Kidney disease update on Baby G

babyg

babyg

Very Active Member
Previous: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB...-tomorrow-lab-results-in.294193/#post-3209292

Hi all,

I'm still waiting for all the test results to come in and be emailed to me, but we had our 6-month check up at the vet last weekend. Did bloodwork and urinalysis. I wanted to bring her in too because for the past month, almost weekly I've had to give my cat Mirtazapine because she'd all the sudden slow down/stop eating and then that would get her going again.

According to the vet, creatinine went up just a little from 1.9 to 2.0; phosphorous went up from 4.6 to I think she said 5.4? And BUN went up from 54 to I believe 64. She said eosinophils were a little high which could indicate inflammation or parasites or some type of infection but wasn't sure. At this time she doesn't recommend any changes in diet or anything to treat the kidney disease other than to come back to a re-check in 6 months.

I think I'm kind of concerned about the BUN and phosphorous even if she isn't. I feel like the vets out here aren't always proactive enough. I'll know more once I have all the numbers (they're just waiting on thyroid to come in, then they'll email it all to me). I'm also on that Tanya kidney disease site but what I really dislike about over there is every single post I make has to go through approval first before it gets posted, so it takes forever to dialog with anyone. If any of you guys who have experience with kidney disease have any thoughts on our bloodwork, I'd appreciate it! Again, I'll update once I get everything.
Thanks!
 
Got her full results back and updated her spreadsheet under the tab called "LABS" here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...wvc-44/edit?pli=1&gid=730720334#gid=730720334.
Aside from the kidney values, her eosinophils were over 1,000, and her Precision PSL that tests for pancreatitis was high at 132 (normal range 8-26).
I'll double-check with her internal med specialist what he thinks about her results, but if anyone is good at reading labs and has any ideas or input on them, I'd appreciate it!
 
babyg said:
Got her full results back and updated her spreadsheet under the tab called "LABS" here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...wvc-44/edit?pli=1&gid=730720334#gid=730720334.
Aside from the kidney values, her eosinophils were over 1,000, and her Precision PSL that tests for pancreatitis was high at 132 (normal range 8-26).
I'll double-check with her internal med specialist what he thinks about her results, but if anyone is good at reading labs and has any ideas or input on them, I'd appreciate it!
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@Suzanne & Darcy
 
Hi there,
Sorry to hear about Baby G…
I definitely agree with you re the phosphorus level, according to IRIS and as it is stated on tanya’s website, “Your aim is to reduce your cat's phosphorus to a level of below4.6 mg/dl.”
https://felinecrf.org/phosphorus.htm#goal_summary
The pocket guide from Iris says so from ckd stage 1:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/666b9ecb4064a156963b4162/t/66a6dbe460ba38633de536c0/1722211300466/IRIS_Pocket_Guide_to_CKD_2023.pdf

if she also has pancreatitis, then you definitely want to checkher hydration and make sure that she eats.

sorry I’m running late now hope that Suzanne checks in soon!
 
Definitely think she's having a pancreatitis flare up based on her lab work and she's been throwing up all morning. I'm going to contact the vet to try to get some ondansetron and gabapentin. I'm so frustrated that none of these vets offer solutions or try to help us. They see the same bloodwork! It's like everyone is content to leave her be. She wouldn't have anything if I didn't advocate for her.
 
babyg said:
Definitely think she's having a pancreatitis flare up based on her lab work and she's been throwing up all morning. I'm going to contact the vet to try to get some ondansetron and gabapentin. I'm so frustrated that none of these vets offer solutions or try to help us. They see the same bloodwork! It's like everyone is content to leave her be. She wouldn't have anything if I didn't advocate for her.
Click to expand...
You probably already know this, if she has pancreatitis she is in pain. My cat Buddy had kidney disease and he took Buprenorphine every day. No doctor offered any solutions for Buddy either. There is a group on Facebook if you did not know about it. Good Luck.
 
Thank you, I will look for that facebook group. I don't know if she's had buprenorphine before. I think maybe when she was hospitalized years ago. I can see if she can have that vs gabapentin.
 
And same thing with the kidneys. No one really recommends doing anything yet for her phosphorous. No supplements, nothing. I understand to some she may not be "bad" enough yet but why wait for things to get worse.
 
