When cat is peeing blood

Yesterday morning before eight I woke up when my 19-year-old cat Kali threw up. Then I noticed that she has another problem. She was trying to find a place where she would feel good, and she kept licking her ass. I thought it was (again) constipation. Then I noticed blood on the floor. Kali peed bloody urine all over. To floors, chairs, beds, the edges of cat toilets.

 

There was bad news at the vet. The ultrasound showed that Kali has a tumor near her spleen.

A urine sample was taken, bacteria were found. Kali received an antibiotic for a urinary tract infection. Age, kidney failure and constipation increase the risk of urinary tract infections. All of which can be found in Kali.

The kidney values ​​are even better than last time, in December. So Ipakitine seems to help? Kali also does not have, for example, hyperthyroidism.

Kalia was praised at the vet as being fit and energetic for her age. I have noticed it myself. Kali still is able to jump on the tables, and sometimes even manages to run amok.

Again, the emergency vet cost 560 euros, and we only received a 5-day course of antibiotics. I had thought that for urinary tract infections, start with 10 days, and then more if necessary.

 

 

Some time ago, Kali started screaming louder and more than before. And now you can't tell which reason it is: Physical reasons (in an old cat, e.g. dementia, hearing loss or high blood pressure can cause screaming), or the disappearance of the other cats.

Kali has also abandoned me. She never lays on top of me anymore. When was the last time? It happened sometime when Olivia was still alive. Getting on top of me was just a competition with Olivia for Kali.

I already decided that I will now try to stay on top of Kali's weight. Both Olivia and Tabitha lost too much weight near the end. I've joked that Kali does intermittent fasting. Sometimes she eats more and sometimes less. Now, after the visit to the vet, Kali didn't really start eating food. At first, of course, Kali was "high" because of the sedation, as you can see from the tongue pictures. But when I put Mirataz in Kali's ear today, she started eating again within a couple of hours.

 

Symptom review

Bad health again for a change. It is difficult to sleep at night for many different reasons. Heart beats too fast and is symptomatic. Left hand has had symptoms for longer, and now the numbness and tingling first spread to the right hand as well, and then to the legs. I can only hope that it was due to the stiff neck. If not, that's pretty bad. The blood wont circulate, even my fingers are completely blue.

 

Lately, I've been most worried about Olivia. Too often she has diarrhea and vomiting at the same time. One of her teeth visibly fell out some time ago. But she has plenty of appetite. I have added one more meal a day for her, it now she gets wet food four times a day. So again, the suspicion arises as to whether she could have hyperthyroidism. She didn't last spring.

 

I noticed to my shock that all Virbac kidney dry foods contain bentonite. Bentonite, which is used as a binding ingredient in cat diarrhea medicines. And that's what many cat litters are made of... So, if kidney failure causes constipation, is it really good idea to add constipation-exacerbating substance to cats' kidney foods? I noticed that there's bentonite also in some other cat foods. That would understandable only in food intended for a cat with diarrhea, not anywhere else. I no longer give Virbac to Kali, who has to be given a laxative every day. It's another one of the ideas of cat product makers that I just don't understand.

I noticed that Zooplus has Kali's kidney medicine Ipakitine. Because it is on the department of the dogs, I hadn't noticed that before. For a moment I was sad that I hadn't noticed it before, and that's why I hadn't included it in the previous Zooplus order that had just arrived. But then I realized that a 180 gram jar of Ipakitine costs 40 euros at Zooplus. Shocking price, everywhere else it's about half the price. For example, from the kivuton.fi online store, which is known for its high prices, you can get TWO 180g cans of Ipakitine for 33 euros. For a while, I thought that it wouldn't be necessary to order from Kivuton, but it is, mainly because of that Ipakitine. There you could also get horse cream containing benzyl benzoate, just in case of scabies. It's just too expensive, 55 euros.

