The vet reminded me about the Pepcid. So, I made a special trip out to get it for her. I've been trying to get 1/4 a 10mg pill (the dose the vet told us to give her) down her everyday. This is easier when my friend D visits. He's very good about pilling kitties :)
Since then, she's been vomiting less often. She stopped hiding all the time. All good news!
But.....she still isn't eating enough. :( I'm feeding her her favorite foods. When D is over and we have dinner together, he spoils her with whatever meat we're eating. I don't mind :) Jewel has been begging for the meat at dinner, so I say if she eats it, let her have a little. Last night, we had tilapia, and she was quite pleased with that!
The vet told me to feed her about half a/d and half Fancy Feast because the a/d contains a lot of phosphorus, and Jewel's phosphorus is already high.
I know a lot of you have already been through this terrible, heart-wrenching roller coaster ride with CRF kitties. What comes next? Should I be asking the vet about an appetite stimulant? I can tell that Jewel is still losing weight.
We have some of those Fancy Feast appetizers, so I think I'll try and put that on top of her food next. When she refused to eat a few days ago, I put some of the chicken one on her food and she ate a little at least.
I find myself wanting to cry a lot lately. It's painful to talk about her status to me. Now that I'm her primary caregiver, I find myself struggling with questions I thought I wouldn't have to face for another five years or more when Lita gets older.
I know I've been bad lately about getting the babies to visit all of your blogs as much as I usually do. I'm sorry for that. We're doing our best. Please know that we love and appreciate all of you, our wonderful friends, and we are always thinking of you, even when we don't get a chance to visit and comment on your blogs.
We're sending purrs and prayers to Jewel. We hope you can come up with a good combo that will make her want to eat.
ReplyDeleteThe Florida Furkids
I don't yet have any experience with CRF, so can't help with this. Cheri over at Cats of the Wildcat Woods does have a lot, though, most recently with her angel Chica, who passed in March, I believe (at about 20 or 21).
ReplyDeleteMy heart aches for you, because every time I read your posts, I harken back to my own anguish over Annie, trying this and that and losing her in the end anyway. I pray that you and Jewel have a lot more quality time together...Purrs and peace from the boys.
Glad that pepcid is helping her out. It wouldn't hurt to ask about appetite stimulants I think. Sometimes, we would "force feed" kitties like Jewel. But it can be a difficult task for some people and many times the cats don't like it.
ReplyDeleteWe are purring for sweet Jewel - we don't have an experience with this so can't help you.
ReplyDeleteLuv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
Jewel...I will right this minute purr and pray for you. Right now before another thing.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a CRF kitty, but I don't eat enough so I get an appetite stimulant, and the one that works for me is Cyproheptadine. The others had no effect on me. So if you decide to use one, remember that there are several and if one does not work, another one might.
ReplyDeleteI am sending lots of purrs Jewel's way, and yours too, because I know what stress and heartache you are going through right now.
Sending hugs and purrs and prayers for Jewel. Have you tried the Liqui-Tinic? It seems to do wonders for kitties with no appetites.
ReplyDeleteHugs for what you're going through.
Purrrrrs for Jewel!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy first cat had CRF. He lived about 9 months after his diagnosis and it was an emotional roller coaster. He would perk up and do well for a day or two and then not do well for a time. It was brutal.
ReplyDeleteThere were many times he would vomit or not eat. The vet said that when the kidney's are not working well it causes nausea and just a general feeling of unwell. Nauseous cats don't want to eat. I would agonize and spend hours trying to get him to eat something. I could get him to lick bits off my fingers at times. The thing we needed to watch was protein, too much protein was hard on his kidneys. I did try an appetite stim for a time. It seems like we tried everything.
One thing we did that helped was to buy empty gelcaps, the smallest size you can find. Then we would break up pills and put in the gelcap. That way he didn't taste the bitter pill on his throat, but you have to be careful, and get it down the first time as the gelcap gets all sticky when wet.
We were juicing him with LRS daily at the end. It was difficult at first but became easier later. We set up a spot on the counter for him and used a heating pad to keep him warm while we juiced him. We also warmed up the LRS so it wasn't cold when it went into him. I don't remember the specifics about which needles to get but you can get a specific size needle that was much much better than what the vet provided as it provided good flow but wasn't huge. I can look it up for you if you want to know.
Prayers and purrs for you as you go through this difficult season of watching sweet Jewel wither away, it's not easy. I treasured every extra day I had with Max, and I hope the same can be true for you and Jewel. Blessings to you.
I had a CRF kitty...he was a picky eater too and it was hard to find him something that he would eat. An appetite stimulant may help Jewel. I'm glad that the pepcid is helping her.
ReplyDeleteHere's a website that has lots of info about CRF and may help you.
http://www.felinecrf.org/
We understand how concerning all this is and we send our absolute best purrs to sweet Jewel.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a lot of experience with CRF cats, but we are purring and praying for Jewel, for you, and for her vets. Don't worry about visiting -- just do it when you feel up to it. We all understand. We really do!
ReplyDeleteHugs!
I am so sorry to read about sweet Jewel! I think so long as Jewel eats something - whether it's only a little bit and whatever food - is good. I think bottom line is she eats. Sending you tons of support hugs and positive prayers for beautiful and beautifully named Jewel! Take care
ReplyDeletex
I'm so sorry to hear about Jewel. Our cat Simba has had CRF for several years. The most important thing we've done for him is give him fluids. He used to only need fluids once or twice a week but he now has to have them daily. What helped him to stop throwing up daily and feeling nauseous is cutting back on the phosphorous. I never knew how much that could make a difference. If Jewel doesn't eat a strictly kidney prescription diet only, your vet can prescribe a phosphorous binder to put in her food. It's powder. Appetite stimulants work fairly well too but it's best to get all causes under control first.
ReplyDeleteWith CRF the cat's urine is too dilute. The kidneys no longer concentrate urine as well as they used to. Once the output (pee) is more than the input (water from food and the water dish), giving fluids subcutaneously is a must and also help immensely with how they feel.
I wish you all the best with Jewel. Unfortunately, I have a lot of experience with CRF but would happy to help if I can.