Kidney Disease

A couple months ago, we noticed that my 12 yr old female cat was throwing up excessively, nearly every day.  When we took her to the vet, they did blood work, and found that her kidney function was low.  The vet noted that the values were not horrible, but that Cookie needed to start eating a special kidney disease wet food diet.  Since the food switch Cookie has been tremendously better. She no longer throws up, and she perked up a little bit.  We are due to take her back in to check her blood again, but I was wondering what the prognosis is for cats with kidney disease typically? I know it can vary a lot, and once the cats have symptoms, their kidney function is usually significantly decreased, but is it possible for her to live 2-3 more years?  Also, what do you think about feeding cats dry food in the first place? I am inclined to think that the dry is what led to her kidney disease in the first place, since cats naturally would be eating a diet high in moisture.  I want to prevent this from happening to my 5 yr old kitty if I can. 

Unfortunately, there is only one prognosis to kidney disease. It cannot be cured or reversed. CRF is the most common medical cause of death in cats. However, some cats live several years with CRF and others get worse quickly, so it is impossible to predict how much longer Cookie will live. If Cookie is not suffering in a way that cannot be controlled with the kidney-friendly diet, lots of water, and medication, you don't need to worry about euthanasia. She will let you know when it is time to cross the Rainbow Bridge and that could be years from now. At this point, you should concentrate on slowing it down by continuing to only  feed the k/d (but please switch to wet if you have not done so already) and giving her sub-q fluids if they are recommended later.

Cats with CRF can live for years.  There are many on here with better advice.

holisticat is a good web site for more info as is felinecrf.org

I would not recommend the in-hospital iv infusion if offered by your vet.  This did not work for my kitty who was doing well with in-home sub-q fluids.  In-hospital was too much fluid at once and she could not handle it.

Hydration is very important, even if done with a syringe.  Keep fresh water out in many rooms your cat visits, a fountain is good for some kitties.
 

tjcarst--i bought a large cage and just in case if needed set it up on a table next to my bed. bought Iv solutions, needles, etc.

started him on the science diet kd wet food, science diet kd dry food and epakitin nutritional supplement and nefrotec tablets.

  his creatinine levels went from 2.75 to 2.0 in less than a week and the BUN went into range (upper limit, however)

  i have a fountain and also put water in 3 other places. and, yes, using a syringe i am giving him water. if i didn't know

better i'd swear you're living in my home. hahahaha. if it wasn't for the third eyelids still protruding, i'd feel better. i ahve

to believe all is not well until the third eyelids go back to where they belong.

  by the way i saw a site that claims a pill called renavast does wonders with feline liver failure. anyone here have any

testimonials????
 

Why a cage?  When I did at home sub-q, it took less than 5 mins.  Does your cat try to get away while you do the sub-q?

Your cats creatinine and BUN do not seem awfully high.  I would have to guess something else is causing the third eyelid to show.

There has been much debate on whether the k/d special diets actually work or do more harm.  I was of the mindset that any food was better than none, but my cat had refused to eat by the time she was diagnosed.  My kitty had creatinine of 6.2 mg/dl (0.3-1.4 normal) and urea nitrogen of 100 mg/dl (7-25 normal).  My cat's third eyelids did not show even though she was very sick, but maybe each cat shows different symptoms?  Sorry not too helpful here.

You caught it early, so you may want to ask advice from those who are more knowledgeable about the diet for CRF kitties.

My kitty lived for 5 years after being diagnosed with CRF.  We didn't do fluids (our personal decision not to do anything heroic), but put her on prescription food, meds, and monitored her BUN & Creatinine levels every 6 mos.  There are good days and not so good days.  Unfortunately, you can only prolong life, not reverse the damage done to the kidneys.  My girl LOVED dry food and it was a chore to get her to eat wet food, but we did get her to eat enough to get her meds in her.  I am a firm believer in dry food contributing to CRF, and have since put my kitties on a mostly wet food diet.

Originally Posted by daddyincr  

...  by the way i saw a site that claims a pill called renavast does wonders with feline liver failure. anyone here have any testimonials????

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From a very well-respected site, endorsed by The American Association of Feline Practitioners:

Quote:

RenAvast is marketed as a dietary supplement. Dietary supplements do not need US Food and Drug Administration approval but the manufacturers make the bold claims that RenAvast "can halt the progression of chronic renal failure in cats" and that "unlike other products and drugs, RenAvast does not treat the symptoms of renal failure, it treats the cause." The FDA states that "a product sold as a dietary supplement and promoted on its label or in labeling as a treatment, prevention or cure for a specific disease or condition would be considered an unapproved - and thus illegal - drug."

