End Stage Kidney Failure...my poor baby Ginger

yourbriness763 · Feb 23, 2011

I haven't posted in quite some time, was hoping to get some input from you all on IV treatments. We took my 11yr old cat Ginger to the vet & they diagnosed her with kidney failure (end stage so the doctor says) I am devasted, this cat has been through thick & thin with me. Anyways long story short the vet said we could try giving her IV treatment where they give her fluids through an IV for 24 hours, if it brings her levels up than we can continue to do that until it doesn't work anymore but if her levels don't go up after the 1st treatment than it was recommended we put her down...has anyone had any experience with this? Thoughts, comments, suggestions? Please I welcome any help I can get @ this point

stephanietx · Feb 23, 2011

I'm sorry to hear about your Ginger. I lost my 14 yo girl, Callie, to renal failure on Dec. 30, 2010, and it's a tough road.

First of all, read the sticky at the top of the health forum concerning CRF. http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=119727 Then, join the yahoo group for owners of CRF kitties. http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/F...guid=353539644 Those folks are so helpful, supportive, and full of experience and information. You can give fluids at home and there are things you can do to keep stomach acid down, appetite up, and continue to give Ginger the best life you can for whatever time you have left with her.

my4llma · Feb 23, 2011

I'm so sorry to read this about Ginger.

farleyv · Feb 23, 2011

Ginger is in my prayers. So sorry to hear this.

feralvr · Feb 23, 2011

Sorry to hear about your Ginger. Just hang on, I am sure there are alot of people on this that will come along soon with more information/support about IV treatments and kidney disease. I have never (yet) needed to do that, but I have heard of this helping. Sorry I can't offer more, other than

yourbriness763 · Feb 24, 2011

Some days are good days for her, some days are bad...I started giving her tuna because she stopped eating her hard food & she seems to enjoy that although now I think she expects it! I will read the sticky tonight when I have some quiet time, I'm @ work now & started reading it but it's just making me too emotional. thanks for the good vibes & info, I'm sure it will help keep me informed

yourbriness763 · Mar 7, 2011

Update: The IV treatments didn't work, her levels have not gotten any better...the vet guesstimated she has 4-6 weeks to live...all I can say is I'm completely devastated. She seems to be in good spirits, she's not eating much matter fact the only thing I can get her to eat is Fancy Feast & we mix her medicine in with the food, we also have to give her an anti-nausea shot twice a day, because she won't eat if she's nauseated but even when she does eat she just licks the gravy from the food doesn't chew much of it...Doc says she's not in any pain (so he thinks) and that when she's "ready" that I will know...

Sorry I haven't posted much, it's just a lot to take on and I'm trying to spend as much time with her as I can just loving her.

naps with cats · Mar 7, 2011

Me 'n the felines are sending hug after hug to both you and Ginger!! SO sorry to hear about the fluids not working enough.

Blessings to you and Ginger who will be on her way to the Rainbow Bridge where all cats become instantly happy again.

You will see her again...

Warmly,

Julie O'

Originally Posted by yourbriness763

Update: The IV treatments didn't work, her levels have not gotten any better...the vet guesstimated she has 4-6 weeks to live...all I can say is I'm completely devastated. She seems to be in good spirits, she's not eating much matter fact the only thing I can get her to eat is Fancy Feast & we mix her medicine in with the food, we also have to give her an anti-nausea shot twice a day, because she won't eat if she's nauseated but even when she does eat she just licks the gravy from the food doesn't chew much of it...Doc says she's not in any pain (so he thinks) and that when she's "ready" that I will know...

Sorry I haven't posted much, it's just a lot to take on and I'm trying to spend as much time with her as I can just loving her.

threecatowner · Mar 7, 2011

I am so sorry to hear this. Loving them is so hard. Hugs to you both...

yourbriness763 · Mar 7, 2011

Its not fair, she's only 11yrs old...its just too soon for her

my4llma · Mar 8, 2011

Originally Posted by yourbriness763

Update: The IV treatments didn't work, her levels have not gotten any better...the vet guesstimated she has 4-6 weeks to live.

