Cat in last stages of chronic kidney disease

[expatmigrant]

Our beautiful ginger tom has been suffering fro CKD for about three years now. We rescued him whilst living overseas.
He has been receiving treatment at our local vets for a year now.
He was last on an intravenous drip a week ago and also had an anti-sickness injection. He used to weigh weigh 8kg, he is now 4.2kg.
However, this time he has not picked up at all. He is barely eating enough to stay alive and is sleeping all day, only leaving his bed to go for a wee.
I always see the same young vet and he keeps wanting to put him on a drip and keep giving him the anti-sickness injections.
At a stage now where I'm not sure what to do next. Really don't think he is benefitting from the treatment any more.
Anybody else with cat suffering with CKD? Any advice welcome.

I'm very sorry OP. Sadly almost all of my previous cats have died of kidney failure. Almost without exception they hated the special food and treatment and to be honest I kept my first cat alive for too long.
I think you probably know the best course of action.

Thank you Grumpy. He has been refusing the special food so I've put him back on normal cat food. Just so upsetting to see him wasting away in front of our eyes.
I'm just not sure the vet will support our decision if we ask to have him pts. Seems to just want to push more treatment.
Reluctant to go to another vet as I worry they will just want to do more tests on him.

I really do sympathise - and have been in exactly the same situation with a vet encouraging more tests when I knew it was time to let the cat go. Although it's difficult you really do have the right to disagree with the vet and remember that you understand your cat's quality of life far better than the vet does.

Sorry to hear about your lovely boy OP.

My cat also had CKD - she was pts a couple of weeks ago. Sounds similar to your boy in that she was just laying in the same spot all day, except to get up to use the litter tray, and would eat and drink small amounts if put in front of her but otherwise wouldn't get up for food. She was still purring and happy to see us etc but no real quality of life.

We tried subcut fluids twice a week but our vet said really it needed to be more frequent than that, and my cat hated the vets so much and was getting more and more distressed each time. For us, the stress of the treatment and vets visits was not worth it for our lovely cat just to sit in the same spot for days - if she had been up and bouncing around between treatments then perhaps we would have carried on.

Our vet was supportive which helped - I think you need to broach the topic with them and see. As Grumpy said, you know your cat best. Sorry - it's so very difficult

Very glad that I posted this on here today and really appreciate you sharing your experiences with your cats. All your situations sound just like what we're going through now.
DH and I had a long chat about our boy this afternoon. We will discuss it with the DC over the weekend and then I will phone the vet on Monday.
Not looking forward to it but I think it's the right decision.

Thank you for your support MNs.
Took the sad but right decision to have our handsome ginger boy pts today.
Our young vet was lovely and it was all very peaceful.

So sorry x it sounds like you've done the best by your boy, and he knew he was loved xx

I'm very sorry but it sounds like the kindest thing for him. Looks like he was a very handsome cat

A beautiful cat. So sorry to hear you've had to let him go, but it sounds like you made the right & kindest decision for him.

Lovely boy so sorry to hear about your loss. We lost our old boy last September like yours he lost half his body weight and he had a non operable tumour as well as CKD. The DC understood why he had to be PTS.

We left it a while but the house didn’t feel right without a cat now we have 2 crazy 6 month old kittens who are a joy. I’m sure my old boy approves

He looks the picture of contentment in that photo - clearly loved his family, and loved by you all. You did the right thing for your handsome boy OP

OP. You did the right thing for your gorgeous boy.

What a gorgeous creature. I'm so sorry you had to make a tough decision like that but I think it was the right one. My 19 year old girl is getting close to this point too and I've refused to put her on the bland food because I liken it to stopping a 90 year old human having the odd decent sherry, she may as well enjoy her last few months foodwise. Not looking forward to when I need to do the same as you but will take coursge from your thread.
So sorry for your loss.

I’m so sorry for your loss