my cats been poisoned

tiannaleigh

valos_mummy wrote: »

Hey, so glad to hear Smudgy is doing well, kitties really are the bestest little fighters so hoping she pulls through with flying colours :A

On another note, have the police been round to that ******* of a neighbour, even if just to scare him off doing it to another cat? You have a lot of self restraint - if it were me I'd have been round that neighbours pronto and by the time I'd finished he'd wish he'd never been born!!

Ive phoned the rspca today,they took his name and address and are going to start an investigation,ive just found out that another neighbour cat has been missing since the weekend,and a women a few houses down the street had 4cats and since she moved here 6months ago,she is down to one cat.
I hate things like this but it had to be done,but he will know ive given his name to the RSPCA, but I know in my heart he did it and any thing he tries to do to me for reporting him,I shall also report, seeing my poor cat so ill scared me more than anything he could possible do

sleepymy

tiannaleigh wrote: »

I have been so sorry for her all day,she has always loved going out ,and has been sat at the door looking at me pleading to be let out,at the moment she couldnt possible anyway because of her health,but I have been thinking what to do for the best,I dont want to ruin her quality of life,but would never want her to go through this again,so I think the post after your's is definately something I will be trying,it would be great to know she could only go as far as the bottom of my garden. ,

Do it!


Sun belly!


Extended leash...

MrsE_2

sleepymy wrote: »

16 1/2 yr old renal kitty Angus loves his daily walks around the garden.

Angus is such a cool name for a cat:D
He even looks like an Angus:D

ETA your flowers are really pretty, my garden is so barren

lowis

hi tiannaleigh...just checking in. glad to see Smudgies kidneys are still holding out...please be cautious though, they are fragile things.

i would definitely get a lead and harness, you can then walk her around without fear of her bolting away and getting poisoned again. please do not let her alone in the garden on her lead unsupervised as cats can strangle themselves jumping up on to things, getting caught up etc. you really will have to learn how to walk her like a doggie could be fun!

good on your for reporting the neighbour...there is definitely something evil going on for so many cats to be disappearing x

foreign_correspondent

I hope she does well, but as Lowis said, try not to get your hopes up too much, it is still early days... but be glad that she is having a nice time today! Animals live in the moment, and I often think there is a lot we could learn from that.

paddypaws101

Oh Gosh, I have cried so often following this thread. Smudgie is a really gorgeous girl and you are a great person to take all this on board and try to care for her. Don't think too badly of the vet...they see people get 'fed up' with problem pets all the time and have to try and second guess what a wide range of people will be prepared to do for an animal.
I have an older, now diabetic cat and have struggled with the whole issue of confining him..and my other 3...to home. I know some cats ( hi Noah ) HAVE to be house bound, and many are fine with that arrangement...but part of me questions whether that arrangement is as much for our interest than that of the cat...they love simple pleasures and live for the day.
Walking on a leash is a great idea. I have a small garden which I have kind of cat proofed ie cut off normal escape routes so only the stronger cats can climb out. I could fairly easily make it more secure...add wire mesh at the top of the tall fence curving inwards so cat cant escape. Would that be an option at all for you?

boldaslove

just read through this thread with curled toes! i'm really happy your cat's doing better

as for the neighbour - dictaphone, camera phone, diary of his movements. seriously, i know that sounds mentally stalker-esque but it could help get him convicted. try and get your other neighbours in on it too. don't let him get any kind of idea you're onto him, you want to catch the f*****r out. i'd be tempted to put down fake poo in his garden in a place you can easily film with your cameraphone, but i'd imagine the rspca and police wouldn't be too happy about that.

good luck and i hope your cat's doing well

tiannaleigh

"Hi,just thought I would let you all know I have joined a yahoo group set up by a vet to do with cats with kidney problems,I posted what had happened to smudge and they asked me to post her blood test results,I had to get these from the vets,any way the reply was very long but here are a few points of their reply" SORRY ITS STILL LONG
If your neighbor poisoned your sweet Smudgy with antifreeze, it is likely that
she is suffering from ACUTE Renal Failure (ARF) as opposed to CHRONIC Renal
Failure (ARF). I'll try to net out the difference in a nutshell. ARF is
brought on by some trauma - poisoning via antifreeze is definitely one of those.
The antifreeze toxicity causes damage to the kidneys, and therefore you see
those key kidney values (BUN, CREA, PHOS) go up as the trauma is incurred.
Unlike CRF, ARF may not cause long-term, permanent damage to the kidneys
depending on how and when you caught it.
Both ARF and CRF "crashes" (which is what it sounds like Smudgy has experienced) require immediate treatment, typically with IV fluids and other supportive therapies. Unlike CRF, however, ARF *can* be combatted after initial, difficult stages with no underlying kidney damage and, therefore, after the crash is dealt with, no long-term damage. There are only two ways to really guage progress -
one is with an ultrasound and the other is to monitor bloodwork over time.

