Weight loss in 9-year-old cat

[DeidreN]

My female, neutered, cat Shoosh has lost weight and is drinking and peeing a lot. She is an American short-haired black cat, who weighs about 10 lbs. She has been vacinated 2 years ago. Shoosh is very affectionate and likes to go outside for short periods of 15-30 minutes. She's not on any meds. She urinates 2-3 xs a day and has lost a lot of weight over the past year. We moved from California to the mountains of North Carolina in November 2019. This is when she started losing weight but she seems very happy and playful here in her new home. There is no diagnostic work that has been done by a vet but I have an appointment on July 5th.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Deidre-

I'm sorry to hear about Shoosh's weight loss.

What does she eat!

Is she eating well?

If so, have you tried feeding her more to see if she is able to gain weight?

What's her very favorite thing to do in the world?

 

[Dr. Christina]

Do let us know what the diagnostic work shows.
Remember, even if they say she is a diabetic, or has bad kidneys, you do not immediately have to use the drugs they suggest.

You may also want to get an appointment scheduled with a homeopathic or TCVM veterinarian now, for right after the lab results will be in. If you wait, there will be a lag time and your cat, if you choose the holistic approach, definitely will need one of those approaches.

Dr. Christina

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

You didn't say how old Shoosh is, but if she's 7 or older, be sure they include thyroid and kidney values in the blood panel.

 

[DeidreN]

Than

Do let us know what the diagnostic work shows.
Remember, even if they say she is a diabetic, or has bad kidneys, you do not immediately have to use the drugs they suggest.

You may also want to get an appointment scheduled with a homeopathic or TCVM veterinarian now, for right after the lab results will be in. If you wait, there will be a lag time and your cat, if you choose the holistic approach, definitely will need one of those approaches.

Dr. Christina

Thank you Dr. Christina,
Cn I start her on homeopathic treatment without a diagnosis, as I wait for the appointment? She's getting so thin.
This is the holistic Vet that I have an appointment with on July 6th: Holistic Vet Services | Sunvet Animal Wellness
She does acupuncture and homeopathic medicine.
The clinic also does diagnostic testing:

Lab Tests, Panels, And Diagnostics | Sunvet Animal Wellness

Sunvet’s full laboratory capabilities include bloodwork, heartworm and FIV tests, tick-borne illness panels, and more. We also offer bio-energetic testing with the QEST4™ functional medicine system.

www.sunvetanimalwellness.com

 

[DeidreN]

O

You didn't say how old Shoosh is, but if she's 7 or older, be sure they include thyroid and kidney values in the blood panel.

Thank you Dr. Jean. I will have thyroid and kidney values tested.

 

[DeidreN]

Hi D

Hi Deidre-

I'm sorry to hear about Shoosh's weight loss.

What does she eat!

Is she eating well?

If so, have you tried feeding her more to see if she is able to gain weight?

What's her very favorite thing to do in the world?

Hi Dr. Jeff,
Shoosh eats Holistic Pet, Chicken no grain formula. She also sometimes likes fresh shrimp boiled, Ahi tuna, and salmon. She has eaten a bit of lightly sauteed Ahi tuna over the past 3 days but hasn't gained any weight. I've also been using a dropper and giving her 2 tablespoons of fresh celery juice and yesterday I tried cucumber juice.

 

[DeidreN]

Do let us know what the diagnostic work shows.
Remember, even if they say she is a diabetic, or has bad kidneys, you do not immediately have to use the drugs they suggest.

You may also want to get an appointment scheduled with a homeopathic or TCVM veterinarian now, for right after the lab results will be in. If you wait, there will be a lag time and your cat, if you choose the holistic approach, definitely will need one of those approaches.

Dr. Christina

Hi Dr Christina,
Would any of these treatments help Shoosh:

• Herbal Pet Kidney Remedies
• Fish oil is a source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
• Rhubarb (Rheum Officinale)
• B Vitamins and Iron
• Balanced, comprehensive, natural pet vitamin-mineral supplements including PAAWS Pet Vitamins and VitaLife Pet Supplements
• Glandulars or dietary beef kidney
• Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) one tablet per 30 pounds of body weight given once daily may help strengthen kidney tissue. Crush and mix with food.
• Fresh parsley is a diuretic herb that promotes urination and may be useful in certain cases.
• *Kidney Essentials is a natural herbal combination of superior plant-based phytonutrients that help to maintain and restore normal kidney function in dogs.
• Mastica soothes sensitive stomachs for pets with acute and chronic pet kidney disease.

Homeopathic Pet Remedies for Companion Animal Kidney Disease

• Kali chloricum is recommended for long-term pet kidney disorders
• Arsenicum album 30c counteracts vomiting in acute pet Kidney Disease
• Silicea 30c helps to slow down the degeneration of pet kidney tissue in long-term cases.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Cn I start her on homeopathic treatment without a diagnosis, as I wait for the appointment?

