I'm almost home

I've been gone a little longer than I had planned because I'm driving back to California from Tennessee. My pet sitter has been taking great care of the boys! And I cant wait to see them tomorrow! The pictures I've been getting have been wonderful! I look forward to them! I'll post the pics I received from the past few days while I was on the road....when I get back tomorrow.

The evening visit....

The boys are snuggling after their dinner! I'm sure they are having a lovely time but I can't wait to see them!!!!!!

Saturday morning visit from Sylvia

The boys settled down after their yummy food this morning. They waited on the couch for snuggle time! I so miss my boys! I love my boy kitties!!

Friday morning-and a new gift for them all!

My morning text from my wonderful petsitter, Sylvia read as follows: the boys are settling in for a post breakfast snooze on their individual Snoozy Sleepers. They seem to like their new Snoozy Sleepers-supposedly Kodak fell asleep immediately, and started snoring! They aren't going to want boring mom back! I'm so glad they are happy and doing well! They are being taken care of by a wonderful person!

Thursday morning visit!

The boys gobbled up their food this morning! Winton and perf alwasy eat but Kodak is the picky eater and I thought he'd be more difficult when I left-and he has been but my pet sitter has found a great combination that he seems to be liking!

The Boys were happy to see Sylvia last night

I received a text message from my pet sitter last night-my daily update on the boys! Kodak was getting a special treat to coax him into eating before his insulin-wild salmon mixed with dry food. Lucky boy! And then they all went to the couch to wait for their pet time! Spoiled little boys! I wouldn't have it any other way!!

Pictures of the Boys while I'm in Nashville

It looks like the boys were very happy to see my pet sitter this morning! They sat on her lap and were super loving! They are such good boys! And they love their pet sitter!!! She is a rockstar! Thanks Sylvia!!! I do miss them though!!! My baby boys!

Merry Christmas from Tennessee

Well, I'm sure my boys wished I was there with him. I miss them but I know my pet sitter is treating them wonderfully! She went by last night at 7pm to give Kodak his insulin and Winton his pill. I'll hear today how they are! I hopefully will get a picture so i can post a pic of the boys while I'm away. It's horrible leaving them!

I leave today

well today i leave for tennessee and I know my boys I know are in very cabable hands with my wonderful pet sitter-but I'm still feeling ill! I got up early today-the boys and the dog are wondering what's up! I must give Kodak his shot around 7pm so he's on a good schedule for my pet sitter.....my bed is set up so they can play with their toys on it and sleep and curl up where they normally sleep. I hate leaving them! It sucks!

Another Day another shot and dollar....

Well, Kodak turned his nose up at his canned food-figures all this shit would happen and I'm leaving town tomorrow. But his shot was better today...maybe,hopefully, he was just sore yesterday!I think they know I'm feeling ill about leaving! I have so much to do today. I must get Winton's prescription, removable zip ties for the dog's crate, litter and paper towels so my pet sitter has everything she needs. I hate leaving my boys. This is why I had wanted to drive all of them cross country! I really need to get a small trailer or RV or something so when I need to leave town I can take all my animals with me. A tow behind trailer would be perfect! They would have a home away from home.

A note to the person who left the anonymous comment last nite-thanks-but I know Kodak will live longer than 1 year and it's ok if the pet insurance doesn't help after that! I'd pay it no matter what! And I believe ever bit counts! He only has a lifetime limit of $1500 anyway for this-but once again every little bit counts! Especially right now with the WGA strike at the holidays-I'm out of work so in the true sense every little bit counts!

Kodak is feeling the shots all of a sudden

I don't know if I'm doing something different or if he's tender in the areas I've been giving him shots but tonight Kodak definitely felt his shot and was rather pissed off at me! I don't know what's happened. He's been fine up until a couple of days ago....I don't think he's lost any weight-and I'm making sure the needle is in the proper angle so as to go in as easily as possible-both times I gave it to him in his hind quarters-lets see if tomorrow when I give it in his fore quarters if it's better or the same. Of course all this is happening two days before I'm leaving town!

Ouch..

