Kidney failure or Something else?

[Loving Mickey]

Hi Everyone, I am very worried about my cat.I was googling about different illnesses that may be wrong with him when I came across this site.I feel for everyone of you especially Miss Mindy and her fight with cancer. My cat means so much to me as well.He is about 12 years old now and has always been a healthy cat. However,a few days ago he started vvomiting up his food. I thought he just didn't digest it well. I brought Patel cat food instead of any flaked ones and made sure to chop it up very well. I thought that would solve the problem. It did not. Now, he won't eat at all. He just constantly wants to drink water. I am thinking something with kidney failure. I am so worried and scared. He will be going to the vet tomorrow. Just wanted to post on this site, as I know all of you will understand my pain. I love my kitty just like you all love your kitties.Thank You all for just listening!!

 

[arinlars]

Hi Everyone, I also am very worried about my cat.I was googling about different illnesses that may be wrong with him when I came across this site.I feel for everyone of you especially Miss Mindy.My cat means so much to me as well.He is about 12 years old now and has always been a healthy cat.However,a few days ago he started vvomiting up his food.I thought he just didn't digest it well.I brought Patel cat food instead of any flaked ones and made sure to chop it up very well.I thought that would solve the problem. It did not.Now, he won't eat at all.He just constantly wants to drink water.I am thinking something with kidney failure. I am so worried and scared.He will be going to the vet tomorrow. Just wanted to post on this site, as I know all of you will understand my pain.I love my kitty just like you all love your kitties.Thank You all for just listening!!

Hello there. Don't worry you will find out tomorrow and then we will see. I totally understand what you feel and why you worry, before you know for sure it's so stressful and especially if you overthinking and googling symptoms. I send positive vibes to be something. Simple and not so serious

 

[Loving Mickey]

Hi Arinlars Thank You so much for your kind words and your quick response. Yes it is frightening to be worried about our cats that we love so much.Lots of people just don't understand but I know everyone on this site understands exactly how I am feeling.Thanks again! I will let you know what the vet says.

 

[Loving Mickey]

Hi. I did take my cat , Mickey , to the vet yesterday.He did a blood test for diabetes, which he does not have.He put him on some IV fluids while we were there,as he was dehydrated. He gave him an anti nauseated injection and some antibiotics. He sent him home with prescribed antibiotics and some vet cat food.Said to also try some meat baby food.Vet wants to do full blood work and urine test in about a week.Right now wants to see if he will eat and hold it down.Vet did say he didn't feel or see anything abnormal.However,it can be almost anything,as I am sure you all know.I am still worried.I am happy to report that late last night he did start to eat again on his own.Earlier I had to feel him with the syringe.I don't think he liked that so he tried it on his own.So far he will only eat the vet cat food and the baby food.He is also drinking water.He is also not vomiting right now.He seems to be doing better for the present time.He will have the complete bloodwork done towards next week end.Hope he continues to keep eating.Thanks for listening.Sorry I didn't report back sooner.I wanted to see how he did with eating so I could report on that also.Thanks again for listening!!

 

[that guy]

There are a lot of things that can cause a cat to throw up and/or not eat and if they do it enough they will dehydrate. The blood work and urine tests are very important as they are a good indicator of the cats general heath. When you have the blood test done make sure they also check his B12 levels because this can also cause these issues. Depending on what they find in the tests will give a good plan on what to do to help. Given the cats age he is getting pretty old so hopefully he is in decent shape and not carrying a lot of extra weight on him. What are you typically feeding him, hard or soft food? As your cat gets older he will need more attention and sometimes you have to invest a lot of time. My cat is 19 and he has multiple problems in which throwing up is a part of it and there are times when he won't eat because he feels really bad but he always works through it. He also gets a 100ml sub-q every day and all told without the vet he probably needs $300 - $400 worth of supplemental drugs a month. Most of the time his quality of life is good so I can't put him down and he has been with me since the day he was born so he is basically family.

Until you get the vet report on his issues make sure he eats good food, he has clean water, and he is not dehydrating. The easiest way to check for dehydration is to check for a dry mouth or dull eyes. Older cats skin starts to loose elasticity so the skin test is not always accurate. For the short term I would also try to feed him moist food and if he eats dry trying to keep it away from him. Wet food is about 80% water which really helps with hydration and dry I believe is around 35% water.

I wish both of you the best and let us know what the reports show.

 

[stephanietx]

Your guy needs to get to the vet and have a thorough check up including a full blood panel and senior panel, including a check for diabetes and thyroid.  He may also need an antacid to calm his tummy and some special food for sensitive tummies to get him over this hump.

