Re: Inky update - Kerry LONG

[Belinda]

Hi Kerry,     I think high phosphorous can make them feel nauseated so that may be why his appetite goes off, has the vet suggested phos binders?  Part of one of the list messages below: Powdered Alum. Hydroxide Gel now for over 3 years and have not had any problems. It is a finely ground powder that mixes easily into canned food, and can be placed in a baggie w/dry overnight then fed in the morning ..... it binds with the phosphorus in the food in the gut and is then excreted through the stool. It really helps bring it down and helps them get their appetite back.  His creat isn't too bad and the subqs at home should help keep that in check.  His BUN is high but IV fluids should help bring that down.  Fred is just the opposite, his creat is at 4.2 and 4 weeks ago it was at 2.6, so it got a lot worse, I'm hoping the subqs get it down some.  His BUN was never too bad, it started at 46, went to 48, then back to 44, but he isn't concentrating his urine very good at all and that's NOT good. I talked with my vet about a Gif tube or an Endo-Sof Subcutaneous Catheter Set both used for giving subqs at home, I think they are similar but I need to talk with her some more because as I understood it the one she was talking about you still use needles but the people on the CRF list say you don't, but they are talking about the gif tube so there may be a difference. The way my vet explained it to me is, they have to sedate the cat and cut a small 5ml hole in the back area right below the neck.  The catheter gets inserted and stiched in place down the back, I think the catheter is about 6 or 7 inches long and has small holes all the way down.  At the end sticking out of the back is a port similar to the green ports on an Subq bag used to give additional things while subqing (vitamin B for example).  The pictures I've seen of both doesn't look like what she described so I may be getting it wrong.  The main concern is keeping it sterile and that it doesn't get plugged up.  Sometimes the cats body sees it as a foreign invader and the immune system will form a membrane around it plugging the holes.  This can be fixed without and surgery there is a manual on the CRF site that explains how to do it and I guess the girl who wrote it has even talked vets who have never done it through it. My vet has personally only inserted 1 of these and the kitty had no problems for the 4 months it was in, the cat died from unrelated problems after 4 months.  She has worked with another cat that had one (she didn't insert it) and that cat had it for a year before it had to be replaced and didn't have any problems for that year or since to my knowledge.  That is the extent of her knowledge and experience with them.  When Fred was being a real poop, I was seriously considering it and researched it, I'll put some links at the bottom of the page about it.  He's been pretty good lately, although the last two days he hasn't been as good, but good enough that it isn't necassary yet, but I will do it if it becomes necessary and he knows it.  The fluids are very important and he will get them one way or another!! ENDO-SOF SUBCUTANEOUS CATHETER SET http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_subcutaneous_fluids.html   a picture is at the bottom of the page, this is not what I understood it to be like, because you don't use needles with this, I may have misunderstood though. Another site with info on this: ENDO-SOF SUBCUTANEOUS CATHETER SET http://www.arnolds.co.uk/endosofsubcutaneouscatheterset.asp Gif Tube http://www.hoochcrf.com/What%20is%20it.htm Gif Tube another site with info: http://www.practivet.com/gif-tube.htm picture of cat getting tube insert, not too graphic. From what I understand the gif is made of human grade silicone the other is a new patented material, Endo-Sof, which is designed to be compatible with body tissue for up to one year.  Lots to learn and my vet is out until tomorrow so I won't be able to talk to her before then. -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting & web design] http://HostDesign4U.com ------------ BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com