Ouch I think Kodak felt his shot this morning-he gave a tiny cry (he's not a very vocal cat unless he wants brushed) and he turned his head around at me. I went into his hindquarters which usually doesn't hurt him that much-I wonder if it's getting sore or tender. I alternate areas all the time-try never to go into the same spot on the same day. Bad mommy!

Must go to the pharmacy and pick up Winton's prescription. Good thing they can now give cats the generic. i remember when I was paying $80 for his medication-I always wanted to claim it under my health insurance. He's family-why cant i? ha. But now that he has the generic it's about half the price.

Last day the vet is open before I leave for tennessee. I must go get more Royal Canin LP pouches for my Kodak-still the only food he'll eat. But Perf likes the Wysong cans, Winton wont touch it but loves his K/D and Neo-it's like their bodies know that the food they like is good for them-really odd! I'm going to miss my boys! They always are on my bed in the morning to wake me up when my alarm goes off and then it's a mass congregation in the bathroom-that's baby and mommy time.

Morning stuff and a call from the vet last nite

I'm trying to get Kodaks insulin down to a 7am and 7pm schedule for my pet sitter. My alarm went off at 7:45 and who was looking at me from the doorway-Kodak..I'm sure saying to himself where is my insulin! He loves the Royal Canin Renal LP pouches. The food isn't bad for him but at least he's eating something wet instead of all dry kibbles! I must go buy more before I leave.

My vet called last night about Winton's blood pressure-much better to hear things from the vet than the vet tech-he didn't give me everything I wanted to hear. Winton's blood pressure was between 166 and 170. She would like it down below 160 since he's taking 1/4 tablet of Amlodipine 2x a day. Mind you it's gone down from 200 so we're on the right track. She wants to re-check his blood pressure in 6-8 weeks. About the same time Kodak goes back for his re-check as well. Fun times in this household in January and February!

Zilla Update-from yesterdays post

I went to the shelter today at 4pm and was I surprised!!! Zilla had just been adopted! Someone had just come in asking for her specifically! I'm hoping the mass email I had sent out worked! Whomever adopted her

Thank You Thank You Thank You!!!

They wanted fed earlier today

I heard the thud, thud, thud of Kodak walking into the room-he's slightly arthritic so he has a very distinctive sound when he walks-reminds me I must give him his glucosamine today!

It was 8:15 and they were all tired of me sleeping! They wanted fed! I realized I had forgotten to fill the bowls up last nite with a bit of dry after feeding them their canned food before bed. Kodak was ready for his food and his insulin! He gobbled up his Royal Canin-I'm thrilled he's eating canned food!!! never thought he would! Perf loves the Wysong Chicken gourmet and Winton-thank goodness loves his renal food. I bought him Hi-Tor Neo for a bit of a change of pace since he's only been eating the K/D lately. I'm just thrilled they are all eating!!!

I'm still waiting to hear back from the vet about Winton BP. I was hoping to get a call yesterday but didn't-must call today.

I went to the local shelter yesterday, The harbor shelter in Los Angeles, to donate some canned cat food that my cats aren't eating anymore-and yes I had to go in and see the dogs and cats. When I went into the cat room I saw this beautiful girl named ZILLA - ID#A901160. She's 10 years old and has been in the shelter since the 15th September! She is a beautiful cat-incredibly loving! And was taken to the shelter because her owners were moving! That breaks my heart! She rubbed up against me for 20 minutes. What a love bug! I so want to find her a home! I cant imagine having my pets for 10 years and then giving them up!!! If you are interested in Zilla call the shelter immediately Harbor Animal Care and Control Center at (888) 452-7381 and give them her ID# A901160. You can also see her picture on the website-she's amazing!!!

Winton's blood pressure

Winton and I just got back from the vet where he had his blood pressure taken. It's still high but surprisingly lower than it was the last time he had it taken. Today it averaged out to 172. The last time he had it taken it hovered around 200. So we are waiting for the vet to view his chart and then decide how she wants to proceed with his blood pressure medication.....after the vet. I stopped the car and let Winton go into the back and look out the window-he never gets to go in the car-and my car had lots of windows and lots for him to see.

Ha!

