![Orchestra teacher Mieloch is seen directing the orchestra. Mieloch has been teaching for 14 years and is passionate about music.
“Ever since eighth grade I wanted to be a conductor,” Mieloch said. “When I got into high school, I had a couple of really great teachers that made me want to be a teacher and I felt like ‘let’s put them together,’ and I [became] an orchestra teacher.”](https://fzwnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/kUyj9QUMZeOPBGTDD833b9WDk7Yvt7yppa5Htzqv-800x1200.jpg)
The Food and Drug Administration approved Elanco’s Varenzin-CA1, a treatment that helps fight against chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats, in May 2023. While cats typically live for 12-18 years, with this new medication, they can start to live longer lives, according to fda.gov.
One of the main causes for cat deaths is CKD. This disease can be caused by any infection,
bacteria, inflammation, damage, cancers or built up protein in the kidney. CKD causes nonregenerative anemia, which happens because the kidney is not producing enough erythropoietin (EPO). Without EPO, cats bone marrow produces less red blood cells, limiting oxygen flow to the blood, according to fda.gov.
While there are some treatments for CKD, there is not an official cure. Varenzin-CA1 is the first medication to get approved that helps cats produce EPO, according to fda.gov.
After getting approved for Varenzin-CA1 by a veterinarian, using it is simple. Shake the bottle and use a syringe nozzle to extract some of the liquid, then place the syringe in the cat’s mouth for them to drink. The medication is used daily, and the amount needed depends on the cat’s weight, according to my.elanco.com.
The treatment’s side effects are vomiting, increase in systolic blood pressure and mild transient increase in serum potassium. It should also not be used on pregnant or breeding cats and should be used cautiously for cats with seizures, according to my.elanco.com.