 

I should order from Musti ja mirri again because I would get a 20% discount. The main reason for the order is the grain-free Natures menu wet food, Olivia likes it. And she doesn't like many grain-free foods. She would like to eat mostly real meat (chicken), but those foods are complementary food and not complete food. So, if Olivia ate only those, it would be so-called on raw food and would also need some kind of vitamin preparation. I would like to find some tasteless vitamin powder that would be suitable for Olivia. Now I've been grinding Vitalcat pills into the food for her.

Cat weight review

 

Tabitha's weight remains tenaciously at three kilos. Is the thyroid gland balanced or not? According to the schedule, Tabitha should have been taken to the vet for a thyroid check some time ago, but she hasn't been taken because she is doing well.


Kali weighs 3.4 kilos, so the fattening course was really successful. Kali is a small cat and by all logic it should weigh less than Tapsa. I have never weighed Kali before.


Olivia weighs 3.8 kilos. Already many years ago, the vet complained about her weight loss. I don't have any information about Olivia's previous weights, they were never put on the vet's card.

"Do I have covid because I can't smell cat poop?"

At worst, Olivia has diarrhea 3-4 times in a row and may even vomit somewhere in between. Even one evening I was washing my hands after the second or third shit when she threw up. After a while I sat on the bed and didn't notice that Olivia pooped on the bedroom floor...

Kali has started to reject her Felix soup, where her medicine, laxative and Wenefro are hidden. I then decided to try Ipakitine for the kidney failure, which caused Olivia diarrhea due to the lactose it contains. Well, Kali still hasn't had the same effect even after many days. Ipakitine has worked well for Kali, and even with a laxative. It feels a bit like she could use even a little more laxative.

With her medication, Kali has become more restless. These days we call her an ADHD cat. She sleeps less than before, and often wanders around. It is also strange that after her illness/medication Kali's nose has started to darken. It feels like there are always more dark spots.

 

 

The pain consequences of pain stress?

I myself have suffered especially from pains and an inflamed feeling in the area of the teeth, mouth and jaw. The pain in that place of the wisdom tooth was startling, but luckily it went away.

I just can't stand how unfair it is that pain increases pain. Well, it is said that jaw and neck pain is common in thoracic endometriosis. (research on the connection between endo and jaw joint pain) Of course, I don't know what causes what, but biting teeth together and keeping jaws in the wrong position does not reduce the pain at least.

Regarding endometriosis pains, a week ago on Friday night, while playing Friday, I started having a nagging pain in my lower back from time to time. On Saturday, the interval between twinges kept getting shorter. There was also a stronger pain in one part of the upper thigh, so that one evening it was even more difficult to exercise. Those pains went away, until on Thursday the pain in the lower back started again, this time more permanently, so that it feels like I can't sit much.

 

 

And there would be so much to do on the computer these days. I still haven't had time to write or edit my novels this year. And the other day I started writing a new short story...

Olivia's sweet sixteen

My youngest cat Olivia turns 16 today.

 

 

Olivia's mother Kali is my oldest cat (18). They both have chronic kidney disease, as does Olivia's father. So great genes?

In addition to kidney problems, Olivia has chronic diarrhea. Over the past few months, she has started to poop on the floors.

 

 

Olivia's appetite is really good these days. Most of the time, she wakes us up in the morning by demanding breakfast. The reason for this is that she would like to eat mostly wet food. However, when I introduced Orijen kitten, Olivia started to eat dry food too. Olivia and Kali like it really much, and the bowls are empty in record time.

I add to Orijen kitten another dry food which is intended for chronic kidney disease, and the idea would be to gradually switch to kidney food completely. I bought Brit Renal with high hopes, but it has big kibble and I want small ones because Kali doesn't have many teeth left. Brit Renal cats do eat, at least among that Orijen kitten. The ingredient lists of those kidney dry foods are terrible to read, just vegetables and no meat.