The one cat , 3 Perf, who doesn't need to eat "special" food is the one cat the gobbled up the Wysong Chicken gourmet this morning! Figures the other two would roll their noses at it! Makes me laugh...so typical.

We are heading to the vet today to get Winton's blood pressure taken. I realized he hadn't had it taken in about a year so I'm dashing in to get it down before I leave town for christmas.

The new food

Well I put the Wysong Chicken gourmet out to tempt my felines.....no takers yet! It would figure that I'd find food that can be good for both my CRF and Diabetic cat and they wont eat it!!! I'm glad I didn't buy the case! The dog would eat it!

I think I've found food for both CRF and Diabetes!!

Wysong seems to be the brand that fits in for the low phosphorus for CRF cats and the low carbs for Diabetic cats. of course finding it is turning into an ordeal itself!! I can get it online but refuse to pay the $20 or so shipping...so I'm on the great hunt. Of course the key is will they eat it!!!

Winton goes to the vet tomorrow to get his blood pressure checked-it's always a joy...he's not a big fan of the vet and it never fails his blood pressure is elevated when he's there!

Rest time while the dog is in her crate....

The cats do love when I put the dog in her crate...they get mommy all to themselves. here is Winton lying on me....he's such a baby like all of them are-big boy baby cats!

Sometimes....

Seriously I adore my animals...but there are some days!! Kodak just would not eat! I tried to "slip" in a fancy feast food that is on the diabetic list-well my Russian turned up his nose at it! So then I gave him his Renal LP pouch-which he's been devouring...well he turned up his nose at that. then he turned up his nose at his dry DM....I had to coax him to eat so he could get his insulin. This of course while 3 Perf was gobbling up the Fancy Feast!!! Thank goodness Winton likes his k?d. I've started giving him more canned k/d instead of alot of dry.

This morning Winton just could not settle down. He cried and everytime I called his name the dog jumped off the bed to go hunt him down....sometimes the animals drive me nuts! I wouldn't change it for the world but AAAHHH!

They wont leave the crate!

Kodak and Perf will not leave the dog's new crate...well they are out now because the dog is in getting acclimated to "crate life" since she'll be going on a flight soon...and the cats will be in the house without the dog in the VERY capable hands of my amazing pet sitter!!! I was going to drive cross country with all of them but it ended up being more expensive to drive than to fly! And the boys will be very happy by themselves!

I just bought a new chair at a garage sale for my bedroom-I'm sure it will turn into the cat chair!!

The cats like the dogs new crate and other stuff....

Yes it seems Kodak and 3 Perf like the dogs new travel crate better than the dog does! It's got a nice comfy warm pad and they are in there snuggled up. It's cave like so they like it.

I'm still in a food dilemma....I was in the middle of hunting down levels of carbs and phosphorus the other day when I was called into work...I must continue to find food that I can feed all of my cats. And I need to buy it so my pet sitter has food over the holidays!

I found out today that the insulin syringes for Kodak are cheapest at my vet! Amazing! I thought I'd be able to find them cheaper online but my vet scores big! I get 100 Ulticare 1/2cc 29 gauge x 1/2" u-40 syringes for $20 from my vet and there aren't shipping fees! And the insulin seems to be cheap thru my vet as well....no shipping charges!

I may ask my vet why kodak is on the PZI Vet insulin. It cost so much, over $100-but lasts a very long time....but there is cheaper insulin out there-just wondering if the PZI is better...does anyone know?

Having Two cats with different Diseases is a right PAIN!

I'm trying so hard to feed my cats the proper food for their respective disease-3 Perf is making out like a rock star because he's covered in both diseases!

A CRF cat should be on a low Phosphorus diet, whereas a diabetic cat:
Feed your cat wet food.

Feeding your cat non-dry cat food is the best thing you can do for your cat, diabetic or not. A cat is an "obligate carnivore." That means the physiology and anatomy of the cat are suited to eating a high protein, meat diet. Dry food, even prescription diabetic food, just cannot meet this requirement.

A low-carbohydrate, high protein, wet diet has been associated with remission (disappearance of symptoms) of diabetes in cats. You can feed your cat a raw or cooked diet that you make yourself or there are many excellent high protein canned foods available. As a cost-conscious compromise, you can feed readily available low-cost canned foods, such as certain varieties of Fancy Feast.

