12/13 garfield beggining stage 2 renal failure

C

Cassandra & Garfield

Member Since 2019
@Marje and Gracie hello! I was told to post my cats bloodwork. Just found out he is in beggining of stage 2 renal failure :( and the vet food has a crazy amount of carbs. I got omega 3 to help. Right now he is eating friskies pate and at 1.50 units of lantus. Thank you im so sad already diabetes isnt easy to manage with Garfield and now this. Oh and hopefully your still able to figure out his results because its it french
 

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Waving to you from Ontario. Go Habs!

Cassandra – deep breaths. Garfield's numbers are not all that bad. They are pretty good actually, considering. There is an excellent kidney disease site . It is the bible of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Like diabetes, it is a steel learning curve. Take in a bit of information at a time and you will understand the basics in no time.
CKD and diabetes is manageable. A lot of people here manage both diseases. It can be done.
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
Waving to you from Ontario. Go Habs!

Cassandra – deep breaths. Garfield's numbers are not all that bad. They are pretty good actually, considering. There is an excellent kidney disease site . It is the bible of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Like diabetes, it is a steel learning curve. Take in a bit of information at a time and you will understand the basics in no time.
CKD and diabetes is manageable. A lot of people here manage both diseases. It can be done.
Click to expand...
Thank you very much ! Very reassuring ❤️ im looking into low phosphore food or phosphorus binding agent but of course nothing ships to canada
 
I'm going to tag @Bellasmom - she also feeds her cat low phos food for same issue - not to worry - there is help here for that!

Try not to become too overwrought - beginning stages of renal failure is frequently associated with those wonky numbers - and although it sounds dire it's very common. I have one kidney and my numbers are chronically off - it's not a death sentence by any means!

Could you please add Garfield's AMPS to your title today?
 
Cassandra Kapasi said:
Thank you very much ! Very reassuring ❤️ im looking into low phosphore food or phosphorus binding agent but of course nothing ships to canada
Click to expand...
The phosphorus is in range at the moment. You are not in need of a binder yet. The levels can be managed by switching food.
Here is a list of low phosphorus, low carb food. Go stand in the pet food aisle. I know the BFF, Tiki, and some of the Wellness are available in Canada. You want to stay under 200mg phosphorus if you can.
For a phosphorus binder, when that time comes, you will need to order aluminum hydroxide powder from thrivingpets.com. The gel that the vets sell contains sugars.
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
The phosphorus is in range at the moment. You are not in need of a binder yet. The levels can be managed by switching food.
Here is a list of low phosphorus, low carb food. Go stand in the pet food aisle. I know the BFF, Tiki, and some of the Wellness are available in Canada. You want to stay under 200mg phosphorus if you can.
For a phosphorus binder, when that time comes, you will need to order aluminum hydroxide powder from thrivingpets.com. The gel that the vets sell contains sugars.
Click to expand...
Thank you so m
Red & Rover (GA) said:
The phosphorus is in range at the moment. You are not in need of a binder yet. The levels can be managed by switching food.
Here is a list of low phosphorus, low carb food. Go stand in the pet food aisle. I know the BFF, Tiki, and some of the Wellness are available in Canada. You want to stay under 200mg phosphorus if you can.
For a phosphorus binder, when that time comes, you will need to order aluminum hydroxide powder from thrivingpets.com. The gel that the vets sell contains sugars.
Click to expand...
Omg amazing thanks for the info! And sorry where do you see that the phosohorus level is in range in his analysis? Thank you so much!
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
The phosphorus is in range at the moment. You are not in need of a binder yet. The levels can be managed by switching food.
Here is a list of low phosphorus, low carb food. Go stand in the pet food aisle. I know the BFF, Tiki, and some of the Wellness are available in Canada. You want to stay under 200mg phosphorus if you can.
For a phosphorus binder, when that time comes, you will need to order aluminum hydroxide powder from thrivingpets.com. The gel that the vets sell contains sugars.
Click to expand...
Perfect thank you so much!
 
Sue and Luci said:
I'm going to tag @Bellasmom - she also feeds her cat low phos food for same issue - not to worry - there is help here for that!

