Annie cat

Hi everyone,

I'm new here. My cat, Annie, was just diagnosed with Stage 3 kidney disease/failure last week and I'm extremely upset. She's 13-ish.
I got her the renal cat food recommended by the vet and I was told about some pricey supplements such as Azodyl (sp?). I'll do anything for my baby but I don't have money.
Could use emotional support and also suggestions on how to help Annie. She's sleeping a lot, drinking lots water, peeing a lot, etc.
This seemed to come on very quickly. Shr had good bloodwork in August.

Thx for listening,

D

Hi, I have lost several kitty babies over the years due to many health issues such as renal failure in varying stagesof the disease. I cared for at one time mostly special needs kitties meaning physical deformities (physically challenged) so everything was difficult for them at some point as they aged. ...All cats all animals only know today. If today is a good day then that is what they know and live for- They dont think about tomorrow. because they do not have the ability i.e., " Tomorrow I will get treats or next week I get a new toy...etc etc..." Humans sometimes tend to forget that animals do not think like humans or process info like us atleast not yet.... We choose to give them whatever care --hopefully it is the best care and love. Not everyone has the funds so- very often, animal shelters will step in to assist. I do not wait for any of the cats under my care to suffer if I know that it is end stage and at the same time they are not feeling well. I will not do IVs if a kitty is uncomfortable with it and it is only prolonging the sick animal's life . So many to save its mind boggling..and to me...in my own crazy head...I would like to think that each baby that has passed over...wanted me to help another kitty in need- I TNR so I find many who are tame and need a home. Terminally ill babies I take them to the vet for gentle euthanasia. Many may scoff at me and may be angry but it is our decision to make since the animals cant. No animal should suffer a prolonged illness...its about playing, eating, grooming, tail up in the air happy..that is what they know. Often kitties with renal issues act perky then all of a sudden they take a turn for the worse. I heard people do this as well. Whatever you do- dont be afraid to ask a shelter for help for vet care or even when its time for baby to cross over...everything is expensive when it comes to caring for our fur babies- we do the best we can. I wish you and your kitty the best xo

I am so sorry you are dealing with this.  My dad had a kidney failure cat who lived 3 years with nothing more than a plain canned food diet (Fancy Feast and Friskies).  Have you seen this site?  http://www.felinecrf.com/  or this one http://www.felinecrf.org/  They have a lot of great information on them.

I also had a kidney cat that lived for 3 years after diagnosis.  We didn't force anything into him, really, other that try to get him to eat, and let him eat anything he would, because kidney cats are prone to not eating.  We would give him Pepcid A/C for over acidity, but would hide it in treats.  If he didn't eat his treats, then he didn't get his medicine.  For him, pilling was just too stressful.  I don't know about your Annie, but the size of that Azodyl is daunting .  If you think you can get a horsepill down her, then I've heard it really does helpl, however, there really is no cure. 

What are Annie's numbers...do you have them?  specifically her BUN and Creatinine?  Does she LIKE the K/D food?  If so, that's great, as it also does help if they eat the correct food (low in phosphorus)  Does she eat kibble or canned?  If canned, that's best, because it helps to get more water into her, especially if you add more water to it .  Did they tell you you will need to give her sub-q fluids at home?  We didn't need to do that with our guy until towards the very end, and we said we wouldn't do it if it stressed him out...luckily it didn't seem to bother him, and it is so easy, so we did that much for him.  It's relatively inexpensive too, especially if you order your supplies via the internet.  I think our Vet was going to charge $65 for an IV set up, and I found the same thing via the internet for $1.10!  Anyway, depending on what you are going to do, we can help you with pretty much everything, and that website you were directed to above also is a great reference tool.   I have them saved as a favorite because I currently have a kidney cat (again) and need to look up information on their site often. 

What Annie is doing right now...sleeping a lot, drinking a lot and peeing a lot is all natural for a kidney cat.  Let's just hope you can get her to eat a lot too That's my main issue with my old girl right now...she turned 14 earlier this month and now only weighs about 5 lbs.   So we're just enjoying the time we have left with her, and she seems to be enjoying it too.  She's become much more lovable then ever before

I hope you and Annie have many years together still.  With kidney disease, you just never know what's going to happen.  It's a roller coaster