CRF with anemia - end of life

[francoise_peace]

I'm thinking about colostrum for anemia ?

My cat will have senior food for anemia mixed with renal food. In her case science hills science plan mature 7+ turkey with science hills k/d wet. But I think science hills is too strong for her, she is more than 19yo (found in september 1991 as baby-born in my garden).

[francoise_peace]

Is the article serious ?
http://ezinearticles.com/?Colostrum-For-Anemia&id=3960016

Colostrum For Anemia
By Dr. Anthony Kleinsmith

Anemia is a medical condition that occurs when the blood becomes deficient in healthy red blood cells. Since red blood cells are the main means to transport oxygen to the muscles and organs, colostrum becomes a major contributor to having healthy red blood cells.

There are many types of anemia, all being very different in their causes and medical treatments. Some forms are very treatable with diet changes and nutritional supplements while others may represent lifelong health problems.

Deficiencies in vitamin B-12 and folate can lead to anemia since the body requires these vitamins to produce red blood cells. Colostrum has not only folate and B-12, but all of the B vitamin family providing the necessary building blocks to enhance the production of the carriers; red blood cells.

Autoimmune anemia occurs when the immune system inappropriately perceives the red blood cells to be foreign and attacks them. This type of anemia is frequently found in individuals with broad ranging autoimmune diseases, like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). With the introduction of Proline Rich Polypeptides a balancing takes place within the immune response, which allows for a positive impact on the system with the introduction of true colostrum.

The most common symptoms found in association with many types of anemia are:

• Easy fatigue and loss of energy
• Rapid heartbeat, particularly with exercise
• Shortness of breath and headache, particularly with exercise
• Difficulty concentrating
• Dizziness
• Pale skin
• Leg cramps
• Insomnia

Colostrum is an amazing resource of substances necessary to facilitate the development and repair of cells and tissues, stimulate and support the immune system and assure the effective and efficient metabolism of nutrients. There are very small quantities of growth hormone in complete first milking colostrum, but growth hormone is an extremely potent hormone and, thus, not much is required. It directly affects almost every cell in the body and significantly influences the development of new cells, causing them to generate at a more rapid rate when a sufficient quantity of the hormone is present. Scientific studies have shown that one of the benefits of ingesting even small amounts of growth hormone is repair of damaged cells and limitation of the deterioration of cells associated with the aging process.

The multitude of available IGF-1 binding proteins and related proteins available in the cell is indicative of the many potential effects that the binding of IGF-1 to its specific cell-surface receptor can have on cells. To keep these many effects under control, some of the binding proteins act as checks and balances, allowing the secondary chemical switches in a cell to be turned on and then turning them off when it is appropriate. Therefore, IGF-1 is like the captain of a ship. When it binds to its specific receptor, the ship can move forward, but there are all kinds of systems in place to keep it moving at the right speed and in the right direction.

It is highly desirable to have an appropriate level of IGF-1 in the circulation through dietary supplementation to limit the ever increasing rate of cell death.

High quality first milking colostrum also contains lactoferrin, an iron-transport protein. When lactoferrin is present in the gastrointestinal tract, it captures iron from digested nutrients and facilitates its transport into the body. Having sufficient lactoferrin available is a valuable aid to those afflicted with iron deficiency anemia. In addition, high quality colostrum contains carrier proteins for the B-complex vitamins that substantially enhance their uptake into the bloodstream.

From the above, we can conclude that making sure that there are sufficient quantities of growth hormone, IGF-1, lactoferrin and the carrier proteins in the bloodstream, as would occur by dietary supplementation with a high quality first milking colostrum, like that distributed by Immune-Tree, means maintaining control over cell repair and replacement; carbohydrate and protein metabolism and absorption of iron and the B-complex vitamins. The end result is a means to help your body regenerate the cells and provide the substances that it needs to conquer anemia and overcome the associated fatigue.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Anthony_Kleinsmith

[francoise_peace]

I just bought Colostrum from Healthy Pets (Sedona Labs) at http://www.vitaminlife.com/ - total with shipment (France): 33euros (41$), hope it will come before Christmas.

Then I'll show it to vet before giving.

I can't buy her anything new right now. But as vet told, I'm giving her senior + k/d food mixed in syringe.

For CRF she is still having: Renalzin (phosphate binder) and Mercola probiotics (lowers UREA) and 1/2 Fortekor that is going to be replaced with 1/2 Nelio (Bénazépril, lowers CRF progression by dilation of the blood vessels, gives hypotension).

