes in, if you reach a point where the lowest-phosphorus food available without a prescription is not low enough to keep the kidney values where you want them.

The reason some vets and feline nutrition experts revisited the CKD dietary issue was that the low phosphorus/low protein formula was developed back in the '60s, based on research done on rats with the resulting food then given to dogs.  "Normal" cats have different dietary needs than "normal" dogs (a primary one being cats are obligate carnivores, thus needing more protein in their diet than dogs do), so there was increasing question as to why we'd just assume CKD cats needed the same food as CKD dogs.  (This happens all.the.time. incidentally, that medicine or food is developed based on dogs, and then just given to cats too.)  

So, I recommend supplementing your conversation with your vet with reading what other vets who have looked into this, not just accepted what Hill's told them when selling them the food have to say in this old school vs. new school dietary debate, and reading what other owners of CKD cats have tried and experienced.  Then, make the decision you think is best, and see how your cat does, adjusting along the way as necessary.

Best of luck to you, and take heart -- if early stage CKD is all that's wrong with him, Griffin is likely to be with you for years to come no matter what you do. 

(And thank you, @Mindthinkr; I love cats, and understand science better than the average non-scientist bear, so I like to start with my vet's advice but also do my own research when an issue arises - and, living my whole life with cats, I have run into quite a few issues.  My vet says I should have an honorary DVM degree.)

Edited July 24, 2019 by Bastet

[Guest]

8 hours ago, cleo said:

Does anyone have any experience with a cat with chronic kidney disease?

I've had many. For those with early onset kidney disease, I administered sub-q fluids at home. I had two cats who received fluids for around five or seven years. It was not the kidney disease that ultimately lead their passings--it was various cancers. I did have one kitty who had sudden onset renal disease, however, and she didn't live for more than a month or so after the diagnosis. Once you get a system down for giving the fluids, it gets easier for both you and the kitty.

I am disagreeing with @Bastet 's suggestion re: food -- Hills K/D food is excellent at managing the disease as well if you can get your kitty to eat it. Royal Canin also makes an excellent renal diet.

[cleo]

I'm having trouble connecting with my vet. So I haven't spoken to him yet. I'm getting a little worried. Griffin is not doing too well this morning, but he is resting with me and my other cat so I think it is a good sign he is not hiding.

Hoping I don't have to make an emergency run.

A little frustrated- the missed calls- first one was my fault, second one was the vet's fault. So I suppose we are even. Sitting by the phone today again. I don't know what else to do. 

The food- I know the prescription diets are often not great- help one problem, cause another. But he has been on a prescription diet for years already because he had crystals about 10 years ago. It is Hills but not the k/d, but I checked and it is already very low in phosphorus.   

[walnutqueen]

On 7/22/2019 at 5:22 PM, emma675 said:

Holy crap, walnutqueen, what happened?! Have you gotten yourself checked out? 

@emma675 - Abridged version : my right shoulder started to "freeze" on me, but before I could get to my doc, Babalu ran out the back door while I was feeding Mama Raccoon - into my booby-trapped side yard.  I took a spectacular fall, breaking my left wrist, banging up my left knee, and deeply wounding my right shin.  Funny part was Babalu running back to my side as I was on the ground trying to figure out what happened and how the hell to get up; I felt a paw gently touching my head, and realized that was Mama Raccoon, making sure I was alive & well enough to feed her and her 4 cute babies!

I have a cast, am getting PT for my shoulder, and may get an MRI if my crappy HMO approves it.  The stupid co-pays are pissing me off, though - $15 for each doc visit (3 so far), and $25 for each PT session.  Do they KNOW how much cat food that could buy for my critters (nevermind vet bills & insulin)???  

Anyhoo - I am somehow managing to feed the critters, and even myself, albeit with some pain & difficulty.  Nothing else really matters much, does it?

@cleo - I hope all goes well with Griffin.  My Babalu is on Azodyl to support his kidney function.  He is also on insulin and methimazole, but all his tests have been excellent so far; we've been very lucky, all things considered.

ETA - @tiftgirl, thanks so much for your kind words and good thoughts.  You made my day!  :~)

Edited July 25, 2019 by walnutqueen

[cleo]

@walnutqueen that sounds terrible, please take care!

Just an update I talked to the vet and we're going to try some different food and some meds to try to settle his stomach. Some of his tests were elevated and some normal so it still seems possible to manage it. 

