Complete Care for Your Aging Cat - Amy Shojai [112]
A new blood test for Daffy came back okay except for the kidney values. In less than seven months, the cat’s BUN (blood urea nitrogen value) jumped from normal to 51, and creatinine to 3.4—well over the normal range. “Things can change very quickly with cats, and overnight something will crop up,” she says.
The veterinarian suggested dietary changes, and gave Daffy beneath-the-skin fluids for her dehydration. “They asked me to bring her back in two days for more fluids,” says Chris, an experienced home-care owner. She compares nursing care to addressing the needs of any aging family member, and she had no hesitation about giving Daffy 100 milliliters of fluids every other day.
When she returned for a follow up visit, Chris shared her concern that Daffy had started throwing up her food, and was still lethargic. Blood values were reduced, though, and an X-ray showed nothing unusual. Once Daffy had eaten the special diet for a couple of days and received additional fluids, she began to improve. A week later, Daffy’s blood test revealed how well the special diet and fluid therapy were working when BUN and creatinine values dropped into the normal range. “I’m continuing to give her fluids every other day.”
Several years ago when she had been first faced with giving subcutaneous fluids to a cat, Chris had a lot of hesitation. She wondered if being poked with a needle would be bad for quality of life. “But I see the difference when they have those fluids, and how much better they feel,” says Chris. “There’s no question in my mind that this is good for them. If I can alleviate their discomfort, that’s what I’ll do, even if makes my life difficult for a while.” She accepts that as part of the responsibility of loving pets.
Being in the home environment reduces their stress level and can be therapeutic. Chris established a routine that makes the operation comfortable for the cat and the people involved. “This is the third cat I’ve done this. I’ve learned it’s easier if someone holds and talks to the cat.” So Daffy has a treatment team—Chris and her 12-year-old daughter Michelle.
“Michelle really does a great job. She holds her front end while I kind of sit behind Daffy, pull the skin up to make a little tent, and insert the needle at the base of the tent, parallel to the body. Then I let it relax and turn on the fluids,” says Chris.
In the meantime, Daffy’s doing well. Chris considers the process of home care to be a loving way to cherish every moment with the aged cat. “Treating Daffy has given my daughter an opportunity to feel like she’s doing something to help,” says Chris. “With all of my animals I truly feel blessed that they were a part of my life. Maybe that sounds corny,” she says, “but they just bring us so much and ask for so little…”
Hemodialysis
In human renal failure, the standard medical treatment is dialysis in which a machine takes the place of the damaged kidneys, and cleanses the blood of the toxins. The first program for pets was launched in 1998 at University of California-Davis. “We use neonatal equipment, and we can accommodate dogs and cats as small as two kilograms,” says Larry Cowgill, DVM, head of the companion animal hemodialysis unit at University of California-Davis, and founder of the program.
Hemodialysis is used primarily for acute kidney failure, designed to give the organs the time to heal the damage. “Usually an animal will die of acute kidney failure in four to five days, but it may take weeks or even months for the kidney to get resolved,” says Dr. Cowgill. Cats with chronic kidney failure usually are not good candidates for dialysis, because the process is so expensive, and they would need treatment for the rest of their lives.
Hemodialysis is often used before, during and/or after a