Previously, I wrote about Elbee’s Chronic Kidney Disease diagnosis. I don’t have much to say because she seems to feel okay! I mentioned in my first post that I’d update you on two things: diet & fluids. So, here goes!
Diet
I think I’ve changed food directions about three times since I wrote my first CKD post on 12/27/2024. First, I was ready to try a raw diet. I ordered all the food ingredients from an online meat company and the supplements from Amazon. I was ready to go! Then, I was on social media one day and saw an article shared by a doctor I follow. The article mentioned that several cats in Portland, Oregon, had died after eating raw cat food that tested positive for bird flu. As someone who tries to pay attention to how and when I receive information, I thought the timing of my happening upon this was quite significant. Especially since I rarely see posts from this doctor.
Initially, I planned to mix, divide, and freeze portions for my cats. I figured the freezing would kill anything hiding in the raw mix. However, this article also mentioned that freezing temperatures do not kill bird flu. With my vet expressing her concerns to me, plus this find, my gut told me that this isn’t the time to start feeding raw food.
I didn’t want to waste the ingredients, so I tried cooking them. Unfortunately, the cats didn’t love my experiment. They liked the fatty liquid but weren’t into the food bits. So, that’s out.
Next, and currently, I switched our canned food to the ones with the least amount of phosphorus based on the findings from this list. I and our cats love the Weruva brand, and they have several wet food options that are on the lower side of the phosphorus spectrum. So far, Steak Frites is a hit and I’m hoping it stays that way!
Fluids
Guess who didn’t try giving fluids?
I couldn’t do it.
Each time the idea of trying crossed my mind, a wave of anxiety washed over me, twisting my stomach into knots and sending tremors through my body. My memories of giving Franklin fluids are strong.
So….
Elbee and I have been making weekly trips to our vet. The phenomenal vet techs take Elbee to the back, drip 200 ml into her tiny body, and bring her back to me in less than 10 minutes. With our vet being about 10 minutes away, the whole process takes less than half an hour. Thankfully, Elbee is getting better about being placed into her travel bag. She was not happy at first, but now she understands better what is happening to her. And her energy levels seem higher, especially during the first few days after administering the fluids.
Next Steps
We have a few more weeks of fluids, and then we have our first re-check. If you’re a praying person, please add Elbee’s health to your list. Thank you!