Try not to become too overwrought - beginning stages of renal failure is frequently associated with those wonky numbers - and although it sounds dire it's very common. I have one kidney and my numbers are chronically off - it's not a death sentence by any means!

Could you please add Garfield's AMPS to your title today?
Click to expand...
I tried editing but there isnt an option for editing the title on my phone. It was 288 :)
 
My cat Ravan was diagnosed July 2018 with stage 2 Kidney disease. He's 17 yrs 6 months old.He also has diabetes & high blood pressure & began having seizures October 2018.

He's doing well. I give him something called Calcitriol & low Phosphorus food & his kidney Values have improved. Here's info about Calcitriol http://www.zzcat.com/CRF/calcitriol/calcitriol_docs.htm I order it from a Compounding Pharmacy,you need a Vets prescription.

It seems not many vets are familiar with using Calcitriol & some think you don't give it until the disease progresses but if you read the information they clearly advise to start as soon as possible . It's a liquid & Ravan gets it 2 times a week.

Apparently it's helping the Kidney disease so I'll continue to use it . His last labs showed his values are better than from a month ago!

The Food chart by Dr Pierson tells you the carbs & Phosphorus.I try to keep the Phos. below 200. It's not necessary to feed "special" food for Kidney disease. Vets advise low protein but that's not really good for cats. Ravan eats pretty much what ever he likes. He was raised on a raw meat diet & now occasionally eats premium canned food also. NO fish & no dry food. There's a powder called Aluminum Hydroxide that you can add a pinch to a spoon of water & mix it in the food . It helps to lower the Phos. I also have a few bowls of distilled water that I add a pinch of backing soda to to make it a bit alkaline, it's good for his kidneys.

I read your kitty was shaking? It might be a small seizure. I give Ravan 1 or 2 drops a day of Allevet or Charlottes Web CBD oil. These are the only 2 brands I'll use. Cornell University did a study & they are the Brands they recommend. The CBD Oil does help Ravan . He had a seizure again when I stopped giving him the CBD Oil. CBD is also good for pain & increases his appetite. (I try not to give any pharmaceuticals unless absolutely needed.)

Here a good web site for Kidney disease info https://www.felinecrf.org/treatments.htm

The more informed you are the better to help your Kitty. You can check out Ravan's Spread Sheet & his Labs. If you have any questions I'd be happy to try to help.
Garfield has diabetes for a very long time. You must love him very much & take great care of him! :):cat:

I don't give dosing advice or interpret Lab results. There are people here that are very good at that that can advise you.


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JoyBee&Ravan said:
My cat Ravan was diagnosed July 2018 with stage 2 Kidney disease. He's 17 yrs 6 months old.He also has diabetes & high blood pressure & began having seizures October 2018.

He's doing well. I give him something called Calcitriol & low Phosphorus food & his kidney Values have improved. Here's info about Calcitriol http://www.zzcat.com/CRF/calcitriol/calcitriol_docs.htm I order it from a Compounding Pharmacy,you need a Vets prescription.

It seems not many vets are familiar with using Calcitriol & some think you don't give it until the disease progresses but if you read the information they clearly advise to start as soon as possible . It's a liquid & Ravan gets it 2 times a week.

Apparently it's helping the Kidney disease so I'll continue to use it . His last labs showed his values are better than from a month ago!

The Food chart by Dr Pierson tells you the carbs & Phosphorus.I try to keep the Phos. below 200. It's not necessary to feed "special" food for Kidney disease. Vets advise low protein but that's not really good for cats. Ravan eats pretty much what ever he likes. He was raised on a raw meat diet & now occasionally eats premium canned food also. NO fish & no dry food. There's a powder called Aluminum Hydroxide that you can add a pinch to a spoon of water & mix it in the food . It helps to lower the Phos. I also have a few bowls of distilled water that I add a pinch of backing soda to to make it a bit alkaline, it's good for his kidneys.

I read your kitty was shaking? It might be a small seizure. I give Ravan 1 or 2 drops a day of Allevet or Charlottes Web CBD oil. These are the only 2 brands I'll use. Cornell University did a study & they are the Brands they recommend. The CBD Oil does help Ravan . He had a seizure again when I stopped giving him the CBD Oil. CBD is also good for pain & increases his appetite. (I try not to give any pharmaceuticals unless absolutely needed.)

