Need help with my CKD cat

[valou999]

It's been a pretty rough time for me as of late with the passing of my younger kitty, but also with the health of my senior cat, Mitaine. He is in late stage 3 CKD and has been loosing weight consistantly for the past 6 months. I saw the vet recently and his bloodwork looked stable for the most part (though there's possible signs of hyperthyroidism creeping in) from the previous visit, but he had lost 2 pounds. He's been on Semintra for 2-3 months also, and I thought his weight was starting to stabilize, but the sudden death of my 4 years old right before Christmas seems to have upset him in his eating habits. He will barely touch his therapeutic food, wet or dry, but he looks hungry and will beg for food. A few days ago I bought a few canes of Friskies knowing that he has a tooth for it as it is a treat he gets whenever I bring him with me to visit my parents (it's what they feed their cat), he will not accept any other food while in that house. Well, in just one day he ate 1 1/2 cane with voracity I had not seen in a long while, however I know Friskies is hardly appropriate for his illness, but at this point I don't know what's best/worst. That he loses weight insisting that he eats his therapeutic food which he won't have, or that he gains back some weight eating food that may cause his CKD to worsen... Any suggestions?

 

[Raul-7]

Therapeutic food is worse; both are bad. But don't let them fool you into think therapeutic food is healthy. I'd rather feed my sick cat Friskies rather than therapeutic food.

Best solution is to keep feeding Friskies and get a healthier wet food like Weruva or Tiki Cat. Also supplement with chitosan supplement like Epakitin. It also binds to PO4 due to the CaCO3 in it which will help.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Our Vet always told us it's much better that kidney cats EAT than to waste away trying to get them to eat an appropriate food.

Also, since your cat is now in late Stage 3, are you giving sub-q fluids? At that stage, fluids can make them feel better, which will help with their appetites. How about appetite stimulants? Are you giving those? Sometimes it doesn't really matter what foods you feed, they simply don't feel like eating. Mine were that way.

Here is a website that was my go to for everything kidney related when I still had my kidney cats. Definitely take a look at it: Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Everything You Need to Know to Help Your Cat

 

[valou999]

Also supplement with chitosan supplement like Epakitin. It also binds to PO4 due to the CaCO3 in it which will help.

I'll have to look into that. My vet is saddly not the most forthcoming with additional/supplemental treatment. It looks to be available on Amazon, so I'll give it a shot, thanks.

 

[valou999]

Our Vet always told us it's much better that kidney cats EAT than to waste away trying to get them to eat an appropriate food.

Ok, that's what I was suspecting. Thank you for confirming.

Also, since your cat is now in late Stage 3, are you giving sub-q fluids? At that stage, fluids can make them feel better, which will help with their appetites. How about appetite stimulants? Are you giving those? Sometimes it doesn't really matter what foods you feed, they simply don't feel like eating. Mine were that way.

The vet hasn't suggested the need for them yet, and from my observations, my cat seems to be drinking plenty of water by himself, and I also add water to his wet food for good measure. I'm sure it will become needed before long. As for appetite stimulants, no haven't tried them. Him refusing his food is a pretty recent development. For the moment, I think I'll feed him Friskies, as he has a huge appetit about for it, and I'll try different better premium brands until I find something he likes, as you suggested. For a little while he was eating my 4 years old deceased cat's food, but there's not much information about it online, as I don't believe it is sold outside of Quebec/Canada. It seemed of really high quality for a younger kitty, not sure it's appropriate for a 14 years old though. Here's a link with some info:

Cat wet food, chicken cacciatore Romeo | Mondou

Buy Cat wet food, chicken cacciatore Wet 0.156 kg 8.400 cm from Romeo at Mondou.

www.mondou.com

Here is a website that was my go to for everything kidney related when I still had my kidney cats. Definitely take a look at it: Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Everything You Need to Know to Help Your Cat

Yes I'm familiar with that site. It's rich with information, but almost overwhelming so.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

It's good that you add water to his wet food, and good that he's also drinking more, but sometimes that still isn't enough. Many kidney cats get 100 mls of sub-q fluids every day, along with the above!

No need for an appetite stimulant as long as he's wanting to eat. As for the Romeo food, you could always call that company and ask them what the phosphorus percentage is on a dry matter analysis to see if it's fairly low. If it's less than 1.0% then I'd say definitely continue to feed it if you still have some left over and he likes it. Even if the phos level is higher, use it if he'll eat it. Anything that he'll eat is ok to feed, per my Vet.

 

[Jem]

I second the sub-Q fluids. We started giving them to my kitty in stage 3 and they were THE treatment that kept him eating. At his stage, drinking and adding water to food, as great as you are for doing it, is probably not enough. He may not necessarily need the full 100mls long term yet, but for us in the beginning of his fluid treatments, we would give them for like a week or 2 and then not have to do it for a couple months...eventually it became daily as his CKD progressed. Sometimes with CKD, kitty will "crash" need a bit of assistance then bounce back. Toby crashed 4 times before slowly declining into end stage. We kept him happy and comfortable for a good 3 years with fluids.

 

[all4mom2]

Those of you giving sub-q fluids, I just posted a question about needle gauge; perhaps you could help me out with that. Thanks!