...currently there is no evidence that RenAvast is the miracle cure it claims to be.....Based on the information currently available, I would save my money  and put it towards more proven treatments than RenAvast.

http://www.felinecrf.org/holistic_treatments.htm#renavast

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I'm sorry you and your kitty have this diagnosis, but as others have said, yes, she may live with this for several years (I've heard of some kitties going another 10! though that has not been my experience with my crf kitties).  My best suggestion because it is so full of links and experiences of others here, is to go to this sticky thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/119727/crf-chronic-renal-failure-links-and-experiences-with

My Lyra is dealing with early crf (but with worse numbers than your kitty), and we are treating her with Calcitriol, something I've used with all my CRF kitties over the years.  It works well for my kitties.

Best wishes for your kitty to have good years to come.

tjcarst said:

There has been much debate on whether the k/d special diets actually work or do more harm.

You caught it early, so you may want to ask advice from those who are more knowledgeable about the diet for CRF kitties.

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The debate goes like this: Some vets say because protein is hard on the kidneys CRF cats need a low protein diet. Other vets say it is not the amount of protein, but the quality, that matters. Then there are vets who say all they need is low phosphorus, which is high in meat. This is all for early stage CRF. Near the end the kidney failure is so severe no diet can help and all you want to do is make sure the cat eats something. I read about this last fall, so that is current information.

Why is there such a thing as dry k/d? CRF dehydrates cats, so increased water intake is extremely important. In fact dehydration causes their weight loss more than not eating very much. It is more important for cats with CRF than healthy cats to only eat wet food because of this even if you give it sub-q fluids at home.

EmilyMayWilcha said:

The debate goes like this: Some vets say because protein is hard on the kidneys CRF cats need a low protein diet. Other vets say it is not the amount of protein, but the quality, that matters. Then there are vets who say all they need is low phosphorus, which is high in meat. This is all for early stage CRF. Near the end the kidney failure is so severe no diet can help and all you want to do is make sure the cat eats something. I read about this last fall, so that is current information.

Why is there such a thing as dry k/d? CRF dehydrates cats, so increased water intake is extremely important. In fact dehydration causes their weight loss more than not eating very much. It is more important for cats with CRF than healthy cats to only eat wet food because of this even if you give it sub-q fluids at home.

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Thank you, Emily.

My cat would only eat dry kibble her entire life.  By the time we found out she had advanced CRF, it was more important to just get her to eat, sadly.

tjcarst said:

Thank you, Emily.

My cat would only eat dry kibble her entire life.  By the time we found out she had advanced CRF, it was more important to just get her to eat, sadly.

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Emily was like that too, but by the time she was diagnosed it was too late to do anything and I had no choice but to end her suffering that day. There are so many causes of anorexia, weight loss, and dehydration, nobody considered it could be her kidneys.

I am glad the OP's cat was diagnosed early, when she can still do something to slow down its pregression.

My CRF cat lived for 3 years after diagnosis.  He was about 13 at the time of his diagnosis, and had been on dry kibble his entire life.  He did not like any of the kidney diets, so we just fed him anything he would eat.  NOW we have switched all our remaining cats to a raw diet, because I truly believe it was the kibble diet that caused the kidney failure in the first place.

My 19 yr old cat, Aztec, has had renal insufficiency for over 2 years now. He gets various supplements depending on his needs at the time (currently B12 injections, probiotics, and a nutraceutical from Italy with a phosphorus binder and potassium supplement). I think prescription kidney diets are more harmful than beneficial to cats so Aztec eats 50% raw, 50% good quality canned. 

mrsgreenjeens said:

My CRF cat lived for 3 years after diagnosis. He was about 13 at the time of his diagnosis, and had been on dry kibble his entire life. He did not like any of the kidney diets, so we just fed him anything he would eat. NOW we have switched all our remaining cats to a raw diet, because I truly believe it was the kibble diet that caused the kidney failure in the first place.

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KIbbles do cause CRF and I also believe they did it to Emily, who would not even sniff wet food. Other posters told me if I was smart and only gave her wet food in 1994, she would have loved it all 12 years. That looks too good to be true, but I feel guilty anyway.

Consider yourself very lucky to have that cat three years after diagnosis. When Wilbur was diagnosed, his vets believed he would live several more years. Instead, his kidneys failed so rapidly he received hospice care for two weeks that involved eating treats on the couch. I will never know how old he was, but he was definitely in the double digits.

tjcarst said:

Why a cage?  When I did at home sub-q, it took less than 5 mins.  Does your cat try to get away while you do the sub-q?

Your cats creatinine and BUN do not seem awfully high.  I would have to guess something else is causing the third eyelid to show.

