I might not have been clear. Stanley did have the high/outside normal range BUN values starting two years ago, we were just able to control them for a couple years until they spiked even higher the last three months. My vet started KD when he first went out of normal range and was around 36 or 37 on BUN. He maintained between 37 and 40 on KD up until the end and then spiked, but might have done OK longer with sub-q fluids if the kidney disease caused anemia hadn't of been out of control, untreatable. It sounds like your cat is just outside of normal range, which is when we first started watching it for Stanley. That is when my vet called it "early" CRF when he was at 36 or 37 BUN. He did increase in values slowly thru two years (much slower with the help of KD) and then his BUN and anemia both spiked at the end.

I think your vet is hesitant on KD for the reason you may have mentioned earlier -- it will affect his IBD.

If I were you, and this is my thoughts only, not professional and you should always go with what your vet says as they know the cat's complete history, but from what you say, he is at the point where I started Stanley on KD. I would ask if I could mix some in with his food very slowly to see how it affects his IBD. It sounds like if there are problems, you can stop the food and go back to the original regimine. But, only your vet knows the whole history and interactions of KD and IBD. It is certainly worth asking...

Ref the age 11 -- that is about the time many cats start showing early CRF on bloodwork from what I've read. I've heard 11 is the magic age for Senior problems to start showing themselves. Stanley started showing Senior signs and problems at age 12 thru the end at 16. But, many can be treated for a long time. He maintained a great quality of life for 4 years on meds and diet change for different problems. CRF isn't an instant death sentence, which I thought it was when he first was diagnosed with early CRF. When Stanley was diagnosed with the BUN levels you show for your cat, at that time, they said 2-4 years. He might have gone longer than the 2 he did if we could have controlled the anemia. Most cats respond better to the anemia med than he did (not all, but most). He started sub-q, which is the next stage after symptoms really show, and many cats can go another year or so on sub-q if everything else cooperates. It is the ripple effects of the CRF you have to control as well as the failing kidneys.

I wish you well. Work with your vet closely. It sounds like he is entering into early CRF. You are where I was two years ago with Stanley, except he had constipation instead of IBD along side of the early CRF.
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Tammy and Pookey
(Stanley 8/91 - 8/07)

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