And I'm feeding her as much as I can, more than 2*20ml a day, I'm trying 4*20ml a day, with a 1hour pause between 2*20ml meal. And she always has a 4-10ml water after each meal.

If anything new, I'll tell you.

[francoise_peace]

Yes, I'm changing for 3 days shipment, they accepted, I'll pay extra but I looked in french and in english at the words: colostrum+anemia in Google page 10 (not page 1), and didn't see no side effects apart inner mother-son species, nothing contagious for outer species, I just hope the cow was not anemic also, because low iron milk is transmitted to its babies.
I'm happy they accepted !!!

I'm also glad I have already bought all of my christmas presents, because since I still am not looking for a job (no worries I never received no money from gov, I'm clean), because I take care of the cat, I'm passing december and january in the zero layer.

Nothing can replace the maternal love I have for my 19yo cat, in my heart there is only her, maternal love is a feeling more profound than boyfriend, school friends, true friendship and family bounds. We forget all other feelings, when one feeling as deep as this one is sick, and we only think about her well-being. What can I do to improve her life, for her to be less sick, for her to feel alright ?

God, I will move mountains for her, and for no one else.

[zodiacqueen]

Hi, I'm just wondering if you've been doing intravenous(IV) fluids at home to help flush the kidneys.  If you're not, ask your vet to show you how.  This will make your cat more comfortable and will extend her quality of life.

Also, there's a great link that I think will be helpful to you.  There's some info about a drug that can help with your cat's anemia, which is caused by kidney failure.  You can also do a google search for kidney failure and anemia to learn how these conditions are linked.

I really hope that you find this link useful and I hope it helps.

http://www.felinecrf.com/meds0.htm

Hugs
ZQ

[francoise_peace]

I can't, vet don't propose that. I live in France.

Although my vet is marvelous, the health system in France is based in economy even for humans. My vet clinic is one of the most moderns (yes, most of other clinics only use intuition and send blood tests through post office, but mine have health measuring machines), but they can't propose sophisticated very hard treatment neither alternative medicine. In France Alternative medicine is still more expensive than drugs (for humans), and they have ZERO alternative medicine for pets. Prices of human probiotics are abnormal. So although I buy the best from USA and UK and pay very high shipment, prices are still lower than what you can find in France even for humans, and quality is much more better. Sorry.

" intravenous(IV) fluids " and drugs (although you didn't spoke of it) are vet stuff. I can't do vet stuff at home. And I don't try tuff drugs. Renalzin for humans (lanthanum carbonate) is about 200$. So I am happy to have it for about 10-20$. And it's slowly arriving in vets at France. But you must do a lot of internet research.

colostrum is much more safer than EPO because no rejection because cells aren't differentiated yet. And in France they don't have medicine for most of pets disease.

There is also the Fortekor problem, all vet clinics are going to replace it for Nelio because it is cheaper here. I think commercials exclusive for vet steal a lot of money from vets, because they sell them things at prices over higher than what I can buy online without being a vet. There must be a lot of corruption in vet sellers system.

And it's the corruption that makes the health system in France very bad quality in what concerns choosing the option: to get better.

And the corruption is laws, laws here are against medicine progress, they must change. I don't say prescription medicine musn't be prescription. I said prices are corrupted. Only commercial thieves selling to doctors, humans or pets. And protected by law. You can't choose an alternative treatment in France.

Yes it is good to be refund when you go to doctor. But why does health system is below zero layer (like me) ? Because it's not what you spend the problem. The problem is the price they put on medicine. Here are the thieves: the medicines commercials in France. I understand why USA is afraid of having our system. What they must be afraid of is not of helping the poors, but of buying medicine from the rich marchands.

The medicines commercials have atrophiated the health system in France, so there is no progress, no new things, no dreams, no hope. And they are protected by law.

[zodiacqueen]

That really is a shame that there are such low quality vets in France.  It's a shame that your vet won't show you how to do the IV fluids at home, too.  They really do that here, and from what I hear, it's easy to do.  My friend extended her cat's life by about 3 yrs by doing this treatment at home.

Can't you beg your vet to show you how to do this or call around to other vet's offices?  This is really life saving for your cat, and this is what they do in the US.  I can't stress to you enough how important this treatment is for your baby.  Beg, plead, do whatever you have to do to get this treatment for your kitty.

By the way, my mom had one of our cats on EPO to raise the red blood cell count, and it worked fine....no rejection or anything like that.

Hugs
ZQ

PS-I have too many strong feelings about our crap health care system.  There's positives and negatives to the health care reform.  I, for one, can't afford insurance at all.  So, anything would help me now.  Pretty sad, huh?

