We took Stripe (one of my 3 cats) to the Vet on May 6 and she basically said that he looked really good and his heart was strong, lean muscle, eyesight fabulous, etc. We were doing a 6 month follow up to confirm that everything was alright since his Creatinine levels were at 2.4 October 2008 and we hoped that since his teeth had been pulled and the infection eradicated that he was back to normal or a bit more stabalized.
The Vet called and said that it was great news and that everything in the blood work was normal except one thing... His Creatinine levels were now 3.0. I was a bit shocked to be honest. So she told me to come get the SubQ fluids and give it to him 2-3 times a week for the rest of his life. Needless to say I was devastated.
She said the food that I am giving him now (Royal Canin Indoor Senior and various Premium Senior Moist) are perfect for where he is and that she did not want to put him on a prescription diet because all of his vitals are normal except that. She claims that he lost weight but all of us swear that he has gained weight. She also said his urinalysis was completely normal. We changed to this doctor because my friend Jo has had a lot of success with her cats under her care.
I asked how it happened and she said "chemicals" or cancer and it is definitely NOT cancer because of his other vitals. I asked about carpet cleaners and she said it was a possibility. She told me that sprays, cleaners, etc. can damage the kidneys because the cats walk on the carpet and then lick their paws. "Even if you walk behind your car and step in some anti-freeze, travel a little in the house and they step in it their kidneys can get destroyed."
In my house I use NOTHING but natural cleaning solutions. Simple Green, Vinegar and Water, Dr. Bronner's Soap, etc. I can not take any of my cats there because I would not want to stress them with change, take the companionship away from my Mother, and we are in various stages of renovation... Not a good place for a cat.
We just lost our precious cat Xindi February of this year and we are still coping with her loss. We found her under the bed 3 hours after we went to visit my Mother and returned. We have NO idea how or why she passed. She was only 5 or 6 years old.
We lost Stripe's mother Sut last February after a year long illness. I am shattered by her passing because I really thought that she was doing well. It seems so much harder to take when you truly believe that they will be fine and then they spiral downwards.
But in my mother's home (where Stripe lives) she uses carpet cleaners, sprays, lysol, etc. It may not be the reason for his illness but if anyone reads this PLEASE start to use natural solutions and possibly save your dog and cats life! I also wonder if the Iams that I fed them for the first 7 years of their life may have had something to do with it. They said the dry was not tainted but I am starting to wonder.
I did nothing but cry when I heard the newa and I don't think it is fair. I read stories about people who have cats that live to be 18 and beyond and yet mine don't seem to live beyond age 9 despite the fact that I give them the highest quality food available, neutered and spayed, do the litter boxes EVERY day (sometimes 2x a day), fresh water 4-5 times a day, brush their teeth, clean their ears, comb them EVERY day, keep them in the house and never allow them out, etc. I am doing everything that experts say is the right thing to do and mine continue to get sick and I don't know why!!!
I know people who treat their cats like absolute SHIT and their cats are in their teens and have never been to the Vet. I had one person laugh at me and tell me that their brother-in-law feeds his cat Friskies and the cat was 15 so I was stupid to waste the money on quality food and treats! I am starting to wonder if she was right......
It just doesn't seem fair. It really doesn't seem fair...
I asked the doctor about the prognosis and she said she USED to say 2 months to 2 years but now with the high quality foods, home administered SubQ fluids and supplements some cats are living 5 years or more with this. She also recommended Fish Oil (which I take myself) and said that it helped some cats with this and even though there is no cure that we can try to slow down the process.
I immediately went online and found a Vet on YouTube that suggested more canned food with low phosphorus like premium senior foods (I am feeding that already). Nutra Sea or a high quality fish oil. And there is something that he said he can not understand why more Vets don't recommend... it is called Azodyl. I can get it online.
He said thatAzodyl is the best thing out there and can possibly double the chances for life expectancy because it is a probiotic that helps breakdown proteins and makes the kidneys not have to work as hard. They call it natural Enteric Dialysis. I immediately sent for some and he is on it now.
http://www.vetoquinolusa.com/pages/pro_azodyl.html
I sent for Renal Essentials from http://www.onlynaturalpet.
Best price for both are on Amazon.com however.
I know nothing is a miracle but I want to give him the longest, healthiest life possible. I want those 5 more years. I owe it to him for all of the love and happiness that he has given me so far.
We are supposed to take Tsen and Squeak to the Vet next month and I am praying that they are okay. They are all from the same litter so I worry about losing them back to back but at the time they were born I could not give them away.
After these guys pass I really don't think that I can take adopting any more. I get TOO attached and TOO emotional with them. It would be SO different IMO if Stripe was 15 or 17 and she said these same words to me. When my dog Sargent passed one month shy of 18 I cried, and I still miss him, but I could understand that. He lived 5 more years beyond his life expectancy for a dog of his size. But age 9 for a cat just seems too young...
Again it does not seem fair... I swear that I am afraid to be happy because every time I do something else kicks me in the teeth. So now I am going to try whatever I can to keep Stripe happy and healthy for as long as God allows...
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