Kidney Disease in Cats with Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM
Originally published - February 12, 2012Recently, I had the pleasure of talking about Kidney Disease in Cats with Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM. Below is the transcript of our conversation with a few edits to add more information.A sincere thanks to Dr. Jean for taking the time to talk about kidney disease in cats with me. Dr. Jean has a page on her site, Little Big Cat, dedicated to this subject as well - Kidney Disease.You can learn more about cat health by reading Dr. Jean's book, The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care: An Illustrated Handbook.You can learn more from Jean’s website as well, Little Big Cat.We’ve now done several interviews with Dr. Jean, feel free to check any of them out:- Cat Allergies with Dr. Jean
- Food Allergies in Cats with Dr. Jean Hofve
- Litterbox Questions with Dr. Jean
- Obesity in Cats with Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM
- Kidney Disease in Cats with Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM
- Cat Conjunctivitis and Cat Herpes with Dr. Jean Hofve
- Cat Constipation – Causes, Symptoms & Treatment of Constipation with Dr. Jean Hofve
Dolly
I'm also concerned about vaccines with rag dolls. I have 2 females aged 3 1/2 and almost 1 year. My older ragdoll had all her kitten shots, plus her rabies. She hadreactionsto all the shots. I had vet give our new kitten her kitten shots, but not the rabies shot. I now will be getting a card in the mail soon and probably should go in for checkups, but know the vet won't like my decision to forgo all the shots as well as the rabies. Should my older cat have blood work down when she is4 years old and should my kitten who will turn 2 next June avoid any further distemper vaccines? I'm confused as to what ageist is still safe to stop distemper shots.
RagdollCatMom
Hi Dolly,
I posted earlier on this thread, but here's my vaccine protocol. As kittens, they receive two sets of shots and a third when they are one year old. I never give rabies shots, even though it's law in my state. The last vaccine should be good for 3 years, so at age 4 I have the vet titer their blood to find out what their immunity level is. My two older boys were titered at 4 - one needed a booster, one did not. The one who didn't was titered again the next year, and still didn't need a vaccine. Those were the last shots they ever got, and they are almost 9. The baby is about to turn 4, and I'll have him titered as well.
If your vet doesn't respect your opinion, find a new vet! Mine is awesome, she understands and agrees with my choices.
DezizWorld
Just so yous weaders know, Azodyl and Renavast awe boff made by da same company here: http://www.vetoquinolusa.com/ And da site is 100% safe. And these purroducts can be purrchased fwum amazon.com among many udders. Sis Lexi wuz wecently diagnosed wiff early stage Renal disease and is on da Azodyl. We hav been considewin' da Renavast, but haven't yet twied it. This wuz a very innewestin' posty. Fanks fur da info. Unfurtunately we liv in a state dat wequires da Rabies vaccine, but dat's da only one we do. Wish we kuld get away wiff not, but alas, unless we move, dat's not likely to happen.
Luv ya'
Dezi and Lexi
Teresa Reid
Hi and thanks for this article. Gracie had a bad reaction (fever and lethargy) for a week after her 2 year old annual shots. This year, I told them we would pass and I really don't want to get them for any of my cats ever again. The problem comes when I have to go on vacation and leave them at a place I trust that by law requires they have their rabies injection. Don't know what I'm going to do about that but may just see if we can get a titer done and leave it at that. With all the info about those injections causing cancer, really don't want them to have that. Will not put Gracie through another sick time after she had the other feline distemper vaccines. She was so sick and I felt so bad that I caused that. Her vet gives them all a baby aspirin that covers pain for 3 days, but she was still so sick I vowed never to do that again.
Jenny
sorry to hear that you and Gracie went through that!
Patti Johnson
Thank you, Jenny, for posting this very important discussion again with the updates. It's really a great educational post about this deadly, horrible condition.
Big hugs!
Patti & Miss Pink Sugarbelle 🙂 <3
Jenny
=)
plmcat
this is a great article jenny, thanks for posting it. i'm glad she talked about the money aspect of vets. i had an all cat vet clinic tell me that my cats did NOT need shots every year. it's just like the medical community over prescribing drugs and trying to guilt parents into having their kids filled up with vaccines and the we wonder why all of a sudden we have this epidemic almost of kids with autism. and it all has to do with money.. not about what is best or needed. glad to see there are some great sources out there that tell the real truth.
Jenny
=)
Holly
We just lost our beautiful Honeybear, a seal mitted male, on September 27, to kidney failure. He would have been 16 on December 1. So glad I read this article. Needless to say, distemper vax are finished in our house!
Nicole
Thank you for posting this!
My kitty is trying to recover from her 2nd "crash" in 3 years. She is not eating and judging by her reaction to food after she eats is because her belly is not digesting it well. My vet told me to give her Pepcid AC but that doesn't seem to be working.
I just happened to be at my local health food store when I saw they carried Natren Probiotics for cats (in a syringe) AND NutraSea for cats (omega 3)!!
I'm a little concerned about giving her both at the same time though. She's not on any meds so maybe I'll just start with the probiotics and go from there. If anyone has tried this please let me know.
Jean Hofve
I'm not familiar with these products...in general I can't comment on specific products, other than those I have thoroughly researched and endorse on my website. Certainly I cannot comment on treatments (including supplements) for a specific cat--that would be illegal under most state laws.
However, I do have several articles on Omega-3s that explain their importance, as well as the difference among Omega-3 sources. A good place to start is: http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/omega-3s-are-essential-for-your-cat/
jane
RenAvast is back up and running. I got an email from them this morning and I guess their hosting company (dreamhost) was hit worldwide.