We'll do a two week test and if he hasn't improved maybe try an xray to rule anything else out. I don't want to do that now bc it is incredibly stressful to take him in to the vet, even sedated he almost goes into shock. 

I feel a lot better having a plan. 

Edited July 25, 2019 by cleo

[Rescue Mama]

On 7/25/2019 at 7:16 AM, walnutqueen said:

@emma675 - Abridged version : my right shoulder started to "freeze" on me, but before I could get to my doc, Babalu ran out the back door while I was feeding Mama Raccoon - into my booby-trapped side yard.  I took a spectacular fall, breaking my left wrist, banging up my left knee, and deeply wounding my right shin.  Funny part was Babalu running back to my side as I was on the ground trying to figure out what happened and how the hell to get up; I felt a paw gently touching my head, and realized that was Mama Raccoon, making sure I was alive & well enough to feed her and her 4 cute babies!

I have a cast, am getting PT for my shoulder, and may get an MRI if my crappy HMO approves it.  The stupid co-pays are pissing me off, though - $15 for each doc visit (3 so far), and $25 for each PT session.  Do they KNOW how much cat food that could buy for my critters (nevermind vet bills & insulin)???  

Anyhoo - I am somehow managing to feed the critters, and even myself, albeit with some pain & difficulty.  Nothing else really matters much, does it?

@cleo - I hope all goes well with Griffin.  My Babalu is on Azodyl to support his kidney function.  He is also on insulin and methimazole, but all his tests have been excellent so far; we've been very lucky, all things considered.

ETA - @tiftgirl, thanks so much for your kind words and good thoughts.  You made my day!  :~)

You poor thing!  I'm so sorry that happened to you.  I hope you're up and at 'em soon.  You come across as such a nice, caring person the way you take care of your critters.  I agree that your neighbor picked the right person to take his kitty.  How are the cats getting along now? 

I spent the afternoon in the ER myself yesterday.  I slammed my pinky finger in the door of my chicken coop so hard that the end of my finger burst open. 10 stitches inside and 12 on the outside.  I have a picture of it but it's pretty gross and I don't want to make anyone queasy.  

Feel better soon @walnutqueen

[walnutqueen]

1 hour ago, Rescue Mama said:

Feel better soon @walnutqueen

Thanks.  You feel better, too @Rescue Mama.

[Rescue Mama]

2 hours ago, walnutqueen said:

Thanks.  You feel better, too @Rescue Mama.

Thank you.  I'm fine,  a little throbbing in my finger but nothing too bad.  Especially compared to what happened to you.  

To stay on topic.  One of my dogs would not come near me when I got back from the hospital.  I don't know if it was the hospital smell, the medication smells or what but it was a couple of hours before I could get her on the couch with me. 

Edited July 27, 2019 by Rescue Mama
Because in this context, there is no apostrophe in dogs.

[ginger90]

Dubina (left) had a visitor, Kahleesi. Dubina wasn’t too sure about her though 😂

[bilgistic]

3 hours ago, BooksRule said:

Had to take one of my cats to the vet this morning, because her feline viral rhinopneumonitis (aka 'The Herpes') flared up, complete with sneezing fits and lots of snot rockets.  She's had it appear every year or so, but I know it's been less often since she's been on a supplement that's supposed to help boost her immune system.  She was pretty good at the vet, although there were some growls and a few hisses (and lots of loose fur wafting around). When I got home and opened the carrier, she slunk out and disappeared.  I probably won't see her until dinnertime, but I know my other cat will torment her with spits and hisses (basically being a real butthead) because her sister smells 'wrong'. It will take a couple of days before everything calms down.  And, because they are both overdue for their annual check-ups and shots, I'll get to go through this again when they visit the dreaded vet. 

I give my girls regular, tasteless lysine, which has eliminated their symptoms with which they came from the foster home. I don't buy lysine the vet; they sell a horrifically marked-up version that has flavoring in it. (There are plenty of reviews on the linked product for people using it for cats.)

I mix a half-teaspoon of the powder in their wet food twice a day—all of their food together at one meal, which is 3.25 ounces, then split the food between them. So, for one cat, use a quarter teaspoon twice a day, or space it out further, whatever. You want to start small, of course. Put a tiny bit in to start and build up to the dose that works.

Since you have two cats, though, and one showing symptoms, they likely both have herpes; the other that doesn't show symptoms still likely has it. It's extremely common, particularly among cats that were rescued from an outdoor/feral situation. So I'd give the lysine to both. It won't hurt them, and will boost their immunity. It's been a miracle for my girls, especially Little Mama. She was a sneeze and snot machine when I got her. She's done amazingly on the lysine—literally zero symptoms since I put them on it.

