Cat Kidney Failure
Cat kidney failure is one of the scariest things that a cat owner can face. When talking of kidney failure it is important that owners know what to be looking for. One of the most common symptom kidney disease is your cat drinking more water and increased urination. When you notice something out of the ordinary with your cat go to the vet and get a blood test to find out what the problem is.
There are two types of kidney failure, Acute and Chronic. When you are facing a diagnosis of kidney failure it is important to know which one you are facing. Cats that are suffering from acute kidney failure have a sudden onset of symptoms. There is usually an outside cause, exposure to poison, reaction to medicines, trauma to the kidney, or something of that nature. When a vet treats acute kidney failure they will be first treating what caused the failure. They will most likely set your cat up on an IV to try to flush the toxins out of the system. If caught in time there might not be lasting damage to the kidneys.
If your cat is suffering from chronic kidney failure there is really no way to correct the damage to the kidneys, however there are ways to make your cat more comfortable and slow down the damage. One thing the vet will talk to you about is switching your cat to a food specially designed for kidney disease. There are many kidney friendly cat food resources available on the web. A great resource for different sort of cat foods is the Facebook Group about CKD and their various amounts of Protein, Phosphorus, Sodium and Fat.
The most important factor in treating kidney disease in cats is to help take some of the workload off of the failing kidneys. This can be done with the change in food and increased water intake. It can also be assisted with replacing some of the vitamins and minerals that your cat is losing. You can also give your cat Sub Q fluids to help the kidneys flush the toxins and get the proper nourishment that they need. In extreme cases there is an option of a kidney transplant or dialysis. Unfortunately both of those can be very costly.
Subcutaneous Fluids for Cats: How To with Ragdoll Cat Murphy
How to Give Subcutaneous Fluids to a Cat at Home Video
Usually cat kidney failure is associated with weakness and anemia . There is sometimes little pain, other than a dull ache. You will not think it is true or you will already begin grieving your companion. There are many pet owners who are going though this with you. You might want to join a support group, like the Yahoo! Group entitled, Renal Failure in Cats. There you can find others that have walked in your shoes or are just beginning their journey with a cat with kidney disease.
I have had 3 cats with chronic kidney failure, and these videos are probably the best I have seen on the topic – and include things that help!
Feline Kidney Disease with Dr. Ruth Roberts
Dr. Ruth mentions that Quercetin helps to lower creatinine! Also, using the Assisi Loop, Dr. Ruth’s cat lowered the creatinine from 3.6 to 2.1!!
Kidney Disease in Cats by Adored Beast Apothecary
Julie Anne Lee recommend Feline Gut Soothe and Phyto Synergy.
Ozone Therapy to help with Kidney Failure Patients
If you have a vet that does ozone therapy, we had a lot of success with it for Caymus.
The best Facebook Group for cats with kidney disease is FELINE CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
Please contact Floppycats.com with additional information you have regarding cat kidney failure.
Additional Cat Kidney Information on Floppycats.com:
- Cat Kidney Failure
- Cat Kidney Stone
- Cat Enema
- Cat Not Drinking Water
- Cat Drinking Too Much Water
- Cat Food
- Kidney Disease Cat Food
- Administering Fluids
- Anemia in Cats
Hi, I’m Jenny Dean, creator of Floppycats! Ever since my Aunt got the first Ragdoll cat in our family, I have loved the breed. Inspired by my childhood Ragdoll cat, Rags, I created Floppycats to connect, share and inspire other Ragdoll cat lovers around the world,
I have lost 2 ragdoll cats this year to kidney disease. Charlie was a 12 year old male that suddenly quit eating and going to the litter box. He would hide behind the couch because he was so miserable. His health degraded rapidly. I decided to end his suffering by putting him to sleep. My other cat Nina was obese but pretty healthy. She quit eating and did not want any water to drink. She would follow me from room to room and never said too much. I noticed things rapidly deteriorated with her as well. She was 10 years old. I went to one vet and he said there was nothing wrong with her. I took her to a second vet the next day and had him do a blood test, and her levels were off the chart involving her kidneys. I had no idea I would lose her too. I had to end her suffering this past week. I have wondered if the premium food that I was feeding her was the culprit or was it a degenerative disease. In the back of my mind, I do believe that marketed cat foods miss the mark and false advertising may have contributed to the decline of both cats. Much research needs to be done on this issue. They both were the best cats. They died much to young in my opinion.
Hi Deborah, I am so very sorry for your losses. I would check out https://catinfo.org/ or https://feline-nutrition.org/ to learn more.
Our beautiful boy Luka`s kidneys are failing. He is currently at pet hopital on an IV being monitored. We went to emergency on Sat night and he was sent home on pain relief, he worsened and we went to our local vet who ran xrays ad gave him cortisone, he worsened further so went to another clinic open on the Sunday evening and he was hooked up to an IV and had blood work done. His levels are 5 times that of what they should be. They also found a heart mumur. We hope he pulls through, I’m va complete mess! He is only 10 🙁 I’m so angry the other clinics didn’t run blood work!
