Chronic Kidney Disease / Kidney failure in elderly cat.

[Kittytheteapot]

Does anyone have experience of an elderly cat with kidney failure/ chronic kidney disease?

One of my old boys (nearly 16) was taken suddenly ill on Tuesday/Wednesday night. Vomited multiple times, not interested in food. Vomiting was not entirely concerning as he has long been prone to sickness, but i just knew he wasn't right. Vet visit 1 on Wednesday: nothing worrying was found and he was given an anti emetic. This stopped him being sick, but he still wasn't interested in food and wasn't right. Vet visit 2 on Thursday (yesterday) they took some bloods and the results showed severe kidney failure. Ironically, he was in some ways brighter, began to eat, but clearly was not right: very erratic behaviour, shaking, head on one side, etc. We all thought this was it, the end, big cries all round.

AS a result of the blood test, he went into animal hospital last night for an IV drip. They still weren't sure if he had kidney disease, or been poisoned, or had an infection. He doesn't fit any diagnosis really. Poisoning seems unlikely as he doesn't leave our garden, infection unlikely as he had no temperature, kidney disease unlikely as he had none of the classic signs e.g. drinking lots or weight loss.

Anyway, after 24 hours in hospital, I've just been rung to say new blood tests show no change. They seem to think, given his age, it is kidney disease / failure. They are trying him for another 24 hours with the IV drip to see if they can get him to stabilise. But it is likely after 24 hours more, things will be the same.

Well, I don't want to drag this out. We are already in pain at the thought of losing him. I don't want to be in more pain watching him slowly die. But the vet said euthanasia might not be appropriate tomorrow, even if there is no change. And dh thinks if the cat is not in pain, he should be allowed to continue.

I know this is deeply emotive for many pet owners, but i am not necessarily in favour of making an animal (or a human for that matter) battle it out to the bitter end. But I also don't want my cat to be pts prematurely. Can anyone help me to understand what quality of life my cat would have if he was allowed to live on? I guess it depends on how severe his kidney disease is, but any indication of what you have been through with any cats would be helpful to me.

So sorry to hear about your lovely boy.

Sadly our 10 year old cat suffered kidney issues last year. One day I thought she looked a little thin, called the vet just in case, not really expecting anything much to be wrong. After they took blood tests we took her home only to be called straight back to take her back in for a drip overnight as her kidneys were in trouble. I think she was in for three days, multiple blood tests, I think her levels improved the first time but then stayed the same or worsened.

On the last day a different vet called and asked if we'd considered euthanasia, a big shock as they hadn't suggested it was that serious on any of the other calls. I asked if we could take her home so the children could say goodbye but the vet was quite clear that it would not be kind to her and she would just fade away. Probably best to take advice from your vet as they will have the experience to guide you.

Although covid guidelines complicated things, they did let us take her into our car to say goodbye. Apart from being even thinner, she seemed so much like herself, climbing around the car and coming to us for a fuss. They would have allowed us to hold her at the end too, but none of us were comfortable with that.

I really hope it doesn't come to that for your boy, but I'm sure your vet will have the best advice.

Thank you for replying Lemonncurd. I am so sorry to hear about your dear girl. I am crying so hard I can't say more, but it is interesting to know that your vet recommended euthanasia.

We never did get a reason either, she had a dental less than 6 months earlier and nothing flagged up then. Maybe poisoning, they asked if we had any lilies or anything. They gave antibiotics in case of infection and sent samples for testing but don't think it looked like infection as there wasn't the expected improvement.

That is so sad. It is always a shock, whenever it happens. To be honest, my boy has been showing his age of late, but I didn't suspect this.

Has anyone experience of their cat living with kidney disease? It all looks so bleak for my cat right now, yet the vet wasn't supportive of euthanasia yet (that might change tomorrow of course). I am wondering what it is like, how well a special diet or drugs work, when do you know the end has come?

@Kittytheteapot I have an older persian (also about 15 but not sure) and I have had a street cat girl when I was younger (from when I was 6 till I was about 20, I had her since the day she was born, closed eyes and all, found in the street, bottle-fed her, the full thing). Both have/had KD failure old age.

My girl started to lose interest, became thinner, loss of appetite (but not completely) and just faded away. I did everything I could and more to keep her, I gave her injections at home and only took her to be PTS way way too late when she was dying in my arms. I still cry now writing this. Was bloody awful. But I was young and just could not let go.

The boy we have now is just skinny but otherwise eats well, drinks well, no teeth but not in pain. I am watching him closely and when he starts losing appetite and looks like he is ready to go, I will make the call. But for now he is OK and I am not PTS solely bc he has kidney failure. If he is living his life as he likes, I let him and show him lot of love and fuss.

Proper diet will be your friend, K/D food and calm quiet environment your cat knows and likes and you may well have a few more years left together. Fingers crossed.

Thank you zookeeper. The weird thing is, my cat has not lost weight and, until Wednesday, still had a good appetite. In fact, if anything, he may have put on a bit of weight because I have wanted to treat him because he has become a bit frail of late, ie a bit wobbly on his legs from time to time. He also has a lump on his back which he has had a few years now and it was investigated and is supposed to be just a fatty lump, but it does look a bit unsightly. So, my reasoning was, at his age, if he wanted a treat, I gave it to him and he may be a little bit on the heavy side.

So, no loss of weight, and no loss of appetite. Even now in hospital, they tell me he is eating well. But they can't get his blood results to change, even after 24 hours of being on a drip which I think is flushing out his kidneys? I don't really understand it all and was rather too upset on the phone to ask the right questions.

I did pick up that his shakes and weirdly cocked head could be signs of toxemia. Apparently he is not doing that anymore.

