11 year old cat with kidney disease...

I am wondering how bad it is. He is 7.5 lbs, very weak. Is picking at wet food, but that is it.

Blood tests end of march:
Bun 94
Creitin 4.8

Blood tests last week:
Bun 204
Creitin 8.9
Phosperous 19.8

Not sure what this all means. He was just diagnosed end if March.

Thanks.

Please, any advice?

l don't have any experience with this at all, sorry.

But l've seen others provide a link to this page :  http://www.felinecrf.org/

l hope it helps until someone with experience comes along.

Hugs to you and your kitty 

What are you doing so far? Subcutaneous fluids, type of food, etc.?

That will help people get started on helping you help your kitty.

We did sub q fluids last Thursday. We have been feeding him the kidney diet food since end if March, but he stopped eating the dry food about a week or more ago. He will eat some of the wet food. He won'teven eat his old dry food. Today he is going yo the vet to be on an IV.

The vet said we could leave him for a few days or we could but him down. That advice is contradictory so I am confused on his prognosis.

The doctor said his blood tests getting twice as bad in a month shows how quickly he is progressing. But I don't know what that means either.

Thanks for your help. I have read many different websites but none fully explain how bad his numbers are.

Is he anemic? Is he receiving anything for nausea?

Hopefully more folks will come in with advice.

This page explains those numbers pretty well. http://www.felinecrf.org/diagnosis_blood_chemistry.htm

It may be that there is a concurrent problem going on that is causing the spike in numbers. Not eating is a huge problem for CKD cats. Have you discussed assist feeding with your vet? Sometimes assist feeding (either syringe feeding or a feeding tube) can help cats through the worst phases. The IV will help, but he needs food or he will continue to deteriorate.Anti-nausea and appetite stimulant meds are other things to discuss with your vet as well.

To me, it sounds like he has suffered Acute Kidney Failure, which could have been the problem all along, or something could have happened very recently to him, after being diagnosed with kidney disease.  Getting on an IV is good for now.  If he is going to survive , at this point, with those numbers, I believe the IV is necessary.  It may take several days of it, and there is no guarantee.  I wish I could tell you it will be ok, but those numbers are not good.     BUT, kitties have survived worse.  It all depends on the cat. 

Is there a chance that your furbaby got into some Easter Lilies or Antifreeze or anything poisonous in April, because that's what it sounds like to me. 

Here is another page from the same website everyone is giving you.  This one is to the AKF page:  http://www.felinecrf.org/acute_kidney_injury.htm.  This overall website has vast information within it that all kidney cats parents can get a world of information from.  I, myself, used it in depth when my kidney cat, Sven , was still alive, and still reference it frequently. 

Good luck to you and your furbaby.  I hope the IV fluids will bring him out of this crisis. 

BTW, as you read thru that website, please feel free to ask any question that pop up.

Thank you all. I am reading the site more and figuring it out better. I spoke to the vet shk said he is advanced and his numbers are on the high side if high. He said if he does well with fluids today we will know if they will help in the future.

I just don't know how long to continue. Icarus is not the cat he was. He isn't excited about life. He pees where he sleeps and won't clean himself. He can barely walk with out being wobbly, he will eat a little drink some and then sit hunched over. Doesn't seem like much of a life. Makes me wonder if continuing with these treatments for the next couple weeks or short few months is the best course. But I also don't want to give up on him and thinking of him not being here is really hard. I really think it might be time, but am scared of making a mistake.

With kidney cats,s it's a real roller coaster.  If you can get him feeling good again, there is no reason he can't get back to his old self, pretty much.  The question really is...how far gone is he?  I think you should at least wait and see, as your Vet suggested, how he will react to receiving these IV fluids? 

But I completely understand where you are coming from.  In my book, it's quality of life vs quantity.  We decided when our Svennie was diagnosed that we would not put him thru the stress of having to be pilled daily, etc., so if we couldn't "sneak" medicine into him, then we would set him free of his  failing body when he was ready.  The one concession we did make was giving him sub-q fluids at home towards to end, because it's really so easy, and it does make them feel better.  

And I let him eat whatever he would eat, because he needed to gain weight.  Our Vet agreed that any food was better that the continual loss of weight.  So if Sven wanted Temptations, that's what he got.  Some days that's all he ate, so I made sure to buy the Temptations Naturals, with extra vitamins added (and they are 100% nutritionally complete, so I felt somewhat satisfied).  If he wanted raw chicken, he got that.   And I was able to give him his Pepcid A/C smooshed between layers of 2/3s of a soft Whiska Lickins treats for each layer (either chicken or salmon).  Worked like a charm. most days.

Anyway, if you have a good relationship with your Vet, ask him (or her) to be perfectly honest with you about Icarus's future, AND quality of life if he can get thru this crisis.  Tell them how is now  acts and get their honest opinion.  Talk to Icarus and ask him what he wants.  I am serious.  My Sven told me when he had had enough, and I honored his wishes.  Because I knew he was ready, even though my heart was breaking, in one way I was glad for him that he was no longer suffering and was once again the proud king of the house he had been before this awful disease cut him down.

   

I picked up Icarus After having IV fluids yesterday. The vet said if they work he would be back to "normal" and to call him Thursday. Well,so far Icarus is unchanged. Even worse, I fed him last night and he seemed to start gagging and was pawing at his face. He ate very little.

I think we may have Icarus put to speed soon. I hate seeing him like this. He is still hunched over and not moving much.

I'm so sorry.  I'm actually a little surprised that he wasn't hospitalized for longer than just overnight.  To me, those numbers meant he was in crisis mode, and I figured he might be hooked up on a slow drip for a couple of days at least.  This WAS an IV vs another sub-q, right?  Has he been throwing up froth?  Did they give him anything for nausea that you know of?  Or an appetite stimulant? 

I'm so sorry he isn't feeling any better

I haven't seen any vomit, but he was drolling after trying to eat yesterday and looked like he was gagging with food coming out of his mouth.  He is still very wobbly.  My husband said he went under the couch today.  He never does that.  I am sure he is hiding, he knows it's almost time.  The dr put him on Sub Q last week Thursday and IV yesterday (Tuesday).  Maybe that is why they didn't admit him longer.  I am not sure.  I think the doctor knows it's not good and just isn't saying it.  The hiding thing has me worried.  I am at school and my husband is at home monitoring him.

Well. Icarus is a mess. Literally, he is sleeping in his litter box. We gave him a bath and woke up this morning to him covered in litter. Where he peed and all. I know this is a bad sign...

Be careful with the IV fluids. I allowed this to be done to my 14 year old and the fluids were too much. They filled her chest and she was unable to breathe. Many vets over do the IV fluids. There are some posts on this forum regarding this issue.

There is a sticky at the top of the forum that has info on CRF.

I would recommend daily subq fluids over IV fluids.

Elevate the cat food/water bowls off the floor to alleviate some of the nausea. A few inches makes a difference.

See if you can get some a/d - super yummy wet food - from your vet.

We did get wet kidney food. He picks at it. His food and water is elevated on the side of the crate. His eye also looks weird. Half closed.

k/d isn't as 'good'. Not sure why. My girl refused the k/d but would eat the a/d.

Here's the sticky on CRF.
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/119727/crf-chronic-renal-failure-links-and-experiences-with

His third eyelid is probably showing.

Have you tried warming the food a little? Sometimes that helps.

It actually isn't his third eye. It is more like he looked like he is in pain and his eyes are half closed, slanted.