What ive found out with my 14 yr. Old pug for her dad and Chihuahua for her mom Dog... Is that Her Panting Is like A Body Distress of the lack of hydration. It seems. Bc were freezing out trying to accommodate our dog. Belived friend and family member. When this is Noticed I Offer Water right away and it seems to help her COOL herself better. Also Diet IS A BIG DEAL SO IS WATER REVERSE OSMOSIS , SPRING WATER, DISTILLED ONLY NO TAP. DONT COOK THERE FOOD IN TAP EITHER!! AND THE FOOD- WE HAVE FOUND BOILED CHICKEN BONELESS AND SKINLESS ADD PEAS CARROTS, CALIFLOUR, BROCCOLI, OATS, cranberry s, WHITE RICE... MORE THAN RETURNS # S TO NORMAL WHEN STAYING ON IT OVER LONGER PERIODS OF TIME. SCIENCE DIET RENAL FAILURE DIET HOWEVER THAT DRY FOOD SWITCH IS BASED FEOM A Lack of knowledge about the disease.!! Not A Great idea to Starv a Old dog. Bc then her ability to heal herself and her immune responses Lack Heavily. Which is what is going to happen feeding science DIET RENAL failure only. So I offer it as a side. We have made it nearly 1.5 yr. Since being diagnosed... And our numbers are getting better each time. So far. Hope this helps

Thank you SO much for your advice, kind words, and listening to me. I really appreciate it. We found out that she LOVES the Hills Prescription GD canned food; she has eaten over half a can in the last 24 hours, plus whatever she has eaten of the dry Hills (free-fed to all our cats) and thinks a small bowl with bottled water served on the couch is a treat. I can actually feel a layer of meat on her spine and hip bones that has been developing from a few days ago, so yay! I will continue on this path since she is happy with her food situation. That was my biggest concern, she has always been picky but she seems to love this new diet. The reason I even mentioned "full bred" was because I didn't know if this breed was more prone to kidney problems. Her brother (same father, different mother) is healthy as a horse, and our third Ragdoll from a different breeder is healthy and large too. Lily has always been small, always between 8 lbs 4 ozs and 8.7; her brother is about 15 lbs. Runsnwalken, my husband is terribly allergic to cats, and we went in search of a cat he wasn't affected by, this is why we went the purebred path. I would have every cat from a shelter if I could, it isn't possible, so this way I have a great husband and great kitties. I did a whole lot of homework on purebreds before Lily and Frank came along, so your comment was unnecessary. I was asking about renal failure, not the cons of purebred cats. Thank you all again who gave me helpful advice. That is why I love this board, you are here with answers when my vet isn't. -Michelle

I didn't realize that there was any such thing as a benign melanoma, but I sure hope your girl's turns out to be benign. Three weeks seems like a tremendously long time to wait for a pathology report, though. I'm also confused about the anesthesia. Why would they say anesthesia for no more than an hour when the procedure itself is no more than 15 mins? Why would they keep her anesthetized for potentially an extra 45 mins? These are questions I’d be asking. Vets use Metacam because, as far as I know, it is the only anti-inflammatory labeled for any sort of use in cats (bupe, Tramadol, and fentanyl are exclusively painkillers), though that labeled use does not include the type of surgery your girl will be having. Still, I don’t permit its use in my cats. There are far too many reports of serious illness and death associated or suspected with Metacam. The manufacturer of Metacam also has kidney-related warnings in its package insert relative to its use in cats. If the manufacturer is putting these issues in the package insert, I’m certainly not going to dismiss it. Here’s a link to the package insert. I recommend you read it in its entirety: http://www.bi-vetmedica.com/content/dam/internet/ah/vetmedica/com_EN/product_files/metacam/Metacam%20cat%20Injectable%20PI.pdf As far as buprenorphine is concerned, it’s important to note that ALL drugs come with risks. This is especially true with cats who are, as a species, drug-sensitive. It’s just another situation where you have to weigh risks and benefits, and do your due diligence in researching reports of adverse drug events. Metacam has developed a problematic reputation among many owners whose cats have suffered adverse effects from its use. As far as I know, buprenorphine does not have nearly as many reported adverse events associated with its use in cats. Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook, the drug reference used by most practicing veterinarians, offers these precautions relative to bupe’s use, “All opiates should be used with caution in patients with hypothyroidism, severe renal insufficiency, adrenocortical insufficiency (Addison’s), and in geriatric or severely debilitated patients. … Rarely, patients may develop respiratory depression from buprenorphine; it, therefore, should be used cautiously in patients with compromised cardiopulmonary function. …” My animals have been my primary teachers over the decades … but the Internet comes in mighty handy, too. Laurie

My DH and I recently left our internist of a dozen years. He failed to offer me the Prevnar13. He failed to admit me to hospital after I was in his office two days in a row, coughing my lungs out. He had prescribed three different cough syrups over a seven-day period, none of which helped. Eighteen hours after seeing him I was admitted via the ER, dangerously weak and with a minimal oxygen count. I was in hospital four days with pneumonia. My DH and I have always figured this guy was no whiz kid and merely 'OK', but waited too long to move on. We'd been 'assigned' him after getting a good review on the whole practice of which he was a new member. I've been the 'good patient' too many times in my life and have been seriously harmed for it. Now I work to inform myself before blindly following orders. I'm a good patient when I have a good MD -- and I have had two very good ones in 70+ years. I'm hoping my new internist will be as good as friends have said she is. (On my first visit she administered the pneumonia vaccine.)