Now to your Smudgy's bloodwork. First - there has been really good progress
(mostly) in bloodwork over two days of IV fluids. Smudgy's BUN, creatinine and
phosphorus came DOWN during that time period. I'm slightly concerned about the calcium and the glucose, but I'll get to that in a moment.

If you can't do another round of IV treatment, you can continue treatments at
home. Based on these numbers, I would recommend the following:

- Sub-cutaneous fluids
- Renal diet
- Phophorus binder
- Calcium supplement

Sub-cutaneous (subQ) fluids address the idea that a kitty with BUN and
creatinine like Smudgy's are likely to be dealing with some level of
dehydration. Dehydration is bad because it speeds the progression and any
underlying kidney issues - so we address that by administering subQ fluids.
SubQ involves a bag of fluids - typically Lactated Ringers Solution (LRS), a
line that connects to the bag, and a sterile needle that connects to the line.
The needle is inserted under the skin and some amount of fluids (typically
between 100-150ml) is administered, creating a "bubble" of fluid just under the
skin that the body absorbs. This helps with hydration, and can help further
lower the BUN and creatinine so that Smudgy feels better. I'm going to refer
you to two links - one on fluid therapy generally and one put up by a very
loving CRF kitty's human about his sweet Sophia getting her fluids
The link explaining fluid therapy is a must-read. This is all something you'll
want to take back to your vet ASAP and discuss - because if Smudgy isn't on IV fluids, she's going to need SubQ at home as soon as possible. If your vet won't entertain this, find a new vet (sorry to be so blunt - but you're fighting for Smudgy's life here and you don't have time for an unhelpful vet).
Smudgy's phosphorus is high. It improved on the two days of IV fluids, but it
needs to get down as close to US 4 (on 10/25 it was at about US 10) as you can get it. High phosphorus is a double-whammy - first, it speeds the progression of kidney decline. And second, it can make Smudgy feel crappy and affect her appetite, and it's imperative that she eat so that she can improve
I'm pretty interested by the MASSIVE increase in Glucose. After two days on
fluids, it more than doubled. You should call your vet and ask what kind of
fluids they were using and whether or not there was dextrose (sugar) added. You also want a dextrose-free fluid for SubQ administration - that's one of the
reasons we recommend the Lactated Ringers Solution.
I know I've thrown a lot at you here. But I don't think Smudgy's values look
all that bad. If Smudgy were my cat, I would try treating her and see how she
does. In re-reading your introductory email, I have to say - I'm not very
impressed with your vet. First, it's not your vet's call to say that "if these
numbers don't come down to some value" you will have to put her to sleep.
That's NOT the vet's decision - it's yours. I am also aghast that all you were
offered was a renal diet. There is SO MUCH more you can do to help Smudgy.
Finally, the numbers DID improve on IV fluids. In my estimation, improved VERY
WELL for two days of fluids.

Tianna, you need a new vet. The fact that Smudgy looked better and was eating shows you that she is improving and you can only expect she will improve more if you continue to treat at home. PLEASE find a new vet right this minute and discuss the treatment options I've suggested, ok? Bring Smudgy's bloodwork so that you don't have to re-run it right then and there and go for a consultation and discuss subQ fluids, phosphorus binders, and the renal diet

SnowyOwl_2

:T:T:T

Big HURRAH for Yahoo groups!! I found a group dedicated to the ailment (megacolon) my Dylan has (Dylan is a cat of course!) and they went above and beyond everything my vet could do (nb vet's hands were tied because one of the drugs critical to Dylan's survival is not licensed in the UK, so I've been doing naughty things via the internet....)

Of course no vet knows everything, and for that reason alone it's worth seeking assistance elsewhere. That doesn't mean that vets are incompetent, but sometimes just like doctors for humans they can miss something.

You've done the right thing Tiannaleigh, and I'm so glad it has given you renewed hope. Your vet really shouldn't have mentioned the PTS option so soon, you've been Smudgie's saviour.

lowis

that's a great response! i joined a similar group on Yahoo for Feline Lymphoma and received some great advice and guidance. Even my vet joined it, so he could keep abreast of the latest developments in treating lymphomas!

many people give their cats Sub Q fluids, once your vet has shown you how, it is not so hard apparently, the worst bit is sticking the needle into your kitty!

so...will you be printing off this reponse you have received and taking it to a new vet? or maybe have a frank discussion with your existing vet?

whatever you decide, good luck...still got my fingers crossed for Smudgie! x