Early Renal Damage

Meowllo evewypawdy, we hope you had a wunnewful Easter weekend. Mommy took most of da day off yesfurday to spend wiff Lexi and me. Weez even got a little supwise fur ya’ later on. Now ifin yous member weez joined up wiff da Bloggin’ A to Z challenge fur this mumff and we left off wiff da letter D fur me. So dat means today is E’s day. And we told ya’ we wuld be writin’ ‘bout da test dat da doctow used to diagnose sis Lexi’s kidney disease. Ifin yous missed ow udder posties on Kidney disease yous can wead them here at The 3 A’s and B is fur…. So wiffout further adieu let’s get this show, or post on da road as they say. 

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Heska E.R.D. – Health Screen Feline Urine Test is a tool that can be used to help diagnose Kidney disease in not only cats, but there are also tests for canines and humans. It is a rapid immunoassay that detects low levels of albumin in the urine. It is specific and easy to use, and only takes about 5 – 10 minutes and requires only a small amount of urine. It is intended to be done in house for quick results. It is said to be able to detect the lowest levels of microalbuminuria in the urine, thus resulting in diagnosing at approximately 25 % of kidney function loss. Early detection, means longer life possibility and more management opportunities.

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Kidney Disease is the number 2 cause of death in pet cats. And in the past it’s detection went undiagnosed until symptoms started appearing. A few of those symptoms are prolific drinking, and therefore an increase in urination, weight loss, reduction of appetite and bad breath. By the time symptoms appear typically kidney function has been decreased by 65 % in canines and 75 % in felines. At which point the assumption is the condition can’t be reversed, only managed as it progresses. So early detection could mean reversal and prolonged life for your cat or dog. 

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While the Heska E.R.D. is a wonderful tool used in the early detection of albumin in the urine, it is important to remember that there are other causes for those results and further testing should be done to confirm the proper diagnosis. Again you can read our previous posts by clicking the links above for more information on the importance of other testing and types. It is important to know that the method of urine collection can have an effect on the outcome of results. Urine can become contaminated very easily therefore the preferred method of collection is through Cystocentesis. This is where a doctor inserts a small needle through the skin and into the bladder to withdraw the sample. As horrible as it sounds there is little to no pain associated with this method and can be done quickly without anesthesia.

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So Lexi has now had a general urinalysis that led to the E.R.D. where she was diagnosed with Kidney disease. We believe the fact that she was 15 led our VET make that diagnosis without further testing. And altho’ he was correct, we do think it was a bit unprofessional because the presence of albumin in the urine can also be caused by inflammatory, infectious or metabolic diseases. Further testing is and was required to properly diagnose and formulate a plan of treatment.  So early detection of albumin in the urine is a great step in feline medicine and a great tool for early detection of a deadly disease. Just remember further testing is always a good idea. If there are underlying problems such as diabetes, IBD, dental disease, etc., the E.R.D. should be repeated 4 weeks after treatment to determine if albumin is still present.  

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Well we hope we shed a little mowe light on da scawy subject of Kidney disease. And now fur da supwise we purromissed. And we hope you enjoyed da fotos featurin’ sissy today. Ain’t she just bootyful? While playin’ yesfurday mommy wuz able to get a little video of sis Lexi havin’ a good time. She’s fixin’ to be 16 years old da 29ff of this mumff, and meez gotta tell ya’, meez sissy…she’s still got it. Fanks fur all yous luv and supppowt and purrayers. Kidney disease or no, meez sissy is da bestest!!!

Ifin you can’t see da video, purrlease click here.

Till da next time……………………………………..Be Blest!!!

 

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses 

 

Dezi and Lexi

 