[Bastet]

I have a sore neck and a secondary headache, all because Riley kept rearranging me in my sleep.  She has to be touching me, but apparently got hot; I had fallen asleep with her up against me parallel, and woke up falling off my pillow because she had moved to be perpendicular to me -- with her back up against the front of the pillows to keep cool, and just her paws on me.  I put us back in order so I could have my head properly on the pillows and went back to sleep.  Fast forward a few hours, and guess how I woke up?  Lather, rinse, repeat. 

I told her we cannot do this all summer, or Mommy will wind up in traction.

[cleo]

Yeah that sounds rough! My Monkey (cat) sleeps beside me but not touching. I would find it hard if she were touching me. My struggles are: 

a) trying to convince her that I don't need her to lick my face for 10 mins before she goes to sleep and 

b) trying to sleep through her very loud snoring once she passes out.

[Bastet]

1 minute ago, cleo said:

My Monkey (cat) sleeps beside me but not touching. I would find it hard if she were touching me.

I'm used to it, as I've spent much of my life sleeping that way.  As a little kid, I was the one sleeping on our cat - he was enormous (26 pounds!) and fluffy and let me use him as a pillow.  The next one slept like a person - head on the pillow, body under the covers.  The next two slept in various spots on the bed according to temperature and mood, and played musical beds, so sometimes one or both were with my parents instead of me.  And then came Louise, who slept in my armpit, basically.

The cats in between her and Riley have all slept touching me at least part of the time, so the fact she must be on top of me or velcroed to my side isn't a problem for me.  (I switch positions several times throughout the night, and she just readjusts herself accordingly.)  But getting pushed into some weird position half hanging off my pillow is!

A friend of mine saw a sleep doctor, whose recommendation was to sleep alone.  She said she had no problem banishing her husband to the guest room, but couldn't shut the cats out.  That is me.  I hate sharing a bed with another person (and a snorer absolutely cannot stay), but I'll put up with almost anything from the cats.  Including snoring, which thankfully none of them have done regularly (or loudly, although Baxter got some volume once in a while).

[Mindthinkr]

I sleep sandwiched between my two kitties and it gets hot. I can barely roll over or move unless they are willing. Wouldn’t have it any other way. I need less heat in the winter and more a/c in the summer. 

[bilgistic]

My girls don't really want to sleep with me in the hotter months (so, roughly April to October). Occasionally, Little Girl will sleep against me. Little Mama will be at the foot of the bed. Otherwise they are in the window seat or cat tree. In the cold months, though, they are snuggle buns, and I love it! Little Mama snores her little head off when she is sleeping deeply.

Bilgisticat slept with me all the time. He had to be laying on my chest right against my neck as soon as I sat or laid down. He was such a sweet little love. He also snored.

[Moose135]

We went to a Cars and Coffee gathering this morning, and found these huskies just hanging out enjoying the day.

[ginger90]

Dubina now has a roommate. Nala on the left, Dubina on the right.

[tiftgirl]

I don't know how many times we had variations of the conversation "A queen size bed is big enough for one human and 4 cats".  4, 3, 2 down to "Oh my God Shana it's just you and me - spread out!"

Shlomo had to sleep at my right hip.  Shana slept close to my head, usually with her paw on it, Shlamey down by my left knee.  Shmuel had the ability to change his hair to the properties of velcro and was attached to my chest every night.  

Goodness knows if I moved, or attempted to, there followed much shuffling, sighing, and general grumpiness.  Also the occasional whap to my head.

[Sandman87]

Tomorrow's the big day when Mom comes home and gets to meet the twins. Maybe then we can name the tiny terrors.

Progress has been made! The Shy One will now allow me to pet her occasionally. She also forgets to be afraid of me when I'm feeding them.

Summer is definitely here (a few days ago my work van's thermometer measured 111 degrees.) Definitely a good time to spend mornings in the shade out on the deck.

When it heats up in the afternoon, the kitchen step-stool is positioned right in the breeze from the cooler.

I've been giving them their "dessert" (canned food) in/around an old pet carrier to get them used to being in it for trips to the vet. Naturally Catsby wanted to check it out. I'm afraid he won't quite fit.

[Mindthinkr]

My friend (a photographer) was at his friends house the other day and took pictures of his bird. I thought y’all might like to see how colorful it is. 

