Help!!! My cat is dying of kidney failure!!!

lydiainflorida

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Hi,


I took my 4 year old cat Magic to the vet today because he has pretty
much stopped eating and lost a lot of weight. He was diagnosed with
Chonic Renal Failure with secondary anemia. Since Magic was not happy
at the vet (they had to sedate him in order to examin him because he
was very angry, scared, and started attacking everyone once we got into
the exam room). The vet also put "Cat is very difficult to work with
and may not be able to give SQ Fluids at home" on the diagosis.


So the vet pretty much gave Magic the death sentence. He said Magic
only has a few weeks left, and other people in similar situations
usually come back two days later to put the cat to sleep. He gave me
some canned food, and asked me to let him know when I'm ready.


Aside from not eating and losing weight, Magic seems somewhat normal.
He's still walking around and sometimes jumps up and down. He now
weighs only 8.06 lbs (from 14 last June) and is pretty much all bones.


The blood test showed high level of toxins. The vet urged me to get a
second opinion, but he said numbers don't lie.


The test results read:
ALP 53 10-90
ALT 36 20-100
BUN 170* 10-30
CRE 11.3* 0.3-2.1
GLU 136 70-150
TP 7.7 5.4-8.2
PCV - 19%
TS - 7.2
QC OK
HEM 1+, LIP 0, ICT 0


According to the vet, the BUN and CRE levels are fatally high and the
cat simply can't survive. Does anyone if there's any way I can save my
cat? He's my first pet ever and I am just not ready to let him go yet.
I thought he was just having teeth problems and that's why he wasn't
eating. I was totally not prepared to hear that he was going to die and
that I only had a week or two left with him.


Please, someone, if you know anything about kidney failures, or CRF
(Chronic Renal Failure), please share with me. If you know of an online
forum where there are more knowledgeable people on cats, please share
with me too. I'm so sad right now I don't know what I am typing.


Thanks!
 

anfernee

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My own cat Ralph died of this a few years ago, although i was not aware this could affect Cats as little as 4. Ralph was 12 at the time.

Ok, we were given this "fluid option" i think however from the sounds of it, it is not exactly the most enjoyable procedure for cats and while it may prolong their life, it merely delays the inevitable. I am no expert, so i am hoping someone on here can give a different opinion to what i have. We opted not to go ahead with it because we did not want to prolong the pain our cat was in just so we could feel better at having him around longer.

Rest assured there are many people on here who will be able to help with concise advice, just sit tight and the posts will come.
 

devlyn

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I'm so sorry to hear about your cat, Magic! You must be so distressed to hear his diagnosis.
Please don't lose hope yet, though. Before I found out what was wrong with my cat, Pippin, last week, CRF was a potential diagnosis so I did some research. There are many people who have been able to keep their kitties going for a while despite CRF, but only with very agresssive treatment.
Here are a few sites to get your started:
http://www.holisticat.com/crf.html
http://cats.about.com/od/kidneydisease/

No matter what, you need to start assist feeding immediately. I'm sure the other helpful folks will chime in with some great advice too, but I wanted you to know that there IS hope for Magic.
Good luck and lots of hugs from me and my crew!

Dev
 

hissy

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Only you can answer as to when it is time to say goodbye. And as I have told many before you, you look at the quality of life the cat is in now, and see if the spark of life is still within his eyes and you go from there.

I know many people who decide to fight this, and the end varies based on how pronounced the disease is, and how long it has been settled in. I don't quite understand your vet's proclaimation that sub cu's may not be easy to give at home, especially based on how freaked out and stressed your cat gets at the vet's office. Honestly sub cu's are not hard to give they can perk up appetite, calm down fevers and make cats feel much better. But if you are squeamish about needles, that may not be an option for you.

Good luck with this, you will need it-
 

tuxedokitties

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I'm so sorry you've gotten such traumatic news.


I'd suggest the first thing to do is find a feline specialist - someone who has had lots of extra experience with cats, who's used to dealing with 'hard to handle' cats, and can help you make an informed decision, and coach you through treatment if that's what you decide to do.

This site lists specialists - enter your info for one in your area:
http://www.aafponline.org/find.php

Also, just because Magic is hard for the vet to handle, doesn't necessarily mean that he'll be hard for you to treat at home. Some cats tolerate subq fluids just fine, if it's their owner doing it and not a stranger at the vet clinic.

www.felinecrf.com & www.felinecrf.org have lots of good information, and I believe there's also a good Yahoo! group for people going through this, though I don't know the address- you could try going to www.yahoo.com, finding the Groups page, and searching for feline crf.

I'll be praying for Magic
and thinking of you


Tess
 

sharky

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My heart goes out to you... My 16 yr old has crf ... Check out the wecsites that others have offered./... I find baby food works when she isnt wanting to eat... I say get a second vet if you can... the diagnoises isnt the issue but vets treat everyone differnt..or so i have noticed
 

hissy

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If a cat is turning away from the food bowl, there are ways to try and tempt this cat to eat:
  • Warm the canned cat food in the microwave several seconds to wake up the flavor.
  • Give the cat a small pinch of catnip (an appetite stimulant) before feeding.
  • Sprinkle grated cheese over the food. Dot the food with cream cheese.
  • Check the cat's nostrils for crusty discharge. Cats won't eat what they can't smell.
  • Acidophilus capsules- break one open, wet your little finger, dip your finger in the powder, and rub your wet finger on your cat's gum.
  • Give them forced fluids (either subcutaneous or syringed liquid (Pedialyte) an hour before meals.
Ask your vet for Cyproheptadine, which is an antihistamine, and an appetite stimulant. This needs to be given when you are home to offer the food, because when it kicks in, it works! The cat wants food, and she wants it now!
 

pat

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Hi,
I saw your note on the support list I am on, and know you will get great advice...please do begin getting some food in your kitty, read all of the felinecrf.org site, and if your vet won't work with you or your cat, *and* you feel your cat's indicating it's not his time, find a second vet asap.

Wishing you all the best,
 

sylorna

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Hi,
I'm so sorry to hear about your wonderful kitty. All I can offer is a hopeful story.
Our 18 year old cat, Rasha, has been battling with kidney failure for the last 3 years. When he was diagnosed, the vet said that he had had small kidneys in the first place and that they had since "shrivelled" to 1/3 their original size. My mom also thought that it was bad teeth, as he's known for such things.
The vet told mom that even with "kitty dialisis", where they pump as many fluids into him as humanly possible for a couple of days; he still wouldn't live any more than a week. Because of the suddeness of the situation, mom decided to spend the money and try it. She says it was the best $300 she ever spent. With the help of some pills which stimulate the blood around the kidneys, some low protein food, and a lot of help from mom (force feeding him when needed, being very very attendant about his water intake) he's been happy for the last 3 years. Unfortunately, it seems he's been loosing this battle over the last week, but at least she's had the time she needed to enjoy him and say goodbye.
In your case, I'm not sure what I would do, especially since he's not very good with treatment. It also very much depends on how far along he is in the problem. I really really hope that you have found some good, reliable advice on the forums and that you make the decision that's best for you. Please know that we all want to be there to help you feel better in this difficult time.
 
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