Dziabąg health issues
In September, as every year we tested all our cats for FIV and FeLV. Along with that we also ran blood test for Elmirka, Helen, Dziabąg and Whisper to control their health condition. With all the girls all the parameters were fine but with Dziabąg I was a bit concerned about levels of potassium and creatinine (renal parameter). These turned out to be a bit higher than last year but still within the normal rates. Dziabąg didn’t show any disturbing symptoms with eating, drinking, playing or using the litterbox. But still we decided to do some additional lab test to check that out and ran a special profile including a parameter called SDMA for early diagnose of renal failure. In healthy cats this should be not higher than 14. With Dziabąg it turned out to be exactly 14. Control ultrasound showed a slight disproportion with renal size but urine test came back ok. While I already had Dziabąg in the clinic where I work, we also checked his blood pressure, as renal issues may cause problems with that (and as a further result also cardiological abnormalities). BP also was normal but in upper normal rate.
We decided to start with modifying diet as for cats with renal issues and to limit potassium level in food and check how this influences further control tests. Last Friday Dziabąg had blood and urine sample collected and send it to the lab. Part of the results came back the very same day. All the parameters that seemed high last time (ex. Potassium, creatinine, SDMA) came back lower this time and urine came back without any abnormalities. But there was still question about disproportion of the kidneys and fear of cardiological complications. That’s why we went to Warsaw today for a specialistic consult.
First we visited doctor Agnieszka Neska – Suszyńska in SpecVet Clinic, where Dziabąg had his blood pressure checked (result similar to the one we got before) and had ultrasound done. Doctor found few points of fibrosis in the kidneys that were causing abnormal structure/size we noticed before. Probably these are result of some old inflammation process. We suspect that severe calici&herpes infection that Dziabąg had when he was found on a dumpster in Ukraine may be a cause for that. Calicivirus can appear in few forms – among others as a lameness on different limbs. This is caused by special complexes called antibody-antigen, that can accumulate in joints. The same complexes can also accumulate in kidneys and cause inflammation and other disorders. Because Dziabąg was still very little and in intensively growing stage, probably that was the reason for his upper urinary tract problems.
Doctor also found few little spots of mineralisation in the kidneys that may in future be a start for kidney stones so we will have to control that as well. For new we decided with doctor Neska – Suszyńska that we will keep the diet with little modifications and few exceptions from time ti time 😉 and do regular check up on urinary tract.
After that visit in SpecVet clinic we went to check on Dziabąg’s heart. This time we went to Cardiology clinic to doctor Marta Parzeniecka – Jaworska. Doctor examined our cat and didn’t find any abnormalities with his circulatory system. So the last thing we had to do was an electrocardiograph exam. After checking his heart up and down, side to side, almost all the parameters were correct. There was a this slight thickening in the septum but it’s size was still within higher lever of normal. Doctor ordered to do another check up in 8 months.
As we left for Warsaw Dziabąg was a bit restless – especially as we got on the highway he was a bit scared of the wind humming. But when he got settled on my lap he sleep all the way to Warsaw. Both during his visit at doctor Agnieszka Neska-Suszyńska and doctor Marta Parzeniecka – Jaworska Dziabąg was very polite and allowed to be examined without any complains. Even when he had to wash himself from the leftovers of ultrasound gel it didn’t spoil his mood. All the way back home again he slept on my lap because staying in his carrier in the back didn’t seem fine to him.
We were going home much more calm, because we made sure that for today Dziabąg’s health condition isn’t as bad as we could have expected. We were already aware that probably we will have to do control test not only from the blood but also urine and heart. But now at least we know what we are dealing with, what complications we can expect and what to pay special attention two while routine examination of Dziabąg. With proper care he has still a chance for further happy life, with expectancy as long as of the healthy cats without any renal issues.