Yes! That's exactly what to do IMHO!

It will be super helpful to have a trained homeopath on your vet care team. In addition to Dr. Laurel who says (on her website):

attend courses in Applied Kinesiology, Pranic Healing, Craniosacral Therapy, N.A.E.T. allergy elimination technique, chiropractic care and acupuncture.

These are all excellent adjuncts to homeopathy prescribed by a trained vet homeopath.

The exam and diagnostic test results will also give you clues about what to do...

 

[DeidreN]

Okay great! Are there any over-the-counter renal support products that I can start her on before the July 6th appointment?
I can make raw cranberry juice and give it to her with a dropper. I can only get a tablespoon in her before she bolts. I could add parsley9from my garden), cilantro, and rhubarb to the juice.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

renal support products that I can start her on before the July 6th appointment?

Maybe start with one of these:

Natural Remedies for Kidney Disease in Dogs & Cats

Chronic Kidney Disease Protocol for Dogs and Cats has been developed by a certified Master Herbalist and certified Canine Nutritionist with The Pet Health and Nutrition Center. Our Kidney Disease Protocol is the finest coordination of science and research-based recommendations that include diet...

www.pethealthandnutritioncenter.com

 

[DeidreN]

Ordered the whole package. Thank you. Don't want to see this kitty go down that road. She adopted me 2 years ago after I reported a lady with 50 cats in a 40-foot cage. She saw me through the cage and then started living in my garage once she was released with 10 other feral cats.

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

Deidre, I realized in the middle of the night that your post INCLUDED her age, I just wasn't looking there, lol!

 

[DeidreN]

No worries! I'm sure this isn't the only post you read that day. it's an overwhelming amount of info and I thank you for your detailed attention.

 

[DeidreN]

Good morning,
I got the blood and urine test from the Vet and she says it is kidney disease and advanced. She wants to give sub-cutaneous fluids today along with potassium, B12 shot, B12 orally, and B complex orally. Shoosh had some spinach, cranberry, cucumber, spirulina, barley grass juice powder, and cilantro last night and it seems to have put a little fluid in her tissues.
Shoosh's numbers are:
BLN ( blood, urine, nitrogen) 137, Normal being 36
Creatin 8.9, Normal being 2.4
Potassium 3.2, Normal 3.4
The red count is great
Protein coming through urine and a lack of concentration

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

Oh dear, yes that sounds like significant kidney disease.

I would knock off the barley and cilantro. BarleyCat specifically warns against using it in cats with UTIs. That's not exactly what she has, but in the off chance they could be hurting her kidneys, I'd go with something like chlorella, spirulina, or BioSuperfood for greens. Stop spinach also, the oxalates can contribute to formation of calcium oxalate stones in the kidneys (a likely suspect for Shoosh). There are other greens (Romaine, kale, cabbage; mustard, collard, and turnip greens) that are low in oxalate if you feel she needs them, but the three products I mentioned are highly concentrated. Cucumber is great, no downside and lots of moisture.

Dr. Steve Marsden has a wonderful presentation on herbs for kidney disease in both dogs and cats; I'm pretty sure I have a copy squirreled away somewhere, so will go hunting today and post if I get lucky!

#1 thing for you, though, is learn how to give fluids and B12 shots at home. In my experience fluids can go a long way toward reducing kidney toxins in the blood and restoring quality of life, and B12 helps restore energy.

I'm sure the other docs will have more ideas too!

 

[DeidreN]

Ok, I hear you. The Barley is barley grass juice powder. The Medical Medium, Anthony Williams, says that spinach and its oxalates actually remove viruses and their debris from the tissues. He also recommends spirulina and never chlorella. So I'm a bit confused as to what to do here. The other mineral that is present is high amounts of Lyme in my well water. I had a difficult time with it when I first moved here and found it very dehydrating. Since I quit caffeine and alcohol, I've found it no longer makes me feel dehydrated. I'm wondering if this is what has cause the change in Shoosh since I moved her in November of 2020.

 

[DeidreN]

What are your thoughts on Lysine ?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Deidre, in case I didn't already mention it in this thread, you may want to look deeper into structured water (an "internal shower") for Shoosh.

Gel Water For Increasing Hydration Support | Goop

Because gel water is transmitted through the body via our fascia, it can potentially deepen our understanding of both collagen and fascia.

goop.com

The ‘internal shower’ drink promises to cure constipation and bloating. Does it work?

The drink is essentially chia seed water, which can help get things moving, experts say.

www.today.com

It is supposed to be more hydrating for cells and help the body function better.

You make it by soaking chia seeds.

 

[DeidreN]

What are your thoughts about Lysine, as kidney disease is caused by the viral load coming from EBV and HHV6? It is my understanding that lemons and all citrus are toxic to cats?