Shady-dude, a life of leisure

Results from the Vet

Mom got a call from the vet last night with my urinalysis results. She was pretty upset initially, but after talking with dad and grandpa she is feeling a little better about things today. Here's the scoop:

While my results weren't perfect, they weren't awful either. My urine was dilute (too watery) which means my kidneys aren't working as well as they should. Our vet diagnosed me as having "early chronic renal failure" and recommended that mom change my diet to a food that is lower in protein, sodium and phosphorous.

He suggested Science Diet K/D but mom doesn't like their food (primary ingredients are brewers rice and corn gluten meal). Plus she doesn't trust Science Diet anymore since one of their foods was included in the recall earlier this year. So she found another food (Healthwise Indoor Cat Chicken & Rice) that meets the vet's recommendations but has better ingredients (primary ingredients are chicken meal, ground brown rice and chicken). Plus it is made by the same company that makes my current food and she hopes I'll agree to eat it. (She'd better keep her fingers crossed though, 'cause I can be REALLY picky sometimes!)

Mom talked the foods over with the vet, and he thought that the food she recommended sounded all right. And in general I'm in great health (heart, fur, skin, hydration, etc.) so the vet seemed pretty OK with things. Our plan now is for mom to switch my food, then I have to go in for another checkup in 3 months. The vet is hoping that my blood and urine values will stabilize, which is the best he told mom to hope for (improved numbers would be nice, but are extremely unlikely). If my numbers stay the same then we'll just continue along with diet as my only restriction.

So while the news wasn't perfect this is the best not-perfect news we could hope for. I don't need medication, the vet doesn't need to do any more tests, and there's no invasive procedures necessary. Which is good 'cause I might object!!! And who knows... I might actually like the new food even better!

In the meantime mom is keeping an eagle-eye on me to watch for any changes in behavior, activity level, interest in food... heck, if I twitch my whiskers too often I think she might rush me in to the vet! He told her to keep an eye on me, but really... I don't think he meant it LITERALLY!!!! She worries so much, but I'm just a senior cat, chillin and relaxing... top of the household food chain... business as usual!

Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs,
- Seamus
>^..^