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Chronic Renal Failure

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chrono

chrono

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I am feeling so sad today. The bloodwork on my kitty came back pointing to a CRF. At this point, it is in its early stages but it is still a terminal illness and has possibly 1 year of life left. She is my first and only kitty which I picked up at a pet giveaway. I've enjoyed her companionship from 6 weeks on until today (12 years old now). She has taken my numerous moves around the country in stride; from Alabama, to Mississippi up to the Northeast.

She used to be so plump at 12 lbs and her coat was glossy, fluffy and long. Now she is only skin and bones at 7.5 lbs. Her fur is dull and flat, although she shows no signs of discomfort. She still follows me around the house like a dog and acts lilke nothing is wrong. I'm not sure what more to do other than to continue to shower her in affection and give more treats in an effort to fatten her up.

It just broke my heart when my son (3.5 years old) announced to my cat 4 times this morning before leaving for daycare that he loved her. She also had to put up with his clumsy hugs.

Thanks for letting me share a little of my emotions here this morning.
Chrono
 
Chrono, I know what you are going through, I lost a 7 year old cat to acute renal failure earlier this year. There wasn''t anything that could be done for him, but there are things you can do to help your girl so you can have extra time together.

Your vet will be able to advise you on medication, diet and managing the disease, some cats do very well and go on for a long time with this illness. That she is cheerful and is following you around the house says a lot! Don''t despair, I well know how much of a shock these things are and how devastating they are too, but speak to your vet and make a care plan for her and see how she responds. The aim is to preserve what functioning kidney there is and to try to prevent more deterioration, there are things that can be done to make her comfortable and prolong her life.

Come here to vent whenever you want, we know how hard it is when our beloved pets are sick. Head bonks outgoing to your kitty and hugs to you.
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Oh Chrono, I''m so sorry! Sending her and your family my thoughts and prayers.
 
I''m sorry this is happening to your cat. Hugs and prayers.
 
Chrono - I sort of know how you feel. I just found out my doggie has diabetes. Although there are treatments for his disease, there are also no guarantees.

All we can do is shower them with love while they are active and happy. They may be sick but there are still endless good times to share. How sweet your son sounds! Big hugs to you - good luck!
 
I am so sorry to hear about your sweet cat.
 
Oh Chrono I''m so sorry! My cat was having urinary tract issues a few years back and the doctor couldn''t figure out why she kept getting them...she withered down to FOUR pounds. It was really scary. They finally found out she had kidney stones and one surgery later, she was good as new. But it''s so nerve wracking to see them lose weight and worry about them. Feel better knowing she''s had and will have so much love during her kitty life! As Lorelei said, come and vent whenever you need to. Head bonks to you and your kitty from Chloe and me.
 
I am so sorry to hear about your cat. What your son did this morning shows how our children are so caring and intuitive to our worries also. One thing about chronic renal failure versus acute renal failure, is that it can be helped by diet and meds and sometimes that can give them a longer life. Here is a link to a website I found for a friend of mine whose cat is suffering that may give you some more information:

Feline CRF

I hope this helps. My family will be thinking of you in this difficult time.
 
Oh Chrono, I am so sorry to hear this, big hugs!!!
 
Chrono, so very sorry that you and your cat are going through this. Big hugs coming your way.
 
So sorry to hear this Chrono...Does she still have an appetite?

My Scotty (in addition to the aids) has heart disease and is in kidney failure. BUT, he's hanging in there!!! He also went from 16-17 to 10.5 lbs. He definitely looks "sick" (the coat change is obvious)....

I have switched to low protein prescription food...There is Hill's KD dry and Royal Canin(sp?) wet. This is very important is your cat will eat it. If kitty is in the early stages, kitty can definietly have a lot of time left...

You just have to make sure there is plenty of water out and watch the behavior. There is a lot you can do to slow the progression of the disease....Also, frequent blood work is important...my vet comes to the house to lower stress....

A cat's kidneys can function at 30% and the cat can function completely normally under these circumstances...Keep us posted and best of luck.
 
Thanks to all who''ve sent hugs and head bonks.

I feel a little better after doing some online research and finding out that my kitty is only in stage 2 kidney failure (still in the early stages) so she may have quite a bit of lifespan left. My hubby said she''d lost a few of her 9 cat lives when she was in the Uni of Penn vet ICU for some unknown poisiong of some sort about 8 years back.

Since Mimi is eating well, I''ve increased her wet food feeding to 2x a day to help her get more fluids. I''m also letting her free-drink from the faucet too. She''s always loved drinking from a running faucet since young, I don''t know why. She doesn''t need any IVs or meds right now.

The vet says to just change her diet a little for now. He suggested the special low protein diet but said it is really up to me. I''ve read all the different camps and came away with the conclusion that at the very least, she should have a low phosphorus, low sodium, high fat diet. Okay, maybe a lower protein diet too.

I''m not sure if I should start her on the prescription diet yet since her numbers still look good. Her bloodcount is normal, Creatinine is only slightly above normal (2.6 vs 2.4), and BUN is not too bad (44 vs a normal 36).