Here a good web site for Kidney disease info https://www.felinecrf.org/treatments.htm

The more informed you are the better to help your Kitty. You can check out Ravan's Spread Sheet & his Labs. If you have any questions I'd be happy to try to help.
Garfield has diabetes for a very long time. You must love him very much & take great care of him! :):cat:

I don't give dosing advice or interpret Lab results. There are people here that are very good at that that can advise you.


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Wow amazing thank you so much!! Garfield seems to have an issue with his ear tilting of
JoyBee&Ravan said:
My cat Ravan was diagnosed July 2018 with stage 2 Kidney disease. He's 17 yrs 6 months old.He also has diabetes & high blood pressure & began having seizures October 2018.

He's doing well. I give him something called Calcitriol & low Phosphorus food & his kidney Values have improved. Here's info about Calcitriol http://www.zzcat.com/CRF/calcitriol/calcitriol_docs.htm I order it from a Compounding Pharmacy,you need a Vets prescription.

It seems not many vets are familiar with using Calcitriol & some think you don't give it until the disease progresses but if you read the information they clearly advise to start as soon as possible . It's a liquid & Ravan gets it 2 times a week.

Apparently it's helping the Kidney disease so I'll continue to use it . His last labs showed his values are better than from a month ago!

The Food chart by Dr Pierson tells you the carbs & Phosphorus.I try to keep the Phos. below 200. It's not necessary to feed "special" food for Kidney disease. Vets advise low protein but that's not really good for cats. Ravan eats pretty much what ever he likes. He was raised on a raw meat diet & now occasionally eats premium canned food also. NO fish & no dry food. There's a powder called Aluminum Hydroxide that you can add a pinch to a spoon of water & mix it in the food . It helps to lower the Phos. I also have a few bowls of distilled water that I add a pinch of backing soda to to make it a bit alkaline, it's good for his kidneys.

I read your kitty was shaking? It might be a small seizure. I give Ravan 1 or 2 drops a day of Allevet or Charlottes Web CBD oil. These are the only 2 brands I'll use. Cornell University did a study & they are the Brands they recommend. The CBD Oil does help Ravan . He had a seizure again when I stopped giving him the CBD Oil. CBD is also good for pain & increases his appetite. (I try not to give any pharmaceuticals unless absolutely needed.)

Here a good web site for Kidney disease info https://www.felinecrf.org/treatments.htm

The more informed you are the better to help your Kitty. You can check out Ravan's Spread Sheet & his Labs. If you have any questions I'd be happy to try to help.
Garfield has diabetes for a very long time. You must love him very much & take great care of him! :):cat:

I don't give dosing advice or interpret Lab results. There are people here that are very good at that that can advise you.


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Thank you so much!!! The vet suggested epilepsie. But he also has an ear tilt often so I feel thats probably related :(
 
Christie & Maverick said:
If I could make a suggestion, could you add the test results and reference ranges in the "labs" worksheet of your spreadsheet? Since you are in Canada, we use the metric system of measurement, so Marje will have to do a quick conversion. Having your numbers in the SS will help her do that.
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I just fill in all the info here? Thanks :)
 

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JoyBee&Ravan said:
My cat Ravan was diagnosed July 2018 with stage 2 Kidney disease. He's 17 yrs 6 months old.He also has diabetes & high blood pressure & began having seizures October 2018.

He's doing well. I give him something called Calcitriol & low Phosphorus food & his kidney Values have improved. Here's info about Calcitriol http://www.zzcat.com/CRF/calcitriol/calcitriol_docs.htm I order it from a Compounding Pharmacy,you need a Vets prescription.

It seems not many vets are familiar with using Calcitriol & some think you don't give it until the disease progresses but if you read the information they clearly advise to start as soon as possible . It's a liquid & Ravan gets it 2 times a week.

Apparently it's helping the Kidney disease so I'll continue to use it . His last labs showed his values are better than from a month ago!