Olivia has a grain-free diet, she gets Porus one for kidney failure and Kaopekt for diarrhea. We'll see how long we keep trying that grain-free, since it clearly doesn't help with diarrhea. Olivia dreams only of cereal-based cheap foods, such as Felix and Whiskas. Whenever I turn my back she's eating those from Tabitha's bowl. Nom nom. Grains good, meat bad.

As a memory, a picture from April 2008, when I got Olivia, and she could still fit in my lap...

 

The balance of fear

Taking care of three old and sick cats could be a full-time job. When you have to give different substances and medicines to three cats and make sure they eat them, it's a bit stressful.

 

For Tabitha Apelka twice a day for hyperthyroidism. Tabitha has become anti-medicine, or rather anti-cat treat. She suddenly decided that absolutely all the liquid treats (Miamor, Vitakraft, Sheba) are crap, and so she could not eat her vital thyroid medicine hidden in them. So I had to start giving Apelka hidden in a small amount of food. And then the food has to be of the kind that Tabitha certainly likes. And if Tabitha's nose is blocked, it must be wiped with warm water several times a day. It's not as simple as it sounds either. Boiled water must be just the right temperature, neither too cold nor too hot. And Tabitha mustn't be sleeping somewhere hidden, so I can't treat her nose.

For Kali, for chronic kidney disease, WeNefro twice a day. PEG every other day or as needed. Once a day Mirataz to the ear, alternate days in both ears so you should try to remember which ear's turn it is. Fortunately, Kali is eating and pooping for now, and voluntarily takes her kidney and constipation medicine.

For Olivia, Porus One once a day for kidney failure. Kaopekt for diarrhea if needed. Have to keep an eye on the bathroom visits all the time so that she doesn't poop on the floors.

Often, when going to bed, I wonder if all the cats have been medicated, what has been forgotten?

I guess we should donate Tabitha's treats to homeless cats. So it's not even enough that the cats cost a lot of money. So much of it also goes to waste. Olivia's different drug trials. Tabitha's treats. Foods that my cats won't eat.

 

 

I should have weighed Kali earlier. I would be interested to know how much her weight has increased now during the fattening course, because she looks like she has gained weight. I myself have lost weight again, I don't know if I should be worried. Well, maybe the muscle has just turned into fat. It's been many years since I last weighed less than 50 kilos (110 pounds). Tabitha's weight has stubbornly remained the same, at exactly three kilos (6.6 pounds).

I haven't been outside since it's been freezing as low as -34 (-29f). This old picture came to mind, which is apparently from February 2007. It's really warm inside, especially when the radiator is burning next to me when I'm trying to sleep. Even the chocolate melts, just like in summer.

 

It is interesting that last winter I suffered from ice-cold feet, the blood did not seem to circulate in them at all. But now this winter there hasn't been a similar problem. One could imagine that it is due to covid. That is, because it has been a longer time since the infection. In any case, a new covid infection would be a really bad thing. When it is known that covid damages everyone's (100%) blood vessels, and of course also otherwise. It's terrible when the news tells about sudden deaths of young people all the time. Excess mortality is grim, and public health work is dead.

 

Best products for cat's chronic kidney disease

Believe me, I have tested them all. Two of my three senior cats have renal failure. When my youngest cat Olivia was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease I tried all the CKD products I could get my hands on. So much wasted money!

Most vets only recommend renal diet foods to cats with CKD, but it's even more important to use products which bind phosphate and reduce its absorption from the intestines. If you want the easy way and not to force-feed your cat it's crucial to find renal products that your cat will take willingly, preferably mixed with food. Usually these products need to be given twice a day.

There are surprisingly many CKD products available, but at first I only knew about Pronefra's existence. It's in liquid form, so it's probably the best option for those owners who have to force feed their cat. But since I wanted to avoid that I kept trying others.

 

My cat Olivia is a fussy eater, but she gladly took Ipakitine mixed with her wet food. Unfortunately Ipakitine has lactose as a filler, and that makes absolutely no sense at all because most cats are lactose intolerant. So is my Olivia, and Ipakitine caused her diarrhea. So in conclusion Ipakitine is tasteless and odourless, and most cats will eat it willingly. But it is not suitable for those who can't digest lactose.

