Uric Acid

[asterroc]

Originally posted by zandperl at Uric Acid

Got some bloodwork done on Kappa last month. My vet isn't avian certified (the closest AAV certified avian vet to me is more than 2 hrs drive away), but I've had good luck with VCA Animal Hospitals in the past, my vet does do birds, and she's been consulting with other vets to make sure she learns more as needed. She told me after the bloodwork last month that she needed to consult with other vets on Kappa's uric acid test. We finally talked on the phone yesterday, and, well, let's start with this: partway through the conversation I felt the need to ask her right out "Should I be concerned or panicking?" and she replied "Concerned." I'm not convinced she's right.

Kappa's uric acid (which tests kidney function) is at 17 (I didn't catch the units, but for this test in humans the units are mg/dL). Normal healthy birds are supposed to be in the range of 2-10. Kidney disease is diagnosed if it's at a level of 20. The vet recommended two things: since Kappa's currently boarding with them for a week and a half anyway, they're going to give her sub-cutaneous fluids daily; and although I already give her Sunshine factor (palm fruit oil, for the Omega-3 fatty acids), she recommended I apply it to her veggie mix daily rather than when I make the mix. They're also going to take two more blood samples: a tiny one partway through her stay and do a test in-house on the hematocrit (I think it was), which tells about her red blood cell levels, which can tell if she's having problems rapidly; and another full blood panel at the end of her stay (which needs to be sent away) to see if the sub-cu fluids have made any significant change.

Basically, the vet was talking about extending Kappa's life, that in some cases something like this can be fatal quickly, or it could only shorten the bird's life by a year. I'm trying not to be devastated (my first cockatiel passed away from kidney failure). I'm definitely worried. Kappa's only 6 years old (if I'm counting right), and dusky conures have a normal life expectancy of 25-30 years. I got her after I lost two cockatiels in a relatively short time span, and I picked her species partly due to the longer life span than 'tiels.

*sigh* Anyone else have experience in this situation, where you have warning signs of a disease and have to manage it for the rest of the bird's life?

Comments

[rosefox]

Our cat Java has needed daily medication for nearly three years. He has pancreatitis, and steroids help to keep the inflammation down. He looks like a normal, healthy, happy cat, albeit an elderly one who's getting a bit arthritic. You'd never know to look at him that he had a life-threatening condition.

Practical considerations:

We have a calendar on the tin with the medication, and we make sure to check off each day so that he doesn't either get double-dosed or miss a dose. I also have a monthly reminder on my phone to refill the prescription.

We had to find a form of medication he could tolerate. He hates getting pills. If we'd had to pill him every night for years it would have been awful for him and for us. Fortunately he's fine with having medicated ointment rubbed into his ears; he doesn't love it, but he tolerates it with good grace, and it's quick and easy.

Whenever we travel we have to have someone stay over at our house who can medicate him and keep an eye on him, ideally someone who knows him and his mannerisms well and can tell when he's under the weather. It is possible that someday the steroids will stop working and he'll get sick again, and if that happens when we're away, we want somebody on hand who will take good care of him.

Emotional considerations:

The three of us handle this differently. Java is Josh's cat; the two of them are very closely bonded. Josh isn't in denial about Java's condition, but he doesn't let himself think about it much. Instead, he focuses on spending time with Java and doting on him (sneaking him bits of roast chicken, etc.). He also handles all the vet checkups and provides a good calm balance to anxiety-inclined me and X. He knows Java really well and is usually the first to spot signs of illness.

X tends to be very pragmatic and vigilant, keeping a close eye on Java to make sure he's not developing symptoms of illness and talking occasionally with me about how we'll all cope when he dies. We visited a friend who had kittens up for adoption and X subtly nudged us in the direction of adopting a large, rambunctious male kitten who was likely to grow up into a large, friendly male cat--on the theory that sometime in the next few years our household will really be missing having a large, friendly male cat around. I think X also keeps a bit of emotional distance from Java, in hopes of not being absolutely devastated by his eventual death. (X takes pet deaths very very hard.)

I'm somewhere in the middle; I fuss over Java and cuddle and indulge him, and then I have those practical conversations with X both to brace myself and to spare Josh from having to think about it. I also focus a lot on how glad I am to have had the past three years with Java. He could easily have died when the pancreatitis first manifested, and we're very fortunate that our vet knew how to diagnose and treat the problem. While I do a bit of planning and bracing for the future, mostly I try to make sure the kitty knows he's cherished and loved, and to savor every moment we have together.

I hope that's helpful. Best of luck to you and Kappa.

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

There were two times in Kappa's life where I had to give her oral antibiotics from a syringe injected into the back of her mouth for a couple weeks. The first time it was just based on routine tests that showed she had some gram negative (bad) bacteria, but the second time she was sick enough that she was actually showing symptoms. That time, after three days of giving her the antibiotics, she decided to take them willingly, so that I was able to actually just hold out the syringe in front of her mouth and she'd lick at it as I slowly squirted it out. I don't know whether she decided she liked the flavor, or if she was actually using her brain and either realized she couldn't prevent me from giving it to her so she might as well do it willingly, or if she realized that it was helping her to feel better. But I'm hopeful that if I have to give her any medicine that she'll be as good about it as that time. I just hope I don't have to inject sub-cu fluids myself, that'd be a pain to do daily.

Thanks for your thoughts, it helps to see how others deal with pet illness.