# End stage renal failure



## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

We took my daughter's cat to the vet today. Appears she has end stage renal failure. The blood work will let us know for sure. The vet would tell me different treatment options but then follow that up by saying "if it was beginning stage but being end stage there is no treatment." We adopted the two cats from animal control as kittens when my daughters were 5 yrs old. The cats both turned 14 this year and the vet said this is when this type of thing shows up. We brought her home even though he said they could flush her system during the night to see if there was any improvement in the blood work. I didn't see a need to leave her there. They did a flush while we were there and gave her a shot for nausea. She's lost a lot of weight recently and she appears to be fading away. My daughter is torn between not wanting to find her dead and not wanting to put her down. She also doesn't want her to suffer. Tomorrow we will make our decision on what's next. My gut tells me this is it and we need to say our goodbyes and love on her while we still can.


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## migs (Nov 8, 2013)

My 18yr old Kitty Peanut just passed away this Monday from end stage Renal failure. They told me the same exact thing they are telling you back in January. We gave her subcutaneous fluids every night via an IV drip into her scruff behind her neck and that stabilized her for 4 months. So we were able to enjoy her for 4 more months that way & she continued to eat and be quite happy. Once she stopped eating completely which was last Friday, then she crashed quickly and we had to let her go on Monday. 
So if you are able to give her the IV fluids every night & keep her eating, you still have a chance of keeping her alive & comfortable for sometime.


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## migs (Nov 8, 2013)

If you need any more advice, please feel free to send me a private message & I can give you my phone # & give you as much info as I can to help.


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## migs (Nov 8, 2013)

This site seems to the the "bible" of all things for Kidney Failure. It was an incredible resource for me the whole way through till the very end. 

Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Everything You Need to Know to Help Your Cat


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

migs said:


> If you need any more advice, please feel free to send me a private message & I can give you my phone # & give you as much info as I can to help.



Thank you so much for the info. When we hear back tomorrow I'll know more and may reach out to you at that point. It would be great if we can get more time with her.


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## migs (Nov 8, 2013)

I'll send you my phone #. Give me a call anytime. Id love to help any way I can as I am grieving the loss of my sweet girl & hope to get you some more time with yours.


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

I was in the same situation with an 8 year old cat. Broke my heart. I had young kids, and also did not want them finding him dead. I was told that it is very hard to get them to eat, and you have to find that small window of time everyday where they might be able to eat. I was also told probably would only get another 3 months, and not sure how much of that would be quality. This was 14 years ago, maybe medicines have gotten better. Since then I have heard of cats living another year.

I pray that you and your daughter have the strength to make the right decision for you and your cat.


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

migs said:


> I'll send you my phone #. Give me a call anytime. Id love to help any way I can as I am grieving the loss of my sweet girl & hope to get you some more time with yours.



I'm so sorry for the loss of your kitty. ?


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

I didn't hear back from the vet yesterday so we have to wait until Monday. I'll call them first thing in the morning. ?


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

The blood work came back saying an infection so they put her on antibiotics. Problem is she disappeared last night and we can't find her. She did this on the 12th and finally came out from her hiding after a couple hours. This time she hasn't emerged. I'm worried she went somewhere and died. Just can't figure out where she is hiding.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*KSdenton*



Ksdenton said:


> The blood work came back saying an infection so they put her on antibiotics. Problem is she disappeared last night and we can't find her. She did this on the 12th and finally came out from her hiding after a couple hours. This time she hasn't emerged. I'm worried she went somewhere and died. Just can't figure out where she is hiding.


KSDenton: So sorry for all you and your cat are going through.
Is she an inside cat?


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

Yes she is an inside cat. The only outside is on our patio and that's it. She's rarely out there as she can only get out when I go out with the dogs and have the door open. 

She just showed up 10 min ago. I can't for the life of me figure out where she's been hiding. First thing this morning I searched for her again. Of course terrified she had passed away. I went outside with the dogs and she came walking out of the house onto the patio and sat. OMG!! I scooped her up and showed my daughter she was back. We gave her her medicine and got her to drink some water. She's acting a little more lively but still so frail and weak. She went from 14lbs down to 8lbs. She was overweight before but now she's boney skinny. It's horrible. I'm praying this antibiotic cures her.


