EasilyBemused's comments

Survivors of Melamine Poisoning - Blog Entry

26 Jul 2009 01:49 AM

I know I'm kind of late, but I feel the need to comment on this one. I think this article is a tad fatalistic. Acute renal failure, while it may carry a very guarded prognosis, is not a death sentence.

In some cases, acute renal failure (including that caused by melamine toxicity) may be reversible with prompt and aggressive treatment. In cases of chronic renal failure (which can be caused by ARF, as in the case of the cat from the boarding facility), it is true that maintenance is the only option, and lost kidney function cannot be recovered. However, ARF is another story. The damage is not necessarily permanent, and it may be possible to restore normal kidney function.

One of my boys was treated for ARF after ingesting three pouches of tainted food I'd purchased as a "treat" two days before the recall. Although the situation initially looked grim, four-year-old Tyson eventually made a full recovery. He is no longer receiving fluids, and is indistinguishable from any other healthy six-year-old cat... with the exception of slightly mismatched pupils thanks to an infection he contracted while feral. The only difference between him and my other two is that we do periodic bloodwork to make sure his renal values are staying in the normal range. (He was left with a very slight elevation in BUN, otherwise, everything's normal.)

It's true that there is no way of really determining how much permanent damage was done. Because renal values generally aren't elevated unless a significant amount of kidney function is lost (cats have quite a bit of "accessory" kidney function), there is always the possibility that Tyson may experience further renal issues as he ages and his kidneys begin to decompensate. But, for now, we've been incredibly fortunate. It's been nearly two and a half years since his St. Patrick's Day diagnosis, and he is very much alive and well.

Just my two cents. :)