I'm so sorry

feralvr · Mar 8, 2011

Oh hun, I am so sorry for you that your Ginger is so very ill. It is so very, very difficult when our furbabies get sick, it is just so painful. My prayers and thoughts are with you during this distressing time.

yourbriness763 · Mar 8, 2011

She threw up this morning, don't think that's a good sign considering she's not eating much...

farleyv · Mar 8, 2011

Sending get well vibes for your precious Ginger.

yourbriness763 · Mar 8, 2011

thank you for the good vibes

Originally Posted by farleyv

Sending get well vibes for your precious Ginger.

naps with cats · Mar 8, 2011

Hey there,

So sorry to hear Ginger threw up!
Is your vet having you give her Sub-Q's until her time comes? It would help her feel better until that time so she's not dehydrating away.

Again, soooooooooooooooo sorry you are going through this. Hoping you have friends and/or family around you during this time!

Group hug, everybody, let's surround them with love and compassion!

Warmly,

Julie O' and the Puddy-Tats

Originally Posted by yourbriness763

thank you for the good vibes

feralvr · Mar 10, 2011

Oh no, I am sorry she is now throwing up. The suggestion about fluids might be a good one. Again, sending healing to you and Ginger.

frankthetank · Mar 10, 2011

for you and Ginger. SO sorry to hear she is throwing up.

farleyv · Mar 10, 2011

How is Ginger doing. Still in my prayers.

jalindal · Mar 10, 2011

I'm so so so sorry to hear about Ginger.

I just lost Mackerel to kidney failure, I know what you're going through.

Lots of for you and Ginger- I hope you have lots of time where she's happy and you two can spend some serious time loving each other.

Have you heard about Amy's wonderful Love and Cheese Danish treatment?

I'll quote her here:

Originally Posted by Momofmany

Laurie mentioned the "Love and Cheese Danish" treatment a couple of days ago and I'd like to expand on that thought. Sorry if this gets long, but it requires an explanation.

Many years ago, our dog Ellie Mae started to bleed from her mouth. The vet found a tumor on the roof of her mouth and the biopsy showed that she had a highly malignant form of cancer. He removed what he could, but gave her a 30 day prognosis, due to the fast growing nature of this type of cancer.

Ellie Mae was our heart dog and we wanted her as comfortable as possible for the last days of her life. We bought her canned food (which she absolutely loved), DH slept on the floor with her (and would often wake up to find her up on the sofa and he on the floor), and everything we did with her was things that she wanted to do. One morning we had some cheese danishes that we bought from a bakery and decided to break one up, put it on a plate and feed it to her while she lounged on the sofa. Ellie Mae was a smart girl, and quickly realized that with all this special treatment, she didn't want to leave us for a while. She got cheese danish a lot from us, and lived another 18 months before she died from a massive stroke at age 14 (old for her size). Love and Cheese Danish treatment was born.

I've used this for every one of my babies when they have been given a terminal prognosis. When Bob Marley and Eightball were diagnosed with cancer early last year, Bob lived another 7 months with a lung cancer diagnosis (they gave him 2 months), and Eightball lived for a year.

I know we all spoil our babies, but there are some things that I do differently during their treatment. I found that Eightball loved to be fed on the kitchen counter, and while he loved to sit on my lap, was often crowded out by the other cats. He immediately got top lap priority and was grateful for it. The vet prescribed medication which didn't settle well with him - first of all he hated to be medicated and secondly they appeared to upset his stomach. He freaked out with every trip to the vet so I stopped forcing it on him. Sometimes the treatment causes so much stress that it adds to their fragile condition more so than helps them. I would never suggest to anyone to stop what the vet prescribed, but realize that I talked to the vet before I made any changes.

He thought it was fun to drink out of our water glasses, and even more fun when he thought he was getting away with it (we used to scold him for it), so I'd leave glasses of water around the house so that he could "get away with it" and drink from them. If he was settled in my lap and I needed to do something, well, that something had to wait (if it could). He thrived.

Finding their "cheese danish" isn't always easy, particularly if they are spoiled in the first place. But I always work to find what makes them happiest, and it's almost as if they start to enjoy life so much that they put in the extra energy to live longer. No restrictions on what they want to do (unless it truly harms them) and give them things they least expect. Give them what they want, and love, love, love on them the entire time.

When the vet sent Mackerel home after two weeks in the hospital getting IV treatment and other helping hands for her kidneys, they said that she had a couple of days... maybe. She lived for another three weeks, and she was very happy and loving being home during that time... I attribute that firmly to LACD therapy.

More for you all.

End Stage Kidney Failure...my poor baby Ginger

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member