# Questions about kidney failure and diarrhea



## Penny Cat (Dec 28, 2007)

This is really long, sorry. I have a few questions and am looking for suggestions. 

My 12 year old cat was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure back in February. She had been unwell for about 2 months, lots of vomiting etc, and we kept going back to the vets with different diagnosis, he finally did a blood test that showed the kidney problems. He immediately switched her to Feline k/d food (both canned and dry). She eats it fine and we have seen a huge improvement in her in the last 6 weeks with the new food. Her appetite is back, she has put some of the weight back on that she had lost, her energy levels are back up and basically she is back to her old self. Still drinks lots of water, more then was normal previously.

We have to take her back to the vets in April for another blood test to see how she is doing. I like my vet but I wonder sometimes if we are getting the complete care that we deserve. I have a few questions…anyone who has experienced living with a cat with chronic kidney failure…maybe you can share your thoughts?

So far we have only had a blood test, are there other tests that should be done for her condition?

Is it normal for her to also have chronic diarrhea? We have now had puddles in the litter box and lots of gas for about 6 weeks now. It was a problem on and off before the new food, but has been constant since changing foods. He prescribed some anti diarrhea medication for 3 days, it cleared up for about 3 days and now we are back to puddles. I told him that it has not cleared up but he said it can be normal because of the extra water she drinks but then gave me a different medication which has not made any difference. I am going to call him again but wanted to know others experiences before hand as I am expecting to be told to live with it, it is normal.

When taking a cat for a blood test, is it normally taken from their leg and do they normally need sedating? I had her titer tested about 4 years ago (different vet) and the blood was drawn from her neck, no sedation. Here he takes it from her leg and she had to be sedated. I am concerned that if unnecessary that we are stressing her system.

I feel that maybe he is being a little lazy, a common problem in the area of the world I live, and am wondering if I need to seek a second opinion or if my experiences are normal. 

Sorry this is so long, thank you for reading and thank you for any thoughts you can share.


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## Stryker (Apr 2, 2007)

First, some "quick" answers.

Besides blood chemistry, it is "normal" to also have urinalysis done.

No, it's not "normal" for a cat with renal insufficiency to have chronic diarrhea. The "extra water" she drinks would not, by itself, account for the diarrhea.

Blood can be taken from either the neck or a leg. Most often, cats do not require sedation for blood draws.

There is an absolutely superb CRF info site with an accompaning online support group that I would urge you to check out. The site is an encyclopedia of CRF info...the support group is filled with people with loads of experience and advice, and with newbies facing the same fears, concerns and apprehensions as you are.

If you're unfamiliar with this site, I would strongly recommend it to you.

Start here: http://felinecrf.org/just_diagnosed.htm

The site is
http://felinecrf.org/

Helen, the person who owns the site, also sponsors the online support group...the participants often know more than most Vets! I would also strongly recommend that you sign up and, if nothing else, just read the posts/replies....it's an eye-opener and could help you go a long way in providing a great quality of life for your CRF kitty.
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/feline-crf-info/


It's one thing to get support and info from people in a general forum, and it is a great place to start....it can be life changing to *get the real goods from people who are dealing with the same thing day-to-day*.

I wish you the very best!


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## Penny Cat (Dec 28, 2007)

Thank you for your reply and answers. I am going to go and have a look at that forum now! I am getting quite frustrated with the vet.


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