 

[Loving Mickey]

Hi That Guy, Thank You for your response. I understand completely how our pets become family to us.My Mickey is now 12 years old and he has been with me since the age of about 6 months.I love him so much and can't bear the thought of not having him around.He is still constantly drinking water, but not eating too well again.He is not vomiting as of now.I have always fed him moist canned cat food, as that is all he would ever eat.He never would touch dried food.He likes Friskie or Fancy Feast canned cat food.Right now he don't seem to want it though.I am trying the meat baby food and the vet cat food.He will be going for the blood work and urine tests one day this week.I will post the results here as soon as I know anything. It's great to hear that your loved pet is still with you at the age of 19.That is so great.I realize that our loved pets may take alot of our time but I don't mind that.My Mickey is family and I will give him all my time.I know you feel the same about your pet.They are very important to us .Enjoy your days with your pet as I am sure he is enjoying his days with you.

 

[Loving Mickey]

Hi Stephanietx Thank You for your concerns. He will be going for full blood work and urine tests one day this week.He was tested for diabetes .He does not have it.He also had an exam.Nothing seemed or felt abnormal. He is still drinking water but not eating too well.Blood work needs to be done to determine more.I will post as soon as I know something more.

 

[that guy]

At this point it is important to keep him eating because many of the issues that cause them to throw up rob them of nutrients. Try giving him treats and see if that will trigger his eating responses and get him eating again. My cat has IBD and I see this in him on both extremes, sometimes he doesn't want to eat and it may take 3 different kinds of food to get him started and other times I can't stop him from wanting food. I give my cat Pure Bites treats which are dehydrated meat and he will either eat them and walk away or eat them and then start on good. They have calories so I figure if nothing else he is getting food energy. Food with gravy works well because he can either lick it or lick and eat it so I try this with him.

Make sure he is hydrated as well, just because he is drinking it doesn't mean his body is processing the water. I see this in my cat sometimes as well. He will be drinking lots of water and then I give him a sub-q and that is it for his need for water. If his kidneys are failing then the cat will drink and drink and they will not be able to take in the water and they dehydrate. A cat that gets wet food will generally not need much water so if your guy is drinking a lot of water then he is probably not absorbing it. Again, there are many things that can cause these symptoms so you must have full blood work done on him. Once you get this done anything can happen, you may be able to do a simple treatment and the cat will be happy for years or like mine you may have to do a lot for him but he will live a usually happy life.

Hopefully the tests find something simple and easy to address and the cat will be happy for life. With mine B12 shots and sub-q injections made a huge difference in his life. He still has many issues but for the most part he is happy and content with some downtime when he is not feeling good.

 

[Loving Mickey]

Hi That Guy, I did take my cat Mickey back to the vet last night for the full blood work and urine test The results should be in by Monday.Vet gave him more IV fluids while he was there to see if he will perk up again.Mickey is not eating well again and drinking a little.I tried syringe feeding him and he vomited .Vet believes it is his kidneys.Not sure what to do anymore.I spend alot of time with him and can only hope .I will post an update on his condition.I will a post the results of the blood work as soon as I know anything.Hope your little one is doing well.Enjoy all your time with him as I will enjoy the time with my Mickey.Wishing all the best to all our kitties.

 

[that guy]

I am sorry to hear your guy is still not eating but if it is the kidneys then the sub-q should help. I buy lots of different food for my guy and sometimes it takes 4 - 5 flavours before he will eat anything. Right now my guy is not really hungry and had a big flare up last night but he is eating some food but is only interested in the Fancy Feast Hors d'oeuvre which sucks because it is not actual cat food but a treat. When animals are sick they tend to either stop eating or eat a lot less so it is your mission to figure out what he will eat. Cook up some chicken or some other meat that he likes and see if this will get him eating. Mine is a pork fan so I had someone cook up some pork and then I stick in the freezer and microwave some up for him. When it was cooked it was broken into small pieces so it is easy to prepare. At this point you you want to find something that he can eat or will eat to help keep his strength up. If it is kidneys then there are some things that can help but it is a degenerative disorder and there is nothing that can be done to actually fix it but hopefully you can maintain it. My guy has been going for a few years now and he is up to daily sub-q's but his numbers aren't too bad and he enjoys himself for the most part. This is the hard part for your cat, once you figure out what to treat and get things moving he should bounce back and start being his usual self.

 

[Loving Mickey]

That Guy, Thanks for responding. Just a little update on my Mickey.I can't seem to get him to eat at all this time.Tried numerous different foods but nothing.The IV fluids didn't seem to help this time.He just looks weak and tired.I don't really believe that it will matter what the blood results are.I fear that I am losing him and my heart is broken.I feel that the vet doesn't even have a clue as to how to help him.They should at least have some advice on how to get him to eat.I really appreciate you listening and your responses.I will post any more news as it comes along.Take Care of your kitty.Hope he continues to do well.