I’m really sorry that it’s so difficult to get care… I guess it’s more or less the same everywhere unfortunately…
There are some studies showings that gaba isn’t effective to treat pain from pancreatitis - I wouldn’t be able to explain the different pathway of each, however when Aida had her flare up, and it wasn’t possible to get bupe (highly controlled drug here), I sensed that gaba did help her a lot.

Regarding phosphorus control, the easiest way is to start feeding renal. Most are MC however. If her BG isn’t easy to control you could then just add aluminium hydroxide to her current food. BUT first she has to be over that flare up.

Have you got the starter on pancreatitis?
 
Daphne and Aida said:
I’m really sorry that it’s so difficult to get care… I guess it’s more or less the same everywhere unfortunately…
There are some studies showings that gaba isn’t effective to treat pain from pancreatitis - I wouldn’t be able to explain the different pathway of each, however when Aida had her flare up, and it wasn’t possible to get bupe (highly controlled drug here), I sensed that gaba did help her a lot.

Regarding phosphorus control, the easiest way is to start feeding renal. Most are MC however. If her BG isn’t easy to control you could then just add aluminium hydroxide to her current food. BUT first she has to be over that flare up.

Have you got the starter on pancreatitis?
Click to expand...
There is a starter on pancreatitis on this web site. There is also a Pancreatitis group on the internet, they still send me there e-mails every day. I will look up how it is worded so you can see if it is something you might be interested in. Also, some vets use Tramadol for pancreatitis, but buprenorphine is still the best.
 
Teresa & KitKat said:
There is a starter on pancreatitis on this web site. There is also a Pancreatitis group on the internet, they still send me there e-mails every day. I will look up how it is worded so you can see if it is something you might be interested in. Also, some vets use Tramadol for pancreatitis, but buprenorphine is still the best.
Click to expand...
The group for pancreatitis is FelinePancreatitisSupport@groups.io
 
babyg said:
And same thing with the kidneys. No one really recommends doing anything yet for her phosphorous. No supplements, nothing. I understand to some she may not be "bad" enough yet but why wait for things to get worse.
Click to expand...
Go to some of the groups for this, there is one on facebook. You will get more than from a vet.
 
babyg said:
Thank you, I will look for that facebook group. I don't know if she's had buprenorphine before. I think maybe when she was hospitalized years ago. I can see if she can have that vs gabapentin.
Click to expand...
I never knew gabapentin was for pain, I have been taking it for years.
 
babyg said:
Definitely think she's having a pancreatitis flare up based on her lab work and she's been throwing up all morning. I'm going to contact the vet to try to get some ondansetron and gabapentin. I'm so frustrated that none of these vets offer solutions or try to help us. They see the same bloodwork! It's like everyone is content to leave her be. She wouldn't have anything if I didn't advocate for her.
Click to expand...
She needs something for pain if she has pancreatitis.
 
The vet just told me she doesn't recommend buprenorphine because of the kidneys, and she doesn't recommend gabapentin because it doesn't work for that kind of pain. So she's not prescribing any pain meds, only anti nausea and appetite stimulant.
She also doesn't want to change anything to help kidneys more.
I will check out those other resources you guys recommended. I don't know how much I can trust the vets advice.
 
Not sure if your vet is correct about bupe…
“Buprenorphine is cleared by the liver so it tends to be a good choice for CKD cats who need ongoing pain control. However, cats with CKD may eliminate it more slowly. Plumb's Veterinary Drugs Handbook says "All opiates should be used with caution in patients with... severe renal insufficiency... and in geriatric or severely debilitated patients." Discuss with your vet whether to lower the dose.”
http://felinecrf.org/treatments_antibiotics_painkillers.htm#buprenorphine
 
babyg said:
The vet just told me she doesn't recommend buprenorphine because of the kidneys, and she doesn't recommend gabapentin because it doesn't work for that kind of pain. So she's not prescribing any pain meds, only anti nausea and appetite stimulant.
She also doesn't want to change anything to help kidneys more.
I will check out those other resources you guys recommended. I don't know how much I can trust the vets advice.
Click to expand...
Call back and ask for Tramadol, she needs something for pain. If she was human they would give it to her, she still hurts.
 
Thanks everyone! Just wanted to update. Been giving her the anti nausea med, which made her very gassy at first but she seems to be feeling better, does not appear in any pain, and is eating good. :cat: I hope we are getting over this hump.
 
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