I thought of changing her diet to just a better type of commercial food (non-prescription) to see if she does better and only changing to the special diet when her numbers get worse. Something with only natural ingredients that lower protein, lower phosphorus and higher fat compared to almost all the other cat food in the market with the exception of the prescription food. My beef with the prescription food is that it has bad ingredients like preservatives, meat-byproducts, grains, corn meal, etc. which I think might tax her kidneys more.

Any one with thoughts on this? Those with sick felines and canines, what did you do?
 
My plan would be to research as much as possible as to what would be the best diet and plan of action to preserve as much kidney function as possible now, so that the progression of the disease can be slowed. I would also get regular blood counts done to check how her kidneys are functioning so that any changes that need to be made can be, in other words keep on top of it as best you can. I really would consult with your vet as to what you should be feeding her, I always think these things respond better with an active approach - rather than feeding her a better quality commercial cat food which may have all kinds of things in it she doesn't need or can stress her kidneys further, get busy now and find out which would be the best way forward to preserve the kidney function she has. Try researching with Google and chat to your vet to see which would be the best dietary plan, also with the prescription food see what he thinks about the additives in that and which are the lesser of the pet food evils.
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I know it is so hard to know what is best but you will find the answer. Maybe too some home cooked food on occasion might be good such as chicken or fish which will keep you busy to supplement the main diet.

It would be great if ECF would see this - she is a superb cat vet and is always willing to share her advice.
 
Scotty really loves the dry KD food. Loves it. (He gulps it down with his 2 teeth LOL)....

I think that's a good BUN, no? And dr's tell you it's not always about only those numbers....so don't get too bummed out...kitty has a nice life ahead of him!....FYI- Scotty's BUN is 85 and he's really doing very well!!! He eats A LOT and is keeping quite hydrated e/t he's on a diuretic for his HCM...
 
Chloe has been on Hill's XD formula for urinary tract issues since her kidney stone diagnosis. It comes in wet and dry and I get it from the vet. She snarfs it down so it can't taste that bad. (though she prefers the wet of course...and with her issues, she needs to keep hydrated so she gets the wet alot). I agree it's a good idea to do some research on which foods will not tax her kidneys as it is.
 
Let me echo everyone's comments and offer my sincere sympathy. When my partner and I first got together 27 years ago, we got two beautiful siamese kittens (Kit and Caboodle). The last one to go was Caboodle and she had renal failure as well. For over two years we took her into the vet's office for fluid exchanges and lord knows exactly what (except it cost nearly $7,000 those two years), but they were able to keep her comfortable and part of our lives just that much longer. Emotionally, we knew we couldn't make the decision as to when it was time to say goodbye, so we relied on our vet to let us know when that day came and when it did, we held her in our arms through her last breath.

It's just the absolute worst to know your time is getting short with an animal that has been such an uplifting part of your life. But, as others have said the time doesn't have to be so short. There are remarkable things they do for cats with renal failure.

My sympathy and best wishes are with you.
 
Oh Chrono, I''m so sorry about your dear kitty. My beautiful boy Oggi was put down at age 8 as a result of renal failure early last year (and I still get teary about it) because we caught it way too late. He was put on a drip and rehydrated but was PTS after 3 weeks, as he was too far along to save.
*sigh*... Ahh, here I go again, the tears have already started
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Where are those Kleenex?!
Best wishes to you and puss, I''m glad you still have a long time with her yet xoxoxo
 
Ohhhhhh, so sorry to hear this. It''s so hard to think of them being sick. Sounds like you have a reason to be somewhat optimistic though, since her bloodwork looks pretty good.
 
Date: 9/14/2006 8:50:47 AM
Author: Lorelei
My plan would be to research as much as possible as to what would be the best diet and plan of action to preserve as much kidney function as possible now, so that the progression of the disease can be slowed. I would also get regular blood counts done to check how her kidneys are functioning so that any changes that need to be made can be, in other words keep on top of it as best you can. I really would consult with your vet as to what you should be feeding her, I always think these things respond better with an active approach - rather than feeding her a better quality commercial cat food which may have all kinds of things in it she doesn''t need or can stress her kidneys further, get busy now and find out which would be the best way forward to preserve the kidney function she has. Try researching with Google and chat to your vet to see which would be the best dietary plan, also with the prescription food see what he thinks about the additives in that and which are the lesser of the pet food evils.
7.gif
I know it is so hard to know what is best but you will find the answer. Maybe too some home cooked food on occasion might be good such as chicken or fish which will keep you busy to supplement the main diet.

It would be great if ECF would see this - she is a superb cat vet and is always willing to share her advice.
Click to expand...
Thanks Lorelei -

Sorry I just saw this thread, Chrono. I had a baby (little Noah!) on Sept 8th, so I''ve been a little out of touch with the boards.

I''d be happy to answer any questions you may have, give you my opinions, etc if you like. How are things going so far?

