Sunday, January 16, 2011

Constipation in Cats with Kidney Disease

Cats are apparently more prone to constipation than dogs, due to their constant grooming. They tend to ingest large amounts of fur. Also, a cat that mainly eats dry cat food can become dehydrated, which contributes to constipation.

Chronic kidney failure can also lead to constipation because you cat loses excessive amounts of water through more frequent urination.

I'm sure you know how rotten it feels to be constipated. Like you, cats will have small, hard poops or barely poop at all. Unlike you, your cat may have small pieces of poop that stick to their rear end. In this case, your cat may "scoot" – that is, drag its butt across your floor (or carpet) to try to dislodge the offending poop. Not a pretty sight or result.

Steps to take:

1. First, check to see if your cat is dehydrated. Use the "pinch test." Squeeze a bit of skin on the scruff of your cat's neck, about 3-4 inches back behind its head. Make a little tent with the skin if possible. If the skin immediately snaps back into place, then your cat is probably hydrated. If it barely moves back into place, or you can't make a little tent of skin at all, then that's a sign your cat is dehydrated.

Another trick is to check your cat's gums. They should feel slippery. If your cat's gums feel sticky, then your cat may be dehydrated. Try to give you cat more water. Or increase the frequency of your fluid treatments (see Fluid Treatment for Cats with Kidney Disease).

2. Speak with your vet if your cat is constipated. Your vet may suggest special remedies for constipation, such as laxatives, prokinetic agents, or enemas. A prokinetic agent is a type of drug which enhances gastrointestinal motility by increasing the frequency of contractions in the small intestine or making them stronger, but without disrupting their rhythm.

3. Try some simple remedies for constipation. My favorite is Kitty Malt – yes, the same remedy you may use to prevent hairballs. Kitty malt is a gel-like substance that's made with glyercine and fat. It can help coat their gut and may reduce constipation. It may also stimulate your cat's appetite.

Some other remedies include:

Canned pumpkin. Not all cats will eat it, but it's an excellent natural, mild laxative. Try a spoonful directly or mixed in with food.

Psyllium husk is a powder that can be sprinkled on top of your cat's food and mixed in. Psyllium husk is an excellent source of dietary fiber that promotes regularity. It's an ingredient in popular human laxatives such as Metamucil.

Lactulose is reported to be an effective treatment for constipation and may have the additional benefit of trapping urea (a urine waste product) in the bowel, and therefore helping your cat expel urea with less stress on the kidneys.

Laxatone is a well-known bowel stimulant for cats that's used to relieve hairballs as well. You can give you cat ½ to 1 teaspoon of it a day, then taper off. Laxatone contains mineral oil, which can help increase the "motility" of feces through your cat's intestines.

Nutri-Cal is another dietary supplement that is mentioned for cats with constipation. It contains various vitamins and minerals. But I also noticed that it contains phosphorus and, as you may know, cats with kidney problems are often on a low-phosphorus diet, since their kidneys have a harder time getting rid of phosphorus. So it doesn't seem to make sense to use this supplement for your cat if your cat has kidney problems.

Prolonged constipation can be more than uncomfortable. It can lead to loss of appetite, weakness, lethargy and vomiting. So it's important that you discuss your cat's constipation with your vet and take steps to treat it right away.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Okay, it's not ALL serious stuff...

Here's a reminder of why we love and cuddle and care for our little kitties, the way we do. I think the video says it all.

THIS WOMAN FOUND THIS LION, INJURED IN THE FOREST, ON THE VERGE OF DEATH.
SHE TOOK THE LION HOME WITH HER AND NURSED IT BACK TO HEALTH.LATER, WHEN THE LION WAS BETTER, SHE MADE ARRANGEMENTS WITH A ZOO TO TAKE
THE LION.
SOME TIME PASSED BEFORE THE LADY HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT THE ZOO.
THIS VIDEO WAS TAKEN WHEN THE WOMAN WALKED UP TO THE LIONS CAGE TO SEE HOW
HE WAS DOING.
WATCH THE LION'S REACTION WHEN HE SEES HER !!!!!.




Here's the link to the actual video

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Advanced Treatments for Cats with Kidney Disease

I'm sure you care deeply about your cat and want to do everything you can to make her comfortable and extend her life. Hopefully, you'll find a lot of answers on this site and elsewhere.

However, at some point, every pet owner has to decide just how he or she wants to go to care for a cat with kidney disease. It's going to be a different decision for everyone, depending on resources.

We were prepared to do everything possible – diet, fluid treatments, extra care, probiotics, hand-feeding and more – but short of what we considered "heroic" efforts. By that I mean treatments normally used for humans – kidney dialysis and kidney transplants.

Believe it or not, both are now available for the treatment of feline chronic kidney failure. Here's a snapshot of both.

Dialysis

As you may know, with kidney dialysis, a catheter is inserted into a vein and the blood is circulated through an artificial, mechanical "kidney" machine. This machine filters out toxins and waste products from the blood. Blood is circulated several times during the course of one treatment. These treatments can last from three to five hours.

Very few veterinary facilities are equipped to offer hemodialysis for cats. However, if you are interested in more information about this, visit the Feline CRF site for a list of facilities that do offer feline dialysis.

Kidney Transplants

Admittedly, this would seem like a very extreme measure to go to save your cat's life. However...

Kidney transplants in animals apparently date back many years. In the mid-1980s, the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, pioneered a kidney transplant program in animals. Transplants are now available in other areas of the country and the procedure and post-operative protocol have reached the point where kidney transplants for cats is no longer considered experimental.

Kidney transplants are most often performed on older cats, with the goal of extending life expectancy anywhere from 2 to 6 years. To date, according to the Feline CRF Information site, a cat has survived for as long as 10 years after the operation. They even say "feline renal transplantation is now an accepted and relatively safe treatment for patients in renal failure" and note the success rate is nearly 90 percent. For more details on the history and actual process of kidney transplantation in cats, visit the CRF Info Page.

If you or any of your friends know of the costs associated with this procedure, please let us know as a service to other readers of this blog. You can add your comments below. Thanks.