Kitty update

[feuervogel]

Back around Christmas, Claire was diagnosed with chronic renal failure, after we got her hyperthyroidism under control and around the time we got her teeth cleaned. When she was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, her serum creatinine (SCr) was 2.4, then at her cleaning it was 3.3. On Friday, it was 2.4 again. Stable is good. They also said her thyroid values looked good, so that's good, too.

We've been feeding her Weruva Asian Fusion and Mediterranean Harvest (I think, purple and light green labels). They have the lowest protein and phosphate of the brands. The chicken ones have less than the fish, but Claire won't eat them. So she gets the fish, which is still only 12% protein (vs 8-10 for the chicken). There's one seafood with 10% (outback grill), and I don't know if she's tried that one.

I'm concerned that the vets will push the nasty, byproduct-laden Prescription Diet kidney diet to get the protein as low as possible. One of the vets has generally been cool with our preferred food choices; the other I don't interact with as much, but I also don't like him very much. Beside that, there's evidence that high-quality, better-digestible protein is better than getting the protein as low as possible.

Weruva's big schtick is that they use human-grade ingredients for their pet food. (Honestly, that we feed our pets byproducts and waste is pretty disgusting.) The first time Ben opened a can of one of their tuna flavors, I was half tempted to take a forkful. It smelled that good.

Señora Crankypants and her diabeetus are doing well. She's getting 3 units of Lantus twice a day.

Comments

[anacoluthon.livejournal.com]

Not only do they use human-grade ingredients, but they make the food in a plant that has a pet food side and a human food side. When the inspectors for the people food come to the plant, they can go anywhere they like; as a result, the Weruva side is making food that meets all requirements for human food quality. I think that's pretty great, and that's always what I tell folks if they're worried about eating food made in Thailand. Plus they taste-test their food on adopted feral cats that all live in a converted building by the plant! So cute.

[feuervogel]

That's awesome and adorable.

Claire prefers to eat around the peas, but she'll eat them eventually. Not sure if she's saving them for last or hoping they'll disappear if she ignores them ;)

[botia.livejournal.com]

Outback Grill is pretty popular here. When you open up a can, there are very recognizable hunks of fish that the cats go OMG NOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM over.