Azodyl for CKD...Has anyone tried this?

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Merlin

Merlin

Member Since 2014
Merlin is about to have dental work done (next week). About 3-4 weeks ago, I took him in to get his dental done but his key kidney indicators were high and the vet did not at that time feel comfortable in putting Merlin under anesthetic. So since then, we have been trying to improve his BG numbers. Regardless, I took him in again to have his blood work done again today to see if there were any changes with the kidney indicators. His numbers did not improve, however, they did not get worse so Merlin, at this time, is maintaining. We are going to go ahead and get his dental done next week and will be taking some precautions i.e. IV fluids, etc.

My vet suggested Azodyl for Merlin. Apparently this supplement aids in eliminating toxins that the kidney cannot. I looked on Tanya's website and she has quite a bit of information on this supplement. Most CRF/CKD users reported improvement and some did not. It has been reported that this supplement, for some cats, has maintained and/or decreased BUN/Creatine levels. Also, I found a paper written from Canada reporting that Azodyl should not be used on diabetic cats. Ultimately, I am going to print this paper off and drop it off at the vet to see what he thinks regarding this statement. Azodyl contains Kibow Biotics [E. thermophilus (KB 19), L. acidophilus (KB 27), B. longum (KB 31), psyllium husk].

So my questions are; are there any diabetic kitties using Azodyl or Renadyl (human version)? If so, what has been your experience? How did you get your cat to swallow the capsule?
 
So basically it has 3 probiotics, plus psyllium.
The psyllium is a mostly inert fiber which may help keep moisture in the feces and reduce problems with constipation, if any.
The probiotics may be available in other products, too.
 
I just saw this link in Eddies condo.

I've used Azodyl on two CKD cats and it did not help either one of them. The CKD in one was caught early and I started her on Azodyl. Her BUN/creat did not improve and she hated the stuff. So I took her off and her numbers stayed nice and stable for two years until she crossed from lymphoma. The CKD in my other kitty was not caught until his creat was 3.5 and I don't remember his BUN. But the Azodyl also did not help him.

Neither were diabetic but I just felt it was not worth the expense. I had one other CKD cat and I didn't give it to him. He was still stable with CKD four years after dx and crossed from a non-CKD related illness.

Good luck!
 
Squeaker was recently diagnosed with CRF, very high BUN and Crea. I am trying Astro's N-C Scrub mixed with Kefir as the probiotic. It's the same principle as Azodyl and he doesn't mind drinking the thick creamy Kefir mix. However, after 2 months I have not seen a reduction in the kidney values. While these products may help some cats I am sure there are others like mine where there are no effects. Just be sure to consult with your vet before adding any product, even supplements to your regimine. Good luck to you both.

Anita and Squeaker
 
Thank you BJ, Marje and Anita for your reply and for sharing your experiences with Azodyl and other products. I have decided not to try Azodyl. I took a copy of the paper written by the Canada company to my vet and told him that I was hesitant in trying this supplement on a diabetic cat. He double checked his resources and determined that we shouldn't try it either. I think his next suggestion is for us to try subq fluids 2-3 times per week. Marje, I found your link on pancreatitus and saw the video on how to administer subq's. So maybe, I might consider that option.

Thanks again for your responses.
 
J.D. gets Azodyl. I don't know if it helps him. His labs are in his spreadsheet.
Can you provide a link to the paper that says not to give it to Diabetics?
J.D. has gotten it for years.
 
Cindi

I you would like me to look at his labs, I can offer some thoughts regarding CKD. Having had four cats in the past with CKD, I've gotten familiar with the tests and what they "might" mean. I can give you some questions to ask your vet. Just PM me if you would like me to help in that regard.

I'm glad you saw the video and the pancreatitis link and I hope they help.
 
Dyana - Here is the link to Tanya's page that is referencing Azodyl. http://www.felinecrf.org/treatments_was ... lation.htm Once you bring this page up, scroll down to the section that says, "How to Give Azodyl." Towards the end of this section, you will see this statement that is below in red. I clicked on the link (below) and that is the paper I took to the vet.

The Compendium of Veterinary Products has an information sheet from Vetoquinol Canada which states that Azodyl should not be used in diabetic cats.

Embedded in that information is this link. http://veto.naccvp.com/view.php?u=count ... um=1234273
 
I thought this was all familiar. I must have run into the link from Tanya's site myself in the past. I called Vetoquinal Canada via the phone number on the link and I asked them if Azodyl could be given to diabetic cats and they said of course it can.
 
I spoke with Dr. Brian McGlothlin today. He is the west coast vet for Vetquinol and he seemed REALLY sharp even with FD.

He said there is no reason you can't give a diabetic cat Azodyl. The Canadian govt requires the annotation as a contraindication because Azodyl has pysllium husks in it and there is potential that it could cause the BG to go up or down (most likely up). The U.S. does not have the same requirement. But he said if you are home testing and monitoring, you can always adjust the insulin. He said that he has seen a lot of FDs in the U.S. get the Azodyl and has not seen any reports that it caused a problem for the BG but just monitor to make sure because...ECID!

He also said that some cats will see a good decrease in the creat/BUN with Azodyl but the typical result that CGs find is that there might be only a slight improvement in creat/BUN but the cat eats better and seems to overall feel MUCH better. He said it is best to get the small caps and give it to kitty in the capsule. If you absolutely cannot get the cap down, he said you could put it in some very high fat food like full up yogurt (a very small amount like a tsp or less). It works best if given in the capsule because the enteric coating keeps it intact through the stomach and it opens in the intestine which is the target organ. He said it MUST be given on an empty stomach either one hour before a meal or two hours after. I told him that could be difficult for a FD and he agreed.

So it looks like it might be worth a try if you have the spare $$. It is expensive and has to be shipped and kept cold.

I hope this info helps.
 
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