Enlarged Kidney in Previously Healthy Two-Year-Old?

[ColoradoCat]

Hello, everyone. I took my most loveliest and bestest Cassiopeia into the vet earlier today (9/18) for what I thought was a UTI. She was a bit lethargic, and was also drinking and urinating quite a bit more than usual. The urine also smelled a bit strange. They ran bloodwork and did a urinalysis, and her kidney values were through the roof. An x-ray also showed that one kidney was larger than the other. The various things that were suggested included some sort of blockage (seemingly ruled out be the x-ray) and poisoning (she's an indoor-only cat and I have no idea what she could've gotten into if this is the case). She was transferred to a specialty clinic for overnight hospitalization and they also mentioned acute injury to the kidney, which apparently also suggests poisoning, or it could be something congenital. Does anyone have any experience with this or have any idea what it might be?

She's having an ultrasound done in the morning and I'm currently staying up late to hear back about bloodwork.

Edit: I forgot to mention that both vets noted that she was dehydrated. The first vet I took her to also said that her urine was very diluted, meaning the water she drank was basically just passing right through her.

 

[Antonio65]

I'm no vet or expert, but wouldn't poisoning affect both kidneys, not just one?

 

[ColoradoCat]

That's what I would think. I spoke with the doctor at the emergency vet after posting this thread and she agreed, so now we're looking at the possibility that this might be a congenital issue. She suggested it might be a polycystic kidney that would need to be removed, but we won't know more until the ultrasound later today. Part of me is hoping it's a kidney infection that can be wiped out with antibiotics.

 

[Antonio65]

The infection could be an option. Did the blood work clear things up a little? I mean, in the case of an infection, WBC should go high. Did you see anything like that?

 

[ColoradoCat]

The infection could be an option. Did the blood work clear things up a little? I mean, in the case of an infection, WBC should go high. Did you see anything like that?

Looking over her medical paperwork from yesterday, her white blood cell count is 1/HPF which is apparently in the normal range. They did say her urine was slightly cloudy, which does seem like it could indicate an infection. Looking at the results, there is also a segment that says "BLD = 250 Ery/uL" which I'm not sure how to interpret, but my best guess is that it indicates the presence of blood. At the end of her results, the lab comments say "Increased occult blood" which seems to confirm this.

 

[ColoradoCat]

I just checked in with the vet. She's been transferred to internal medicine and is expected to have an ultrasound around 12 and I can expect to get the results back at around 2.

 

[Antonio65]

Could "BLD = 250 Ery/uL" be read as "Blood = 250 Erytrocytes/uL (microliter)"?

 

[Antonio65]

I just checked in with the vet. She's been transferred to internal medicine and is expected to have an ultrasound around 12 and I can expect to get the results back at around 2.

I'm based in Central Europe, so noon might mean 6 pm here, if you are on the east coast.

EDIT: If you are in Colorado, noon could be 8 pm here.

 

[ColoradoCat]

Could "BLD = 250 Ery/uL" be read as "Blood = 250 Erytrocytes/uL (microliter)"?

I'm no vet expert either, but that would make sense.

 

[ColoradoCat]

I'm based in Central Europe, so noon might mean 6 pm here, if you are on the east coast.

EDIT: If you are in Colorado, noon could be 8 pm here.

Yes, I am in Colorado. So I'll probably be hearing back around 10pm your time.

 

[Antonio65]

Probably I will read an update from you tomorrow morning (my time).

 

[ColoradoCat]

She's just been carted off for her ultrasound. This emergency vet has client cameras so we can watch our pets while they're in care, which is really nice. They've been checking on her periodically all night and she does seem to have perked up a bit on the fluids and electrolytes that they've been giving her. Hopefully I'll have a definitive answer and good news in a couple hours.

 

[ColoradoCat]

So the ultrasound has been completed. Both kidneys were the same size, which was surprising. Now the vet's thinking that she's somehow been poisoned (more likely) or that she has a nasty double kidney infection. She'll be kept another night while they continue to monitor bloodwork and electrolytes and keep her on an IV. My regular vet sent off urine samples for cultures yesterday, so hopefully we'll have an answer tomorrow about whether there's an infection or not. The emergency vet has also started her on antibiotics just to be safe. At this point, we're just taking it day by day. On the plus side, it's very unlikely that it could be cancer since it's both kidneys and apparently doesn't look like it.

 

[white shadow]

Hi ColoradoCat !

I have no idea what you may know or not know about an 'out-of-the-blue' kidney injury but, if you want/need a reliable, plain-language and thorough coverage, there's no better than Tanya's Guide - Acute Kidney Injury

Included there are causative factors. Personally, I'd be reviewing them thoughtfully and carefully and looking for clues.

And, pay attention to the need for patience with her treatment and the usual need for days of supportive care.

Lots of support here for you!

 

[ColoradoCat]

So the vet and I decided to consult the ASPCA's poison hotline and we think it's likely that Cassie was exposed to trace amounts of residual lily pollen left behind on our dining room table after a birthday bouquet sent by a well-meaning relative was discarded. We were careful to keep the cats from having any contact with the flowers themselves, but we had no idea how dangerous even the pollen could be. At least we have an answer now which should help us with Cassie's treatment plan.

 

[ColoradoCat]

Hi ColoradoCat !

I have no idea what you may know or not know about an 'out-of-the-blue' kidney injury but, if you want/need a reliable, plain-language and thorough coverage, there's no better than Tanya's Guide - Acute Kidney Injury

Included there are causative factors. Personally, I'd be reviewing them thoughtfully and carefully and looking for clues.

And, pay attention to the need for patience with her treatment and the usual need for days of supportive care.

Lots of support here for you!

Thank you. I'll definitely be giving that a thorough read.

 

[ColoradoCat]

From the ASPCA's website, it looks like the lilies in the bouquet were Asiatic lilies. I'm seeing quite a lot of things that say that the cat needs to be treated within either 18 or 48 hours after ingestion. Unfortunately for Cassie, we thought she had a UTI and it was closer to four days. I'm really wishing I'd taken her in when I first noticed something was off. I just hope that the vets are able to save her.

 

[white shadow]

There's a lot of info in the first link I gave you.

Because the focus is now lilies, let me parse that a little for you:

• on lilies
• on treatment - measured in days

We'll be here!

 

[ColoradoCat]

There's a lot of info in the first link I gave you.

Because the focus is now lilies, let me parse that a little for you:

• on lilies
• on treatment - measured in days

We'll be here!

Thank you. I'll read both of these right now. It's been a really, really rough couple of days. This cat means the world to me. She might just be the sweetest cat I've ever met. I'm hoping to hear back from the vet soon about treatment plans and what we can do for her.

 

[nurseangel]

Thank goodness things seem to be improving!

I wanted to tell you how much I really appreciate you posting this thread. I ordered a gorgeous clematis plant, which climbed the carriage light and was in full bloom. This was when the two strays had their litters at our home. To my horror, I discovered that the kittens were pulling them up by the roots and chewing on them. I ran in to consult the computer and learned that clematis is poisonous. We tore the whole plant up and disposed of it. To my knowledge, no kitten or cat has ever paid much attention to my plants before.

I hope the worst is over and that your cat has a speedy recovery.

Thank goodness you noticed what may have appeared as subtle signs at first.