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http://www.drugs.com/vet/heska-e-r-d-healthscreen-feline-urine-test.html

http://www.heska.com/Documents/RenalHealthScreen/erd_datacat.aspx

http://www.manhattancats.com/Articles/erd_heska.html

Cute And Cuddly C’s

Meowllo evewypawdy how ya’ duin’? We wuz finkin’ our last kupple posties have been purretty deep. So weez fawt we wuld take a little bweak today and tell ya’ ‘bout a new purroduct weez twied. As da west of meez posties this mumff it’s pawt of da Bloggin’ A to Z Chanllenge. And today da letter is C. Well obviously C stands fur Cat, wight?. And what C words kuld be used to descwibe a Cat? How ‘bout Cute and Cuddly. Yep those awe 2 words dat descwibe a kitty purrfectly. And ya’ know what? it’s also da name of da company dat makes da purroduct weez wanna talk ‘bout. Y’all member back this summer when me wuz piddlin’ on da floor stead of da pawdee box wight? Well ifin yous member mommy asked wound ‘bout what to use to get wid of da smell and make me go back to usin’ da pawdee box. She finally twied one of da better known purroducts on da mawket. But soon ow pawtment wuz wedun and da smell wuz gone. Fank catness cuz da stuff mommy had used didn’t work. And me had been weally good ‘bout usin’ da pawdee box since then. 

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So when we wuz asked to weview a purroduct fur cleanin’ up accidents or accidently on purrpusses, we almost sed no. But mommy fawt better and besides she had dat amonia smell in da caw fwum meez last Vet visit and sed okay. So Cute and Cuddly Pet Products sent us a bottle of their Bio-Enzymatic Odor and Stain Remover. And da day afur it awwived me had a accidentally on purrpuss piddle in da floor. Me kep meowin’ and tellin’ mommy da pawdee box had sumfin’ in it but she wuz eaitin’ sum taters and didn’t wanna get up and clean it. So me had to go in da floor. Okay so maybe me didn’t have too, but me didn’t wanna get in da dirty box. Never mind dat it was only at one end and in da corner. You hoomans wuldn’t wanna sit on da hooman pawdee box ifin sumfin’ wuz in there wight? And you don’t even hav to touch what’s in there. So why is it dat you fink we wanna step over and on da fings found in ow pawdee boxes? So me went in da floor.  

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Mommy wuz upset, but as always she didn’t get on to me. She might have sed a foo fings like, “it’s not like I eat that often Dezi, you kulda waited a few more minutes.” And, “Honey, the box is huge, and the other box was completely clean.” To which meez wesponse wuz, “ Mommy, me didn’t wanna use da udder box, me wanted to use this one.” And, Me knows yous not eat offen mommy dat’s why me dusn’t know why it wuz so purrtant yous finished afur cleanin’’ da pawdee box fur me.” Anyways, mommy cleaned da wet piddle off da floor and looked wound. Then she membered we had just got a purroduct fwum Cute and Cuddly Pet Supplies dat wuz posed to take cawe of just these kinds of fings. So she gwabbed da bottle, put on hers glasses and wead da instwuctions. Purretty stwaight furward, clean up da wet spot, pour sum water on it to dilute any wemainin’ tinkle and wipe dat up. Spway or pour a genewous amount of da biological solution on da awea and let sit fur 15 minutes. Now weez’ll tell ya there is a distinct smell to this solution but it dissipates quickly. It also appears a little oily, but there dusn’t appear to be any slippewy left behind. After 15 minutes, soak up as much solution as possible wiff a towel or wet vac. Then put a towel over da awea and apply weight (step on it). Leave da towel fur 3-4 hours or overnight. After wemoving the towel wepeat ifin necessary.  

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Now da ingwedient list is: Water, Bacteria/Enzymes, Nonionic Surfactant, Fragrance, Odor Neutralizer and Opacifier. There is da nowmal Cautions but it sez it’s safe to use wound kids and pets and be earth furiendly. The bottle we got is a genewous 32 ounce size wiff a spway nozzle included fur easy application. So what do we fink? Mommy sez it works! Da purroduct she twied this past summer dusn’t hold a candle to it. And we can welkum Summer’s hot temps beamin’ down on da caw, cuz da smell is gone. Mommy has a nose as good as ours and she sez da smell is gone. And she knows it cuz me and sissy don’t linger sniffin’ da awea of da offense. She takes dat to mean we don’t smell it eevew. Cuz afur we wuld boff keep on sniffin’ and sumtimes even flemmin’. Ya’ know da open mouff sniff. Mommy’s purretty happy dat we ‘cided to twy da Cute and Cuddly Bio-Enzymatic Odor and Stain Eliminator. She even used it on a foo aweas where we had chucked up hairballs. You know dat duz leave a smell. And those wuz old stains. It worked gweat on those as well. We and da company wecommend testin’ a small awea of yous cawpet furst to make sure yous not pullin’ out da color, but we used it on boff cawpet and da new hawd fake wood floors successfully. You wanna know where to buy this stuff don’t ya’? Well you can head on ovew to amazon.com and get you a bottle. #Cuteandcuddlypetsupplies made mommy’s day wiff their enzymatic cleaning solution.    

