IV Therapy fo r Kidney Failure

djewoods

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Could someone explain when is IV Therapy for a cat with kidney failure is benificial and/or reccommended?
Thanks, Deborah.
 

zanniesmom

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Pat and Alix will be able to tell you all about it, but basically, cats in kidney failure are unable to concentrate their urine, so they pee out more fluid than they take in and they get dehydrated which makes the kidney failure worse. But I have only heard of IV therapy when they are first diagnosed, and very dry. Usually they teach you to give subcutaneous fluids using an IV set up by inserting the needle through the skin above their shoulders and infusing 100-250 ml of normal saline or lactated Ringer's solution. Sounds hard, but it is easy once they show you how. Becky
 

dawnofsierra

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I'm so sorry you're having to face this with your baby. I know it can feel so overwhelming. You may want to visit this site. It is a wealth of information that has helped me so much. This site also contains a great deal of very helpful information. This is a support group you may want to consider joining. It really helps to know you and your baby are not alone in this situation. Please feel free to pm any time at all. I know others will also have wonderful advice for you!Please know you can ask us anything at all!
 

pat

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Originally Posted by djewoods

Could someone explain when is IV Therapy for a cat with kidney failure is benificial and/or reccommended?
Thanks, Deborah.
Hi Deborah,

Stephanie has given you the links that I would have, so I will just reinforce that you should check them out and read them thorougly. IV therapy is usually used at time of a crisis, which can happen more than once in a crf kitties life, and at initial diagnosis if the cat is very ill at that time.

As Becky explained, if the stage of crf indicates it, owners are usually taught how to give sub-q fluids at home, and there are medications, diet changes that are also begun.

Please let us know how your kitty is doing, several of us have crf kitties. Mine is Patrick, diagnosed over 2 years ago, 17 y.o. now almost 18.
 

rang_27

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I don't have much to add other than to say I'm sorry your going through this. I went through this for 2 years with my Smokey she passed away a little over a year ago at 17 years of age. The last 2 years of her life I did sub-q every other day.
 

sashacat421

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Originally Posted by Rang_27

I don't have much to add other than to say I'm sorry your going through this. I went through this for 2 years with my Smokey she passed away a little over a year ago at 17 years of age. The last 2 years of her life I did sub-q every other day.


I am really hoping that this will help your little one. I don't have any experience in this area at all, but I have been through leukemia and all it brings. I am sending really good vibes to you!
(((BIG HUG)))
Elizabeth
 

rockinrhonda

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I hope everything turns out ok for you i can't much either cause i went through this with koko puff also who i lost in july
my prayers are with you
rhonda
 

sicycat

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My parents cat ChiChi has CRF.. she's 16 and was diagnosed in August. It's hard.. I feel so bad for my mom but she's doing a great job giving her fluids and medications.
to you.
 

rang_27

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It truly is one of the most difficult things I ever went through, but I'd do it over again because I am thankful for every day I had with Smokey. (exept maybe the last 2 weeks, I just wish I had been a little less selfish & let her go a little earlier)
 

graykittenlove

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It's never easy with kitties with Kidney disease. My parent's cat Bubbles (the cat they wouldn't let me leave the house with , looking back the stress probably would have killed her had I tried.) as sever Kidney disease she was diagnoised two years ago and probably had it much longer. I am kind of angry about it because I kept taking her to the vet and they never found anything wrong with her. Then I tried another vet and bang we had a diagnoises. Needless to say I take both my boys to the vet that diagnoised her even though its a half hour drive away and there's a vets office within five minutesof my house. She is probably nearing the end of her life now. I believe my Mother has come to the decision that after the first of the year if she has made improvement they're going to begin talking to the vet about options.


