Kidney failure 😔 a few questions/struggles

[ItsAVomOne]

My cat has just been diagnosed with early stage kidney failure. He's 14/15 and has been steadily losing weight over the last few months. I noticed around a month ago he seemed really thirsty, and blood tests at the vets confirmed kidney failure.

I gather I need to change his food to renal food (ordered) and basically keep an eye on him. Up to now he's been eating and drinking fine, but the last few days I haven't needed to top his food bowl up. He's really fussy with food so I'm worried he won't eat it the new stuff. What about treats?

He's also weeing a lot, and this is where I'm struggling. He has a tray (took some chopping and changing of trays/litter etc to get one he liked) but he's so hit and miss with using it. My carpet in that corner is pretty grim- I can't seem to get it clean/dry before he goes on it again! Am I missing any tricks? It's generally just wee but I have a sensitive nose and I work right next to it..

How long might we have? The vet wanted to do bloods again next week to see if the diet is helping but I can't even pick the food up til Thursday, then I need to swap it over, so I'll leave it a bit longer. But the vets eagerness to retest made me wonder if it's generally a quick decline?

Thanks for reading. I've probably missed loads out, can't think straight!

Thanks @Puppylucky he hasn't actually been sick at all (yet!) but I might order some Liquivite as a back up- it's good to be a step ahead as my local pet shops and even the vets seem to be rubbish with supplies so I'm relying on online. Deliveries seem to be taking an age since Christmas!

He was really sleepy a couple of weeks ago but seems to have got a second wind of energy, he's just gone out to play and visit the neighbours as the rain has finally stopped.

I do remember reading about that topping now you mention it @menatarms I wonder if it has an odour/flavour 🤔 I'm worried about putting him off his food again if I change things up?! I'll see what I can find out!

He keeps peeing in the bathroom which isn't too bad as it's easy enough to clean up, I'm just not sure why he's doing it. His litter box was freshly cleaned. Unless it's just because he did it once and now thinks it's the place to go! See what the week brings..

I've got a stage two CKD kitty. In November he was doing quite badly just like yours. I was trying various renal foods out and he was refusing to eat them and rapidly losing weight. He was inhaling water and peeing a ton and eating dust/cobwebs and other non food items.

I switched him onto the royal cainin thin slices in gravy renal food and he just inhaled the whole bowl and licked it clean after not eating properly for ages.

Since then he perked right back up and regained most of the lost weight (he went from 3.9kg to 2.8kg and back up to 3.5kg now). His twitching is a lot better and his coat is all silky soft again and his nausea seems a lot better too.

I have smilla renal kibble down which he does eat but not as well as the wet. I picked that since he was on normal smilla before diagnosis and the kibble pieces are familiar.

I don't think it has a flavour but I guess he'll see/feel it so it might put him off. Purina gourmet gold pates have about 100 cals/100g which is fairly high for a standard cat food and seems very palatable maybe get a pack of that (£3.50-4.50 for 8 little cats), and try the topper on there so you don't put him off his normal food?

Ask your vet for Mirataz - it's a gel you rub on the ear. For nausea which is really common with CKD.

Simple solution for your carpet. Enzymatic liquid cleaner which 'digests' the urine works much better than washing powder.

Sorry for the delay, sounds like your boy is doing really well @DoAWheelie! I got the royal canin renal first (wet and dry). He likes the gravy but that's about it unfortunately, has even gone off the kibble. Debating whether to try a different type of renal dry or just roll with what he is eating!

Thank you @menatarms yes I got some of the gourmet pate- they make it sound so tasty on the tin 🤣 but he's not a fan. The only food he's reliable with is bloody Felix soup, and occasional nibbles of his old biscuits. I darent risk putting him off it so just going to have to go with it for now. I haven't weighed him for a while but there's no noticeable change.

I haven't touched the carpet for a while- it's covered over with lino and doesn't smell now it's dry- but I'll give the proper enzymatic cleaner a try when I do. I can see myself replacing the whole carpet when he's gone tbh, it's seen better days and I think it's probably gone through the underlay.

Bathroom peeing persists, different places but always in there. His water bowl is in there so I'm not sure if the urge just takes over or he's decided that it's fine to do it there.. manageable for now, quick clean up at least!

I've had 10 cats over the years and some of them have had kidney disease, Bluebell lasted 5 years with it on a very careful diet, others not so long and one just a few months.
You can do fluid injections at home if the vet agrees. That helps.
I put a large plastic sheet under the litter tray or a pup incontinence mat because I had carpet everywhere. That at least keeps it off the carpet.

The felix soups are also my last resort emergency cat won't eat food, not sure what they put in it. Shame about the gourmet pate I've found that well liked (not so much the beef flavour). Have you tried any of the other felix range? The doubly delicious pouches are favs. It does sound like he might need an anti-nausea med though if he's being fussier than normal.