[francoise_peace]

Thank you for EPO and sub-Q fluids advice. I hope these technology will enter in France.

Now-days my cat is like that:

- cries when I get out of home, and even goes until the door
- when she is de-constipated (by vet), she dreams a lot when she sleeps on me
- when she is de-constipated (by the vet), she feels like walking on my bed although she doesn't have much strength

- always **** on my bed, do not use the litter anymore
- since the food injection she cries in front of the water bowl (she can't drink by herself because not enough energy) to ask for food and water in syringe
- she asks for food during night now, but it's difficult for me, past 2days, I gave 2h30 and 4h30

- all laxatives have no effect with her anymore be paraffin oil or microlax lavement ?!
- I don't know what to do anymore to make her feel like do pooh (constipation) ?

---
PS: About french health system (this is an approximation without real values)
When you are a student you pay (obligatory): free insurance (200euros) + non-free insurance (500euros) a year.
When you are nothing, but if you are french, and without justification: you have free insurance, and don't need to pay the non-free.
When you work: your work pays for you both.
free insurance is called: sécurité sociale and it pays about 75% of your bill on generalist doctor, 15% of specialist doctor or hospitalization, 100% on generic medicine maid of chemicals, 0% of pill, vitamins, probiotics, already prepared homeopathy (but the 2euros little bottles of homeopathy little spheres are repaid).
non-free insurance is called: mutuelle, when it says 100% it means 100%-75%=15% of the extra price. It works well on dentists and hospitalization, but the 100% of ophthalmologists and glasses is fake, it only gives you about 20euros on the price you have paid, let's say you spend 300euros on low-quality glasses (each round glass is about 100euros without the glass itself), you'll only be repaid 20euros.
But non-free insurances of people that have a job are better when the job offers it to you, it can even repay the 300euros of the glasses.
Students aren't really re-paid glasses and pill, but people that have a job can be.
It's the same thing for transport: bus, metro. If you are student or nothing: full price, if you work for free (stage): full price and extras, but if you have a job, they offer you transport price + food !!!
French health system is very expensive for students since they pay the free+non-free (about 700euros a year), free for people who aren't doing nothing of their lives (like being a mother at home, do studies outside Licence-Master-Doctorat like me who is doing latin (DU) and geology (CE or ENG), watch TV all day..., and very good for working people, their work pay them the free+non-free, and they choose better non-free then us.
Our student non-free is like that: if we pay or if we don't pay, we receive awful letters saying we'll go to prison if we don't pay, almost every week, until all people that we don't know pay it, it's automatic destructive spamming in letter box to show that students are **** in the world of non-free insurances. Since non-free insurance is obligatory for a student. And even after not being a student anymore, we receive phone calls to make sure we aren't a student anymore, and we aren't lying for not paying, in that case we will go to prison. So when you are a student, you have to have humor :P about non-free insurance, nicely respond all of your spam to say: it's already paid with proof, and nicely respond your phone: you are no more a student.
So I think our health system is good for people who aren't working and for people who work, but not for national recognized students.

What I wanted to say, is once the lab is commited with the government's free insurance, having a better medicine then the generic one is: forbidden to be sold to you by the government's free insurance, orders go to the pharmacy, that even if you want to pay extra they say:
- "" here, I have the medicine you want, but I won't sell it to you, even if you pay yourself, even without being repaid by insurance, you have to buy this one instead, because it's recommended by government... ""
-> This forbidden thing can only be bypassed if you are allergic to the generic medicine or if you are very sincere, I suppose they do statistics on witch pharmacy sells most the generic medicines. And it's valid on non-prescription medicine. So prescription medicine and non-prescription medicine are changed by pharmacies, for reasons we can't understand. And behind, the one that was elected generic, has the market all by itself.
But I'm not a specialist, just a simple person, it's a testimonial on what I see.

[francoise_peace]

I don't just want to give her colostrum (milk), that didn't arrive yet: grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I want also to try homeopathy for anemia:
(you must have the same website in English)
http://www.homeoanimo.com/details_produits.php?pid=14164&title=An%E9mie

Homéopathie pour Anémie
Anémie Diminution de la concentration de globules rouges, d’hémoglobine dans le sang, qui provoque entre autres de la fatigue, de l’essoufflement, des vertiges, des troubles digestifs et l’accélération du pouls.

Format de 30 ml en vaporisateur.

Ingrédients : Composition: Ferrum met 30k, China, Kali Carb., Natrum mur, Calcarea Phos.

Price: 25.95 $
   € 20,19 approx.

Problem: there is phosphorus, but is it bad ?

