12-17-2017, 01:09 PM
(12-17-2017, 11:42 AM)jfkbengals Wrote: Yes. At age 17 my little buddy went for his annual checkup and the blood test revealed he was in the early stages of kidney failure. We were told about the issues with protein and regular foods, and he was put on a prescription diet that was specifically geared toward promoting and prolonging the healthy kidney function. We were told to not give him anything else. He really didn't like it, and so didn't eat as much. We ultimately went against the vets advice by giving him Fancy Feast wet food and the occasional treat of diced up meat from our own dinner to supplement the prescription kibble and encourage him to eat and make him happy. We confessed our actions to the vet, who blessed our actions from the standpoint that it was better for him to eat and be happy than not eat and emaciate and be unhappy. He still was able to live a healthy, happy life until he passed this spring, shortly after his 20th birthday. One of the issues from the kidney failure is he suffered substantial hearing loss as a result of it. He was used to being left outside all day while we were at work, but after he turned 18 it got to the point that he could only go outside if we were home to be able to keep an eye out for dangers he couldn't hear, then eventually only outside if we were outside with him. That, more than anything, was the hardest part as he LOVED being outdoors.
(12-17-2017, 11:51 AM)Westwood Bengal Wrote: Cat person here. As far as I understand, cats who diet consist mostly of dried (my two cats wont eat anything but!) food will occasionally get a build up of crystals in their bodies, which lead to painful urination, which leads to peeing outside the box. A simple solution is to buy a bag of kitten chow, which somehow helps flush the system and returns them to normal for a while.
Thanks for the info, guys. Much appreciated.
