Cleo And Pole’s Check-Up (kidney Issues And Hyperthyroidism)

Six months ago, their SDMA readings were both normal, but their creatinine levels were on the higher end of normal.

I have also been rather worried about Cleo and Pole because I noticed both have been drinking water more than before. This is one symptom of possible kidney issues. Cleo also has been peeing more often than usual.

Pole also has been rather hyperactive and sometimes, we see her leg shivering.

So, we took both of them (with Ginger) to the vet’s today.

Cleo weighed 3.7kg today (a gain of 400g from 6 months ago). But her blood test showed an increase in the creatinine level (from the previous 188 to today’s 213). The SDMA was not done as the creatinine level already shows early kidney disease. The vet says it is not uncommon for geriatric cats to have this problem. Cleo is 12 years old. An ultrasound was done and there was some loss of structure in one of her kidneys. An ear-prick blood test was done to check for diabetes – it was negative.

The treatment for Cleo is 150ml subcut twice weekly, if possible. She is highly stressed, so the vet says if subcut is not possible, then a change to the renal diet is recommended. Coincidentally, Cleo has also been asking for the renal kibble lately, but I add some water to it for her. She has been very picky over food lately too. She used to be on fully Cubgrub previously but lately, she didn’t want to eat it anymore. Feeding her has been very challenging.

When the vet examined Pole, she noticed that her heartbeat was very, very fast (more than 200 beats per minute). We know Pole has always been a very nervous and jumpy cat. So, the vet wanted to check her for hyperthyroidism (the TT4 test).

Pole’s creatinine also shot up from the previous 155 to 251 and her ALT (liver reading) also went up from 175 to 257. These elevated readings also increase the suspicion of hyperthyroidism so the TT4 test was done and true enough, the reading was high (111).

So, it’s confirmed that Pole has hyperthyroidism and luckily we detected it today. The treatment is a transdermal Methimazole cream to be applied in the inside of the ear. Hyperthyroidism can cause kidney, liver and heart problems. It can even lead to blindness.

Pole’s kidney and liver issues are most likely due to the hyperthyroidism.

The vet explained that once the hyperthyroidism is treated successfully, the kidney and liver issues will also be resolved.

An ultrasound on Pole’s kidney also shows mild loss of structure in both kidneys. So, 150ml subcut twice a week is recommended. Again, the vet said that this is not uncommon in older cats. Pole is 13 years old. It happens. Aging and sickness – no one escapes it.

Looks like I would have to do subcut for four cats now (Bunny, Indy, Pole and Cleo). I am not sure if Pole and Cleo will allow me to do the procedure since both of them are highly sensitive.

I’ve never dealt with hyperthyroidism in cats before, though. Would have to read up on it.

One day at a time…

Source: https://myanimalcare.org/2019/09/15/cleo-and-poles-check-up-..

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