Do your cat a favor and feed her protein.

So what to buy that wont harm both of them?????

Levels are good

I worked yesterday so I wasn't able to write immediately. The vet called yesterday morning-Kodaks Fructosamine and Glucose levels are good! They are falling in a range that pleases the vet. He didn't give me the numbers are the message but today I'm going to go in and get a copy of the labs so I can keep it in his file!

On another note...Kodak has a canned or pouch food he will eat!!! Hoooray! It's the Roayl Canin Renal LP. I'm going to check all the protein, phosphorus etc levels on it and see if it's ok for a diabetic cat to eat-but so far it's the only canned food he has shown any interest in. I even went out and bought a bunch of Fancy Feast-thinking maybe he'd be drawn to the "kitty junk food" NO! I'll check the levels of the food and post in a bit.

Kodak's blood tests

Took Kodak in today for his fructosamine and glucosamine tests...should get the results back tomorrow. Hopefully the numbers are good. Also went on the great hunt for canned food that Kodak might eat-ha!

Joined the Catster Diabetic group

Well last nite I decided to join the diabetic group on Catster. And what I really found out is that I must get kodak eating canned food! But he hates canned food so I'm on the great hunt for a canned food he'll eat! The website http://www.felinediabetes.com/
had a great list of some canned foods that have No wheat gluten in them and are below 10% carbs so off I go today! He goes into the vet at 12:20 to get his levels checked....

I also joined the CRF group on Catster. I've been dealing with CRF for much longer but now that I have a CRF cat and a diabetic cat I need to make sure each are getting the appropriate foods! Check out this website too: http://www.felinecrf.com/index.htm

BRRRR...it's cold here in southern california!!!

BRRR the boys are really noticing the chilly damp weather we are having here in sunny southern cal...it's been rainy and cold-I love it but it's given me curled up cats! All they want to do is sleep and keep warm...they are so cute! And they are great warmers!

You know what I've noticed-Kodak's arthritis has improved-at least he seems to be walking better and I haven't been giving him his glucosamine as much. I'm wondering if the insulin or his improved sugar levels are making his arthritis more manageable!???

ASPCA Check arrived today

Well I just got a check from ASPCA Pet health Insurance for the charges I submitted for Kodak. I submitted $311.53. Of that amount the allowable charges were $280.78 and since I had not claimed anything to date my $100 deductible was deducted for a subtotal of $180.78. The plan I have which is primary covers 80% so I received a check for $144.62. Not too shabby! Of course I've satisfied my deductible now so the next claim will not deduct that amount.

Amount paid by insurance $144.62
Pet Owner's Responsibility $166.91

All in all I would say it's worth it so far! And the check came much quicker than if I were to file a claim for myself!

Check out Velcro's ASPCA Donation page

Please check out the donation page I set up for the ASPCA in my dog's name, Velcro. Please donate if you can.

http://www.aspca.org/goto/velcro

Perf's nite!

Seriously if it isn't one cat it's another! Perfy had a rough nite-woke up around 3am to him jumping off the bed and getting sick....every so often this happens to him. Of course he settle d right back down and slept wrapped around my head!

Today I went and bought food for the boys: DM for Kodak and his diabetes, Winton got canned K/D and the pouches of Royal Canin renal. I checked to see if they had Royal Canin pouches for diabetes-but it seems they don't! Bummer because Kodak really liked the renal pouches! I really want him to eat more canned food but what a stubborn little cat he is!

Kodak goes to the vet today at 4pm to get his glucose and fructose checked.

ASPCA refund?

Well I'm still waiting....I faxed the form into the ASPCA pet insurance people on the 19th November. Still nothing yet. Mind you there was a holiday thrown in there...but hopefully I'll hear or get something in the mail. I'll let you know how much if anything they paid!

All Quiet on the Western Front....

Kodak has a new hiding place! It's in the closet in a laundry basket of old clothes that I've kept for sentimental reasons! He probably found this place because of the DOG! Yes everytime I take his insulin out of the refrigerator and start to roll it, it hits my ring and makes a "clink" sound-it's very rhythmic! Because I have a cattle dog-yes VERY SMART-she now knows that this means the cat gets a shot. So she has taken it upon herself to find Kodak-it is her job to find him. He was hiding under the bed when he heard the dog coming but he smartened up...he found the laundry basket!