Sorry, I'm babbling on. It is encouraging to hear your boy is doing ok. I guess I thought kidney failure meant the end, but it needn't be and I need to take the advice of the vet. They wouldn't prolong an animal's life just to see it suffer, would they?

I am no expert, but as far as I know toxemia includes fever, loss of appetite, jaundice and balance and vision issues.

It's only understandable that you are shocked and worried. What I would do, is when taking your cat back ask them basics. If you trust the vet, ask them what they think. Blood results are one thing, but me personally if my cat looked OK, felt OK, and I had an internal feeling that it's worth a try, I'd take him home, have him settle and see. If he eats well and pees OK, no sign of pain or discomfort, I'd let him have as much time as there is left in him.

Remember, cats (pets) do not have the burden of "what will be tomorrow". They live for the moment. If he is happy now, let him. If he is in pain and suffering, help him. Basically do what's best for the cat at any given time.

I lost my soul cat to CKD last August, but she had been diagnosed in "end stage" 2 years previous. She had 2 hospital admissions for a drip and we learnt how to do sub-cutaneous fluids (initially weekly, them more frequently as she declined). I cannot recommend Tanya's CKD resources enough (google) and always remember treat the cat, not the numbers. He has "crashed" but if his symptoms are starting to reduce there is hope. PM me if you want to talk. Photos: August 2018, 1st diagnosed as end stage with shaved leg bits. In jigsaw box (helping....) April 2020.

God I miss her SO much.

Mine is 20 and has kidney disease currently managed by medication. I'm not sure if even want to put her through the trauma of hospital stays tbh, especially if there was a fair chance she wouldn't be coming home afterwards.

Thank you everyone. Evvyjb, your cat looked very similar to mine. Even down to the poor me expression in the earlier photo. To be clear, that is how mine often looks even when in the peak of health. But I was interested to read your experience of living with the condition and that your cat got 2 more years after an end of life diagnosis.
Doggydolittle, yes I felt the same way about hospital. But I was rung up unexpectedly and had to make a decision there and then. It felt like I eadnt giving him a chance if I didnt send him to hospital.
Anyway, new day. Another text from hospital to say he is happy and eating. They are repeating the blood tests today and will ring with results later. Dh wants us to have him back home and face whatever comes. He makes me feel guilty for even considering euthanasia, and, having spoken here and read a few things online, I am beginning to realise that perhaps I was too willing to throw in the towel?

If he's eating, there is EVERY chance. Honestly, we were told to consider pts in the first crash. We had 2 more VERY happy years. It was hard, and anxiety inducing, and I'd do it again in a heart beat. Treat the CAT not the numbers. All the best to you xxx

Sadly he went downhill today and we made the decision to have him pts. My husband, son and I spent some time with him outside the hospital and then I was allowed in to be with him at the end. Thank you to all who responded here. I had hoped for better but feared this was inevitable.

I am sorry. I have lost a few to kidney disease now and it's a shock how quickly they can deteriorate after months of being scrawny but otherwise happy.

It's always hard to lose them but a quick, pain-free death is the last, best gift you can give a dearly-loved pet.

I’m sorry, there’s never a good way to lose them.

So sorry to hear that, I was so hopeful for him when you said he was eating. Take care x

@Lemoncurd

So sorry to hear that, I was so hopeful for him when you said he was eating. Take care x

I know! Both mornings he was in hospital (yesterday and today) I received a text to say he was eating and comfortable. Yesterday they said he was purring and cuddly, and he was purring and cuddly with us in the car this afternoon - very affectionate for him. Yet all this was with the support of an iv drip, I suppose. He wasn't thin or wasting away, he has always had a good appetite. But his blood results weren't getting better and in fact were worse today. But I didn't see those blood results, just took the vet's word for it. I mean, I trust the vet of course, and she did say today she thought maybe it wasn't so much the kidney function that was driving the results, she suspected there may have been an underlying cancer, and she painted such a bleak picture, I just went along with it, but now I have time to reflect I am wondering if I did the right thing? It is horrid feeling like this. I miss him so much.

I'm so sorry. Thinking of you all xxx

Sorry for your loss.
I was coming on to say I have had mixed results with kidney problems. But have lost a fairly young cat - if it's a crisis they can go downhill quickly and it's difficult to turn round. Picked up when it's not too bad it can be managed by diet for a while but I think is usually life limiting to some extent.

Oh thats sad. I was just about to post about my CKD cat but noticed you've already lost your puss.

My old girl had cancer and went through a massive operation at 15. Just weeks after her surgery we noticed she was drinking more so popped her to the vet. Her bloods revealed very poor kidney function but the vet was perplexed as she wasn't as ill as her numbers suggested. She went onto a kidney diet straight away and she lived for another 4 years. She was the oldest cat on our vets books and still holds their record for the longest survivor on a renal diet. When she went downhill right at the end, it was very, very fast. She was wobbly walking and literally just stopped functioning. We gave her one last night at home where we all slept downstairs with her and took her to be PTS first thing in the morning. She was so ready to go, the light had gone out in her eyes and her chatty miaow switched off. I miss her very, very much. We got another cat pretty fast and she is a perfect match for us, but nothing will ever replace my grumpy, zombie fighting girl. Hugs to you OP.

oh I'm so sorry @Kittytheteapot
sending love

My 17 year old cat had this 3 years ago and in hindsight we kept her alive much longer than was fair. This was all because we loved her so much and were desperate to do the best for her that we lost sight of what was in her best interests.
It took my hugely sensible, cat-loving DSS (then mid 20's) coming home on leave to talk sense into us. At the time she was in a large cage for the time that we weren't in the living area for her to sit on our lap to ensure that the other resident cat and dogs weren't eating her food or bullying her. He just said to us - why are you doing this to her?
It is so sad and I feel for you