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Afur we go, we wanna wemind ya’ weez joinin’ up wiff Rascal and Rocco’s pet Pawade Blog Hop as usual and da Create wiff Joy Furiendship Furiday Blog Hop.

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Till da next time……………………………Be Blest!!!

 

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses  

Dezi and Lexi

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Disclaimer: We received a 32 ounce bottle of Cute and Cuddly Pet Supplies Bio-Enzymatic Odor and Stain Rmover for free. However we didn’t receive any green papers for our honest review. We only review products that we use and/or think you our friends and readers would be interested in.

To Garden Or Not To Garden

Meowllo evewypawdy. Hope yous all duin’ gweat. You know how meez always complainin’ dat mommy furgets to make sure we mention and link up to blog hops we purrticipate in? Well…her went nd talked me into joinin’ up wiff this bloggin’ A to Z next mumff. Fwum what we can make of it yous gotta post Monday fwu Caturday and each day is a new letter of da alphabet. Guess da one good fing is dat ifin weez not do evewyfin’ weez posed to they’ll take us off da list. Meez gotta tell ya’ we only follow a couple hunnewed blogs and we have twubble getting’ to all of you evewyday. Weez not know how they’re gunna get wound to da ovew 1000 bloggies dat be signed up. Whew, meez just glad it’s not us.

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Check out meez iPad foto mommy took. She sez it turned out to be a better quality than she spected. Course she hasn’t slept in ovew 24 hours so ifin it’s blurry furgiv her cuz she fawt it wuz gweat. MOL

 

 

 

Meez not fink mommy wuld get any sleep next mumff ifin it wuz. Me knows we fur sure wuldn’t get any stwoller time. And well…dat just can’t happen. It’s posed to be nice and sunny so me plans on makin’ mommy take Lexi and me boff fur a foo stwolls. Speakin’ of da good wedder yous all know we got a new neighbor this past summer duwin’ da whole flood fiasco. Well she wuz outside today diggin’ up da gwound to plant. Well let me tell ya’ a little stowry. It stawted a long time ago when mommy and sis Lexi furst moved down to this pawt of Oklahoma. Mommy wuz much yunger then and kuld do lots mowe than hers can now a days. And she ‘cided to gwo a gawden. Da wedder stawted getting’ nice and all da stowes wuz carryin’ all their plants and seedlings and evewypawdy wuz buyin’ and plantin’. So mommy got out hers seeds and went to diggin’ and plantin’. She planted corn and beans and watermelon, and taters, and tomatoes, and lots of herbs and flowers. She watered and tended hers little seeds evewyday. 

And afur she knew it they wuz spwoutin’ up outta da gwound. Just when they got big nuff to be called “tender plants”, ‘bout da end of Apwil, da bootyful sunny warm wedder changed. And overnight there came a fureeze and killed off all da little plants mommy had planted along wiff all da ones evewypawdy else planted. Da next week when it warmed up again mommy saw all those same peeps weplantin’ all da plants they just lost. Da nex year mommy watched all those peeps buyin’ seedlin’’gs again and plantin’ ‘em up in Apwil just liked da year afur, and just like da year afur there came a cold snap what killed all those plants again. Evewy year this happens and evewy year all da locals plant and then have to weplant. Mommy sez evewy year she wishes dat ifin they just wanna fwo away munny they wuld fwo it ow way. MOL So da new neighbor, hoo by da way has lived here most of hers life, and is no spwing chick be out there diggin’ and plantin’ yesfurday. So mommy offewed up a little advice ‘bout maybe waitin’ till May to plant. And she sed she knew ‘bout da fureeze, she lost evewyfin’ but pears evewy year. Well then all we can say is quit complainin’ ‘bout not havin’ any munny.

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Check me owt. I’z dubble da trubble. MOL Mommy wuz iPad playin’ and fawt I’z looked grayt dubbled. Aldoe she did say I’z herz one and owenlee Lexi lub.