FWIW, one of my own cats is in CRF - he was only 8 when he was diagnosed 3 years ago. He just turned 11, and he is ok - he gets fluids under the skin every day, medication to control his high blood pressure (caused by the CRF), he won''t eat canned foods much - or any of the prescription foods for CRF - he likes OTC dry foods the best. (Oh - and chicken, cooked of course, and potato chips........ the saltier the better.............
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)

Anyway - CRF can be slow or not so slow - so enjoy every day you have, and remember I''m always here to help!

Christine (D.V.M.)
 
Chrono,

very very sorry to hear about your kitty. i lost one of my cats to crf a year ago in july. i know its hard to watch your companion deteriorate but he has your love to help him through this next stage of his journey.

movie zombie
 
Thanks all for your wishes and hugs.

I''ve gotten my kitty some Wysong canned food which she loves. She probably likes it because she doesn''t know it''s also good for her.
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It has very low phosphorus and sodium, as low as the prescription diet, which I am trying first. So far, she has been ignoring her usual dry food and is begging for the canned stuff everyday. Still pees a lot though, which is a CRF symptom. The good news is that her fur is a little fluffier and it looks like she''s put on close to 0.5 lbs in the past month since the new diet. I hope she will continue to put on some fat.

Oh, ECF.
Am I doing the right thing with my kitty''s diet? She''s completely stopped throwing up, which is a good sign. Still has a ravenous appetite although picky sometimes but that''s nothing new. She is still able to jump on countertops and window sills. She''s also completely ignored the fresh bottled water in her water bowl in favour of the running tap water.
BTW, congrats on your new baby!
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Just make sure she stays hydrated...Maybe get one of those electric running water dishes...they are not expensive...I'm glad she is feeling better...Regular blood work is important!!!
FYI, I did a few days of Sub Q on my Scotty and it was very painless for him and for us...It took a mere few seconds....Good luck to you and and keep us posted...
 
My dear departed Bugsy was diagnosed with kidney problems. He too dropped weight, his fur was dull and and he was a sick looking kitty.

While holding him like a baby, I got fluids in him with a large eye dropper. Water and then very diluted chicken soup! I know sounds crazy, but it worked. I did this for about a week and he lived for 2 more years. Amazing how that cat would let me hold him like that.
 
Date: 10/19/2006 8:12:07 AM
Author: Chrono
Thanks all for your wishes and hugs.

I''ve gotten my kitty some Wysong canned food which she loves. She probably likes it because she doesn''t know it''s also good for her.
11.gif
It has very low phosphorus and sodium, as low as the prescription diet, which I am trying first. So far, she has been ignoring her usual dry food and is begging for the canned stuff everyday. Still pees a lot though, which is a CRF symptom. The good news is that her fur is a little fluffier and it looks like she''s put on close to 0.5 lbs in the past month since the new diet. I hope she will continue to put on some fat.

Oh, ECF.
Am I doing the right thing with my kitty''s diet? She''s completely stopped throwing up, which is a good sign. Still has a ravenous appetite although picky sometimes but that''s nothing new. She is still able to jump on countertops and window sills. She''s also completely ignored the fresh bottled water in her water bowl in favour of the running tap water.
BTW, congrats on your new baby!
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Click to expand...
Hi Chrono -

I looked through (briefly) the page MMM linked to - and it all looks legit and fairly accurate.

CRF is complicated - there are lots of blood tests and medications, foods, supplements, etc that need to be considered when treating these guys. By the books, yes, a renal failure diet is "best" - but only if they eat it! And many cats (including my own) won''t touch the stuff. Wysong has a good reputation, and if your kitty likes it then so much the better.

I''ve often been one to look beyond what the literature recommends, and in my opinion, I''d rather have them eat something than nothing at all. So when my own cat refuses to eat renal diets, especially the canned ones, well......... ok fine. I give him fluids under the skin every day, and he gets Norvasc for his high blood pressure daily as well. The lethargy and vomiting that were apparent when he was diagnosed are gone - he takes Pepcid every now and then if I think he''s been vomiting too much for some reason (other than a hairball, of course). His blood pressure is good now and the retinal lesions that were caused by it have resolved. I monitor his blood pressure, blood values, weight, and urine analysis and culture every few months, and his numbers are better than they have been since he was diagnosed, even on pet-store dry foods (right now he''s liking Science Diet Light, ProPlan, and Royal Canin dry foods - all of which are available at PetSmart, for example). He eats, he acts like himself, he''s not overly lethargic, etc - so far he''s doing very well, likely because his disease is stable for now. He will decompensate at some point I know, but so far so good -

Honestly the best thing you can do is to educate yourself about the disease. It is very complicated - it''s more than just their "kidney numbers". Make sure you have a vet that is well versed in feline CRF, has a blood pressure machine, etc - if you are at all uneasy, then find someone you do trust - listen to your gut. The real truth is that no one knows your cat better than you do. Use that to your advantage - and always remember it''s all about their quality of life, no matter how long or short their stay with us may be, rather than the quantity of it.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Christine (D.V.M.)
 
That link did make me giggle a bit. There was NO way I could do all that for my boy...I could barely get him to take two pills a day! So I don''t know how practical it is in any event...When my boy lost his taste for the renal food, I gave him his kitty crack (aka fancy feast)...I definitely thought it was better for him to eat that than not eat...
 
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