The boys were really playing the other night. I bought a few more toys and so did my pet sitter-she loves to baby the boys! Well they were batting around the toys the other night. It was wonderful to see. They stopped playing when the dog came into the house because she always wanted to get in there!

Perf LOVES balls-well unfortunately so does the dog.....so the only time he can play is when I put a ball on my bed and give him "kitty play time"....the dog hates being left out!

It's cold here in California right now-the boys are hunkered down on warm wool blankets! They love to snuggle at night when I'm on the couch!

Very Quiet Nite

WOW! I slept the entire night last nite without a meow! It must have been the plate of wet food I left out last nite for Winton around 10pm.....I often think his crying is because he has an upset stomach.....I need to continue feeding him every nite!

Monday...just a little vent....

Well hopefully I'll hear from the ASPCA about reimbursements for Kodak's initial diabetes diagnosis. i called and they received the fax on the 2oth so now I just wait. None of the babies slept with me last nite-they must have been too hot! I did wake up to Perfy getting sick.....is it not possible to have a day when something doesn't happen?? But I love them to death and wouldn't change it for the world...even though they are probably one of the reasons my ex-boyfriend walked out on me while I was at work! He hated the cats, hated the litter on the floor, hated the kitty vomit-actually hated everything about my cats and didn't like the fact that they would come up onto the bed and the fact that the dog slept on the bed..... he actually said one day: "you like the animals more than me..." oh yeah after the way you left I sure as hell do like them more than you! They are always there for me....no matter what! They comfort me when I'm sad, crying, down and cold! How anyone could hate an animal is beyond me! What is wrong with people???

It's nice being home with my animals!

Another day in the kitty household. Kodak is beginning to feel the insulin injections. I'm not sure why. I have the syringe pointed in the proper direction. Actually he feels it less in his hind quarters than he does closer to his front shoulders. Winton cried quite a bit this morning....I'm thinking he's thirsty-seems to be near the water bowl when he cries and of course always around 4-5:30 in the morning! And Perf what can I say about him...he's just a baby! He's sleeping on the comfy pillows on my bed right now.

He felt the prick today..

Kodak felt his shot for the first time today. He made a slight noise-he's not a very vocal cat-and looked at me like "what are you doing...will you get this right." I'm not sure why he felt it today...maybe he's beginning to get a little sore or maybe I didn't inject him in a fatty enough area!

Winton, as he normally does, cried from about 4:30am this morning.....he settles down but it's always right before the sun comes up. He didn't sleep on the bed last nite not sure where he was but Perfy did-wrapped around my head snuggled in my hair.

I'm heading camping today for a couple of days. I'll be back on Turkey day. My dad will be down taking care of the boys-I had thought about taking them with me....Kodak and Perf would have been fine by Winton is a horrible traveller-he would have been crying the entire time in the car.

The boys at home today...with the dog

Due to the WGA strike I'm spending alot of time at home-my animals love it....

But they don't always like the dog-Winton in particular HATES the dog and really beats up on her! He's good though..very rarely uses nails-only when she's particularly pesty!

The ASPCA form has been faxed!

I received my ASPCA claim form from my vet, he had to sign it etc, and I have faxed it off to ASPCA Pet insurance.... now we'll see how well the primary pet insurance works....I submitted $311 worth of charges- blood tests, urine, insulin etc....now I'll see if the premiums I'm paying will pay off. I'll let you know

Kodak comes to the kitchen for his insulin shot

It's like Kodak knows the shots are making him feel better! Around every 12 hours he comes up and starts rubbing up against me...he wants his shot! I swear it's made his arthritis better-he seems to be walking better, has more energy. The insulin has done wonders for him! Unbelievable.

Winton on the other hand is sleeping alot-even though this morning he raced around like a dervish chasing after something-who knows what! I think now he's sleeping. he's still eating his k/d food but I'm wondering if he's got other ailments...

