Kidney Failure

[KinkyDorito]

Thought I would start a fresh thread to see if anyone has experience of this?

Little cat was okay overnight at the vet - ate, drank, used litter tray. Vet is going to check him over and get back to me in a bit.

Yesterday they were talking like he would have no chance, but I've done some reading and found that cats can live on with kidney failure. This has changed my perspective a bit. I've read that even with appalling blood counts, if he responds to a few days of fluid, he might have a chance.

I am willing to do what it takes as long as he will be okay in himself. I'm certainly not going to try and prolong his life if he is in pain.

This is my earlier thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_litter_tray/1778994-Poorly-boy

I don't want to get my hopes up, but I also don't want to consent to them PTS if he needs a few days to really see how he will cope. The way they were speaking, it was like today would be decision day.

Any advice/experiences greatly received.

Yes - I do have experience, Kinky.

It's not great news, I'm afraid, particularly given your boy's age and the speed of onset of the symptoms.

Best to wait and get the vet's assessment of him in a few hours or when they phone back.

PS - much will depend on the degree of renal impairment.

Thanks cozie.

Vet has confirmed he is brighter this morning. Rather than do bloods today, she is now saying to let him have 48 hours on fluids, then send him home and retest after a further 48 hours to see if he is coping off the drip.

She's recommending giving him a chance to see how he'll cope at least. I'm surprised she's not going to do bloods though. Did she give you any indication of her diagnosis/prognosis other than wait and see?

Sorry - my fault as my post was unclear. She'll take his bloods after 48 hours on fluids, let him out and retest bloods. No other indication of diagnosis or prognosis.

Ah. I would guess she's not hopeful then. Sorry, Kinky.

She said that some cats pull through and she is hoping that he is one of them. I'm starting to wonder, from what you are saying, whether we are not really getting the information from them that we should be. By tomorrow, I'll be on about £400. The money at this point does not matter - it's what my CC was made for - but I'd expect to be properly informed for it. Do you think I should be asking more questions? She said just to leave him until tomorrow afternoon and then they would test to give fluids a chance to kick in.

I don't know if I'm coming or going with all of this!! We were walking around weeping last night, now she's getting my hopes up but still hasn't given us a diagnosis/prognosis.

Am confused and very tired.

Vet is a bit dithery.

I think you need one of the vets on the board to answer, really.

All I know is that I would be looking, at this stage, for a vet to be telling me what she thought was likely wrong - or at least to give me her thoughts on the likely problem with maybe some possibilities. I would also be expecting her to be looking to inform her thoughts with some clinical evidence if possible.

I don't like just wait and see prognoses unless I know why waiting and seeing is a good idea or why there is uncertainty.

But that's just me and I'm probably a nightmare as a main client.

What I will say is that things don't look so hot, Kinky - serious renal impairment as you describe in a young cat. Stay hopeful but be realistic.

Thanks cozie - I want to do the best by him, whichever way it goes. Is there a vet on here I can ask, or do they just come along?

I've rung them back and asked her to call me again.

No - we do have some vets who post but they do so out of love for cats only and you can't guarantee you'll see one day in or day out. In addition, they can only really give general thoughts because they haven't had the opportunity to see the animals in question.

Your own vet is best placed to take the critical views.

Right. She thinks he had serious kidney failure probably after living with chronic kidney problems that hadn't been spotted. But, he is improving in himself and they are happy with him compared to how he was when he got there. She said it could well be manageble. It will come down to whether his bloods come down by tomorrow, and then whether he can manage the 48 hours off the drip and bloods hold. If he can't, she said they could do further tests to try and work out a different cause. Cross that bridge then.

He certainly doesn't sound like he's at death's door as he was yesterday, but I do understand it does not mean he will be okay and we still could lose him if he can't come off the drip and manage. Even if counts come down, things will be very different for him.

So confusing!! I am having a steep learning curve about cat illness!

Thanks again cosie. I do appreciate your help

Oh Kinky I can't offer any advice I'm afraid but blimey! Could do without it, hey? I hope Littlecat perks up and manages ok.

My daring darling cat lived for 2 years after kidney failure. The first vet who saw him when the horror began wanted to put him down. I'm so glad we asked for a second opinion. It did cost a fortune but, I loved him so very very much. I'm so glad we had those extra two years together.

Hi trazzles hope you are all doing okay at the minute. You're not kidding - talk about being sick to the back teeth of illness and conditions and managing things. Jeez. I just hope he pulls through. And once again I am caught in that whole cycle of trying to make the right decisions. I know it is my cat rather than DD, but it is still mentally exhausting.

It must be. Especially after all you've been through with DD.

Try to take at least one day off doing something active/purposeful while he's at the vets. He's in a safe place there and you don't need to be moping around the house just waiting for a phone to maybe ring.

It is utterly exhausting mentally. I've just been through it with SoupKitten and it was hell with all the could be this, could be that to-ing and fro-ing.

Fingers crossed for a positive result.

How is Soupkitten now?

She didn't make it, Kinky.

Yes, she was never going to get better (heart failure) so I made the decision to have her put to sleep rather than stress her out trying lots of different medicines. Nothing was going to make her better or offer her a decent length of life.

It was two weeks of "could be this... Could be that... Could be this after all" and was very stressful - as you know!

I hope LittleCat proves to be a strong one. SoupKitten was not a robust cat.

Little cat isn't really either. We'll see. I think I want to know that I have tried for him - like you did. If his counts today haven't improved after 48 hours of the drip, I don't know whether it will be fair to keep testing him. If his kidneys can't survive off this drip, then it doesn't strike me that there is much point prolonging the inevitable. I'll see what the vet says today.

I am really sorry .

It is right at the top of the list of Shit Things I Have Had To Do :( I now know why my parents haven't had another in the 30 years since my childhood spaniel was put to sleep!

In SoupKitten's case she was never going to recover and even if they found the right combination/dose of medication it would probably have been a matter of months. It was really no choice at all.

Sending positive thoughts your way!