Jane
Oh no.....just sent renavast an email. Why do people infect web sites like that? So crazy.
Tamra
Thank you so much for the information! My cat Charlie was just diagnosed with CRF a few weeks ago, and it just about broke my heart. I was feeling like there wasn't really a whole lot I could do to help him, but the article and comments have a ton of great ideas to hopefully get him as healthy as he can be. I'm definitely going to have to do some research on vaccines and such so I can hopefully prevent my other cat, Leena, from having these kinds of health issues.
Jenny
Tamra - I am so glad this helped you right at the right time. Let us know how Charlie does! Jenny
Ashley H.
Jerry K. Both of my boys had reactions to thier last kitten booster. It was the third one which was given with the rabies vaccine. They both were lethargic, not eating, and had temperatures. Both were given a shot of pred and didn't really act normal for 2 whole days after the vaccines. Part of me wonders if it was the combo of both vaccines, if it was the rabies, or if it was the panluk/corona/(and the other in this combo). Can you give me more information about the titer testing. I'm definiately asking my vet for this as apposed to the vaccines. I live in TN where the rabies is mandatory too. Do you know if there is a titer for this? Thanks!
Jerri K
Check out this article by another well known vet!
http://www.catinfo.org/?link=vaccines
I will never get my boys rabies shots. Not sure what they will do to me - throw me in jail - for not complying?
jane
RenAvast is a new product for cats with CRF. Has a two year study backing its effectiveness and is 100% safe. Check it out at http://www.renavast.com. My vet is thrilled with my cats' progress on it (and so am I!). I will never take my cats off of it.
The facebook group is http://www.facebook.com/groups/2262234194/
LOVE the people on this group...so positive and supportive. Plus, there are several vets on there who respond quickly.
Betty
! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !
I just tried to go to the renavast link posted above and google warned me that malware WILL infect my computer if I continue. Google noted that it could be a recent infection to the site. Anyone interested should visit the FB site.
jane
Great article! Loved that she mentioned the problem with starting the kidney diet too soon. I have three cats with CRF (one also has hyperthyroidism). I have been able to maintain them with eliminating all dry food (only high quality canned and raw), RenAvast twice a day, only filtered water and lots of love of course! I have them rechecked every 3 months since they are older. Two of my cat's creatinine went down on RenAvast and the other is maintaining. I have not started any fluids yet as I have been able to keep their numbers low enough and they are staying hydrated. This article is so important because too many people think CRF is a death sentence when it does to have to be. There is a great facebook group called canine/felinie chronic renal failure. The people in that group are very knowledgeable and super sweet!
Jenny
What is RenAvast? Thanks for the information on the Facebook group - can you include the link to that group, so I can include it on this post?
Mika
Thanks so much for this important article. Though just reading about anything that could potential harm my kitties frightens me, I know that it is much worse to be uninformed and not know what to look for in any event. I have been pondering the decision to an all wet diet and I have long had my worries about vaccine damage, esp after Mr. Darcy and Trilly both had vaccine reactions. I am so happy I read this, and it influenced what I will stand my ground on refusing when it's time for 'annuals'.
Jenny
What sort of reactions did they have? And what were the vaccines?
Mika
it was when they each had their last distemper and rabies. They were swollen with like lump in that area days after the vacc. when it happened to Darcy, his got bigger and they gave him a steroid shot to take it down and had me apply an ice pack to the area 2x a day til it was gone. Later I learned things about the steroid shots that I wasn't informed of at the vets at the time. Trilly didn't get the steroid shot. I'm not sure which vacc caused it since they got the rabies on the last distemper. In the city that I live in, you must have a license for dogs or cats, so rabies vacc is state mandatory also. i have to get the rabies shot by law but I guarantee after reading this article, when it's time for 'annuals', no one will be shooting my babies up with anything harmful and unnecessary. I will space it out like the article mentions. I think being over vaccinated in a short time span is a big problem in humans and pets.
Jerri K
I've always refused to give my cats rabies shots. It recently became state law here too, and I still won't do it. I knew the connection between kidney disease and vaccines with my old kitty who had CFR the last six years of her life.
I think kitten shots are important. My boys get titered to test the level of immunity in their blood and we go from there. Stormy at age 4 needed a booster - and he will probably not ever need another one. Dusty was also tested at age 4 and again at age 5 and he doesn't need a booster yet. He likey has lifetime immunity at this point, because by age 7 they no longer need any vaccines.
Betty
Thank you Jenny & Dr. Jean. Though I am not looking at kidney disease, this info is useful for all my guys. And it makes me feel better about several of my decisions - like about vaccines and about the use of prescription (junk) foods.
BTW, Jenny, Andy seems to be doing well on his new, only wet food diet - I sprinkle a crumbled freeze dried chicken treat onto his wet food, add extra water and he dives in! I have added the probiotic to all their foods too. I am still looking for a solution for his chronic (from kittenhood) constipation. HIs middle barrel that I thought was structural is gone with the dry food! He is soft to the touch now and much less stand-offish. I think maybe he was uncomfortable. Thank you for all your help, sharing, and support. I really appreciate everything you are doing and my cats have a better quality of life.
Jenny
I am glad to hear everything is going well with Andy. I hope the longer exposure to probiotics will help with his constipation and also the continued wet food only diet.
Joanne Bernasconi
Thank you so much I really enjoyed learning more about this subject, having kept cats all my life I have lost one very special boy from kidney failure,I also lost my little man Gearah from hypo thyroid. I would be interested to learn more with this subject too.These two things seem to be the most prevelant in cats. Thanks once again Joanne
Jenny
Joanne, are there more specific questions you have that I can cover with Dr. Jean?