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

This is Sarah in her better days. She's a vocal cat and will cry if she feels alone and wants to find you. She meows when you talk to her or touch her. Always very friendly. 







Bentley using Sarah as a pillow.


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## swishywagga (Nov 13, 2012)

Sarah is beautiful, I hope the antibiotics work and you have more precious time with her. My cat lived till 21 she also had renal failure, it's hard to see them poorly. Keeping you and Sarah in my thoughts and prayers.


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## migs (Nov 8, 2013)

So glad you found her. My Peanut went through the same exact thing with the antibiotics a week after the diagnosis. The antibiotics made her eating diminish even more. But we made sure to finish the antibiotics to kill the infection & then get her eating again. She went from 14lbs to 6.5lbs. 
The trick is #1 giving her the subcutaneous fluids every night. We were giving Peanut 125mls every night. The very first IV bag we took home had potassium mixed in with the fluids. Potassium can be toxic, but it gives them a Boost they need. So it was only given on the very first bag. 
Trick #2 is to get them to eat, ANYTHING. So we went and got every flavor of Every canned food Petfood express had to offer as well as every can of Fancy Feast. She settled on 3 different flavors of Fancy feast & Temptations treats. This kept her going well for 4 months. Once they stop eating completely, then its over. When my Peanut stopped completely on a Friday, we let her go on the following Monday as I couldnt bear to see her suffer anymore. But we did get a really special 4 more months with her, giving her the fluids every night & finding something she would eat.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

Our Pippi Longstocking was 17 when we lost her 10 years ago. I hae never seen a cat love kids the way she did. Was 9 before she was ever around a small child. Then our grandkids camealong and she adored them. Theycould carry herbyherhead,her tail, upseide downand she would be purring. When we would make them put her down, she staye right with . Some cats are so aloof, but ones like Pippi and others talked abouthere are sodifferent and soloved. Ihope you girl gets a lot more time with you. by the way, My grandmother's name was Sarah and I hae a 35 year old niece named Sarah.


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

I went through this two years ago with a SIX year old cat. I was completely blown away when they told me he had chronic renal failure. I gave him sub Q ringer's lactate for six months, 2 x a day before we had to say goodbye to him. I would buy the ringer's by the case from Walgreen, and he even had his own prescription membership card "Sammy the Cat Abernethy". Even got an IV pole to make it easier to administer.

Since that time, I'm convinced that most kitties die of renal failure that most owners write off as old age. I'm pretty convinced my cats prior to him that I considered old age, were kidney failure. Dry kibble is often the culprit. My remaining cat gets canned now, and vets are starting to recommend that (they are obligate carnivores), dry food just isn't compatible with their systems for their kidneys. 

How is your baby doing now?


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

She went back to the vet today for a urine sample. They couldn't get urine from her when they ran her senior panel so we tried again today. She's lost another half a pound which surprised me since she's been eating the wet cat food I bought her. One vet said the blood work doesn't reflect renal failure and another said beginning stage kidney disease. I just don't see how beginning stage would hit so hard and fast and make her lose almost half her body weight. It's something else that's killing her. We are keeping her on antibiotics another two weeks as the urine shows signs of a strong UTI. I can't see that as why she's been doing so poorly either. 
I think I'm going to get a copy of all her test results and get a second opinion from a cat only vet clinic I've used in the past on anther cat. They are pricey but since they specialize I might get a better idea of what's wrong. Maybe? I bought her the water fountain to get her to drink more water which I believe she's been doing. She still vomits about once a day mostly liquid. I bought some of the KD food from the vet but he warned me she might not like it as many cats don't. I find that cats are finicky eaters all together. Not at all like the dogs who we try to get to stop eating wood, socks, poop, bugs, trash, underwear, etc.