There has been much debate on whether the k/d special diets actually work or do more harm.  I was of the mindset that any food was better than none, but my cat had refused to eat by the time she was diagnosed.  My kitty had creatinine of 6.2 mg/dl (0.3-1.4 normal) and urea nitrogen of 100 mg/dl (7-25 normal).  My cat's third eyelids did not show even though she was very sick, but maybe each cat shows different symptoms?  Sorry not too helpful here.

You caught it early, so you may want to ask advice from those who are more knowledgeable about the diet for CRF kitties.

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first of all remember i'm in costa rica---******* torture. the vets, the medicines, nothing is up to the standards of the states. anyway, my vet said she wanted to put darwin on IV liquids

from 4 days to possibly a month depending on blood results.  do you mean go on a sort of " out patient " regiment. give him the IV bag and when it's done pull out the needle, and repeat

the next day, etc??? of course this would "free" him which i'd prefer---as long as it didn't stress him too much. believe me i feel perhaps i exaggerate his discomfort. i look at his third eyelid

and tears come to my ears, he hates pills but, twice a day he gets a pill, and i almost look for an excuse to pass---i just hate to give him one uncomfortable moment.

the vet said the science diet KD formula as that targets kidney malfunction. i would think there's no other food in this country that has a medicinal benefit. feel free to recommend

something and i'll ask the pet store to order special.

thanks everyone for your input. funny thing is if i go to internet and check kidney malfunction symptoms, darwin has absolutely NONE of them. if it wasn't for the protruding

third eyelids i wouldn't know anything. it was this that caused the vet to take blood samples.

One of my family's first cats was diagnosed with CRF when she was 16. . .no "treatment" except switching her to canned Fancy Feast, and she lived another 5 years. Hydration is very important.

Yes, if fluids are given it shouldn't take all day. Just inject the proper amount and he can go on his way. Some kitties fight it but some are very good about sitting still. Treats help .

Hill's might be the only company to make a prescription diet for CRF, but that is not necessary if you have high quality protein, low phosphorus, and a lot of water. Weruva seems to fit those requirements so I would get that (look for Paw Lickin' Chicken and Nine Liver, which is also chicken). It is available on several pet supplies websites and you can buy a case of 24 on Amazon if your cat likes it.

EmilyMayWilcha said:

Hill's might be the only company to make a prescription diet for CRF,

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Pretty much all the big pet food companies have cashed in on the renal diet trend, so it's not just Hill's making them anymore (although they were the first).

Medi-cal makes Reduced Protein and Iams makes Multistage renal. The latter in the canned form looks like diarrhea and my crf cat will not touch it. My cat was diagnosed 3 years ago. He is in stage three (Iris) but is doing well. Subq fluids daily, all canned diet, a phosphorus binder started recently. But I think i have been yucky with Schweppie in that he hasn't had any major uremic crises. Knock on wood!

I get the rx foods and understand they have their place, but sometimes I wonder if the research is done to rationalize the food or vice versa? Like Emily said, why dies a dry k/d exist when it goes against one of the main principles in dealing with crf. another example is Hills' Healthy Advantage diet for cats wherech is not rx bit doesn't come in cannedbeven when all their research says cats need Hydration from their food. Although I see why they exist, I always researchmy options before resigning to feed an rx diet.

You may find that your cat doesn't always have an appetite and this happens because the foods with lower protein don't taste as good as higher protein foods. So you may have to rotate foods like I do because even if the food isn't appropriate for a crf cat, your cat must eat! I would look for a food with moderate to high protein, lower phosphorus or use a phosphorus binder and encourage drinking by getting a water fountain or adding water to the food. Give omega 3 fatty acids, probiotics. Ask your vet what he or she thinks about benazapril or calcitriol. Some dvms believe in starting these right away. With benazapril, it has been shown to increase the glomular filtration rate in the kidneys which helps rid the kidneys of wastes. Im not too clear on calcitriol but it's worth looking into. You have to get your cat's ionized calcium tested to see what dose of calcitriol will suit your cat. And expect to do Bloodwork, urinalysis, culture and sensitivity testing , urine-protein-Creatinine ratio and blood pressure checks regularly, usually every three months or so.

There are a number of supplements out there. One of them is Azodyl. I was giving this to Schweppie but stooped because while it may reduce the urea and Creatinine, these are only two of the things that contribute to kidney failure and are used as markers in Bloodwork. There are other nutrients or waste products to be concerned about and I didn't want a false sense of security due to the BUN and Creatinine being low.

Good luck keep checking in as many here are very knowledgeable and experienced.

what's really strange is that my son, darwin, actually doesn't exhibit any of the symptoms one can pick up surfing the internet.