The Food chart by Dr Pierson tells you the carbs & Phosphorus.I try to keep the Phos. below 200. It's not necessary to feed "special" food for Kidney disease. Vets advise low protein but that's not really good for cats. Ravan eats pretty much what ever he likes. He was raised on a raw meat diet & now occasionally eats premium canned food also. NO fish & no dry food. There's a powder called Aluminum Hydroxide that you can add a pinch to a spoon of water & mix it in the food . It helps to lower the Phos. I also have a few bowls of distilled water that I add a pinch of backing soda to to make it a bit alkaline, it's good for his kidneys.

I read your kitty was shaking? It might be a small seizure. I give Ravan 1 or 2 drops a day of Allevet or Charlottes Web CBD oil. These are the only 2 brands I'll use. Cornell University did a study & they are the Brands they recommend. The CBD Oil does help Ravan . He had a seizure again when I stopped giving him the CBD Oil. CBD is also good for pain & increases his appetite. (I try not to give any pharmaceuticals unless absolutely needed.)

Here a good web site for Kidney disease info https://www.felinecrf.org/treatments.htm

The more informed you are the better to help your Kitty. You can check out Ravan's Spread Sheet & his Labs. If you have any questions I'd be happy to try to help.
Garfield has diabetes for a very long time. You must love him very much & take great care of him! :):cat:

I don't give dosing advice or interpret Lab results. There are people here that are very good at that that can advise you.


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And yes he is like my child. I have had him since I was in the second grade. We grew up together. To me I didnt/don't do enough. If we had more money I would do scans for his head to see what's happening in there why his ears are tilting or if god forbid he had a tumor.
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
The phosphorus is in range at the moment. You are not in need of a binder yet. The levels can be managed by switching food.
Here is a list of low phosphorus, low carb food. Go stand in the pet food aisle. I know the BFF, Tiki, and some of the Wellness are available in Canada. You want to stay under 200mg phosphorus if you can.
For a phosphorus binder, when that time comes, you will need to order aluminum hydroxide powder from thrivingpets.com. The gel that the vets sell contains sugars.
Click to expand...
I feel most low carb foods are higher in phosphore so annoying. So far im finding weruva but its quite expensive
 
They are. Look for the Wellness ones. They are a bit cheaper, I think. I have not bought cat food, except for my friendly neighbourhood cat visitors for a few years now.

Some people feed raw but you have to get the raw that does not contain a lot of bone. I'm sure there's a page on the kidney site about it somewhere.
 
What kind of infection did he have that his teeth were pulled?
I love my animals like children also. Ravan came from a litter of 5 that were born in my garage. The mother cat was feral & got hit by a car when the kittens were only a few days old. I had to feed them every few hours. I got so attached to them I kept all 5!:joyful:

Even if you had a scan of his head & a tumor was found,would you have surgery on him? I've found that even when you do all the testing sometimes there's really not much you can do to save them.

Ravan's sister, Peggy Sue, died just 4 weeks ago. (I still can't stop crying,I miss her so much)

Nearly 8 months ago I thought she had an abscess tooth. Her chin looked a little swollen. Turned out to be Oral cancer. We did chemo & tried many other things, but could not save her.
She died in my arms ,at home . I'm 73 yrs old & have had many animals die over the years but it does NOT get any easier.

Best of luck to you & Garfield. :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Cassandra Kapasi said:
@Marje and Gracie hello! I was told to post my cats bloodwork. Just found out he is in beggining of stage 2 renal failure :( and the vet food has a crazy amount of carbs. I got omega 3 to help. Right now he is eating friskies pate and at 1.50 units of lantus. Thank you im so sad already diabetes isnt easy to manage with Garfield and now this. Oh and hopefully your still able to figure out his results because its it french
Click to expand...
Sometimes people do not get their tags. Putting the tag on a separate line helps. If you do not hear from Marje within a reasonable amount of time, try that.
 
JoyBee&Ravan said:
What kind of infection did he have that his teeth were pulled?
I love my animals like children also. Ravan came from a litter of 5 that were born in my garage. The mother cat was feral & got hit by a car when the kittens were only a few days old. I had to feed them every few hours. I got so attached to them I kept all 5!:joyful:

Even if you had a scan of his head & a tumor was found,would you have surgery on him? I've found that even when you do all the testing sometimes there's really not much you can do to save them.

