Our beautiful blind and deaf cat Angel has lost weight, and in recent days I haven't been able to get her interested in eating the canned food she'd normally devour. So I asked our specialist in Missoula, Dr. Dave Bostwick, to evaluate her today and see what he could find.
The ultrasound showed no anomalies or tumors in Angel's organs, and her complete blood count (CBC) test came back normal. The bad news: Her chemistry panel revealed elevated kidney values. Her BUN reading was nearly four times normal, and her Creatinine was almost three times normal.
Dave explained that if the kidneys aren't functioning correctly, the toxins they're supposed to remove instead build up in the body. The toxins lead to diminished appetite and thus weight loss.
I left Angel at the clinic today so they could run IV fluids to her over the weekend. The fluids will flush the toxins out and also help expand her kidney volume. Then we'll re-run the chem panel on Monday. If her BUN and Creatinine values come down, we'll pretty much know the answer ... that she does indeed have kidney disease. If Angel's kidney values remain high, then the chances are the problem is lurking somewhere in her gastrointestinal tract. If so, Dave will have to run other diagnostics to pinpoint the cause.
The photo of Angel above is from our archives. I don't have a photo of Angel at her exam today because I had to drop her at the clinic while I raced around town keeping other appointments and running errands. You can read Angel's story on our Web site here.
Hang in there Angel! I'm praying you get better.
Posted by: Mandy, Laramie, WY | February 20, 2006 at 10:32 AM
I remember Angel so well. You showed Cyndy and I how you blow gently to get her attention. When we cleaned the cat house during our work weekend she was a delight, as were all of the brood!!
My three cats and myself send our best wishes for a positive outcome.
Posted by: Joyce | February 18, 2006 at 02:02 PM
Angel is such a beautiful cat. I'll be hoping she doesn't have kidney disease.
Posted by: Roz | February 18, 2006 at 01:33 AM
We certainly hope Angel comes out of this alright. From reading her history, she is really a survivor.
Posted by: ginger & Tobias (the greythound) | February 17, 2006 at 11:33 PM