ASPCA Pet insurance

I'll be submitting expenses to ASPCA Pet insurance this week for Kodak's initial blood work, insulin etc. This will be the first time I've used the pet insurance that I got on Kodak, 3 Perf and my dog Velcro. I couldn't get it on Winton since his renal failure would be a pre-existing condition. I have the primary coverage on all of them. I guess I'll soon find out if it's worth it or not. The first claim form I'm submitting is for over $300 so I'll see how much they'll cover.

A visit to the vet for a spot glucose check yesterday

Well first of all a very quiet nite last nite! Yeah! No crying at all last nite. Winton was quiet until about 7:30am, Kodak came and slept for a few hours on the temperpedic pillow-he loves it! It feels good for me so must feel good to aging animals. I may have to buy some memory foam and make cat beds!

Yesterday, I took Kodak into the vet for his glucose spot check-he's been on insulin now for a week. He's such a good cat, everyone thinks he's the best patient! Great news, his glucose game back 173! Much better than the 433 he was! The vet is very happy with the number. It was taken 6 hours after his insulin injection. So we're right where we need to be! He'll stay on his 1 unit of insulin every 12 hours and we'll re-check his glucose and fructose levels in 2 weeks.

I don't think Winton is feeling well this morning. He threw up all his food. I may have to take him into the vet now. He still beats up on the dog though! One of his favorite pastimes!

I have ASPCA pet insurance for Kodak so I'm going to submit some of the invoices for his diabetes and see what they pay and what they dont pay.

A Quiet Nite

Wow...a relatively quiet nite! Winton only cried at 5:30 this morning and Kodak fell asleep on one of my pillows last nite....the dog isn't too happy about sharing the bed with the cats-mind you she wasn't too keen on sharing the bed with the boyfriend either-but she chased him away...he hated the animals sleeping on the bed..so now that he's gone the animals are back!

Aahh!

Oh my god-I seriously think Winton cried all night long! From about 1am on.....I cant have him doing this every nite! He's fine once I call him up on the bed-he'll settle down and sleep that's after the dog has jumped off the bed because I've called his name...it's a frigging zoo! I think he gets disoriented at night. I feed him late so he has a full tummy but that's not helping anymore!

And Kodak doesn't seem to be eating his food...or at least when I want him to eat his food! I'm going to scream!

Tuesday morning....

Winton was in full form this morning at 5am...meowing and crying! It was awful! I think he gets confused about where he is so I call his name-he races up to the bed and settles down! But really 5am! And then at 6am all I heard was this clank clank clank on a water dish...Kodak scrounging for water. Being the good mom I got up and turned the bathroom tap on for him so he could have his preferred running water! And this point I was like screw it-I cant sleep anymore. Feeding time for the beasts! Kodak wont eat his food-and I'm supposed to wait and give him his insulin after he eats-I did that last nite and I never saw him eat! I gave him his insulin anyway this morning! And as for that delinquent 3 Perf! He is crazy about milk and me eating cereal...so crazy that yesterday I set my bowl down on a table to take the dog outside-I came back to the bowl knocked over and milk and cereal all over the place! Is it a full moon or something for these animals are crazed right now. Maybe it's because I'm home this week....

A very quiet morning...

Wow, it was a very quiet morning today. normally I have Winton crying and meowing at 4:30 in the morning but they were all peacefully sleeping! I actually slept in until 7:30! That never happens! Must give Kodak his food-ha! So his insulin has something to bind to! He already came to the sink this morning and had some water and then off to the comfy dog bed he went! This entire idea of giving him his insulin injections after he's eaten and 12 hours apart-the doc really doesn't know my stubborn cat very well! There is no forcing Kodak to do anything!

3 Perf and his Corneal Ulcer

3 perf actually developed a Corneal Ulcer after I adopted Winton. Winton had been in a rescue and when he came into the house he had a typical "kitty cold" well from what my animal ophthamologist said his ulcer could have been the result of a virus from the "kitty cold." Well what a horrible thing to deal with! And it was with the baby of the kitty family who is a MEAN cat! We went to the Animal Eye Clinic in Marina Del Rey California and were treated by Dr Elizabeth Chambers. First of all-it's not cheap! But if you were to see his eye....oh my god it was awful! Cloudy and white and clearly making him miserable so it was so worth it! And I realized after he was treated just how painful it really was for him! He was docile with the vet when he first started going in and after all of the numerous treatments, visits, the white plastic collar,eye drops etc he slowly started feeling better and getting meaner! He was getting back to his normal mean self!