Ravan's sister, Peggy Sue, died just 4 weeks ago. (I still can't stop crying,I miss her so much)

Nearly 8 months ago I thought she had an abscess tooth. Her chin looked a little swollen. Turned out to be Oral cancer. We did chemo & tried many other things, but could not save her.
She died in my arms ,at home . I'm 73 yrs old & have had many animals die over the years but it does NOT get any easier.

Best of luck to you & Garfield. :bighug::bighug::bighug:
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Thank you ! Omg I cant imagine raising them as babies and having them their whole life ❤️. No idea what type of infection but he smelled as soon as he walked into the room :( they were in a terrible state.
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
The phosphorus is in range at the moment. You are not in need of a binder yet. The levels can be managed by switching food.
Here is a list of low phosphorus, low carb food. Go stand in the pet food aisle. I know the BFF, Tiki, and some of the Wellness are available in Canada. You want to stay under 200mg phosphorus if you can.
For a phosphorus binder, when that time comes, you will need to order aluminum hydroxide powder from thrivingpets.com. The gel that the vets sell contains sugars.
Click to expand...
Im finding that I would be cheaper to add the phosohorus binder. Is it bad if I were to use it now? Also could I affect glucose levels or anything else? Thanks
 
FWIW, Gizmo was diagnosed with stage 2 CKD. That was about 2 years ago. The only big change I've made is that he gets 0.5ml of calcitriol. He's eating primarily a raw diet (pork and lamb) and some canned venison. (He also has IBD so he needs novel proteins.) All of his kidney values are back in normal range.
 
Many of us have managed diabetes and kidney disease at the same time. At this point, it is worth adding some lower phosphorus foods to the diet, so he gets used to them, but not a rush. Be careful of the Wellness, they changed their formula a few years ago and are no longer as low in phosphorus as they once were.

His phosphorus numbers are well in range, you do not need to add binder yet. The aluminum hydroxide powder does not impact blood sugars when you do get to that point. I managed Neko’s phosphorus for years and only had to add binder for the six months. But she would eat low foods. I made my own with the TCFeleine, then the FoodFurLife premix, turned out to be cheaper than a lot of canned food, for not a lot of work.

https://felinecrf.org/phosphorus_binders.htm
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
FWIW, Gizmo was diagnosed with stage 2 CKD. That was about 2 years ago. The only big change I've made is that he gets 0.5ml of calcitriol. He's eating primarily a raw diet (pork and lamb) and some canned venison. (He also has IBD so he needs novel proteins.) All of his kidney values are back in normal range.
Click to expand...
Besides the vet were would I find calcitriol? My vet says its back order -_-
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Many of us have managed diabetes and kidney disease at the same time. At this point, it is worth adding some lower phosphorus foods to the diet, so he gets used to them, but not a rush. Be careful of the Wellness, they changed their formula a few years ago and are no longer as low in phosphorus as they once were.

His phosphorus numbers are well in range, you do not need to add binder yet. The aluminum hydroxide powder does not impact blood sugars when you do get to that point. I managed Neko’s phosphorus for years and only had to add binder for the six months. But she would eat low foods. I made my own with the TCFeleine, then the FoodFurLife premix, turned out to be cheaper than a lot of canned food, for not a lot of work.

https://felinecrf.org/phosphorus_binders.htm
Click to expand...
The low phosphore food would be allot more expensive for me then adding the binding agent. Is it bad to start at this point? I won't if I shouldn't. And were in the bloodwork do you see his phosphorus levels? Thanks :)
 
Cassandra Kapasi said:
And were in the bloodwork do you see his phosphorus levels?
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First of your pictures, 6th item down called PHOS. His is 1.45. The page I linked shows you worry if over 1.9. There is a rare side effect of aluminum toxicity. If you don’t need to start binders yet, I wouldn’t. Making your own low phosphorus cat food can be a cheaper solution. You could also start with just some of the low phosphorus foods. And look around, there are cheaper options than Tikicat. Look at the phosphorus level of what you are feeding now, and just feed primarily the lowest phosphorus flavours.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
First of your pictures, 6th item down called PHOS. His is 1.45. The page I linked shows you worry if over 1.9. There is a rare side effect of aluminum toxicity. If you don’t need to start binders yet, I wouldn’t. Making your own low phosphorus cat food can be a cheaper solution. You could also start with just some of the low phosphorus foods. And look around, there are cheaper options than Tikicat. Look at the phosphorus level of what you are feeding now, and just feed primarily the lowest phosphorus flavours.
Click to expand...
Im looking into raw food! Any feedback? Im finding it hard raw food without crushed bone. What is an acceptable phosohorus % ? I found this is this too much?
 

