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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Advanced kidney disease

61 replies

OhYouBadBadKitten · 13/09/2013 11:23

Back from the vet with my old badcat. We had been noticing some behaviour changes (weeing in inappropriate places, howling), bad breath and weight loss.

I suspected it might be her kidneys but didnt think it would be as bad as it appears so I'm writing this sobbing. The vet turned around the blood work within an hour (lovely man). Creatinine and urea are both very high. We need to get him a urine sample, which we will do for Monday so he can see if there is any point in trying any medication to help perfuse the kidneys.

I've been looking at Tanya's CKD site and am going to talk to the vet about whether slippery elm might help badcats tummy - she is occasionally sick and I hadn't connected it all together. I hadn't realised her funny tiny twitches were a symptom either.

I was wondering if anyone who's been through it has any advice. Please be really gentle as I'm finding it really hard to face up to and if anyone is brave enough to hand hold I'd very much appreciate it.

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thecatneuterer · 13/09/2013 11:36

Oh dear I'm so sorry. I had a cat in a similar state (I'd just adopted her as an 18 year old whose owners had decided to go on long holidays and she was an inconvenience!) - anyway her bloods were really bad and she wasn't well at all.

She was put on Fortekor and her bloods became almost normal and she lived happily for another two years.

Has your vet suggested treatment?

cozietoesie · 13/09/2013 11:45

Yes - been there myself so I'll hand hold with you.

Is she still trying to eat? Oh - and how old is she?

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 13/09/2013 11:54

Not yet TCN, he wants to see what her urine was like first. (Ironically she had just had a wee before we came out, so they couldn't get a sample so now we have to) it's good that she had another two years. I'll have a look at fortekor.

Thank you cozietoes, she's 16. She is still eating, but picking at her food rather than massively interested and has lost a quarter of her body weight in a year. We've tried some really stinky stuff but its not really helped. The vet said he was going to suggest a special diet for her.

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Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 13/09/2013 12:11

Fortekor looks potentially pretty helpful. Wish he'd just prescribed it straight away. Even if it doesn't help prolong things, if it helps her quality of life that would be good.

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thecatneuterer · 13/09/2013 13:36

Well I had great results with it. And when she did eventually die at the age of 20 it was 0f a heart attack and not even directly kidney-related. I'm sure your vet will be able to suggest treatment once he's had the sample.

Lonecatwithkitten · 13/09/2013 15:12

There is a new drug on the market called semintra. It is much, much more specific than fortekor and should now be the first choice for cats with chronic kidney disease with protein their urine. Fortekor has some undesirable side effects Semintra dose not have these.
I would ask about IRIS stage this is a very good indication of prognosis etc.
In my practice we are switching all our cats from fortekor to semintra. The other great thing about semintra is it's a liquid so much easier to give.

cozietoesie · 13/09/2013 15:19

That's useful to know, Lone. Thanks. (So can be inserted daily in food?)

Lonecatwithkitten · 13/09/2013 15:21

Yes, it's really new launch 10 days. Very first drug to receive palatability award prior to launch due bing given in food.

thecatneuterer · 13/09/2013 15:44

That's interesting Lonecat. Is it more expensive than Fortekor?

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 13/09/2013 16:21

That's really exciting! I'll talk to our vet about it once we've given him the urine sample. If she doesn't have protein in her urine then it's not suitable?

Badcats urea was at 24 and creatinine at 377, so I guess that makes it IRIS stage 3?

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Lonecatwithkitten · 13/09/2013 17:18

thecatneutered it depends on weight if the cat is more than 4 kg it is more expensive, 4kg is the same price and less than 4kgs cheaper.

IRIS Stage 3 yes so need to control phosphate as well.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 13/09/2013 17:46

Is diet the best way to go for that? (Hope you don't mind me asking all these questions).

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Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 13/09/2013 17:57

I do feel really bad that I didn't get her to the vet earlier. For the first time ever she was overdue for her annual check up because we had so much other stuff going on. Rubbish cat owner :( we could have caught this earlier and she's probably been feeling awful and I could have helped. Loathing myself at the moment.

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Lonecatwithkitten · 13/09/2013 18:58

Very difficult to pick early renal failure I didn't with my beautiful moggy girl the first thing I noticed with my PFBC (precious first born cat) was that she didn't eat two meals in a row. So you are not rubbish owner.
Phosphate is controlled using diet and/or phosphate binders depending on the phosphate levels on the bloods.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 13/09/2013 20:23

I guess it underlines the importance of annual checks - it would have picked up the weight loss a couple of months ago but I'd had fairly major surgery and was having a rubbish time. I thought her teeth were bothering her and put it off. Not a excuse though, she should have been a priority.

Anyway, I have todo my best by her now. She's a funny little love, normally really predictable in habits but decided to try and go outside just before it was time for the vets. All I had to do to get her to come back was turn the tv and she came back as fast as she could ready to sit on my lap on the sofa.

