One of my cats has just been diagnosed with renal failure...any advice

[joeybee12]

would be greatly apprecaited.

She's at home doing ok--this is only a week-old diagnosis. I give her 100 ml of IV fluids every day, which seems to help. She was on IV for two days to flush out her kidneys and that really helped also. Right now she is almost back to normal, so as long as she tolerates the IV and is happy and comfortable, I'll keep on the regimen.

Anyone else gone through this? She's only 12-1/2, so it's not old age, but the disease will only get worse, so I'm wondering how long she might make. Doctor said could be a month, could be a year, depending on how she responds. Right now, I'm encouraged by the response.

Thanks.

[XemaSab]

1. This is the sad voice of experience

but when the cat really starts to go downhill, take her to the vet to be put down sooner rather than later. :(

[joeybee12]

2. Yeah, I'm dreading that...

...she has bounced back nicely, but I just wonder for how long. i hope a long time.

[Madrone]

3. My cat's had it for between 2 & 3 years... (well, been diagnosed that long)

He's PAINFULLY thin ... I almost hate touching him he's so thin. Be careful w/ fluids - too much can backfire and cause congestive heart failure. Just FYI. Constipation is a problem, I gave him an enema once - while not FUN, it wasn't as bad as you'd imagine doing that to a cat would be. It's not a bad idea to get a pack of Fleet BABY enemas and keep them on hand just in case. They work in like 10 seconds....! Or something like that. Probably more like 30.

Diet ... well, I march to my own drummer when it comes to that. I think the science diet stuff is shite ... and apparently so does my cat. ;) I mix a tablespoon of canned pumpkin (plain, not the spiced pie stuff) in with what I give him ... it helps w/ the constipation.

Hang in there - I never thought I'd have THIS long, yet he's still kickin. I bawled like a BABY all night the night I found out ... after I started thinking about it, and what it MEANT. It's the first time I really had to face his mortality. He's the first cat I EVER had in my life, and my first ever pet as an adult on my own. I think I was 20 when I got him.

[joeybee12]

4. Thanks for the advice!

Especially about the IV stuff...I'd heard that before and had forgotten. I'll have to talk to the vet about that the next time she goes in.

My cat will eat the prescription food, but I'm still giving her her favorite treats. I can't see her not enjoying them still and in moderation I'd rather she'd be happy to get them.

Glad to hear your cat is still hanging in there. Like I said, the doctor said a year, but your experience has given me hope. Thanks. I was quite upset all last weekend--it was like she was already gone!

[Madrone]

14. I completely know what you mean about the "already gone" thing...

Oddly, enough time has gone by for me that I find it easy to "forget" anything's wrong with him. He's still fiesty as hell, and has NEVER changed his demeanor, really. The only reason I knew anything was wrong was because he dropped so much weight.

Yeah, if your cat will eat the prescription stuff, more power to you! I actually deviate from the "low protein" diet that's most commonly recommended. I'm less concerned with the amount of protein he is than I am with the QUALITY.

Sometime around 6 months ago I took him in because he had a seizure (THAT was freaky) - they ran his numbers again and he was EXACTLY where he was when he was diagnosed. That was good to hear ... because CRF never gets better, only progressively worse. The fact that he'd gone 2 years with no change was pretty good, I thought.

The next round of cats I have will have VASTLY different diets than what my current crew grew up on. Hopefully that will mean I never have to deal with this again! (or diabetes - something my other male has. He gets 2 shots per day)

You have my most sincere ... empathy. I'm really dreading the day Othello's gone. I've never been an adult without him, ya know?

[Critters2]

22. More and more, the evidence is that the issue isn't protein,

it's phosphorus. In humans and cats. A low phosphorus diet seems to be more important than a low protein diet with renal disease.

[joeybee12]

23. That is good news that about Othello's numbers...

...after the first week, mine got a little better because of all the IV...she goes back in a month. Hopefully they'll have leveled off.

