i there
been a pretty hard year pet wise
lost my beloved 14 year old cat last year to cancer and found out on Monday my other 12 year old cat has kidney disease, or rather is showing signs that they aren't working properly

they aren't sure how advanced it is...

we just did a blood test as part of a check up and it showed up.

i understand that they can have it for years before they display any symptoms?

she is still well in herself but off her food and sick sometimes

hopefully its early onset and we can stabilise it?

i understand it cant be cured

has anyone got any tips on helping her and stopping it advancing?
poor kitty
im worried for her

also does anyone have any tips on administering tablets to cats? without distressing them?

she has a special diet but wont eat it and wont eat the tablets either

we dont know whether to tempt her with other foods although have been told to give her this special food and i understand that proteins such as chicken etc arent the best when cats have bad kidneys

we dont want her to not eat at all though

am really worried for her
i couldn't bear to lose another kittie
thankyou! xxx

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time at the moment.

I'm afraid I can't give you any new advice about the tablets, we have a nightmare trying to give any of ours tablets and they normally get so stressed I worry for their health. The only thing we can do is wrap the cat in a towel and try to get the tablet down as quickly as possible but I'm eager to see if anyone else has any tips.

Try this site for tips on kydney disease in cats.

Best of luck.

__________________
http://www.elmstarbengals.co.uk



Our darling Foxy is now at Rainbow Bridge. R.I.P. little one, you'll always be loved.

Only advice I have about giving pills is to brace yourself behind the cat, because the cat's instinct is to jump backwards and you are able to prevent this by being behind it.

I'm really no expert on cats with kidney probs but from what other ppl have been saying on here and from what I've heard over the years, dry food is the cause of these problems (yes I know the vet will sell you dry food of untold variety til it's coming out of your ears, but still) and a very well researched raw food diet may be far better. (You can even buy whole chicks and mice frozen for your cats if you want to go totally natural). As I say I'm no expert, but theres a lot on the forum about this, search cat kidneys or something, or cat raw xx here's an example, there's a few ppl on that thread that know their stuff x Diet help for CRF, hyperthyroid, sensitive stomach kitty If it was my cat and I wasn't sure enough to feed exclusively raw I would probably be using as a staple a high quality moist wet food like feline fayre (asda) or hi-life tins. At a guess the FF has the highest moisture content of the two. Good luck lovey x so sorry to hear about your other cat xxx

And as far as the pills go - all I can say is wrap the cat in a towel, prise mouth open and try and drop it straight down the back of the throat, shut the mouth and stroke the chin to help it down. It's bloody annoying how hard it is, are the drugs she's on not available in paste or syrup form like wormers?

i have ordered some 'pill pocket' from the usa
(i live in the UK) as these were recomended
i will try anything

i guess the new diet should be introduced slowly
she ate it at first but now wont touch it as she obviously suspects hidden tablets

i will ask the vet about alternative ways
tablets are so difficult to administer

i really want to help her but i want her to have a good quality of life too and be happy and not stressed
its so hard

i dont want her to be unhappy

xxx

Are pill pockets like a little treat that you put a pill in? I remember when my vet gave me some free samples because they were testing them, but I'm afraid they were hopeless. You can get pill dispensers by the way, that look like a syringe that you hold the pill in and then shoot it down the cat's throat using a plunger, I was given one of those at the vet's once, though I've not needed it because I've had so many years of practice giving pills.

do u have any tips? im worried about her choking? how to you administer tablets successfully?
thanks!
xx

I worry more about my fingers. I'm currently sporting a very sore thumb after getting bitten right in the corner by one of the Bengal girls!

__________________
http://www.elmstarbengals.co.uk



Our darling Foxy is now at Rainbow Bridge. R.I.P. little one, you'll always be loved.

haha
oh dear
is it best to just drop it straight dow her throat? are u meant to then rub their nose? i hear it makes them want to lick it which makes them swallow? or shall i rub her throat?
thanks again

xxx

Only same as said above, stand behind cat, tickle throat to force cat to swallow, wrap tightly in towel if desperate, but above all, be confident and firm, no hesitating or you are lost and the cat is behind the sofa or straight out the cat flap. Oh, and best to do the deed with cat on the dining table or similar height firm surface, you get a better grip that way and can see what you're doing.