Here we go again... :(

[Fransurrey]

Feeling sorry for myself, really. At the end of August 2012 I lost Cleetus, to renal failure brought on by a tumour. November 2013 I lost Rosco, my cat of a lifetime, to oral cancer (SCC). Still sorely missed. Two months later I'm faced with poor Sandy having renal failure. I took her on last April at 16 years, when she was already on metacam for arthritis. She was bloodtested fine in the summer and is due one now, but last week I noticed a sound like a loose tooth. Vet couldn't find anything wrong in her mouth and she didn't make the sound in the surgery. I now realise it's her jaw. She'll be going back to the vet tonight/tomorrow for blood and to collect a urine collection thingy, but I have noticed her litter being wetter (put it down to new cat starting to use it, too, but new cat is now going out and it's still quite wet). Clicking/grinding jaw is a classic sign of renal problems, due to the Ca imbalance. Cleetus never had it, but he did go downhill quickly.

I just want the powers that be to give me a fekkin break. I knew she'd never live for years and years, but I'd just like ONE of my cats to die in their sleep. Can anyone recommend a PALATABLE wet renal diet food? She's a bit fussy and I had a nightmare with Cleetie boy - we ended up just letting him eat whatever!

 

[Emma_H]

So sorry about your situation.
I too have a CRF cat and I haven't found a renal food she likes I'm afraid.
Like you did with Cleetie, I am feeding her now whatever she will eat (apart from Tuna as apparently terribly high in phosphorus) as I figure it's better that she eat something rather than starve to death. If by doing this she has say just 3 months left with a full belly rather than 6 months with an empty one I'm happy.

 

[pines of rome]

So sorry to hear you are faced with this again, I am also in the same boat with my little Sidney, he is really bad now, but has not given up!
I tend to feed him what he wants, just as long as he eats, I also would love for him to go in his sleep!!!

 

[Fransurrey]

Thanks for the empathy, guys. Sorry to hear I'm not alone for this one. She only gets one sachet a day, so at least if she doesn't eat the renal food, it's not a complete disaster (she already has a low phosphorus dry food, so if I go prescription low P, then it's not a big step). Emma, I took the same approach with Cleetus. He never did lose his appetite!

 

[E13]

So sorry to hear Fransurrey. If bad things come in threes, maybe you won't have further heartache to deal with?

Have you tried royal canin renal pouches? I assume you have as it's a pretty common one. I would say though make sure you've tried the beef flavour, as I find cats much prefer that one! The tuna is ok but they tend to turn their nose up at the chicken. There is also Hills k/d diet which is worth a go.

I'm sure you've been through those options before, so sorry if I've been no help!

 

[peaceandquiet1]

Am sorry to hear how you are feeling cats know how to break your heart

 

[armchair_rider]

Sam and Simba are supposed to be on a kidney friendly diet (they have chronic renal insufficiency). Unfortunately they refuse to eat any of the specialised kidney friendly stuff so they mostly have Tesco own brand senior food which is low in protein and phosphorus. There's also a supplement type thing called renalzine which they were on before they started refusing to eat any food contaminated with it.

 

[Dizzydancer]

if its the same as with dogs most senior food is pretty good for renal problems and more palatable.

 

[Fransurrey]

I haven't tried the tesco own brand food so will get some at the next shop. Couldn't get vet appointment until tomorrow, so bloods will be done then. I did try the royal canin with Cleetus and he wasn't keen, but different cat and all that!

 

[pines of rome]

Here is an article on feeding cats, interesting bit about prescription diets and how they are not that good!
Well worth a read.
http://www.catinfo.org/

 

[Fransurrey]

I thought I'd better come back and update. Good and bad news. Got the bloods back and her kidneys are fine! The bad (or good??) news is that the crunching was not her jaw but an upper molar grinding onto a lower molar, but not the opposing lower molar. That has come out (and is what I was hearing as a loose tooth, but the tooth must have come out before the vet visit). The upper molar looks like it has been digging into the lower gum, but it's unclear as to whether this is because of recent inflammation (there was an abscess in the tooth socket, probably caused by food trapped in the loose tooth). Abscess has been treated. Consultation the other day reveals there is still some inflammation, which will be helped by the metacam, but this won't help if the tooth continues to dig in. Vet's only solution was to extract the upper molar that doesn't have an opposing lower. She's quite happy for me to speak to a dental specialist and in fact suggested it, so I'm going to do that, today. I'm not opposed to having the healthy tooth removed, as it isn't doing anything, but I worry about putting a 17 year old through anaesthetic and another dental. The grinding noise has now stopped, so don't know what to think!!

Realistically, whatever is suggested will involve anaesthetic, so it probably will result in the dental, as that's easiest. Whatever, short story is that I was overthinking things!!!

 

[AndrewGR]

I feed my cats homemade food.
Here is an article with homemade food recipes https://catspurfection.com/homemade-cat-food/
It will be useful to you.

 

[Jeni the dragon]

It may be useful to some but the thread is 6 years old!