[francoise_peace]

Google translation:
Treat your pet with our homeopathic products for animals
Homeopathy for Anemia
Anemia Decreased concentration of red blood cells, hemoglobin in the blood, causing among other fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, digestive disorders and rapid pulse.

Size 30 ml spray.

Ingredients: Ingredients: Ferrum is 30k, China, Kali Carb. Natrum wall Calcarea Phos.

So ?

[zodiacqueen]

Hi, I just got back from work!  

You should really ask your vet about them showing you how to do the fluids at home.  It's not really an IV(intravenous), this is fluid under the skin-the neck area I think.  Once she's got some fluids in her, the constipation will be better.  With kidney failure, cats get very dehydrated, including the colon, which dries out the stool causing constipation.  

Please, ask the vet about doing fluid injections at home.  It's very important, and from what I hear, it's easy to do.

Will you call your vet and ask about this?

[opus88]

ZQ is right. fluids are given subcutaneously(sub-q) under the skin, a Vet can insert a temporary shunt for you. ♥

[opus88]

WRONG again..................darnit...I gave incorrect advice, should have looked it up b4 I posted...I guess for CRF it IS..via IV..sorry I really thought it could be done under the skin too.

http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/subques.html

[zodiacqueen]

That was an interesting article Opus!!  Now Francoise Peace will actually see how easy it is to give fluids to her cat.

There really is no reason why her vet can't show her this simple technique that will extend her cat's life.  

[francoise_peace]

The only answer I can give to you is: I wish I lived in USA for the pet health system.

Your pet health system is the best :)

Even if your human health system is the worst !!!

Here vets are like doctors and like parents: if the idea is not theirs, then we are wrong. And alternative medicine, and "english" medicine, is not their attributes. Here alternative medicine is better seen then "english" one, because alternative medicine is more of a personal choice.

I try to open the mind of my vet, by replacing fluids with probiotics formula. And it worked.

I wish I knew the oral replacement of Erythropoietin !!!

I can't change the world. Internet take out some barriers, but it doesn't brings the technique into the countries. Unfortunately technique is related to the way of life, to old customs. And if you can't sell a new custom in a non expensive bottle made in US or CA that anyone can buy online, you can't import it. Even if they were teached once the english technique, just for culture, not for everyday use.

I'm desperately looking for the bottle made in US or CA or UK that can cure anemia !!!

When you invent something that works, if you want the copyrights to be copied legally or illegally, you have to think of a shape and use that don't change culture. Why french people don't produce their own sub q fluids?

[francoise_peace]

I sent an e-mail to HomeoAnimo in french asking something for Anemia and Muscular weakness.

My cat eats, but she doesn't transform food in blood nor in muscle !!! And she is eating all she can now.

[francoise_peace]

I wrote to Boiron Labs (France) to ask them if there is a way they can propose me homeopathy for anemia since they have  9 homeopathic medicine for animals available.
HomeoAnimo is from Canada.

Hope someone will answer !!! I'd like so much to have an homeopathic remedy just made for her anemia !!!

[opus88]

Francoise.....I'm having a bad brainless day and I'm sorry to keep correcting myself. ZodiacQueen was absolutely right in her post to you. the sub-que fluids for a CRF cat for dehydration the needle is PUT UNDER THE SKIN and NOT into the vein.
I didn't properly read the website I sent you...sniksnak.com. has excellent advice and guidance....right there under #14 it says to insert the needle under the skin. I'm so glad you've found a Vet that will work with you......
I wish I knew more about homeopathic remedies for anemia. but I don't. Do you read any of the sites that deal with homeo? Will they ship to France IF there even is anything to help?
you put alot of time and effort into research and I'm sure if theres something out there you will be the one to find it.....good luck to you and good health to kitty...♥

[zodiacqueen]

Francoise,

You've got to try your hardest to MAKE the vet see how important it is to teach you how to give the fluids under the skin.  I can tell that your cat is at a very advanced stage of kidney failure and she really needs this therapy.  Please don't think that I'm being overly pushy with you, I just know how wonderful this treatment will be for her and I can see how clearly you love your baby.

Why not print out this link that Opus gave you and translate it to French(unfortunately I can't) and bring it to the vet and tell the vet that our vets in the US and Canada are teaching owners how to do this.  And, you know what, if you ask nicely and aren't too pushy, the vet just might show you the way.  Your cat needs this, honey.

