My Cat Arthur`s bloodwork

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terri1962

terri1962

Member Since 2011
Took my 15 yr old to the vet last week as he not acting right. Anyhow had blood work done and the vet called me on Friday. His BUN levels were a little high 41, Creatinine was normal. The thyroid was also a little elevated 4.4 normal levels I guess are .8-4. I also asked them to check his blood pressure which was normal at the time.
He is now hiding in the carrier in my bedroom which he has never done before. My question to everyone is there any underlying conditions that would elevate these numbers that I should ask them to check for?
He is supposed to go back on Monday for them to take a urine sample. I am very worried about him he is the last of my old cats, I have lost 3 already in the last few years.

Terri
 
Re: My Cat Arthur

Awwww poor lil Arthur. I dont know but it does sound like he's not feeling well. Sending positives and prayers is about all I know to do and WILL do.
Good luck and all my best,
jeanne
 
Re: My Cat Arthur

Jeanne,

Thank You, I think I am going to be needing prayers. I have never seen him act like this before.

Terri
 
Re: My Cat Arthur

Did they do only the T4 test or did they do a Free T4 also to check for hyperthyroidism?

I had an older cat, Libby, 11 years old, who was borderline on the T4 and the Free T4 but we started her on the methimazole because of her clinical signs of itchin, scratching, chewing on her tail and back legs til they were raw looking, ravenous appetite but still losing weight no matter that whe was eating twice as much as a normal cat, excessive urination. The small dose of methimazole, transdermal gel helped to relieve some of these symptoms.

I still have her old lab reports and the Interpretive ranges for the T4 say:

<0.8 subnormal
0.8 - 4.7 normal
2.3 -4.7 grey zone in old or symptomatic cats
>4.7 consistent with hyperthyroidism

"Cats with subnormal T4 Values are almost exclusively euthyroid sick or overtreated for their hyperthyroidism. Older cats with consistent clinical signs and T4 values in the grey zone may have early hyperthyroidism or a concurrent non-thyroidal illness. Hyperthyroidism may be confirmed in these cats by adding on a free T4 or by performing a T3 suppression test. following treatment with methimazole, T4 values will generally fall within the lower end of the reference range (0.8 - 2.3)"

You have an older cat so look for some of those clinical symptoms I mentioned above and then maybe get a Free T4 with the next round of bloodwork.
 
Re: My Cat Arthur

Deb

I will have more info after the vet visit on Monday. They were going to run an addtional thryoid test I assume a T-4. But I will know tomorrow.
I will post that after I get back from the vet.

Terri
 
Re: My Cat Arthur

Make sure they do both a T4 and a Free T4. Two different tests to help diagnose borderline hyperthyroid symptoms.
 
Re: My Cat Arthur

Deb

They already took the blood last week. They did one or the other test, I will get a copy of the blood work. Good to see Deb and Wink back.

Terri
 
Re: My Cat Arthur bloodwork

Arthurs Free T-4 test was 51. His original thryoid test was 4.4 normals being .8-4, so both are just barely above the norms. His BUN was 41 but other kidney values were normal and he is concetrating urine. He does has a lot of blood in his urine though. They do not know why. They sent it off for a culture to see if he has a urinary infection. If he does not have an infection they what else would cause all this blood in his urine? Also would any of this cause thyroid values to go up, she said is is borderline but thinks they want to put him on a low dose of medicine.
Thoughts are appreciated.

Terri
 
Re: My Cat Arthur bloodwork

terri1962 said:
... They sent it off for a culture to see if he has a urinary infection. If he does not have an infection they what else would cause all this blood in his urine? ..
Click to expand...

Bladder or kidney stones may cause blood in the urine. Interstitial cystitis - inflamation of the bladder wall - sometimes is so irritating that blood leaks. Cancer in the urinary tract may cause blood in the urine. An occult injury could cause bleeding too.
 
Free T4 (pmol/L) reference range is 9.0 - 33.5 pmol/L or Free T4 (ng/dL) reference range is 0.7 - 2.6 ng/dL

"In middle-aged to older cats with clinical signs of hyperthryoidism and a total T4 in the "grey zone" or upper end of the reference interval, an increased free T4 supports the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism. A normal free T4 makes the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism unlikely..."

I'm quoting from my IDEXX lab reports on my cat Libby(GA). Who knew this might come in handy in the future. Glad I haven't tossed all her paperwork yet.

So yes, looks like a small dose of methimazole is in order for your cat, Arthur. The transdermal gel was easy to use but there is also a low dose pill made for cats. If I remember correctly, the medication is very bitter so splitting the pill is not advised.

I was able to have my local mom and pop pharmacy compound the transdermal gel. There is also a twist-a-dose version available for easy application. Wedgewood Pharmacy is where I got the twist-a-dose version.

If you are also home testing and pricking the ears, then Arthur is already accustomed to ear fondling. ;-)

Can't give you any info on the blood in the urine.
 