[Jaded]

On 7/31/2019 at 12:53 PM, bilgistic said:

I give my girls regular, tasteless lysine, which has eliminated their symptoms with which they came from the foster home. I don't buy lysine the vet; they sell a horrifically marked-up version that has flavoring in it. (There are plenty of reviews on the linked product for people using it for cats.)

Can you link the Lysine you use again? The embedded link in your post didn't work it just looped back to this thread.

[Bastet]

You can just administer the appropriate dosage (based primarily on weight, but some existing health conditions may necessitate a smaller dose [or mean it should not be given at all]) from the same pill you would take.  Easiest is a capsule (e.g. if your cat needs 250 mg - a common dose - sprinkle half the contents of a 500 mg capsule into food), but you can grind up a pill, too.  But I'm sure there are pre-ground powders that are even easier, and if you don't already have L-Lysine for yourself, that's the way to go (it sounds as if something like that is what the link was supposed to go to).

Research is mixed on whether it actually helps with the FHV-1 virus (which most cats carry, and which occasionally flares up and causes symptoms in some), but it has always helped with my cold sores (also caused by a herpes virus) and it seemed to help Maddie; twice I had to give her an anti-viral, but usually L-Lysine was enough to tamp down flare-ups.  (I didn't give it to her daily, because she had an uncanny ability to detect when I'd added anything to her food, even a small amount of something unflavored and without any odor I could smell -- the only thing I ever got away with adding was psyllium husk [fiber, which helped eliminate hairballs].  So I agree with @bilgistic that it can be helpful for cats who get symptoms from the virus.

[theredhead77]

@JTMacc99 how is Butterscotch Norman?!

[bilgistic]

1 hour ago, Jaded said:

Can you link the Lysine you use again? The embedded link in your post didn't work it just looped back to this thread.

Something is preventing the link to work; I just tried it again. It's from NOW Foods/Supplements and is called L-Lysine Pure Powder. It's a huge one-pound tub that lasts forever. It's $11.86 on Amazon. Here's the photo of it.

OK, wow. I don't know why that's so big.

Edited August 6, 2019 by bilgistic

[JTMacc99]

15 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

@JTMacc99 how is Butterscotch Norman?!

Getting bigger every second. I tried to get him to pose for a photo this morning but no luck. Lots of blurry pictures. 

[Jaded]

Thank you @bilgistic. 

I've had that huge pic thing happen when I copy and pasted a photo here without editing it. 

[Browncoat]

@JTMacc99, I love what the angle of the camera does to his face in that first shot!  Also, it looks like he's about ready to jump over that gate.

[JTMacc99]

14 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

@JTMacc99, I love what the angle of the camera does to his face in that first shot!  Also, it looks like he's about ready to jump over that gate.

I'm sure the continuation of that shot was "WOOF!" and then some whining. 

[smittykins]

Today is Shadow’s first Adoption-Versary!

[ABay]

It's International Cat Day! To celebrate, Girl Cat started her new medicine because she has hyperthyroidism! We know how to party at Chez Bay.

[MargeGunderson]

1 hour ago, ABay said:

It's International Cat Day! To celebrate, Girl Cat started her new medicine because she has hyperthyroidism! We know how to party at Chez Bay.

Ah, so that was celebratory poop on the dining floor from Kitty Gunderson!  It also explains why she came home drunk with glitter in her fur and singing show tunes. 

[theredhead77]

Isn't every day International Cat Day?

[shanndee]

Hi Everyone! I'm just popping in to say a quick hello. Life got really hectic on me all of a sudden (work garbage, cat stuff, and *gasp* actually trying to see people face to face).

I have missed my frequent visits here, and I look forward to catching up!

Cheers! 🙂 

[JTMacc99]

On 8/8/2019 at 8:17 PM, theredhead77 said:

Isn't every day International Cat Day?

Per the cats, absolutely. 

 

[theredhead77]

1 hour ago, JTMacc99 said:

Per the cats, absolutely. 

 

Look at all those baby Butterscotchs'!

As a side note - anyone in the Philly area looking to adopt an orange snuggle monster (by the name of Butterscotch, obviously). My friend looks after her neighborhood feral community and one of the kittens is obviously a house cat trapped in a feral life. He's a complete sweet snuggle monster who needs an indoor home.

And anyone in the ATL area looking to adopt a kitten? My neighbor and I rescued three kittens from a feral life and they need homes. One will be a tripod shortly (a bad leg due to a birth defect will be amputated).