 

 

 

Lexi Update: Our wegular VET called and it wusn’t a purrleasant call but hims purrscwibed da Clavimox fur Lexi wiff a wecheck uwinalysis in a kupple weeks once she’s finshed wiff da antibiotics. Da udder VET finally called too. They sed they didn’t wanna tweat hers infection at this time and wuld just do a wepeat uwinalysis in a kuplle weeks along wiff new blood tests. No, weez nevew goin’ back there. And now dat weez fwu, mommy’s gunna be weportin’ them.

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So weez not gunna be plantin’ up anyfin’ anytime soon. Not dat mommy had planned on plantin’ up a gawden this year anyways. We hav way too much wildlife to enjoy da spoils of all da work. But hey, dat leaves lots mowe time fur stwolls unnew da sun.  

Till da next time…………………………………Be Blest!!!

 

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses                 

Dezi and Lexi

 

cat-animated

Is Lexi Still A Service Cat?

Meowllo evewypawdy. Anudder mumff is almost ovew. Can you believe how fast this year is flyin’ by? Or is it just us? Cuz we fink it’s goin’ by way too fast. Sis Lexi’s gunna be havin’ a Meowday next mumff. And of course we celebwate da whole mumff long. Hers gunna be 16 this year. Mommy kuldn’t be happier. And speakin’ of sissy we got a foo emails and comments by peeps wantin’ to see sissy’s test wesults ifin we didn’t mind. And of course weez not mind. Weez didn’t include them in ow posty cuz mommy wuz so angwy dat she furgot dat sum of ya’ wuld actually know what you be lookin’ at, and weez didn’t know how to shawe a PDF. But da suppowt gwoup likes to use Dwopbox, so weez’ll shawe it dat way. Da only fing weez ask is dat yous let us know yous lookin’ at ‘em and afterwards purrlease give us yous 10 cents. So ifin yous wanna see Lexi’s test wesults, then click here.  

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Amongst da emails weez weceived ‘bout sis Lexi’s kidney disease, weez also been asked ifin she has quit “workin’” fur mommy as a Service cat or ifin mommy wuz gunna get anudder service cat. Afur me splains let me furst say…NO!!! No she hasn’t stopped bein’ a service cat and No, mommy seez no weason’ to get anudder Servie cat at this time. And accowdin’ to mommy she dusn’t evew wanna be in da pawsition to have to get anudder Service cat. So, dat oughtta tell ya’ where we awe in acceptin’ sissy’s kidney disease. Weez still purrayin’ and believin’ dat we can weverse it. Cuz, sissy dusn’t miss a beat. She actually seems to be givin’ mommy mowe head massages lately.

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Altho’ what we do fur mommy is technically work, we enjoy it and weally like duin’ it fur mommy. It weally makes her happy and we like makin’ mommy happy. Once mommy got steps fur sissy to help hers get on and off da bed, Lexi’s been luvvin’ dat pawt of ow job dat happens when mommy lays down. Now dat sissy can get down hers selff to get a dwink or go pawdee and get back on da bed by hers selff she luvs it and wewards mommy wiff a head massage evewytime she gets down and gets back up. Mowe than once mommy’s been woke up by sissy’s wumblin’ purr and massagin’ hers head. And of course mommy’s never gunna complain ‘bout dat. You know she has migwaines dat awe always just unnew da surface. So da mowe massages she gets, da mowe they stay unnew da surface.

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And Lexi still likes to awgue wiff me over hoo gets to dwive da chair in da meownin’s. She’s nevew awgued wiff me ovew hoo gets to answer da fone cuz me luvved it so much. Altho’ me has finally learned da sumtimes yous just let da fone wing. Me dusn’t know zactly why yous wanna let it wing wiffout answerin’ it, but evwy once in a while dat’s what mommy duz. Anyways, weez not gunna keep ya’ today we just wanted to answer a foo questions weez been getting. Mommy always sez ifin one or two peeps awe finkin; it then it’s mowe likely than not dat there awe udders finkin’ it too. As you know weez be oppen books and welkum yous questions anytime.  But fur now weez’ll say hav a pawsum Monday.

And till da next time…………………………………Be Blest!!!

 

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses  

Dezi and Lexi

 

cat-animated