Help for Feline Anemia and Chronic Renal Insufficiency

by Audrey
(London UK)

It would appear that Yogi my cat of 10 1/2 years a Burmese has kidneys that have been described by the vet as a "bit small" with no signs of damage (the result of the most recent ultrasound scan).

He does not believe that the underlying cause is cancer although this was strongly considered at the outset of the problem. However his urine is dilute and he is a little anemic. He is not dehydrated at all. He has control over urination. All other blood levels are completely normal.

A little history: 8 weeks ago he suffered a severe sceptic infection in the kidneys and as a result of refusing food he developed jaundice. He became very quickly seriously dehydrated and had no control over urination. He spent seven days at the veterinary clinic receiving intravenous antibiotics and fluids, plus injections of B12.

He has recovered very well from what looked like a close brush with death. The most recent ultrasound shows his liver is completely healthy now. All blood results for the liver are normal.

His diet is largely renal diet(Royal Canin/kd(Hills) diet with a number of vitamins and eggshell powder(a phosphate binder) added. He is largely syringe fed.

Do you know of any herb or natural substance to aid/support the kidneys in the production of the hormone erythropoietin. Or a herb or natural substance that would aid in the stimulation of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells.

Many thanks for your time.

Audrey

Vet Suggestion regarding Advice for Feline Anemia and Chronic Renal Insufficiency Patient

Hi Audrey,

I do not know of an herb that could safely stimulate the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells, but I am not an expert in herbal medicine. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if a practitioner trained in complementary medicine could help you however, so it might be worth making an appointment with just such a veterinarian.

Has your current veterinarian talked to you about the possibility of using recombinant human erythropoitin (Epogen/EPO) for your cat? It is not cheap and unfortunately tends to become less effective the longer it is used, but in the short term, at least, it can significantly increase red blood cell production.

Best of luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM