For those that have had cats that had kidney failure.....?

Question

Please advise me as to how long they lived or are currently living after being diagnosed w/ it in addition to how u knew when to put your kitty to sleep. My cat which I have had since I was 11 (she was born when I was 10 yo though & I am now 29) has kidney failure which we believe she had about a year ago but the vet then failed to let us know so it is now too late to do much of anything. Because we see no apparent signs of suffering we are hesitant to just put her to sleep if she still may have a decent time to live w/ out daily suffering. We don't want to keep her alive for selfish reasons, we just want her to continue having the laid back life she's always had as long as she can. Only signs of having the issue is excessive drinking, colder body temp& her fur is not as soft as it used to be. Other than that we would not know anything was wrong. She's drinking a special milk which helps ease discomfort & she will be eating a special diet soon.

Answer 1

kidney disease doesnt cause pain, but the progressive symptoms do.

Those mainly are: nausea and disorientation.

Its mostly an issue of "quality of life" instead of physical pain because at some point your cat is going to be refusing all food.

You don't need to put her to sleep yet. If she's eating and mobile.

Most important and effective treatment in slowing down kidney disease is IV and sub-q fluids! (as well as diet change). The more she drinks and urinates, the better so it flushes the toxins out of her kidneys.



it is rare for cats and dogs to live a year after being diagnosed with kidney disease because usually there aren't enough signs to catch the disease in it's very beginning. And once damage is done to the kidneys, it cant be reversed.



if you dont put your cat to sleep, kidney disease causes high blood pressure. This causes seizures. At some point, depending on how bad she is now it can be weeks, months or years, but at some point she'll die from multiple seizures. The animal is not conscious during them. Nausea at night is a sign of impending seizures.



i'd talk to your vet about giving your cat sub-q fluids yourself at home.



also, change her diet asap. Each day she's eating food not specialized for kidney disease is damaging her kidneys more..



heres a helpful site http://www.felinecrf.com/





No even though she keeps herself hydrated, she needs more fluids. It's for flushing out her kidneys, it's equivalent to human dialysis to treat kidney disease, the dialysis for humans flushes out the toxins in the blood that the diseased kidneys can't get out on their own. The extra sub-q and IV fluids used for animals, will flush out your cats kidneys, because even though she drinks fine and isn't dehydrated, the kidneys arent functioning good enough. Extra fluid forces them to flush out more toxins. If the toxins aren't flushed out, they go to the animals brain and cause the nausea/disorientation/dizziness/ decreased appetite, and they go to the heart causing high blood pressure and seizures.

So the more you flush out, the longer your cat will live and have less intense symptoms



For kidney disease, low phosphorus diet is important for cats, low protein also has shown it helps. They dont like the taste. But it's a longer, healthier life over taste.

Wet food is better for them (and even cats without kidney disease) because it will give more water. Mine liked the dry better though.

There is plenty of research that shows low phosphorus and protein diet help, it balances electrolytes that are out of wack from the kidney disease. The predominant effect of the low protein diet is to minimize production of uremic toxins so that the patient feels better.

Answer 2

So long as she is doing her little kitty things, she is fine. She should already be on a special diet.



It varies quite a bit. My cat lived 7 years with kidney failure, which I understand is rather long. On average, 3-4 years is more likely; however, if you don't find out until symptoms appear, then a year or two. I did choose to do subcutaneous fluids up until she decided she had had enough. The second kitty that we had (she was ill when I got her) lasted about 2 years after diagnosis. We knew she had small kidneys so weren't surprised this became a problem. She was about 18 when it was clear she wasn't happy, so had her put down then. She was intolerant of sub. Q fluids, so we just gave her comfort care (treated infections).



Many people have no choice but to put their pet down about the time the diagnostic costs start skyrocketing. Treatment is actually cheap. For instance, it might cost me a $200 vet bill to identify high blood pressure, but only $20 to treat for 3 months.



You will find differing opinions. The Univ. of MN HAS found that renal diets help maintain pets longer. On the other hand, some homemade diets do just as well. Up to you. Some cats can't tolerate the dry diet (vomiting), so a wet diet is a good alternative.



My experience? I've decided not to further treat pets with kidney failure. Beyond diet changes, anything further and I would just put them down. Going $2000 in debt and poking the cat full of holes to get fluids in just isn't the way to go, IMHO.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

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Answer 5

My cat was diagnosed with CRF 2 weeks before her 13th birthday. Here we are 2 1/2 years later and she is still happy and healthy. What has worked for her is switching her food. I currently have her on Merrick wet food and Innova Evo dry. I encourage the wet food as much as possible as I know they need all the water they can get. She uses a water fountain with double filtered water.



Her basic symptoms right now are infrequent vomiting and nausea. The nausea is helped by giving her 1/4 of a pepsid tablet as prescribed by my vet. Only once since her diagnosis has she gotten sick enough to need sub-q fluids but she recovered quickly.



I've never had to put a pet down but I believe I will know when the time is right. I believe when there are more bad days than good days or when the spark is gone from her eyes, that will be the time to let go.



In the mean time, I'm checking her blood values twice a year and trying to keep her around as long as I can. Right now her blood values read "normal" across the board. If she hadn't already been diagnosed, it wouldn't look like she had kidney failure. But she does. We were just lucky to catch it early when her vet suggested a senior panel because of her age.



I have every confidence that she can survive with a decent quality of life for at least two more years.

Answer 6

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There are several things that can be done to help prolong her life, but there is noting that can fix the problem. (Although UC Davis does do kidney transplants in some cats, it is not a very good option for long term survival, and it is extraordinarily expensive.) The basics: Kidney failure means that some of the "functional units" of the kidney have died, and that she is unable to reabsorb nutrients and filter waste products as well as she could before. There are two basic forms of kidney failure: Acute and Chronic. Most older cats have chronic kidney failure, meaning that they have had it slowly getting worse over time. Acute usually means that a toxin was ingested that hurt the kidneys. The kidneys cannot repair themselves, so you can't fix what has dies, but you can help preserve what is left through certain types of care. First, start your pet on a low protein diet. Some available through the vet are Hill's K/D, Eukanuba Multi Stage Renal, Royal Canin Renal LP. Purina Prescription diets has one too, but I don't remember the name. Second, have the vet teach you and your mom how to give "Sub-Q" (subcutaneous) fluids. (The fluid is dripped under the skin. You can do this at home. It's usually easy.) This will help flush out the kidneys on a daily basis. It is a big needle, and be brave, but remember that cats aren't afraid of needles; people are. Third, your kitty might have to spend a few days getting IV fluids in the hospital. This is the best way to flush the kidneys and get the toxin levels closer to normal quicker. This may have to be repeated every 6 months or so. You will know when it should be done, as the kitty will be really thin, not much energy or appetite, peeing a whole lot, and probably really bad breath. Fourth, when your cat is anemic (low red blood cell count) Procrit can be given to help generate more red blood cells. The hormone that tells the body to make red blood cells comes from the kidneys, so the production of that hormone, erithropoetin, slows down during kidney failure. Fifth, when your kitty has too much phosphorus in the bloodstream, aluminum hydroxide can be given with meals to help rid it from the system. Too much phosphorus can cause upset stomach leading to ulcers in the mouth that makes the kitty not want to eat. Try to get the flavorless powdered form, available from some online compounding pet pharmacies. Sixth, get the kitty's teeth cleaned. This can help make eating more comfortable and reduce toxin stress on the kidneys. Last, and most importantly, enjoy the time remaining with your cat. Although with good care, some cats can live a few years with kidney failure, it is not something that can be fixed. Your relationship with your cat is the most important thing, and if treatment puts stress on that relationship, it is not worth it to either of you. You will know when it is time to put your cat down. If the cat is happy, alert, eating, and loving life, he/she is not ready yet. Good luck.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

When my cat suffered kidney failure (he was only 6), he would drink and 3 minutes later he was passing it. He literally wasted away before our eyes in a couple of days. I had to put him to sleep. It was a tough decision but I was not going to let him suffer. He was a really neat cat. The vet had no explanation as to why his kidneys failed.

Answer 9

I had an old female kitty that was diagnosed with advanced kidney failure. Our vet was wonderful in helping us by telling us "you will know when it is time." That sounds stupid at first, but really, you know your cat and her behavior. You describe her as not having a lot of symptoms now -- and our kitty was the same way for quite a while -- then she began to sleep more and more. We called the vet again, and he told us when she stops eating all together for 2 days or more...it is time. She'd drink her milk and eat a little bit and then one day, she stopped eating. I couldn't do anything to get her to eat. The next day she ate a little bit...but the 3rd day nothing, 4th day nothing...when I looked at her, her fur was in very poor shape, she wasn't using the litter pan at all, and suddenly I knew she was uncomfortable. That's when we took her to put her down.



If the vet you have is not supportive - find another vet. Ours was so good and caring.

Keep her warm, let her sleep on a soft blankie or towel.



Best wishes

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Answer 11

I only recently learned about kidney failure in cats. It is called CRF Chronic Renal Failure. There is alot of info on the net, I've listed some below. Hope this is helpful. Good luck and God bless.

Answer 12

I am on my second cat with kidney failure - they usually accurately predicted it correctly when they guessed 2 years from diagnosis. I have this cat on a beta blocker which is helping a lot except for the diarrhea and litter box accidents. I let the first one stay alive too long and she was miserable. This one I keep monitoring for quality of life and as long as she is purring and happy I am keeping her alive. Email me if you want more info.

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Answer 15

I had an elderly cat that had renal failure. She started to potty on the carpets and otherwise hid most of the day. She never really showed signs of pain. My vet said that they are great at hiding that they are in pain. He told me that there was no chance at improving her life and he was unsure as to how much longer she would live. I loved her enough to put her down. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. My friends saw how heartbroken I was and gave me a kitten 4 months later. I love cats and currently have 5. 14 yrs, 13 1/2 yrs, 5 1/2 yr, 5 yrs and 4 months in age.

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Answer 17

My Cameo was diagnosed with kidney problems when she was 18 and she lived till she was 22 and 1/2. She was NEVER on any special diet. She ate a high protein, home-made diet for the seven years that she was in my home. She also never had fluids given at home - just when she went for dentals at the vet's.



At the end she was very constipated, had sores in her mouth, and did not eat for three days. Those immediate issues could have been treated and she could have had assisted feeding to see if the sores would clear up and she would eat on her own. She always hated any "treatment" the vets or I had to offer her so I felt it was best to euthanize her at that time.



Please don't force any "renal" diets on your cat. There is no research to show that it has any effect on the outcome or life expectancy for your cat. She should have what she wants to eat and live her life with pleasure and dignity till the end.



Good luck with her. There is a Yahoo group for felineCRF and you might want to join it for tips on how people and other vets are dealing with the problem.

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Answer 21

my cat was 22 in march when I had to have her put to sleep...first signs we knew something was wrong when she began losing weight, then one night we were about to go to bed when we heard her crying she was in the living room going in circles (she was seizing) we ran her to the emergency vet where she was diagnosed, the reason she began to have seizures was the dehydration caused by the kidney failure...we treated her as good as possible, she ate meat flavored baby food which she adored and then about 3-4 weeks later she began to decline, she refused to eat or drink even when i put her favorite flavor of baby food in front of her and she refused to drink water, but the ultimate worse was when i came home from work on march 28th and she was lying in her litter box in her own waste...when i picked her up to clean her she couldnt stand on her own then i knew it was time i didnt want her to suffer anymore the vet said she was extremely dehydrated and suffering so i didnt have a choice i wasnt going to let her suffer anymore and she went to heaven...good luck just keep your eye on her and if you noticed anything different in the way she acts or eats or any little sign do something about it but as long as she is eating and drinking and not suffering let her live

Answer 22

when starts to get bad they cant keep food down,they drink but that comes up like yellow white stuff,they just lay around really sad and wont hardly move.mine had at 13 and went downhill,but he tryed so hard to beat wanting to be near me,in the end i had to let go it broke my heart it was 6 years ago now,but even writing this it brings a tear to my eye

Answer 23

How about a second opinion as to whether its really too late to treat? It doesn't sound like she's dying, so I would really suggest treating her. This may mean giving her fluids, switching her diet (please do not give her dry prescription KD), etc.

Answer 24

my cat was loosing her kidney fuction, although she made it to 18 years old, had to put her down, i gave her milk alot, as she was loosing weight,

Answer 25

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