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It’s interesting because his SDMA is normal although it’s high normal. His creatinine is definitely within Stage 2 CKD and his urine specific gravity is lower than it should be. USG (reported as densite urinaire) will vary during the day as the cat drinks more. The question is, can he concentrate his urine and the best way to find out is to take to the vet the first urine of the day. It’s not that I think this is necessary since other numbers point towards early CKD.

Here are a few things to focus on with CKD as they directly affect longevity, but obviously, there are a lot of “moving parts” and things to keep an eye on:

  • phosphorus level: his is “ok” but could come down. Ideally, you want it between 4-4.5 by feeding a lower P food. The lowest P foods are the renal diets but, as you know, the carbs are often high, the protein is too low, and the ingredients are bad. It’s too early for P binders which are not started until the P is at 6 or above so focus on a lower P food (one that is less than 1.00%P on a DMB or less than 200 mgP/100 kcal on an as-fed basis. Food Fur Life’s EZ Complete is a balanced supplement that you add to raw food and it is lower P (less than 1.00% of DMB and that includes the meats) and uses egg shell calcium instead of bone. Their website includes excellent info on how to transition.
  • Hematocrit (HCT) or packed cell volume (PCV) which relates to anemia: Your vets didn’t run a CBC so you can’t see how he’s doing but you want to try and keep his HCT/PCV above 30% by supplementing with B vitamins as his HCT approaches 30%. It’s very specific so don’t cut corners; in other words they need methylB12 and multiB complex.
  • Blood pressure: have it checked every single time you take him in and be sure you get him started on the appropriate drugs if it’s high.
  • Proteinuria: don’t cut corners by not having his urine checked. Right now, he has no protein in his urine but if he starts to show it, get a urine protein:creatinine ratio. Read about it on Tanya’s while it’s normal so if it changes, you are prepared.
  • Potassium levels: his is already creeping down. Ideally, it should be 4 or above but what makes it more difficult with FDs is that insulin can cause the uptake of potassium into the cells so the serum levels look lower. It’s hard to distinguish if a CKD/FD has low potassium due to CKD or diabetes. Supplementation should be done under the supervision of your vet as too high is as bad as too low.
Insofar as the use of calcitriol, yes, it has benefits for some but not all cats. It can raise Ca levels and it’s important to be careful because Ca and P work in concert. When Ca x P exceeds 70, you risk tissue calcification so cats with Ca levels at 10 or above should probably not have calcitriol without checking their ionized calcium value. Garfield’s Ca is normal now. It’s also vitally important that you work with your vet on calcitriol. Labs need to be monitored if you use it.

There is a lot to treating CKD and starting early is smart. My last CKD cat had been diagnosed four years prior to his passing and he was still stable when he crossed.

Let me know if you have questions.
 
Last edited:
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
FWIW, Gizmo was diagnosed with stage 2 CKD. That was about 2 years ago. The only big change I've made is that he gets 0.5ml of calcitriol. He's eating primarily a raw diet (pork and lamb) and some canned venison. (He also has IBD so he needs novel proteins.) All of his kidney values are back in normal range.
Click to expand...
'


good stuff !!! further proof that protein is not the enemy of the kidneys...it's so frustrating to still hear vets telling people low protein is best.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Actually, my vet told me high protein and low phos..
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awesome - they sound like a keeper !
My friend is a vet...fairly new grad though and when I told her about my cat and the diet changes one of the first things she cautioned me against was the higher protein and how it would be hard on his kidneys. I'm sure it really just depends on the vet but I hear that more than I hear anyone talking to client's about phos levels in foods.
 
Marje and Gracie said:
It’s interesting because his SDMA is normal although it’s high normal. His creatinine is definitely within Stage 2 CKD and his urine specific gravity is lower than it should be. USG (reported as densite urinaire) will vary during the day as the cat drinks more. The question is, can he concentrate his urine and the best way to find out is to take to the vet the first urine of the day. It’s not that I think this is necessary since other numbers point towards early CKD.