When she was first diagnosed we tried IV theraphy and it seemed to work just about as well as anything else. We had a harder time getting her to eat than anything though, she just wouldn't eat somedays and force feeding a cat is never fun. But like with any pet owner, I wouldn't trade these past few years of having her around for anything. I would say definately join one of the support groups around. People who have been living with this for a while are a wonderful source of creative ways to help your cat live with this and have a better quality of life living with it.
 

kittenkiya

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It is very easy to do, but the cat is going to die anyway. I just lost my beautiful Calico female, Diddo to this disease about two months ago. I gave her the IV treatment over the weekend but I realized that she had kidney failure and put her to sleep. There are two things I don't allow in my house, pain and suffering.
 

pat

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Originally Posted by KittenKiya

It is very easy to do, but the cat is going to die anyway. I just lost my beautiful Calico female, Diddo to this disease about two months ago. I gave her the IV treatment over the weekend but I realized that she had kidney failure and put her to sleep. There are two things I don't allow in my house, pain and suffering.
It is a very individual decision, and needs to be based on how the cat is doing, not on the fact they have this diagnosis. My CRF kitty is not in pain, nor is he suffering.
 

hissy

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I would agree with Pat. There are varying stages of this disease, and it is entirely up to the owner who one would hope is enough in tune with the animal to understand when the quality of life is really gone.
 

mybabies

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Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

It is a very individual decision, and needs to be based on how the cat is doing, not on the fact they have this diagnosis. My CRF kitty is not in pain, nor is he suffering.


There are MANY cats with CRF and they are not suffering. Some, though, it is true, just do not respond to any kind of treatment. My cat's Creatnine was was 3.0 and BUN 53 and it was brought down to 2.2 and 46 with SubQ fluids. She does NOT like them but I figure a few minutes every other day won't hurt!

NOW If I can just get her on better food! <sigh>


BTW Yahoogroups has several great group for CRF cats. If anyone is interested PM me and I will send you the URL"S to them. IF that is OK with the moderators!
 

pat

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Originally Posted by MyBabies

NOW If I can just get her on better food! <sigh>


BTW Yahoogroups has several great group for CRF cats. If anyone is interested PM me and I will send you the URL"S to them. IF that is OK with the moderators!
Yes, they do, I am on one
I usually offer the addess the same way, via PM.

Re better foods, though slightly outdated, are you using the katkarma food lists for reference? I've found a good variety of canned this way for my guy, and a dry food he's currently eating (royal canin mature 28).
 

sicycat

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Originally Posted by MyBabies



There are MANY cats with CRF and they are not suffering. Some, though, it is true, just do not respond to any kind of treatment. My cat's Creatnine was was 3.0 and BUN 53 and it was brought down to 2.2 and 46 with SubQ fluids. She does NOT like them but I figure a few minutes every other day won't hurt!

NOW If I can just get her on better food! <sigh>


BTW Yahoogroups has several great group for CRF cats. If anyone is interested PM me and I will send you the URL"S to them. IF that is OK with the moderators!
ChiChi's BUN was something insane like 164 and Creatnine like 5 something when she was first diagnosed. My mom noticed she wasnt herself for a couple days and brought her in. Thank god she did. I cant believe she didnt die then. She is now getting subq fluids and she stays around 60 BUN and normal Creatnine. It's still pretty high I guess, after reading your levels. She wont touch the other foods either
She has been eating friskies (yuck) her entire life and will not eat anything else. Luckily though she is still eating at all and seems a lot like her old self, she still plays and is alert and friendly, doesnt seem to be in any pain. We've prolonged her life by 4 or 5 months and she's doing well. (lost a little weight over the months but I guess it is to be expected).
 

ctcat

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Originally Posted by KittenKiya

It is very easy to do, but the cat is going to die anyway. I just lost my beautiful Calico female, Diddo to this disease about two months ago. I gave her the IV treatment over the weekend but I realized that she had kidney failure and put her to sleep. There are two things I don't allow in my house, pain and suffering.
There is acute kidney failure and chronic kidney failure. My cat was diagnosed two weeks ago with crf. We do occasional fluids at home and he is on a special diet. I'm very happy to say he is doing quite well. He even gave my old female cat a smack as she went walking by. That is how I know he is feeling himself right now
 

mzjazz2u

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Originally Posted by dawnofsierra

I'm so sorry you're having to face this with your baby. I know it can feel so overwhelming. You may want to visit this site. It is a wealth of information that has helped me so much.
Hey that one site is the one I gave you a while back! I'm glad it's been beneficial to you too! Great site, huh?
 
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