Poor ill renal kitty :(

[talulahbelle]

Last November our cat had acute kidney failure, and after being hospitalised and on a drip twice recovered enough to come home. Since then she's seemed healthy, eating senior food mixed with phosphate binder, and enjoying climbing the tree in the garden, chasing after the other cats in the house, and sleeping on our bed.
She had a blood test last week though and the vet wants her back in and on a drip overnight as her blood chemistry shows a build up of toxins. So Monday she has to be hospitalised. Other than one vomit today though she seems very happy and healthy still, although cats are pretty good at hiding feeling rough.
I'm so worried, she is my PFC and such a character. The vet said right at the beginning that she will have a reduced life span and it's a case of managing her blood chemistry. I've just got to hope this treatment helps her improve, but then I feel guilty that I'm putting her through the stress of going on a drip and blood tests.
Any reassurance, or similar tales of renal cats living long and happy lives gratefully received.

I am going to be blunt, but you do understand that nothing can fix the renal failure and that the drips flush the toxins from her system temporarily. It just seems from your post that you maybe hopeful that you can stop doing the regular fluids.
Renal failure is a progressive condition at the moment we can only slow it's progress not stop it. Drugs such as Semintra can be really useful with these cats and low phosphate foods and or phosphate binders. I always aim for the best quality of life for the lowest level of interference even if it is a much short life.

Thankyou lonecat, our vet was always very clear with us that our cat would not live as long as she would normally, but it's all about maintaining a good quality of life. We were told as little as 6 months or as much as 2 years, and it's been 5 months already.

I've not heard of Semintra, so I will ask our vet when we see her about it. Her recent urine check didn't show any decrease in her ability to concentrate urine, and she is happy to continue treatment as long as the cat is happy - I think I'm just worried about the stress of being hospitalised for my cat, and whether it the cats terms it's worth it.

How was she last time she was in hospital and then came home?

The treatment made a real difference and she was a lot happier when she came home. She went in in the morning and we visited her that evening and she was very cuddly and glad to see us, but it's so hard as you can't explain to a cat what's happening and why. I guess we'll just have to be guided by our vets advice.

Cats are fairly pragmatic in my experience. If they're in a place where moaning does them no good, they'll generally hunker down and get through it. Not that it's their favourite experience and they'll be glad to get home of course.

I'd also be guided by my vet. Yours sounds agreeably forthcoming (as well as being caring) so I doubt she'd hold back from letting you know if there was no further point in bringing her in. You'll also see what your cat is like at home.

Best of luck to her.

Our cat was at deaths door with renal failure - we were told to expect the worst. She ended up rallying and after a month in and out of the hospital was put on a phosphate binder and renal diet - she's still with us a little over 2 years later and she's doing really well. We were told it was 'just a matter of time until her kidneys give up completely' but she appears to be in better health now than she was then. She hasn't had blood tests recently but her bodyweight is good and her fur is in way better condition than it's been in years. We know she's on borrowed time but at one point we didn't expect her to see her 9th birthday and she's now about to turn 11 :D