Here are a few things to focus on with CKD as they directly affect longevity, but obviously, there are a lot of “moving parts” and things to keep an eye on:

  • phosphorus level: his is “ok” but could come down. Ideally, you want it between 4-4.5 by feeding a lower P food. The lowest P foods are the renal diets but, as you know, the carbs are often high, the protein is too low, and the ingredients are bad. It’s too early for P binders which are not started until the P is at 6 or above so focus on a lower P food (one that is less than 1.00%P on a DMB or less than 200 mgP/100 kcal on an as-fed basis. Food Fur Life’s EZ Complete is a balanced supplement that you add to raw food and it is lower P (less than 1.00% of DMB and that includes the meats) and uses egg shell calcium instead of bone. Their website includes excellent info on how to transition.
  • Hematocrit (HCT) or packed cell volume (PCV) which relates to anemia: Your vets didn’t run a CBC so you can’t see how he’s doing but you want to try and keep his HCT/PCV above 30% by supplementing with B vitamins as his HCT approaches 30%. It’s very specific so don’t cut corners; in other words they need methylB12 and multiB complex.
  • Blood pressure: have it checked every single time you take him in and be sure you get him started on the appropriate drugs if it’s high.
  • Proteinuria: don’t cut corners by not having his urine checked. Right now, he has no protein in his urine but if he starts to show it, get a urine protein:creatinine ratio. Read about it on Tanya’s while it’s normal so if it changes, you are prepared.
  • Potassium levels: his is already creeping down. Ideally, it should be 4 or above but what makes it more difficult with FDs is that insulin can cause the uptake of potassium into the cells so the serum levels look lower. It’s hard to distinguish if a CKD/FD has low potassium due to CKD or diabetes. Supplementation should be done under the supervision of your vet as too high is as bad as too low.
Insofar as the use of calcitriol, yes, it has benefits for some but not all cats. It can raise Ca levels and it’s important to be careful because Ca and P work in concert. When Ca x P exceeds 70, you risk tissue calcification so cats with Ca levels at 10 or above should probably not have calcitriol without checking their ionized calcium value. Garfield’s Ca is normal now. It’s also vitally important that you work with your vet on calcitriol. Labs need to be monitored if you use it.

There is a lot to treating CKD and starting early is smart. My last CKD cat had been diagnosed sordid four years prior to his passing and he was still stable when he crossed.

Let me know if you have questions.
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Omg amazing you are just so knowledgeable ❤️. Why didnt didnt he take his blood pressure ? Also he just started what we think is epilepsy and the vet suggested keppra. Do you think this will affect his diabetes? She said one of the most popular epilepsy medications would but that keppra wouldnt. Thank you so so much for your help!
 
I didn't take that as the conclusion. There is a concern if a cat has renal insufficiency so this should be discussed at length with. your vet

How often have you seen a seizure and are you sure it was unrelated to FD?
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
I didn't take that as the conclusion. There is a concern if a cat has renal insufficiency so this should be discussed at length with. your vet

How often have you seen a seizure and are you sure it was unrelated to FD?
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Last night was the second time. I tried uploading the video of him its not working. First time he was at 162 and last night at 342. It was exactly at the same time both nights 3-4mins after starting to eat and being injected. He was able to eat while seizing. The vet said it is for sure partial because its mostly just his head that shakes and tilts
 
Cassandra Kapasi said:
Last night was the second time. I tried uploading the video of him its not working. First time he was at 162 and last night at 342. It was exactly at the same time both nights 3-4mins after starting to eat and being injected. He was able to eat while seizing. The vet said it is for sure partial because its mostly just his head that shakes and tilts
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You need to download it to YouTube and then use the filmstrip icon in the toolbar to add it. It’s to the right of the photo icon.
 
Cassandra Kapasi said:
hope this works !
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Thank you. When was the first time he ever did this....before FD, after? You said he has had ear tilting but did it present as this? I’ve had cats that have had seizures but it didn’t look like that; however, ECID and whatever causes seizures can cause them to present differently. I’m trying to figure out any connections. Neither normal BGs within FD nor insulin should cause this.
 
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