Feline CRF ( Chronic Renal Failure)

Now onto the "other feline disease" that I've been dealing with for about 4 years. Feline Chronic Renal Failure. Here are the basics from the webpage http://www.felinecrf.com/

Symptoms of CRF

CRF can only be accurately diagnosed with clinical tests. There are some symptoms and behaviors that indicate the likelihood of CRF and, if these are observed, the cat should be tested as soon as possible.

The most telling signs are increased thirst (polydipsia) and excessive urination (polyuria). As the condition progresses, your cat may experience loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, weight loss, poor hair coat and emaciation. Only 30% of kidney capacity is needed for normal functioning. Therefore, no symptoms will be seen until approximately 70% of renal function is lost. It is important to begin treatment as soon as the first symptoms appear.

Even with diet control, drugs and fluid therapy, you will eventually see at least some of the symptoms on the following list. Not all cats will exhibit all symptoms.

• Excessive urination
• Increased thirst
• Nausea and gagging
• Licking lips
• Grinding or cracking sound in jaw
• Vomiting (both clear/foamy liquid and food)
• Drooling
• Dehydration
• Hunching over the water bowl
• Stomach irritation (uremic gastritis)
• Constipation
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Muscle wasting
• Emaciation
• Poor hair coat
• Halitosis (ammonia smell)
• Lethargy
• Sensitivity to sound
• Eating litter
• Weakness
• Depression
• Oral ulcers
• Detached retinae
• Convulsion, low temperature, coma (end-stage)

I know somewhat overwhelming! I was incredibly overwhelmed and actuall cancelled a trip to hawaii when Winton was diagnosed! yeah I got ridiculed beyond belief because I was putting my cat before a trip-but you know Hawaii will always be there my cat wont!

I've been dealing with CRF now for 4 years....I know Winton will eventually die and it sucks but I've been trying to make his life as wonderful as possible! As of today, Winton has high blood pressure-which is a common symptom of CRF. he takes medication twice a day for his high blood pressure as well as eating Hills K/D both canned and dry! He loves it thank goodness! I went thru a period of time when I was attepting to feed him raw food but honestly it was very expensive so now I occasionally give him a raw patty.

Treatment

There is no cure for CRF but the condition may be managed for a time. The cornerstone of CRF management is to control the amount of waste products that are sent through the kidneys. Since the remaining nephrons are limited in their ability to process waste, the idea is to reduce the amount of waste to a level that the nephrons can accommodate. This is done through a combination of diet, medication, and hydration therapy (diuresis).

Prognosis

CRF is a terminal disease. The only questions are how long and how well the patient will live until the end. With proper treatment, the cat may have from months to years of relatively high-quality life. As the cat's caregiver(s), it is up to you to determine when the quality of life has decreased to a point at which prolonging life no longer has value.

As CRF progresses and toxin levels rise, cats become more uncomfortable with an overall sensation of feeling unwell. Human patients with a similar condition don't report "pain" but describe their condition as feeling poorly. Dehydration, in particular, can make the patient very uncomfortable. Aggressively treating CRF, especially with subcutaneous fluid therapy, should not be thought of as "prolonging the agony" as there is no significant pain associated with kidney failure until the end-stage. Even then, unless the patient convulses, the chief symptoms will be malaise, weakness, nausea and discomfort.

yeah pretty much sucks! I see Winton losing weight every year! I took him in about 6 months ago because he had lost weight...they ran every test they could except a pelvic ultrasound-which I was scheduled to do but did not-and found no reason for his weight loss. there were no obstructions nothing. He is happy, loves to eat, fights with the dog, does all the things he's always done. I'm sure I'll soon be working my way to sub-Q fluids at some point. But as of now we're on high blood pressure medication and Hills K/D.