When I got these 2, I started them on IAMS because I was told that food helps with their urinary tracts, and cats are prone to infections there. Neither has had any problems until this, so that's good, but like you, I'll really have to be strict with my next cats and check out different brands.

[Robeson]

10. You're a good soul, Madrone...

...and I'm sure he knows it...:thumbsup:

[Madrone]

15. Awww....thanks. :)

He tolerates me pretty damned well for an EXTREME alpha cat. Thankfully I established myself at the top of the food chain loooooooong ago - it makes dealing with all the things we have to do now much easier. He's really awesome. :)

Here's a picture of him claiming his space - on top of GOPisEvil. lol

[mike_c]

5. I did it for a bit more than a year....

The cat in question was still pretty young, only about 6 or 7. I kept her going for a bit more than a year, but it was tough. She fought the needle, and I live alone, so I usually had to give her sub-cutaneous fluids myself, trying to hold her still with one hand while dealing with the needle and flow with the other. Sometimes it took several tries, and lots of times I just had to give up, figuring that if she felt well enough to struggle that hard, she was well enough to skip a dose. It broke my heart when she died-- I held her all morning while she faded in and out of consciousness, and-- well, I know that isn't the story you want to hear, but it still breaks my heart, a year later. She meant a lot to me.

If your cat will let you give her fluids-- and if she'll tolerate the low protein kidney diet-- your results might well be better than mine. My vet told me she has a number of clients who have maintained cats with failing kidneys for years, and I can tell you from experience that any time you get is a gift, plain and simple. Best of luck to you and your kitty.

[joeybee12]

6. thanks...sorry to hear about your kitty...

...I've had other pets go over the years, and it always sucks...they're family.

My cat does well with the needle...she looks at me and runs, but I sit with her and pet her for a few minutes before the needle goes in and she'll stay still. Now that she's feeling better, she seems to sense it more when it's coming, so she's quick to take off. But that's a good sign that she can run and is pretty aware of her surroundings.

Was your cat an only kitty? Mine has her litter mate, and that one looks freaked out when she sees me give her the needle!

[mike_c]

7. no, I'm at risk of becoming the crazy neighborhood cat guy...

...so I always have a house full. Marble was one of my rescues though, and although she was lovely with me she despised the other cats. She sometimes yowled when I gave her fluids, and THAT freaked everyone out!

I'm down to four now-- the smallest number of cats I've had in years. All are young and healthy at present, thankfully.

[joeybee12]

8. You're me in a few years...

...I need to write my will so that someone is sure to take the hundreds of cats I'll have when I go at--hopefully--99 or so!

[badgerpup]

20. Giving cats meds is never fun...

My guys know that after they swallow the pill, or get that little 'ouch' (I've learned to give them some of their shots) or get their ears treated, they get CATNIP! as well as praise and scritches for being so good and brave and cooperative.

They do so love their 'nip...:bounce:

[Redstone]

9. Let nature take its course. Anything else would be cruel.

Do not, please, prolong your pet's suffering.

Redstone

[joeybee12]

11. She's not suffering now, and seems happy with the treatment

so I'll keep going as long as she's happy. I think when she decides it's time, she'll let me know. Animals have a strong will to survive.

[Redstone]

12. OK, sounds like you have a good feel for the situation.

Best of luck to your kitty.

Redstone

[joeybee12]

13. Thanks!

[Roon]

16. I lost my Dolly to renal failure

and I was giving her IVs every day. Now, it might be different with your kitty, but Dolly never got any better. It got so bad infection started oozing out of her pores. So we put her down. :cry:

[joeybee12]

24. Oh, that's sad...

...if Scarlet starts declining, I won't let her suffer...but so far so good. The only thing is I don't know how long she might have.

[MonkeyFunk]

17. I'm so, so sorry...

I have no advice. I can only offer my sympathies.

