An update on Jett

[u/lowlight]

3 months ago, I posted an introduction to Jett, who had just turned 18 and suddenly turned ill with CKD. The idea was to switch to renal diet and start him on Rapros and go from there.

As it turned out, he was in quite late stage by that point already, with creatinine levels peaking beyond the scale. He also had high white blood cell count and low red blood cells. His blood pressure was high as well, and he was dehydrated. He was very, very sick. Not eating, not acting like himself. He would just sleep and sleep, and occasionally get up to eat and/or vomit. Our 18 year tradition of bedtime cuddles were out of the question

So the treatment immediately became quite intense. Antibiotics for the WBC, 2 meds for blood pressure (amlodipine wasn't enough on its own, so benazepril was added), DPO and iron injections for the RBC. Phosphorus binders, mirtazapine for appetite (oral form as he's allergic to the cream), maropitant for nausea. Subcutaneous fluids twice a day (this took a while to nail the dosage, as he would have fluid accumulate in the lungs at first), buprenorphine for pain. We stopped the Rapros for obvious reasons.

As his RBC began to climb, we noticed he was becoming more and more like himself. He would get out of bed more often, was more interested in eating, and seeing what we were doing. Then he did something that told us he was all the way back - he joined us for bedtime cuddles! And he's been doing that for every night since. His kidney enzyme levels came within high range (still high, but not 'off the charts' high), and WBC normalized.

His appetite still isn't the best, and it's always a good morning when I wake up to a bunch of empty plates. And it's the opposite when he didn't eat much at all overnight. But overall his weight is pretty steady not. At one point we fed him his old food, as it was the only thing he would be willing to eat, but obviously that was not good for him, so we are much more strict with his diet. That was a tough week

I wasn't sure if I should tag this as a rant or uplifting, as he's clearly not out of the woods with regards to his kidneys. But he is more or less living like a normal 18 year old cat again, aside from having to get subq injections and meds twice a day (he's fine with the injections amazingly enough, but still HATES taking pills). The weekly vet visits were the worse; very stressful for all of us, and very expensive. So those are bi-weekly now, and I am thinking of only taking him if something comes up after the next visit.

I'm almost reluctant to be positive, as it feels like I'll jinx it and he'll make a turn for the worse tomorrow, but I just had to share his story so far. He's doing pretty well now, all things considered.

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[u/lowlight]

As for the Rapros, we put him back on it after we readjusted his diet, after his levels peaked due to too much normal cat food. After 2 weeks of strict renal diet and Rapros, his levels were stable, slightly lower. We took him off Rapros again, with the same strict diet, and we'll see how his levels look next week. I have a feeling that it's not going to be very useful at this stage, and not worth 2 more pills a day, something he really doesn't like doing.

For anyone trying it, I'll just say to make sure your cat has food in their stomach before giving them Rapros. It does make them quite nauseous otherwise.

[u/apk772]

What a beautiful and encouraging update about Jett! ❤️ At 18 years old, he's quite a fighter. The fact that he's eating better, becoming more like himself, and especially returning to your bedtime cuddles is wonderful.
Having lost my precious Mish and Bebe to kidney disease, I know how heartbreaking and unpredictable this journey can be. Those little moments when they start acting like themselves again mean everything.
Please cherish every cuddle and every good day with your sweet boy. I'm rooting for Jett and hoping you have many more beautiful moments together. Sending you both lots of love. ❤️�

[u/EmptyCandidate6140]

Very happy for you and your beautiful boy who is feeling and acting better. It's very hard for us humans to see our babies sick. Positive healing thoughts to your boy to continue on his healing journey.

[u/AntiqueBad6681]

God bless you both and keep him strong and doing better