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I would limit her to a room, unless it is going to cause her stress. Just m as le sure your cat sitter warms her fluids.
Regarding feeding, you can add water to Phoebe's food, especially to dry food. My experience, including with one cat who would never drink water from a bowl, is that cats eventually come to accept it. So if you put dry food in a bowl, then pour some water in it, which will make the dry food float on top, your cat has to drink the water in order to make the dry food stop moving around so she can eat it. This works to achieve a higher water consumption than would happen otherwise. I've had success with this approach in the long-term treatment of both constipation and recurrent urinary tract infections, both conditions having been caused by underconsumption of water.Do you think I should restrict her to one room? I’ve already closed off the downstairs since she seemed wobbly on the stairs. The upper level is only 900 square feet. There is water in every room and 2 litter boxes, which she has been using. I have been hand-feeding and she is eager to eat.
The vet mentioned transfusion as a later option. I’m going to call and ask how to know when she needs one to tide her over.
I’m having her cat sitter, who is a very experienced veterinary nurse, administer her fluids daily.
S silent meowlook , thank you for this message. I'm needing to re-read it because I'm of course second-guessing my decision.I am so sorry. Kidney disease is a horrible disease. I am so sorry. It sounds to me like you’re doing the right thing. She is terrified in the hospital, but being hospitalized is what she probably needs. Even with an extended hospital stay she will most likely wind up in the same situation again. Even with a blood transfusion, in my experience, it is only buying some time. Unless we’re talking acute blood loss or something like that.
I kept my cat rusty going for about three years in kidney failure with daily seven times twice a day sub Q fluids of dangerously high amounts. He wasted way to nothing, as they do. I finally did have him euthanized, but I know I waited far too long to do it, and I know that he suffered in the end.
Unfortunately, with kidney disease, unless it’s acute, it is not curable, only treatable provided the treatments work. But still not a cure, just prolonging the inevitable.
You will second-guess yourself and overthink this, and even regret whatever decision you do make. This is human nature. I think we all like to feel we have some sort of control over situation like this, and therefore can somehow change things. In reality really bad diseases happened to really good cats for absolutely no reason at all and, we have no control over it sometimes.
I wish you peace with whatever you do decide.