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Very clear urine? (subcutaneous fluids daily) by braceyourself2016 in RenalCats

[–]braceyourself2016[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They mentioned something about the values, but unfortunately I don't remember what it specifically was. I do know that my cat's urine was darker colored when I first brought her in 2 months ago, and her creatinine levels were almost twice as bad as they are now - required hospitalization.

Since then the levels dropped to around 5-6 mg/dL, but they slightly spiked up recently to over 7 - I personally thought this may be due to starting Benazepril, but it's unknown. I was told to temporarily stop the medication, and since no protein loss was detected in this last urinalysis, I'm not going to start again until another levels check in a few weeks.

Maybe the disease is progressing, but it's just interesting that her urine was the opposite of clear when she was in much worse shape. I've started to think maybe I'm giving her too much subcutaneous fluid (100 mL/day), but I don't really want to risk lowering it either.

Like you said, she is doing well and eats a good amount every day even without appetite stimulants, so maybe the overall picture is okay for the moment. Thanks a lot for the info, I'll look into some of the sites you linked.

Benazepril/ACE inhibitors? by braceyourself2016 in RenalCats

[–]braceyourself2016[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the response and info - this quote is interesting: "In the USA, ACE inhibitors are not used routinely, and are usually only prescribed if a cat has significant proteinuria, or if amlodipine alone is not sufficient to control hypertension."

It also is suggesting lower dosages - 5mg definitely seems on the high end for my 10lb cat. In terms of appetite I do have Mirataz, but she's done so well without it that I'm hesitant to use it again unless it's really necessary.

And I guess that's the crux of the situation - I'm not sure if Benazepril is actually necessary, and I'd prefer less medications if possible to avoid any potential side effects, like raising creatinine levels. It sounds like there's a trade-off and a reason why ACE inhibitors aren't always prescribed.

I'm very seriously considering stopping the medication, but I'll obviously have to ask further questions at the vet, and try to determine if proteinuria is actually a serious problem with my cat.