Edited August 12, 2019 by theredhead77

[MargeGunderson]

Any recommendations for getting my cat to stop revisiting spots to poop?

Kitty Gunderson has begun pooping in random places. We think she just doesn’t like pooping and peeing in the same box. She has two boxes but one is upstairs and I think she wants two on the same floor. While we debate about the best place to put box number 3, what is the best way to discourage her from going back to spots she’s used before? I’m working from home today and watched her sniff at a few spots she’s used before and then picked one - fortunately I was able to grab her and put her in her box (and clean it immediately afterward and give her treats for doing her business in the box). I’m afraid that even with another box (put in one of the spots she’s been using) she might want to revisit the other spots too. It’s a hardwood floor, and we clean it immediately when we find it (poop patrol is a thing in the Gunderson house). Is there something I should be spraying on it to discourage her? 

The “good” news is that it (usually) confined to one room, and the hardwood needs to be replaced in there anyway. 

Edited August 12, 2019 by MargeGunderson

[Mindthinkr]

@MargeGunderson I would try vinegar or a piece of a strong spice like a rosemary branch. My cats hate the vinegar smell. I know because I use it to clean. They give it a sniff and bye bye. 

3 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

Look at all those baby Butterscotchs'!

As a side note - anyone in the Philly area looking to adopt an orange snuggle monster (by the name of Butterscotch, obviously). My friend looks after her neighborhood feral community and one of the kittens is obviously a house cat trapped in a feral life. He's a complete sweet snuggle monster who needs an indoor home.

And anyone in the ATL area looking to adopt a kitten? My neighbor and I rescued three kittens from a feral life and they need homes. One will be a tripod shortly (a bad leg due to a birth defect will be amputated).

I can’t but I’ll ask around. 

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, MargeGunderson said:

Any recommendations for getting my cat to stop revisiting spots to poop?

It's hard, because they can smell their lingering odor that to our nose is long gone, and thus indeed keep returning to it.  The most effective way of truly removing all traces of anything related to bodily fluids is an enzyme-based cleaner.  I find the ridiculously-named Anti Icky Poo to work best, and a lot of people also have success with Nature's Miracle.  The other one I hear about is Kids 'n' Pets.

You'll of course have to check for any restrictions with using on hardwood floors (with carpet the procedure is to soak the living hell out of it).

2 hours ago, MargeGunderson said:

Kitty Gunderson has begun pooping in random places. We think she just doesn’t like pooping and peeing in the same box. She has two boxes but one is upstairs and I think she wants two on the same floor.

That may be, but also look for any signs of dehydration or full anal glands -- pooping outside the box can also occur because pooping is uncomfortable, and those are the two most-common culprits with painful poop.

[theredhead77]

1 hour ago, Mindthinkr said:

@MargeGunderson I would try vinegar or a piece of a strong spice like a rosemary branch. My cats hate the vinegar smell. I know because I use it to clean. They give it a sniff and bye bye. 

I can’t but I’ll ask around. 

Thank you! Are you in the PHL or ATL area?

[Mindthinkr]

1 minute ago, theredhead77 said:

Thank you! Are you in the PHL or ATL area?

Sorry, no. The N.C. Area. 

[theredhead77]

1 minute ago, Mindthinkr said:

Sorry, no. The N.C. Area. 

Ah. If you know anyone in either the ATL or NC area (or within an hour or so drive of ATL) who would give a loving home to a kitten we'll deliver!

[ratgirlagogo]

On 8/12/2019 at 3:34 PM, Bastet said:

That may be, but also look for any signs of dehydration or full anal glands -- pooping outside the box can also occur because pooping is uncomfortable, and those are the two most-common culprits with painful poop.

Yes, I was so angry when my adorable little cat Kitten started peeing on my books!!!! which she'd never done before!   And it turned out she was trying to express her anal glands on the edge of the bookshelf!  Poor Kitten! 

[MargeGunderson]

Thanks for the recommendations, everyone! I checked her backside but didn't notice anything amiss. These boards are why my search history is mostly serial killers and cat butts these days. 

[bilgistic]

Why does Little Mama want to cuddle with me only when I need to go to work? She seriously never lays with or on me any other time!

[Sandman87]

Bath time!

[AgentRXS]

11 hours ago, bilgistic said:

Why does Little Mama want to cuddle with me only when I need to go to work? She seriously never lays with or on me any other time!

She feels the vibes of resentment you have towards that awful place and she is reminding you of why you are going there in the 1st place....to keep her in the lifestyle of which she's grown accustomed!