Please don’t get discouraged. I also have a cat who has been battling kidney disease for two years now and he’s stable. Please read up on this link which I found very very helpful. I have also found that many doctors do not do the right thing for kitties that suffer from kidney disease, that is why it’s very important to be well informed. I hope all the best for your kitty. This is the link :
https://www.google.gr/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.felinecrf.org/&ved=0ahUKEwjOoeq51crQAhWkKcAKHZMlDJsQFggqMAA&usg=AFQjCNF4ItCahTFwp7OuW7vf8mTuTc8Mdg&sig2=kkJLLhNfoQs3f2voJN99Ug
Thank you for that information, I’ve been crying all day and just hope he pulls through.
Hi Thomas,
Am really so sorry to hear about the loss of your dear boy and know it took so much courage and love to set him free from his suffering. That is the most priceless gift you could ever give to him by not allowing him to linger and suffer from renal failure because it can’t be cured and just gets worse as time goes on. Sending you a big hug and hope that every day as you wake up, you will feel a little better as time goes on. ♥
Hi Teresa,
Thank you. Today is day 3 without him, I feel really up and then down again. Like today after work, I did not really want to go home so I stayed late at work because I knew my boy would not be there for me. He would always stand by the food bowl and waited for me when I came home from work. It is very painful for me to remember all these. But I do keep telling myself life must go on and I have other friends and family for me to take care for. I hope the time will fly by quickly….
Thank you so much for your love Teresa. It is very kind of you. Thank you.
Hi Cindy and Jenny,
Thank you so much for all your support. It is very hard to lose someone that you love very much. I am so sorry for your lost Cindy. I will try my best. Your words made me feel much stronger. Thank you.
Thank you Nora Catz,
Yes, I will be better. Thank you so much to share with your story. I am very glad to be here to talk to you guys. I was very confused and devastated if I made the right decision for my boy. I love him so much and never want to let him go. Thank you so much guys for all your support!
In the last year, I have had to say goodbye to 3 of my cats. One to liver problems and the other 2 from kidney failure. I can assure you that you made the right deciision. I miss my kitties every day, but they are no longer suffering. Cats are sooo good at hiding how they are feeling and that only confuses us. Please grieve, but don’t beat yourself up about your decision. You made the right one.
Hi,
I have lost my boy yesterday morning. I am very upset and hurt. He was only 7 years old.
I took him to the emergency room as he lost a lot of weight from (7.8kg last year to 5.4kg)in a short period of time, maybe in a few weeks. I noticed he stopped eating few days ago. After the blood test, the vet said he had a severly high readings of kidney failure and toxins was running in his blood badly. She told me even he had a treatment, he maybe good for a few days but then gone bad again as the kidney can not be reversed. She told me he may only had 10% kidney tissue left as the blood results was very high. My boy had a low chance of recovery. I didn’t know what to do, I was so panic, upset and tears kept running down on my face.
The vet said if this was her cat, she would put him to sleep. It is very peaceful and no pain. In the end, my partner and I both agree with the vet and put my boy to sleep.
I am very upset, I keep thinking if this was the right decision to make after all. I keep thinking if I should have another opinion from another vet and decide what to do next. Maybe my boy still have a chance to live? I miss my boy so much.
Hi Thomas,
So sorry to hear about your sudden loss.
Do your best to not beat yourself up with “what if” it will not do you well or your cat’s soul.
My heart goes out to you and your partner,
Jenny
Oh Thomas, I am truly sorry for your loss. I’m sure you’re kitty loved you and will be waiting for you over the rainbow bridge. Of course you’re wondering if… well please lay those doubts you have aside. If the chemistry of the kidney failure was such then it was better to allow a peaceful passing. I know nothing can replace that kitty and only time can provide some healing as you begin to realize how wonderful the years you had were. I lost my Buddy to a spider bite this past April. I too was devastated. Again you have my condolences. Sincerely, Nora Catz
Hi,
I lost my beloved Demelza on June 11, 2011 from either pancreatitis, a tumour on the pancreas or kidney failure. She was also anemic. Her vet stated from blood work done that she was anemic and had either pancreatitis or a tumor on her pancreas and she ddi not have long to live. This was about a week before she passed away. I went to another clinic to get a second opinion. They did an ultra sound, more blood work and kept her on fluids for about 32 hours giving her 50 ml an hour and different injections. I brought her home at about 6:30 and I spent a few minutes with her on the bed, and then she got agitated and ran underneath the bed. I left food and water for her by the bed but found that she did not eat or drink anything. I heard her cry in pain about 11:00 that evening. I called the veterinarian that had done the ultra sound (not her usual vet) and mentioned that she had cried in pain. He said that pancreatitis or a tumor on the pancreas can be painful. However, he has not sent her home with any pain medication. I heard her cry in the morning and she passes away about 4:30 on Saturday – 22 hours after I brought her home. I am devastated and wonder could I have done anything differently. Was it as mistake to take to the second clinic and put her through all that. Would it not have been better just to let her die with the added stress. If you have any information for me please let me know
Halina,
I am sorry for your loss of Demelza. It is always horrible to lose our pets and even more so when it’s sudden. I don’t feel like I am educated enough to let you know if you did anything wrong or not. How old was she?
Jenny