Feline Diabetes Mellitus

Kodak, my Russian Blue, is my "old man. He was the first cat in my household and the most amazing stoic creature-but stubborn! Last week I noticed he was racing to any tap I turned on. Having known people that have had diabetic cats, including my mom and my aunt, I had a sneaking suspicion that he was diabetic! Let me first give you some of the symptoms of feline diabetes:
1. Increased water consumption and urination
2. Increased appetite
3. Weight Loss
4. weakness

Diabetes Mellitus is a disease caused by a deficiency of insulin or a reduced ability of the body's cells to respond to insulin. Without insulin, sugar cannot enter the cells of the body and it builds up in the blood and eventually passes into the urine. This causes increased urine production and thirst. Hunger increases because the body cannot use the sugar in the blood and the body tries to cope by digesting it's own muscle for energy. Diabetes is diagnosed by detecting high sugar levels on blood and urine tests. It's not curable but can be controlled with proper insulin, oral hypoglycemic and diet.

I was hoping he wasn't diabetic but at 11 years old it had to be something. And since he was racing for any running water I turned and he had lost weight..well the signs were there. So I took him in for a blood test and a urine test. I received the results this week-of course Murphy's Law I was out of town working! So here I was trying to deal with a newly diagnosed diabetic cat and work in an area without cell reception! It was horrible! I so wanted to come home but luckily I have the BEST petsitter in the universe and an amazing dad!! They were able to hold down the "kitty fort" until I came home and could throw myself full force into treating my stubborn diabetic cat!

Kodak's glucose levels were 433. The normal range is 70-150 and he had glucose in his urine....he is diabetic! So off we go!

He went to the vet last wednesday and received his first insulin injection. He's getting 1 unit( 1cc which equivalent to 1ml) every 12 hours of PZI Insulin-which was rather expensive at $109.57. ( I'll be looking in to see if I can find the insulin any cheaper elsewhere!) His Insulin syringes are U-40-1/2CC which were bought in a bulk of 100 for $20. But at 1 unit every 12 hours the Insulin will last quite awhile.

On saturday November 10th I took him in for my first "diabetic" appt. I was given pamphlets and instructed on how to inject the insulin. The first thing one must do is mix the contents of the insulin-DO NOT SHAKE the bottle, gently roll the bottle in your hand. My vet said for about a minute. Also remember, insulin loses it's effectiveness in sunlight and heat so it must be stored in a refrigerator. Also the needle is directional-it's has a little hole which should be pointing up so that when the needle is injected it causes as little pain to the cat as possible. I was also shown what areas were best-the fatty areas around the shoulder etc. My Kodak has a few of those areas so he really isn't too bothered by the injections yet!

As for food...well here comes the fun part! Yes my boy is very picky about his food! And if he doesn't like the smell-well he wont eat it! My vet told me to really try to get him to eat the canned diabetic food because he has seen cats go into remission by eating the canned diabetic food- so I bought both canned Purina DM and Hills M/D to try out-and luckily my petsitter bought Dry Purina DM....for my stubborn Russian is not a big fan of canned food! Well as you guessed-he will not eat the canned food! Turns his nose up at it. And I'm not going to force feed canned food! So Purina dry DM is where we are in the food world-at least he seems to tolerate that so far!

We go back in 5 days, this thursday, to have his blood glucose levels checked again. They've started him off on a low level of insulin just to see how he's responding and if it's even making a dent in his glucose levels......might have to up it after our vet visit on thursday. I have pet insurance on Kodak and 3 Perf so i'm going to check to see if any of these expenses are covered. I don't have insurance on Winton because he was diagnosed with CRF 4 years ago and they wouldn't cover him.....

First Post

Hi to any of you that have older cats! I have 3 cats...all 3 getting up there in age and with that comes the joys of aging felines! I decided to start this blog because 2 of my 3 cats have diseases: My 11 year old Russian Blue, Kodak, was just diagnosed this week with Diabetes mellitus, and my 10 year old Orange Tabby, Winton, was diagnosed 4 years ago with Chronic Renal Failure (CRF). Some people cant believe I'm dealing with not only one disease but now two. But I love my cats! So i decided to blog about my everyday trials with my boys! I hope you enjoy!