 

[that guy]

As the saying would go it, it is not over until it is over. If the cat will not eat then contact your vet or the local emergency hospital and explain the problem and tell them you need appetite enhancers. I don't know the proper name for it but my cat needed these at first to get him to eat. If this fails then have them put him on an IV and feed him through a tube until you find out what it is and how to treat it. The vet is in a tight spot because everything looks fine with your cat but it is hard to treat things unless you know what it is you are up against. My cat has used the drugs to make him hungry and I was lucky to get away with this but before his sister passed on years ago she needed to be put on an IV but she was littered with cancer and that was pretty much the end. She seemed fine by the vet and all of her numbers were okay with the in-house blood test but I asked to have x-rays done and that told the full storey before the blood test results were back. As far as cats go yours is a senior and this can hit him hard so phone your doctor or the emergency hospital and let them know the situation and see if there is anything they can do to get him to start eating for now using drugs. If you can keep your cat going for the next few days then you have a good chance of getting on top of this and returning the cat to good health. There is always the chance that this is the end but until it happens I would help your cat fight no matter what it takes.

Best of luck to you and Mickey and hopefully you can get past this low point and have years of enjoyment left.

 

[Loving Mickey]

That Guy, I have heard about an appetite stimulate to get a pet to eat.Surprised that the vet never mentioned it. It's late now but I will call the vet in the morning. They open around nine.Hopefully they can give me something to get him to eat.I know it may be something serious wrong with him .For now just trying to get him to eat so he can get some strength back.He seems so weak now.He still walks around but slowly. Only a week ago he was running through the house.He showed signs of illness overnight.I lost one cat years back .She wouldn't eat for two days and then passed away in my arms.I realize how fast they can decline from not eating.Just hope the vet will give me something to give to him to help him eat.I even gave him some broiled chicken tonight but no luck.He just won't eat.Now he's hardly drinking either.Thanks again for the responses and suggestions. I appreciate your concern for my Mickey.Take Care of your kitty.Will post an update as to what the vet says tomorrow. Just hope he can help.

 

[that guy]

Maybe consider an x-ray to short cut things as well as they are not that expensive. My buddies sister was perfectly fine until the day after her 17th birthday, she stopped eating and started throwing up anything she ate. This didn't change by the next day so she was taken to the vet and that was basically the end, she was getting worse and after the x-rays it was clearly too late so I had to pet her down right then to stop the suffering. Until the end is here there is always hope so keep the faith and hopefully everything works out for the better. The best thing you can do is support the cat as much as possible and give it as much affection as he will allow.

 

[Loving Mickey]

That Guy, Thank You for such a quick response and some more suggestions. You are being so helpful.I can tell how much you care about all kitties.I do too as I think all kitties are so loving.Right now he seems to have a little more energy as he is wondering throughout the house more.He caught a glimpse of his cat carrier and he ran so fast away from it.He must have thought he was going to the vet again.He is still very loving and affectionate as he always was.I will love him and do all I can for him.He has always shown me love and affection and he deserves the same in return.Will post an update after speaking to the vet.Say hi to your kitty.

 

[Loving Mickey]

That Guy, Sorry I haven't posted sooner with an update on Mickey.He wasn't doing too well all week end.On Saturday the vet just gave him some vitamins and nutrients.He didn't want to do anything else until blood results were back.The vitamins didn't help, as he vomited them up.He can't hold nothing down in his stomach. Now today Monday the vet called with the blood results. They showed nothing abnormal. The kidneys are fine.Now vet wants to do the X Rays.The vet now feels it is some form of cancer. I thought that all along.Mickey is only getting worse since he cannot even eat.Basically the vet did nothing for him.I believe they could have gave him some medicine so that he could have eaten.I will continue to love him and care for him.Not sure how long he has but I will care for him in my home until the end.Thanks so much for just listening and all your help and advice. Hope your little guy is doing well.Continue to care for him and love him.

 

[denice]

Don't jump to the conclusion that it is cancer.  When my kitty would have IBD flares he would be like this.  He wouldn't eat anything and syringe feeding wouldn't work because nothing would stay down.  His would come on suddenly.  He would be fine when I went to work and I would come home to the stains on the carpet where he was vomiting blood tinged bile.

It is often very difficult to tell the difference between IBD and intestinal lymphoma.  If no obvious growths show up and your kitty is so ill with not eating I would ask about trying a steroid.  If it is IBD and a therapeutic dose of steroid is given you should see improvement in his condition.  When my kitty was diagnosed he was very ill the way your kitty is and he was started on 10 mg a day of prednisolone divided into two doses daily.

 

[Loving Mickey]

Hi Denice,Thanks for responding to my recent post.The vet is set to take the X Rays tomorrow.The vet says he feels that it is cancer.I realize that he does not know for sure.I am hoping that he is wrong.My poor kitty can't even eat now.Just hope the vet does something so he can eat.He says that he needs to see what the X Rays show first.Then we can decide what to do next.No matter what vet says I will continue to care for my Mickey in my home.Thanks again for responding and for caring about my kitty.Hope your kitty is still doing well.

 

[cocheezie]

Good luck tomorrow.