Next was Cleo’s turn.
CKD and PCV check:
Crea 477 (from 467 to 430 and now, 477, so it looks like the creatinine is hovering.)
Urea 20.6 (from 24.1 to 22.5, so this is a reduction, which is good.)
The vet said the creatinine level is very much dependent on food. So CKD food is highly recommended. Well, I have tried my best to coax Cleo to eat the various CKD foods I’ve prepared for her, but she is choosy and she wants variety. So, ultimately, as for all our Super Seniors, the feeding principle is back to “As Long as They Eat”.
Cleo’s PCV today is 27% (from 25% previously). The vet says there is no need to continue with the Darbepoetin as in her professional opinion, that is only given when the PCV drops down to about 20%.
Cleo’s systolic BP was initially 140mmHg, but the moment she got stressed when it was being taken, it went up to a consistent 160mmHg. The vet decided to increase her Amlodipine dosage to 1/6 tab instead of the usual 1/8 which has been sustaining her since April 2022. Cleo’s systolic BP had been hovering at about 150mmHg since that time.
Since Cleo has her classic golden mouth, I can never deworm her, so I requested that the vet does it. Cleo won’t bully her…I hope. Well, it took several tries with the pill popper and finally, Cleo was dewormed.
The vet did an ear-prick blood test to check and Cleo has no infection. Her temperature was normal too. But the vet suspects there could be something else going on with Cleo, so I should bring Cleo back for an ultrasound of the kidneys and a urinalysis (if I can collect her urine, but if not, will poke a needle in provided Cleo remains very still). To help calm Cleo down, the vet gave me transdermal Gabapentin (to be applied on the skin of the inner ear) to be administered one hour before the next vet visit. This could not be done today as Cleo was already very stressed.
The vet also wanted to check if Cleo is hyperthyroid. Her mother, Pole, was, but then again, hyperthyroidism is not hereditary. This is because the vet had encountered several small-sized cats with hyperthyroidism. So the TT4 test was done and thankfully, Cleo is not hyperthyroid. Her reading was 29 (normal).
So on Friday, after applying the Gabapentin, I will take Cleo to do her urinalysis and ultrasound of the kidneys. If I fail to collect her urine, the vet will poke a needle into her bladder to get a sample, but this can only be done if she remains still and is calm enough. Hence, the Gabapentin.
As we were waiting to go back, Cleo suddenly started a low-pitch mew and this was followed by vomiting. Luckily we were still there, so the vet checked her and gave her an anti-nausea injection, Cerenia. It also works as an anti-vomiting medication.
Cleo will maintain her 175ml/220ml subcut on alternate days, Renal-N and Astro’s package. I have a friend whose CKD cat had off-the-charts creatinine level and was on Astro’s Oil’s package. Being on the package did not bring his levels down at all, but he remained active and happy throughout until his demise. So I’m guessing that maybe the package cannot bring down the levels, but if it can give our cats better wellbeing, it’s worth it. After all, our cats do not know what illness they have. All they want is to feel good.
So, it does look like Cleo’s creatinine level is hovering at 400+, but her urea has gone down. Well, Cleo has had CKD for more than four years now, so that’s a pretty long time. Hopefully, all the supplements we are giving can give her fair wellbeing so that she is not in any discomfort.
It does look that way….
Cleo playing in the tunnel.