[grasswire]

18. I fought so hard to keep my Chester alive.

But he would not have the needle. Just would not let me do it. And he wasn't eating. I cooked every thing I could possibly think of; I scoured shelves in natural food stores and tried everything, up to using an eyedropper to squirt high-protein home-made chicken broth into his mouth. I fought so hard for him. And he fought it all, despite the fact that for 18 years he was my most devoted companion. There comes a point when the quality of the time left between you is diminished if you have to fight the cat to preserve a life that's inherently difficult. Chester and I had fourteen months from diagnosis. He went naturally, at his own time.

Consider yourself fortunate that your kitty is well enough to eat and to take the fluids. That indicates to me that you have some time left to enjoy each other.

[joeybee12]

25. He was 18 when this happened?

He probably fought it because he knew it was time. I think cats are sometimes better prepared for it than us owners.

[Maraya1969]

19. When one of my pets get sick I always check the natural treatments

Even if you don't go with the entire diet change there may be some helpful ideas here. There are many other website also.

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/felinekidney.htm#kidney

[joeybee12]

26. Thanks for the link. n/t

[Critters2]

21. My Ari had crf for 2 1/2 years.

Here's what I learned the hard way:

First, cats don't like the Hill's renal diet (k/d). Ari wouldn't touch the stuff. But he loved IVD Modified Renal diet. In fact, the vet we had at the time stopped using Hill's and only prescribed IVD because of the experience of Ari and one other cat. Don't even mess with the Hill's, because if the cat doesn't eat, you'll end up with fatty liver disease on top of the crf.

Have the vet show you how to do syringe feeding now, so you'll know how when your kitty becomes anorexic . Nearly all crf cats have times when they simply don't want to eat. It's not always the end of things.

If it's legal in your state, buy fluids and needles at Costco or some place like that. Almost always cheaper than the vet.


This website was a huge help to me: http://www.felinecrf.com/

So was this yahoogroup: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline-CRF-Support/

But I'd advise reading the group on the yahoo website. Some days, I used to get hundreds of e-mails with people just listing their cats' BUN and creatinine numbers. But in the midst of all that, there'd be good info. Some people there are caring for their second or third crf cat.

My biggest regret is that I kept Ari going for about a month longer than was fair to him. The vet thought we had just hit a rough patch that he'd get through. He quit eating to the point that he had to be tube-fed. I wish I hadn't done that. He was tired by then, and ready to go. But he was a real fighter, and a great cat. I deeply miss him.

[joeybee12]

27. Thanks for all the great info.

The vet did mention anemia as being common, but she's eating and drinking sort of like normal. She'll eat the Hill's, although her sister seems to eat more of it than she does. She's fine, but they've always eaten from the same bowl, so I knew this would happen. I give her sister extra stuff on the side so she doesn't lose weight, which is bound to happen with this diet.

[Callalily]

28. With proper medication

your cat can live for many, many years. Mine did!

[joeybee12]

29. Thanks...good to know! n/t

[Beausoir]

30. One of my furbabes was diagnosed with that over 2 years ago. At first, it took a couple of IV's to

get her over the hump.

Them we got a cat water-fountain and switched her to Science Diet KD food. She drinks lots of fresh water now and is doing very well.

No more IV's and she looks pretty good. Last time we had her labs drawn, she was almost into remission.

She also has bad arthritis in her back so we give her prednisone...very sparingly...to help her mobility. But prednisone is tough on the kidneys, so we walk a fine line and it is working.

She jumped up on my lap last night and settled in for a nap.

Good luck with yours! Hang in there and don't panic.

[joeybee12]

32. Thanks...

...glad to hear things are going well for her.

[Coyote_Bandit]

31. I have a renal dog

who was diagnosed at five months of age. His best prognosis was "wait and see." He is now approaching 6 years of age and he is doing very well. For the past 4 years his bloodwork has been normal. Diet and fluids have been critical as has avoiding stressors. His prescription diet is calorie dense, protein, phosphorous, fat and sodium restricted and ph controlled.

Hope your kitty has many happy days with you remaining.

[joeybee12]

33. Thanks!

Glad to hear your pup is doing well.