Gertie (1991?-2007)
Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 10:32 pm
My cat Gertie died Saturday, January 13, 2007. I think she was about 15 or 16 years old. I had been caring for her since 1992 when she was already an adult cat. She had hyperthroidism and was on tapazole for her hyperthyroidism, but it was stopped when it was discovered that she had kidney failure on January 9th. The results of her latest blood test on January 9th were terrible (the normal ranges are in parentheses on the right):
BUN 131 (14-36)
CREATININE 10.3 (0.6-2.4)
PHOSPHORUS 15.7 (2.4-8.2)
She went downhill suddenly and rapidly. A few weeks prior she was running around and playing like a kitten. She was receiving reglan anti-nausea syrup, subcutaneous lactated ringers solution, B12, aluminum hydroxide phosphorus binder, cosequin, baytril antibiotic, and pepcid antacid. I tried to coax her to eat Science Diet K/D canned cat food, but mostly she ate the Iam's canned and dry and canned Fancy Feast, in order to get her to eat something. She weighed only 5 pounds. I was also adding a little canned pumpkin to everybody's food. In the end, I was syringe feeding her several times per day. She had good quality until the day before she died.
I keep wondering what I might have done differently that might have been better. Did she die because we discovered the kidney failure too late and stopped the tapazole too late? Did she die because we stopped the tapazole? Would she have lived longer if she hadn't had the last blood test done when she didn't have much blood to spare? If we had tested her sooner, would we have been able to get her something in time to help? After the latest test results, it was suggested that she might have kidney stones. There was a previous incident when she looked real bad, I took her to the emergency vet and she looked better by the time I got there, they did an x-ray that didn't find anything, prescribed baytril, and she got better. She was scheduled for a urine sample and another x-ray, but by appointment time it was obvious that it was too late. Is there anything else that could have been done? I realize the answers to these questions won't help her, but it might help another cat with a similar problem. I lost another cat to hyperthyroidism and kidney failure and non-regenerative anemia two days prior and still have another one with kidney failure and highly regenerative anemia. I find myself looking at the others and wondering who is next.
BUN 131 (14-36)
CREATININE 10.3 (0.6-2.4)
PHOSPHORUS 15.7 (2.4-8.2)
She went downhill suddenly and rapidly. A few weeks prior she was running around and playing like a kitten. She was receiving reglan anti-nausea syrup, subcutaneous lactated ringers solution, B12, aluminum hydroxide phosphorus binder, cosequin, baytril antibiotic, and pepcid antacid. I tried to coax her to eat Science Diet K/D canned cat food, but mostly she ate the Iam's canned and dry and canned Fancy Feast, in order to get her to eat something. She weighed only 5 pounds. I was also adding a little canned pumpkin to everybody's food. In the end, I was syringe feeding her several times per day. She had good quality until the day before she died.
I keep wondering what I might have done differently that might have been better. Did she die because we discovered the kidney failure too late and stopped the tapazole too late? Did she die because we stopped the tapazole? Would she have lived longer if she hadn't had the last blood test done when she didn't have much blood to spare? If we had tested her sooner, would we have been able to get her something in time to help? After the latest test results, it was suggested that she might have kidney stones. There was a previous incident when she looked real bad, I took her to the emergency vet and she looked better by the time I got there, they did an x-ray that didn't find anything, prescribed baytril, and she got better. She was scheduled for a urine sample and another x-ray, but by appointment time it was obvious that it was too late. Is there anything else that could have been done? I realize the answers to these questions won't help her, but it might help another cat with a similar problem. I lost another cat to hyperthyroidism and kidney failure and non-regenerative anemia two days prior and still have another one with kidney failure and highly regenerative anemia. I find myself looking at the others and wondering who is next.