 

My oldest cat Kali is now 18 years old, and she was recenly diagnosed with chronic kidney disease aswell. She takes Wepharm's WeNefro voluntarily, mixed with soup wet food. Wenefro seems to be a good product, it has many ingredients which fight against complications renal insuffiency can cause to cats. Where to buy WeNefro? I'm sorry, I haven't been able to find international webstores which would sell it.

 

I give Olivia Porus One, mixed with wet food once a day, and she eats it willingly most of the time. Porus One is different from many other CKD products. It's black powder, and it looks like gun powder. It's actually activated carbon. It's important to mix it really well with wet food, so the cat won't notice it.

 

Renata is also a powder in single use packets. It smells bad, and neither of my CKD cats wanted to eat food if Renata was mixed in it.

Direne tablets Olivia refused to take, even if I crushed the tablets and hid the powder in her food.

 

What are the symptoms of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats? The most scary thing is that there might be no symptoms at all, so it's crucial to take senior cats to annual vet check ups and take the blood tests. A cat with renal failure might pee and/or drink a lot.

Sick cat Kali

Here, when there have been two sick cats to take care of, it has seemed that the "healthiest" and oldest, i.e. 18-year-old Kali, has been left out a bit. Well, she isn't any more.

I woke up on Monday morning probably sometime after six. The sleep had been interrupted because the cats had vomited. Shortly after I woke up, someone threw up again. Because Tabitha was next to me on the bedside table and Kali was on the bedroom scratching post, I knew that it was Olivia who vomited.

 

It took a while to realize that despite trying, Kali can't poop and that she had been trying to poop already at night. She also frequently vomited liquid. Didn't eat or drink. The possibility of intestinal obstruction also occurred to me.

Since Kali's bum was obviously full of shit, I tried to give her Microlax in the morning, but I guess it went wrong because there was no result. In the afternoon, a new attempt, which I think was successful, but still no results. Kali was then given paraffin oil.

In the evening, Kali drank water, laid in the sink and then managed to poop a bit, a couple of pooches. A lot of cat litter stuck to its wet paws from the toilet, which was then e.g. in bed. In a panic, I tried to get the wet sand out of its paws so that she wouldn't eat the litter.

Kali was then given another dose of paraffin oil, or at least attempted. There were battle injuries, i.e. wounds. Since that time, a little protection has been introduced, e.g. gloves.

The next morning, Kali peed, but despite trying, she didn't manage to poop. She tried to eat her wet food a bit, but I still gave her Nutriplus. Or at least I tried, it was on its jaw and leg. In the afternoon she drank again and spent quality time in the sink. Afternoon food didn't interest her (and neither anyone else!), not even the cat malt treat, so another dose of Nutriplus. In the evening, she made a small poop.

The situation has stubbornly remained the same. The cat doesn't eat, only manages to poop occasionally and a little, and is in pain. So the vet was called, when it's Christmas and the long holidays are coming.

Surprises were revealed at the vet. There was nothing in the intestine (I was already afraid of a tumor), but Kali has renal insuffiency (as does her daughter Olivia). Kali received a cortisone injection and Mirataz (which is said to be out of stock in many pharmacies) to stimulate her appetite. The diagnosis of chronic kidney disease is a surprise. Kali does drink a lot, but she doesn't pee a lot like Olivia, whose kidney value (221) was better in May than Kali's now (287).

When Kali suffers from constipation and her daughter Olivia has chronic diarrhoea, so... I've been dreaming of a stool transplant.
 
So why does Kali have trouble pooping? Some claim that constipation is a symptom of kidney failure. Well, Olivia has clearly not received that memo. One possible factor is that Kali is very reluctant to eat wet food. It is offered 3 times a day. As I have stated, Kali mainly lives on Bilanx's energy snacks. And with Orijen's dry food. Even treats containing cat malt have not really been eaten by her lately. The fact is that Kali should have been given regular laxatives a long time ago, at the latest when she started rejecting cat malt treats.

