Anyone experience with FIV cats and kidney issues?

[KTD27]

Hello all
Our lovely boy Captain Tiptoes was adopted with FIV when he was about 3/4 (vets weren’t sure) he is now around 11 we think and usually extremely healthy no issues.
We have had him to the vet today because he’s increasingly off his food, drinking loads and I’ve been a bit concerned about his kidneys. They tried to get bloods but he was so distressed they decided not to and we will go back next week to try again.
He’s lost 1/2 kg in 4-5 months (usually on the porkier side so this is not usual at all we try very hard to make sure he keeps a steady weight) and is sleeping a lot (could be his age and us all being in the house due to lockdown.) but vets did think about issue with his kidneys could be likely.

My DH took him to the vets and, as is his way, didn’t ask enough questions. I’m scaring myself silly by googling so can anyone tell me whether kidneys are a downhill fast sort of thing? Or can we treat it effectively even with his FIV.
Picture of my buddy so you can admire his whiskers and general handsomeness

And I just remembered I posted about him a year or so ago and there was a query over his kidneys then. Agh bugger. Need to ring our old vets and make sure they’ve sent up the paperwork needed to get on top of this if something is up now.

There are good treatments for kidney disease these days - a specialist diet ideally and medications if needed, too. From experience as a cat charity volunteer, it really seems to depend on the individual case though. Some live for many, many years with kidney disease, others get more severe symptoms quicker.

Worth asking for a full senior cat blood profile if you can afford that to check thyroid and other organs too.

Thank you that’s super helpful. We were never able to get insurance for him given his FIV adoption status so we put money aside for his vet treatment every month and generally haven’t touched it so there’s enough there to get him whatever we need to.
I’ll ask for full bloods and cross my fingers it’s not bad news and if it is, that it’s not a fast decline.

Our old cat (not FIV) was diagnosed with kidney disease at the age of 11 and he had two years with a very good quality of life after his initial diagnosis, although his kidneys did give out eventually.

We followed a special diet on the advice of our vet (I think we used the Royal Canin renal food). The vet also gave him IV fluid therapy a couple of times, which was really successful and at one point brought him back from the brink.

We found this website really helpful - www.felinecrf.org. The writer isn't a vet but does seem to know her stuff. Good luck - he looks like a lovely cat!

Thank you! I’ll give it a read

My 17 year old was diagnosed with FIV this year, but his kidneys seem to be OK. He has bloods done every three months to check his levels. My other boy had kidney disease and went down hill fast at the end, and had to be PTS in March.

Oh I’m sorry @thegcatsmother that’s up there on the fear list for me. He seems very happy at the moment if a little thin. I can’t understand why our vets haven’t checked levels before if you’re having yours done every 3 months!!

The GCat that was PTS had had kidney disease for about 14 months. The vet where we lived in Belgium picked it up, and treated him. We moved back to the UK in October 2019, when he was still holding his own, but from January onwards, he just went down hill. It was the kindest thing to do for him, but I felt so guilty. I was able to be there and hold him as he died. He was an older rescue, who had been abandoned, so I comfort myself with the thought of the almost 7 years he had with us, filled with warmth, love, comfort and food.

Meant to add, that's why I have the remaining GCats bloods done every quarter. He goes in for a toenail clip and the blood is done at the same time.

My DM had a cat with FIV many years ago - he was a gorgeous Maine Coon who wandered into our garden and never left! He Iived til about 16 and for his last few years he had kidney issues so had special food.

He died of cancer after a long and happy life and I am sure medicine has moved on. I hope you get sorted

He’s a very handsome boy. I hope he gets better.

Thank you. He’s vomiting a bit today. Taking him back to the vets tomorrow first thing

Lots of kidney cats go on for a long time with treatment and management regardless of concurrent health issues. They'll need to rule out other issues like diabetes and hyperthyroidism (both of which are treatable) as well so just get him a full MOT and get a plan in action. Sending love and positive thoughts.

thanks everyone

My gorgeous girl was diagnosed in acute kidney failure when she was 9. When our vet first did an ultrasound it appears as if she'd only ever had one working kidney, bless her. We kept her going for another 2 years before we lost her in August. I still cant talk/type about her without getting teary.

It is absolutely treatable, and it sounds like you've caught it early which is great. We did 2 years of renal diet, as much water as she wanted, supplements and sub-q fluids. I am now quite handy with getting needles into cats and waving drip bags around!

Well quite unbelievably there’s nothing wrong! Vet did a full work up bloods the lot and everything is very much in the realms of normal. We are going to monitor his urine over the next few weeks using a special litter and check we haven’t missed anything but he seems... fine. Other than the vomiting drinking and losing weight... weird! He will go back in a month to check on the weight loss and then we will draw up another plan of action if we need to.
He’s currently very happy nested in a tiny tiny box as is the law of cats .