Thanks Deb and BJ, Arthur is not diabetic. My diabetic is my avatar Lilly(GA). He is easy to pill, will eat pill pockets. So that is not a problem.

Terri
 
terri1962 said:
...What is an occult injury?...
Click to expand...

An occult injury is essentially an unseen injury - ex .if he had fallen onto something right at his abdomen.
 
You are so lucky to have a cat that likes pills, let alone pill pockets. I'm envious! ;-) None of my cats has ever liked pills or pill pockets.

Sorry, I missed that about Arthur not being diabetic. ohmygod_smile No spreadsheet in your signature for him should have been a good clue.
 
Aside from stones and bladder infection kidney infection is possible. On a positive note Arthur's creat is normal even though his BUN is slightly elevated. If it is a kidney infection it may be early on. In a kidney infection you may see an elevated BUN and creat. Even if the urine culture is negative he could still possibly have a kidney infection. Is the blood in his urine visable to the eye? Does he have normal urine puddles? Have you noticed more frequent trips to the litter box? If the urine culture is negative the vet may recommend an US. I lost my kitty Boo to bladder cancer in June. Bladder cancer is rare in cats. Brie had a kidney infection this past summer. I hope this is something that can be easily treated. Prayers for Arthur.

Sandy
 
Deb

It was not always like that I had two kitties that I had to upend furniture and chase them down to pill, the were terrible, foaming at the mouth if you could even get the pill into them.

Sandy

I am so sorry to hear about Boo. Thank you for your prayers they are very much appreciated. Yes I have noticed him in the litterbox more often. I can tell he just does not feel well. I will do whatever they suggest as he the last of my old cats. How did they find out Brie had a kidney infection?

Terri
 
They did an ultrasound to diagnose Brie's kidney infection. He was acting fine and I just took him in early for a regular check up. His kidney values changed dramatically from the year before. I made an US appt right away. His creat was 3.9. The radiologist had suggested the possibility of doing biopsies under anesthesia if his creat didn't come down after being treated with antibiotics. I did subq fluids on him every day for a few months. His creat did come down after a few days on abx. He now has CKD probably from the kidney infection. With Boo I saw blood in his urine puddle. I took him to the emergency vet and they did regular xrays which showed nothing. With him I was concerned that he was working on a blockage. I took Boo in for an US and that showed the bladder cancer. He was starting to make frequent trips to the litter box and seemed to be putting out small amts of urine. Most vets would probably have started to treat Boo for cystitis and if it continued they would have suggested an US. I went right for the US. I tend to have bad luck with kitty medical issues. I'm a little over the top with vet care sometimes. It does sound like Arthur has something going on with his urinary system. Hopefully it is just a cystitis and can be cleared up with antibiotics. He may also have a thyroid issue too.

Thanks for your kind words
Sandy
 
Sandy

I do know he is in pain. He is so restless, keeps getting up and moving around. I did give him some Buprenex that I had left over from when he had his teeth out so he can rest a bit. He seems to lay on his side alot which he never did before?
I hope they find out what is wrong with him.
How is Brie doing now?

Terri
 
Hi Terri
I'm sorry that he is laying on his side. It does sound like he's in pain. The buprene sounds like a good call. Did they do any regular xrays at the vet? I'm pretty sure they would show if he had any stones or a possible blockage. Did Arthur have any sediment/crystals in his urine? Did they start him on an antibiotic? I know some vets will wait for the urine culture to come back and some will just start them on an antibiotic right away. Is he still urinating? I have a feeling you'll be calling your vet in the am. I feel so bad for him and you. It is so hard to see any kitty sick. Brie has been having a rough time. His constipation has been bad. Last week he had three enemas. He was so uncomfortable over the weekend but he finally pooped nice on Monday. Hopefully we can get his bowels under control. My DH screwed up this morning with the poop watch and litter boxes. I had to tell him again the importance of keeping Brie isolated so we can watch his poo. His BMs have been kind of dark. My vet seems to think he may have some upper GI bleeding. Brie has cancer. Probable large cell lymphoma or mast cell carcinoma. He does have a mass on his liver and has had enlarged gastric nodes. I opted not to do the biopsies and without a pathology report there is no way of knowing exactly what his diagnosis is. His last US in Feb actually showed improvement since starting pred in November. The pred is not kind to his diabetes but his cancer is being kept at bay. The dark stools are new. I really hope the cancer isn't progressing. Right now he is eating great and seems to be feeling ok. It is day by day. When he had his US done at the end of June it showed pyelonephritis the rest of his abd was fine. I went for a followup US in the beginning of Oct to just see how his kidneys were looking. My vet didn't urge me to do a followup US I just wanted it for my own peace of mind. That US in Oct showed the cancer. Another US in Nov showed more progression of the cancer. It is amazing how much things can change in just a matter of a few months. Atleast the Feb US was improved. His kidney values have been great. Giving subq fluids every other day keeps his creat down to normal levels. What a lengthy reply. LOL. I'll say a prayer for your baby. I hope the vet can figure out what is going on.

