GardenFoundation
LLC
Feline Chronic Renal
Failure (CRF)
Judy J. Crawford
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GardenFoundation
LLC |
In the Fall of 1998 Jolie had her regular annual exam. All was well, she was as healthy as could be. She had been totally healthy her entire life, never even getting a cold. There was no hint of the disease that would soon make itself known.
In February 1999 Jolie began to get finicky with her food, often just walking away as soon as I'd serve her dinner. The fact that she was being finicky was nothing new. Jolie had always gone through fussy stages with food, both canned & dry. It was kind of a little inside joke she & I had, and it never lasted for very long. However, this time, she kept it up. Day after day, she'd turn her nose up at whatever we offered. Sure, she would eventually eat something, enough to keep her going. To tell the truth, I started to get pretty frustrated with Jolie, often scolding her when she'd beg for food but immediately walk away from it. I had absolutely NO idea that her kidneys were failing and causing this change in her eating habits. I figured that as long as she was still eating something, then this extreme pickiness was just some kind of battle of wills she was trying to win so I'd feed her more treats or junk food. I assumed that at some point she'd give up & go back to her normal eating habits, just as she always had. And since Jolie was still just as loving & playful as ever, I didn't really think anything was wrong.
Also during this time Jolie began to vomit clear foam or clear liquid. Jolie was never a puker, only the occasional hairball. And at first I didn't really pay attention to this new kind of vomit, because it was easily cleaned up, and I had NO idea what it represented. Ignorance truly is bliss. However, the frequency of the clear vomit began to pick up, and my subconscious started to whisper that maybe something was wrong. But, I simply couldn't bring myself to even consider the possibility that my beloved kitty was sick. The mere thought that she might one day get sick & die was terrifying and frightening. Yes, intellectually I knew that the day would eventually arrive, but I chose to keep myself in denial. And since Jolie was still just as loving & playful as ever, I didn't really think anything was wrong.
In March 1999 I began to notice that Jolie was looking like she'd lost some weight in her hindquarters. However, I attributed it to her age (she was 14), and stupidly didn't make the connection to her self-imposed starvation diet. And since Jolie was still just as loving & playful as ever, I didn't really think anything was wrong.
One day in early April 1999 I happened to be having a discussion about cats with a co-worker. We were laughing about how cats can be notoriously finicky, and I started to describe Jolie's latest and long-lasting food aversion kick. My co-worker immediately grew very serious, and described to me how her Mom's cat had done the same thing, and the result was a dead cat from kidney failure. I had never heard of kidney failure in cats. I mean, why would a normal person even think of this? When my co-worker asked me if Jolie has lost weight, and I said yes, she scared me even more when she informed me that any time a cat loses enough weight that you can SEE it, the cat is seriously sick. When I got home that night from work, I immediately called my vet and made an emergency appointment for the next day.
Dr. Leddy was shocked at Jolie’s appearance. I could see she was visibly shaken to discover that Jolie had gone from a little over 10 pounds to a little over 8 pounds in just a few months! She immediately ordered x-rays, urinalysis, and blood work. The diagnosis was early stage CRF. My worst fear was confirmed - my Little Buddy was terminally ill, and I was going to lose her. Yes, I began to lose control of my emotions right there at the vet's office. I will never forget the date of April 10th, 1999, as long as I live.
So, Jolie was in early-stage CRF (BUN 49, creatinine 3), and I was experiencing panic, shock and deep grief at knowing my little friend had something wrong with her. I instantly fully understood the meaning of "crying your eyes out," and "having your heart ripped out." I never held back any love from Jolie, and never made any emotional distinction that she was an animal and I’m a human. It was inconceivable to me that my Jolie Kitty, The One who had been by my side for 14 years, seeing me through boyfriends, break-ups, earthquakes, financial destitution, night-school, career changes, umpteen moves, and the eventual marriage to my wonderful husband, was going to die sooner rather than later. It seemed so cruel and unfair that an innocent animal would be afflicted with a disease it had no ability to comprehend.
I feel truly blessed that Dr. Leddy was our vet! Unlike some of the barbaric cretins I’ve read about that some people have as a vet (and my heart breaks that anyone is subjected to such cruelty), Dr. Leddy is compassionate, gentle, intelligent, and up-to-date on the latest research for CRF. In fact, she had just come back from attending a conference on that very subject only a few weeks before Jolie was diagnosed. In the weeks following Jolie’s diagnosis, Dr. Leddy allowed me to call her at home on her days off to discuss the bloodwork results. She also gave me free food to see if Jolie would eat it, and she called me at home from time to time just to see how Jolie was doing. She made special arragements with a naturopathic vet so Jolie & I could get an appointment with him sooner than the 2-month waiting list he had going. She never once suggested that we euthanize Jolie. She welcomed all our questions, and was pleased we chose to participate in Jolie’s treatment. In fact, I think she was encouraged that we were participating, and not being passive.
How Jolie & I found each other
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If you live in the Portland, Oregon, area, and are looking for a vet, please consider mine. She is knowledgable, compassionate, and very gentle with your pets. She takes the time to make sure that pet owners are fully aware of their pet's state of health, as well as all treatment options available (when necessary). Please call the Valley Vet Hospital at 503-649-6900, and ask for an appointment with Dr. Jennifer Leddy.
