Cat suffering during renal failure?

In October, our cat (not sure of age;  found her 7+ years ago, but don't know how old she was then) was  diagnosed with irreversible kidney disease. We gave her antibiotics for an infection and put her on special food, and she seemed to be better. Last Friday (two days ago, now) she walked like she was drunk and couldn't lift her head. The vet did blood tests that showed she has very low potassium levels, which vet said can cause them to tuck their heads. Not sure what the other levels were in test results. Nobody in town has potassium supplements, so we started subcutaneous fluid treatments with potassium. She has had these daily treatments for two days now, but no improvement. To make matters worse, she is very lethargic and won't move, eat, drink, or use the litter box.  I'm worried sick she is in pain or suffering or starving herself to death, and I don't know what to do. Please help!

You want to how her kidney function is. Unfortunately kidney failure is fatal. It may be time to make that decision.

Kidney failure causes ulcers throughout the GI tract depending on what stage of failure the cat is in. The best you can do is try to keep her potassium up, and I would also put her on something (anti-acids) for the GI discomfort.  Mirtazapine can be used to stimulate appetite but it does have side effects and is a last ditch try. Some cats do well on it.

Try this website:

http://www.felinecrf.org/

I haven't had to deal with CRF yet but from my experience with other illnesses sub-q fluids usually make a big difference in how a kitty feels.  I know with other illnesses it can really help a kitty turn the corner.  The sub-q fluids not helping is worrying and not eating is very worrying.  It may well be time to make the decision to let her go.  I know Mrs. Greenjeans kept a CRF kitty going for quite some time, if she doesn't weigh in with her opinion you may want to PM her.

Do you know what her kidney (Bun/Crea) levels are?  What stage of kidney failure is she in?  I had a cat go through this like a year ago and it wasn't easy.  My dad had a cat who lived 3 years with kidney failure and he didn't do any special treatments on him other than feed canned food and ocassionally got subq fluids.  I gave my Tabitha a potassium supplement it was in a tube.  She hated it.  Toward the end I syringe fed her several times a day which was a big pain as she wasn't too compliant about it.  It may be time to let your kitty go.  You just have to decide what quality of life she has, and how far you are willing to go with her treatment.  If you haven't seen the website above, I would recommend you check it out, it was invaluable when I had my Tabitha going through it, it helped out a ton.

I had a cat that lived with CRF for 3 years, but he never got low potassium levels.  I understand, though, that low levels can cause lethargy, appetite loss, imbalance, all the symptoms you described. 

Here is a link to the specific page of a website that discussed it, along with places were you can order potassium and discusses monitoring it (with your Vet).   http://www.felinecrf.org/potassium.htm    I'm not sure how long it takes to see some improvement when it's added to the sub-qs...I'm guessing it depends on the strength.  Sorry I'm not more knowledgeable about that particular detail.  Maybe tomorrow you can discuss this more with your Vet via phone, including whether or not your little one might be in pain.  In the meantime, however, it is imperative that you get SOME food in her or she can start suffering.  Is she on any type of antacid?  Not sure where you are located, but we always just used 1/4 of a Pepcid A/C tablet, although getting him to take it was always an issue when he didn't have any appetite.  We tried wrapping it in a  tasty treat. 

that you can get her potassium levels back to normal.  I think once that happens, she should get back to her normal (for CRF) self.

Our last cat, Sassy suffered from CRF and low potassium levels. She lived about two years after diagnosis, but she also had a thyroid issue as well that complicated things.

When her potassium levels were low she looked like death warmed over; it was scary! She would barely move and refuse food, much like your kitty. Not sure about your vet, but ours gave us a potassium gel that we squirt/rubbed into her mouth. It took about three/four days for us to notice a difference in energy levels; so it might just be that your cat needs another day or two. Sassy started eating almost a day later though, so the biggest problem is getting food in your cat.

I hope your little cat gets better!