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## Jessie'sGirl (Aug 30, 2010)

My 17 yr old calico cat was diagnosed with kidney failure in July. She has been on the two kidney support powdered supplements since then. She has been hyperthyroid for yrs now. She is holding her own, is very thin, is ravenously hungry at times , but still refuses food at others. Management takes a lot of time and effort , finding the right food when she goes through her picky spells, at one time we even had to set up a litter box routine as she seemed to have forgotten to use it. Right now she is fairly good,enjoying the warmer weather. 
Hope you find some answers for your kitty's health concerns.


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

Looks like we will be letting Sarah go. She's not getting better but getting worse. Now is the decision if we let her go naturally or set her free ourselves. Neither one is preferred. She has lost more weight and is skin and bones. She's so weak that walking around she will stumble a little. This morning I noticed her gums are white. She didn't want her breakfast. She still talks to us and doesn't act as if she's in any pain. 
This sucks!!!!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

I'm so sorry, it really does, making this decision has always been the hardest thing I have ever had to do. 

Sarah's such a beautiful girl. 

Thinking of you..........


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## migs (Nov 8, 2013)

So sorry to hear this. You both are in my thoughts & prayers.


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## -ALBUS- (May 5, 2016)

So sorry for what you and your family are going through... Sarah is a beautiful cat. My thoughts are with you guys.


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

I'm so sorry you are having to say goodbye to Sarah. I will say though, that if she is to the point where she's mostly bone (you'll know what I mean), it IS painful, even if she doesn't show it. Remember that animals do their darndest to try to hide illness - it's for survival. It absolutely will break your heart to make the decision to let her go. I'm so sorry that you are dealing with this.


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## Jessie'sGirl (Aug 30, 2010)

We had to send one of our other cats, Jasmine, off to the bridge last spring. She had been gravely ill and we supported her with tests and meds for a while, but when I one day realized she was so weak she had lost her natural ability to balance herself when gently let down from knee level, that's when I knew it was time. In retrospect, we should have brought her go a few days sooner. It is such a hard decision.
My thoughts are with you and Sarah at this time.


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## swishywagga (Nov 13, 2012)

I'm so very sorry that you are facing this, my thoughts and prayers are with you and beautiful Sarah.


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

Thank you everyone. I've been walking around the house with tears in my eyes today. My daughter isn't ready to let her go and now I have to convince her it's best for Sarah.

Edit: The appt at the vet is now set for 3pm tomorrow. I've been crying ever since I made that appt.


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

At another vet for a second opinion. I don't know there's hope for a turn around but I was so upset yesterday we hadn't done enough for her. Our vet seems to be at a loss and kept going back to her being 14 yrs old as if that is so old. She was so healthy just 6 mos ago and lively. 
More tests are being done but nothing is jumping out as the obvious. Unfortunately I'm limited on what I can afford but I feel we have to exhaust all we can before giving up. I still fear this is the end as she's so frail. I don't want her to suffer. If this vet sees something the other didn't that is good. Even if it's that there is nothing more we can do.


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

We said good-bye to Sarah today. It was hard. This was our first experience doing this. My daughter was very upset of course and feels like she killed her. I explained and she knows it was the best for Sarah but she was just expressing what we all struggle with in these decisions. On the ride home she would say how this was the last time she'd ever see her again and sleep with her next to her. She's had Sarah since she was 5 yrs old and have been together for 14 yrs. I think I have video of my daughter carrying Sarah up the bunkbed ladder and when she got to the top Sarah would climb into the bed, walk to the pillow, and lie down with her head on it. She waited for my daughter to come snuggle in behind her and place an arm across her body. That's how they'd sleep every night. Sarah was our social kitty of the two. She called out to us when she was lonely. She talked to us responding back in our conversation with her. She was comical too. Always lying on her back with all four paws on the air in the middle of the floor. Reaching out as you walked by. You would hear her get the zoomies at night but they never lasted long as her fat butt tired out and flopped onto the back of a couch. 
We will miss you Sarah. We already do. ??❤


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

I'm so sorry! You did all that you could do for her, and you gave her the final gift of releasing her from her sick body. She'll be waiting for you at the bridge!


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## swishywagga (Nov 13, 2012)

I'm so very sorry, rest in peace beautiful Sarah.


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

Very sorry for your loss


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