Sandy
 
Sandy

So sorry to hear Brie has cancer. That is so hard to take. I had a cat that had a lung tumor a few years back. No they have not x rayed Arthur yet. He did not have any crystals in his urine. I am still waiting to hear back about the culture, I think if it is negative then maybe they will xray him for stones?
Brie sounds like he is having such a hard time. Constipation is hard on cat. My Andy(GA) was chronically constipated. Do you give Brie a bit of Miralax for his bowels?

Terri
 
Hi Terri
Brie has been on miralax twice a day since the end of December. He was on cisipride for a few days back then. Now he's also getting cisipride twice a day and petroleum jelly too. He had a nice poo today and the color was better too. I'm hoping he stays regular. You are so right constipation is hard on a cat. I guess on people too. LOL. How is Arthur doing today? I really hope he is feeling better. The poor guy sounds like he's having a rough time.

Sandy
 
Sandy

Glad to hear Brie had a good poo. Only we that have cats with irregular poos would appreciate that. They want me to bring Arthur in tomorrow for an xray to see if he has stones. So I will be taking him at 11:30 for that.
My mom`s friend who is elderly has a cat that has poo problems and he is on Cisapride an Miralax as well. She has to take him in for enemas quite often. She just found out he has CKD and now is getting fluids, she is very upset. Well I am glad Brie had a good day.

Terri
 
I'm sorry about your Mom's friends kitty. I'm sure it's hard for some of the elderly folks to give fluids. I think Bries kidney issues probably lead to the constipation issues. Good luck tomorrow. I hope you get some anwsers.
 
I took Arthur to day for an xray. It appears his right kidney is not of normal size and shape, it is smaller than the left. I just had bloodwork and xrays done on him six month ago and they mentioned nothing wrong with him then. So I am assuming this has happened in the last six months.
He is also just borderline hyperthyroid. They do not however want to treat that yet. He is going for an ultrasound next week. This will be the last of the tests as I just can not afford anymore at this point.
I am not letting them do any biopsies or any aspirates, he is 15 years old I do not see the point.
I was going to take him tomorrow for the ultrasound but when he got home today from the vet he threw up and I think pooped in the floor( I think he did it, could have been Lucy but don`t think so).
He has never pooped in the floor before, so I thought I would let him calm down before I took him again.
Anyhow what would cause one kidney to shrink like this?

Terri
 
With CKD the kidneys can shrink. I'm not sure about just one being smaller but I think it could happen. By the time CKD shows on bloodwork much of the kidney function has already declined. The US will be more accurate with the kidney measurements. Regular xrays aren't the best for diagnosing kidney problems. They are good for seeing stones. If it is kidney failure it is hopefully early on. I remember his BUN was a little elevated but you said his creat was normal. What was his creat? If it is high normal your vet may have you do fluids if they determine it is CKD. Fluids are amazing. They really do help. I totally understand not doing the biopsies. Brie was 15 when he had his kidney infection and the radiologist had suggested biopsies. I just wasn't going to put him through that. Even after the cancer diagnosis they urged the biopsies for that and I opted not to do them. Did his culture come back? I still wonder what is causing him to have blood in his urine.
 
I learned last year how much things can change on US in a matter of months. It is very possible that his xrays were fine six months ago.
 
Sandy

So far the culture is not growing anything as of 3 days in. Creat. level was 0.9. BUN was 41. The BUN/ Creat Ratio was high at 46. They still do not know why he has blood in his urine. They took more urine today still blood in it.
Yes I agree, like you I am not letting them do biopsies on a 15 year old cat, to what end? I am not having any surgery done on him and I am not putting him through anything traumatic at this point in his life.
Hope Brie is having a good day.
Edit: His appetite had not been very good lately either

Terri
 
That's a great creat. I think you will probably find out what is going on after the US. I'm sorry his appetite is off. Does he seem like he's in pain? I know you gave him some buprene the other night. Brie is doing good. He pooped again today. You are so right that only the poop watchers here can appreciate this. Hugs to Arthur.

Sandy
 
Interstitial cystitis may do that. You might see if a trial of glucosamine (comes in sprinkles, tablets, liquid) may help. A brand is Cosequin.
 
Sandy

Yes it does seem like he is in pain. I am out of buprenex now. Glad to hear Brie pooped. Believe me I know what poop watch is like. I had a cat that had chronic constipation, God rest his little soul. Glad to hear Brie is having a good day.

BJ

Can they pick that up with an ultrasound? How is it diagnosed?

Terri
 
Constipation isn't something diagnosed on US. Regular xrays will show if there is stool in the colon. Megacolon can also be easily seen on a regular xray as well. I'm so glad that Brie doesn't have megacolon. Plain old constipation is bad enough. What day is Arthur having his US? Maybe your vet will give you some buprene to hold you over for a few days.

Sandy
 
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