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timtam23 · 13/09/2013 22:05

OhYou I am so glad you've started this thread as my old 18 year old girl is fading away slowly with chronic kidney failure. I am very tearful about it as she was only a few weeks old when I got her, so we go back a long way together.
I thought she might be dying at the weekend and rushed her to the vets but it was a bad reaction to Metacam (she also has arthritis). she really hasn't picked up well though since then, she is definitely going downhill. I'm not sure how far to push things with her as she is old & tired and is also struggling a bit with our newly-adopted very lively stray kitten (completely unplanned and I feel guilty for its effect on my 2 old cats).

I got home from work tonight and she didn't look well, I was supposed to be seeing some friends but have cancelled because I'm too sad tonight Sad

I hadn't heard about semintra or fortekor so I may mention them to the vet but nothing's been suggested for her kidneys so far, just for the arthritis (and the kidneys complicate this treatment as most of the arthritis meds seem to make kidneys worse, so we are onto a loser whichever one we go for)

I feel guilty about it as well but it's an easy thing to miss as it's very gradual onset and it seems almost inevitable that elderly cats will get it.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 13/09/2013 22:32

:( we can cry together. I'm so sorry that you are going through it. {{hugs}}

My other old girl didnt respond well to metacam either, it was really hard on her tummy. So we just make her comfy places to sleep and carry her to everywhere she wants to go - she howls until we've got it right.

We have a younger cat and I can tell she's irritating badcat - she keeps lying in badcats favourite spots and trying to shove her off my lap.

She seems to have loads of teeny twitches tonight, I hope it's just a reaction to the stress of the vets today.

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timtam23 · 13/09/2013 22:43

DH thinks I'm over-reacting (to be fair, he is at home with the cats every day so he sees a lot more of them than I do). But she doesn't seem right, she looks quite dishevelled & very quiet (she's longhaired and has never liked being brushed, but can't groom herself now).

She had an arthritis tablet called Onsior for a trial period a few weeks ago, and was noticeably better, but the vet was worried about the effect on her kidneys so we were given first morphine & then metacam instead. But these haven't helped and she is generally worse, so I begged for Onsior again today and have a 4-day supply. We figured if the pain is reduced she will at least be more comfortable even if there is nothing else to be done, and her kidneys are failing anyway so the Onsior won't make much longterm difference.

My kitten is really hassling her as well, it's hard to know what to do as she is so set in her ways and HAS to sleep in "her spot" etc, but she is so obviously irritated by him.

Forgive me for wittering on but it is nice to have plenty of people who are going through, or have gone through, similar things

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 13/09/2013 22:53

It's good to have you on the thread. Dh really understands but most of my friends won't.

I think if you feel things aren't right you are probably right. I hope the pain relief helps quickly and makes a difference.

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timtam23 · 13/09/2013 22:59

Well she has just woken up, groaned her way off the chair, stalked off and gone out into the back yard with DH!

I don't think Onsior is a miracle cure but I feel a bit better for seeing her move at least!

But her appetite is really poor, she is a big cat, should probably weigh over 5kg but was 4.9kg a month ago and 4.2kg at the weekend so her weight really is dropping, she is very bony now. I missed picking up on this for a while as she is so fluffy that it hides the weight loss (even more guilt Sad)

One day at a time I think...

cozietoesie · 13/09/2013 23:01

I think that one thing I would add (and I'm sorry for it) is that you'll have to be very clear headed about their condition. The slide is often gradual and you'll be adjusting to it as it continues.

timtam23 · 13/09/2013 23:13

Yes cozie your advice is much appreciated. I haven't had to deal with this before because I've only ever had 2 cats and they somehow have both survived to a very advanced age!

It's like having 2 very elderly tiny doddery relatives living with us - one with renal failure/arthritis, the other one blind with high blood pressure...

To be honest the new kitten hasn't helped things at all, she was bumbling along fairly ok until he turned up.

My vet is very upfront with discussions about quality of life, and I think we're pretty clear as to what would be a poor quality for her, so hopefully we'll get the decisions right.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 14/09/2013 20:44

I've been reminding myself that at the moment she still seems happy and enjoying life. My main aim is to keep her as comfortable as we can and to enjoy her company. I know her time with us is limited so we need to make the most of it.

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ClaraOswald · 14/09/2013 20:51

Oh, no Bad Kitten. :(

It's all you can hope to do for your animals when they get infirm and sick. Keep them calm and comfortable. Been through it twice- one cat with cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure, one dog with cancer.

It sucks beyond belief.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 14/09/2013 21:06

It does really suck. She's such a lovely cat, always very gentle and always one to cuddle up on you when you aren't feeling well.

Tried offering her some of my dinner but she's been so well trained not to eat our food that she didnt even consider it.

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