Well, now the pharmacy's shopping list included e.g. PEG (a friend with long experience with chronic constipation in cats claimed that the lactulose prescribed by vet is not good because it can dry out the intestines) and cat malt. It is clear that even in the best case, Kali will need laxatives for the rest of her life. And now we should start giving it something to support the kidneys. Well, there's about a closet of them, thanks to Olivia.

Four years ago I brought Tabitha to the vet just before Christmas and she got a virus from that trip. Tabitha and Kali did not eat for five days then and had to try to keep them alive by force-feeding them. Back then, Kali was more accommodating, but now she has fought back with all its might, making trying to keep her alive very difficult. But then her health clearly deteriorated and the resistance started to be less. :(

 

We'll see if I get a Christmas miracle, that is, if Kali starts eating, or if this was it. And now we should start giving it kidney foods. Well, Kali is at that point in her life where she eats whatever she agrees to.

A poop update

Not even an ass update? TMI warning?

Olivia had diarrhea on the floor three times last week. Twice to the corner of the bedroom and once to the vestibule. Was it a bit high time to start a completely grain-free diet, although Olivia would of course prefer to eat grains. I have finally found some grain-free foods that are suitable for Olivia. Bilanx grain-free organic loafs (and just as I was praising Olivia left part of Bilanx uneaten, even the day before she ate a cup empty. sigh. it's always like this with Olivia and cats). Kattovit Gastro. Primacat sometimes. And of course Porta21 chicken food, which I don't know how often you can give it when it's not complete cat food. The problem is that Olivia should have breakfast food that she always likes, because in the morningss he gets Porus one powder hidden in her food due to kidney failure.

The grain-free diet also has the problem that I'm not sure whether all the foods are grain-free or not. Are (all) Miamor wet foods grainless? Is there any grain other than rice in Kattovit Renal, which is therefore allowed? It's not nice if you try to give the cat grain-free food, but then there is that somewhere.

 

 

In addition to the grain-free diet, a new lactic acid bacteria and Kaopekt are now in use. I only gave Olivia the diarrhea medicine Avital Kaopekt once, and her stool became firm. It felt like a real miracle! The first time Kaopekt fixed Olivia's shit with one dose for two days. I didn't dare to give more right away because there is always the risk of constipation.

 

 

But diarrhea medicine should not be given continuously, because it can prevent the absorption of nutrients. But so can constant watery diarrhea. I was surprised when Olivia peed less than normal. Because kidney failure causes it to pee a lot. When the stool solidified, the profuse peeing also returned, meaning that those liquids had just gone to diarrhea. Olivia's potassium level was just below normal already in the spring, I don't know if she should be given a potassium supplement. It is dangerous when too much potassium can cause a heart attack. But so can too little potassium.

By the way, I wondered why the cats were so crazy about the new dry food, Primacat. All three hit the same cup at the same time. Well, turns out there is catnip in that food. Is it safe to eat? I'm now trying new grain-free dry foods because the price of Orijen has increased tremendously and that Guardian 8 doesn't taste very good to the cats anymore. Orijen Tundra was fine, but it and many others are not available anymore in e.g. Musti ja mirri.

And as far as I'm concerned, that pain in the ass was probably the final reason for me to not to get a folding exercise bike. I know that even with normal butts, cycling can cause pain in the ass. The pain disappeared at least for a while with the cycle, so endometriosis is still the number one suspect.

The price of my phone connection is going up again, many euros. The poor cannot afford such vanity. I need an internet connection and a computer, but I don't need a phone for anything. Sigh. I guess it's a must to be able to call the emergency number and have a vet appointment for the cats. However, I still have my ex-employer's two work phones and subscriptions. So just use them hahahaaaaa. In Finnish, I still haven't received instructions from my ex-supervisor to return them and also e.g. work keys.