I have to be honest with you by saying that some forms of anemia can't be reversed with supplements alone and anemia caused by kidney failure is one that can only be reversed with the EPO.  The kidneys produce a protein that helps the blood to produce red blood cells, and with kidney failure this is impaired and causes anemia.  I honestly don't believe that a homeopathic med will help with this....only EPO will.  EPO helps the bone marrow produce new colonies of red blood cells, that's what your cat needs.  No homeopathic supplement is able to do this.

I will try to find a link about this a little later.  I gotta do some house cleaning!!!  FUN!  

[zodiacqueen]

Francoise,  here's the link about anemia due to kidney failure and the need to use the EPO therapy.

http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/cardiovascular/c_ct_anemia_chronic_kidney_disease

[francoise_peace]

HomeoAnimo said that Anemia was for my cat. Boiron gave me the address of a homeopathic vet. I like my vet a lot, I'll have to speak to family first. I don't intend to change vet, I just want a medicine.

I'll look forward for translating the FLUIDS site in French and showing it to the vet. If you see vet forums in France, no one speaks of fluids neither. Really weird.

Yes EPO will be a 2nd problem. Online prices without shipping in USA is 350$. I can't afford it.

She did pooh yesterday. And I sincerily thanks the vet spirit and if so, his collegues, that pushed my cat's pooh little by little during the night without a laxative since laxatives have no more effect. Thank you.

(I didn't want to speak about it online but he/she/it played with TV sound during Geology class while professor was out, students laughed a lot...)

I don't know how much time she will live. Hope she'll be able to try the colostrum that was just sent.

[francoise_peace]

Tomorrow I'll see the homeopatic vet just for prescription. Price is OK. I already have her blood values. And it's not very far from home. It's the last day before his christmas vacations. He sounded nice, said he'll get her an homeopatic prescription and vitamins on phone. I didn't explain condition. But relation in phone was: Be sure I'll give you something for your cat.

Now she's miawling for food :)

[zodiacqueen]

Please, let me know what your vet says once you get the pages translated to French.

Good luck w/ the homeopathic vet!

[francoise_peace]

I liked a lot the homeopatic vet !!! He said he belongs to the French Society of Homeopatic Vets, but I couldn't find it on the net. It was Boiron Labs (France) that suggested him to me according to nearby locality.

For Anemia, he said there are 2 kinds of Anemia, Kidney Anemia is usually treated with EPO but he doesn't know EPO. I looked at pharmacy who told me ASNEP 10 is one of the low cost: 21euros. But I can't buy without prescription. I'll try to talk with my usual vet since it's IV, but I have to hope that familly pays the vet to do this.

And internal blood-loss anemia might be treated with homeopathy. That's the one he made the prescription for. He also told me of the names of homeopatic vets he admires and who are better then him, but I didn't wrote them. And he also told that he was happy to help once even if I have the other vet. He took the problem very serious and talked a lot. Exchange was for once positive.

It's a personnalised prescription, so if you try another homeopath, he might get you a very different formula:

Zincum metallicum 9 ch : 1 morning and evening
Plumbum metallicum 9ch : idem
Pvb Tonique et Reconstituant: 10 drops morning and evening in food (it's Boiron's tonic)
Vitamin B12: 0,5ml once a day inside throat
Timoferol: 1 capsule a day in food during a month

And for constipation he said for her to try:
Lactulose 0,5ml morning and evening in the throat (but this isn't homeo, it's just because the others aren't working)
Stay with: microlax bébé (you don't have this anus lavement for babies in US neither in UK) and put it every 2 days.

He also gave a cortizon pomade in case anus gets red while forcing.

And she is a lot constipated, so I hope she does it.

And about FLUIDS, he neither uses fluids. As I said it isn't an habit in France, and he thinks only vets can do it, and since it must be done every week, it's too expensive. But I told him in USA and UK pet owners do this at home.

Price was very correct, no extras. But I won't tell it online.

[opus88]

hi, thats good you got a Vet that will listen and talk to you about all your concerns. I just don't understand why the Vets in France don't do IV's??? that is pretty standard here.

I just wanted to mention the lactulose, I use that for my Nemo. at 2.5mls but with this it is very important that you also give mixed wtih water....I mix the 2 together in a dropper.(baby dropper). 5 mls sounds like a lot to give all at one time, I would do 2.5 x 2. and with each 2.5ml add 4-5mls of water!!!!

I've also had to add 10mls of VitC, this is good for constipation and made the lactulose work much better, I got this idea from a homeopathic site and its safe........the only thing I don't know is if it is safe for a cat with crf???? sorry.

the microlax you spoke of I imagine that is a enema? be very careful administering this so as not to puncture his bowel. and try with just a small amount not the full tube the first time until you can judge the amount he needs and avoid an explosion..

good luck♥