The liquid cleaner gets to the underlay, you soak the whole stain so it goes through, then just leave it to dry. Bathroom clean up is much easier glad he's currently choosing a better spot for you.

We had to say goodbye to our little lad this morning. He deteriorated so quickly over the last 24hrs.. It all happened much more quickly than I was expecting but I think I caught it before he was in any pain. With hindsight I should've taken him yesterday but I'm trying not to dwell on that. He had a peaceful end and a lovely life, and DC had chance to say goodbye.

I just wanted to thank you all for sharing your tips, experiences and thoughts along the way, you've helped more than you know ❤️

I’m so sorry to hear your update. Thinking of you so much

Ah I'm so sorry @ItsAVomOne . You did absolutely everything you could and looked after him right to the end. It's tough when the deterioration is so quick but we also found it strangely helpful in that there was no doubt in our minds that it was time to say goodbye. Thinking of you - be kind to yourself.

So sorry to hear your up date. Sending love, a cat shaped hole in your heart is a terrible feeling but you made the kindest decision for him. Xx

Hi I’m jumping in as I have a very elderly 17 year old cat who I suspect has kidney issues. She hardly moves from her milk bowl, sleeps near it too. She eats ok, and is always nagging for cheese, ham, corned beef, tuna, dreamies and soft meat sticks. I figure at here age she can have what she wants!
Shes gone very skinny and looks quite old now, she’s still able and wants to go out and scales the tall fence fine though.
for those of you with cats and kidney issues how did you know it was time? Mine seems to be always drinking milk, she goes through loads each day. Apart from that and the skinniness she seems ok. What happens when they deteriorate?

Hi @Rhetorical - just jumping in with my story. Apologies if it's distressing in anyway. In my experience - even though Elton was very young (2 1/2) the decline was very quick and unmistakable. He stopped eating and drinking and was confused and restless . He also hid away from us. On his final day he didn't move from a spot beside the spare bed. He had also pooed under the bed for the first time ever. When I left the room he tried to follow me, but was too weak. He also just went inside himself - very quiet and tired looking. As I said upthread it was unmistakable and obvious that we needed to let him go. If your girl is still eating and drinking then it's a good sign that she is not there yet.

My cat was diagnosed at 16 with hyperthyroidism and once that was under control , kidney disease was revealed (hyperthyroidism masks kidney disease). She lived another 15 months but I reckon she’d had the kidney disease for a while, but there were no signs. It was the kidney disease that was the reason we PTS. Vet reckoned she had about 5% function left at the end. She suddenly stopped eating, at all, and had lost loads of weight. Vet said we could have tried food and dialysis but we chose PTS and the vet said it was the right thing.

If you are interested in knowing a bit more, apparently it's called big kidney syndrome. Basically one kidney fails first and the other takes over all of the function ( and enlarges hence the name). This works well for what can often be an extended period of time, but eventually the functioning kidney will also give out which is why deterioration can be so sudden.

I'm so sorry. You ensured he had a great life with caring, loving, fellow house mates who were always concerned about his well being. When you're ready, consider a rescue. I know that may sound a bit presumptive but it's how empty a household feels without a furry addition.

My gorgeous old girl just got slower and slower over a 2 week period. Before then she was still having the zoomies, getting high on catnip and seemed absolutely fine, just looked old and a bit scraggly.

I began to know it was time when she started lying in a different way in a different place. She’d jump off the bed and then have a lie down on the rug next to the bed which sh never did, She was still sociable and wanting a fuss but the last few days ate less and less. She didn’t want to eat anything much not even fish which she absolutely loved. The day before I took her to the vets, she just looked ‘wrong’. Like she was so tired.

I didn’t know how I would know but it was really obvious.

If your cat is happy doing all their little cat things then it’s not the right time. Even if they are looking scraggly but are happy, they are ‘ok’.

Having her put to sleep was horrendous for me but totally the right thing for her. It was so calm and peaceful and she just fell asleep. It was a lovely way to go (if you get my meaning) and the kindest thing to do.

I miss her so much every day and I can’t bring myself to to get another cat. I donate food to a local rescue and pay for vets bills as I feel so guilty - I have a lovely home but I just cant bring myself to get another furry friend (yet). I wish the cat distribution system would get to work and a cat would arrive at my house who needs to live here!!

I think it's the fatigue that's unmistakable. I had never realised that cats can look tired around the eyes just like humans. Elton used to look like he had bags under his eyes sometimes despite sleeping for the majority of the day.

Thank you all for your kind words, it's felt like a virtual handhold. It's been a pretty rough week and I miss my little buddy, the house feels so empty without a pet. I'm miles off ready for another pet at all yet, but my boy was a rescue and I wouldn't hesitate to go down that route again.

Sorry you're going through this @Rhetorical I can only echo what's already been said, this from @ILoveNigelTufnel particularly rang true: I didn’t know how I would know but it was really obvious.. 💔