Can anyone with a knowledge of cats and kidney failures, answer a few questions (I'm very worried and sad!)?

Question

My beloved 14 year old orange tabby, Sunshine has been diagnosed with the early stages of kidney failure.

#1 Is there anything that a vetinary hospital could do for treatment even dialysis or a transplant or is that just outrageously expensive and he's too old?

#2 They recommended KD prescription canned food but he hates it. I've tried many canned foods and he likes Fancy Feast best especially the kind for kittens, is this okay???

#3 He's received about a dozen cortisone steroid shots over his life for a severe skin allergy. Did this cause his kidney failure? He also is gettinig VERY bad sores again from his allergy and the only thing that helps is the injection (topicals do NOT work), could it be fatal to give him another injection at this point?

THANKS so much for taking time out to read my questions and answer. It is a very heartbreaking situation. Luckily, he doesn't appear to be suffering yet. He is just very skinny and he has those sores from biting at his skin from his allergies. He does still purr a lot and seems very sharp. He is shedding like crazy though, is that common with cats with this condition???

Answer 1

my cat casper was having kidney failure for years  made it        18 1\2 years . i fed him friskeys special diet canned .. i know not the best but he ate it.. need lots of water and love too. in the end it was something else, a bowel blockage that got him. you just have to be honest with yourself, are you doing the best for him by keeping him going.i know it's so hard to let go but you will have to eventually. best wishes ..been there  

Answer 2

Hi there-

You have good answers above.  I especially like #1 for the food recommendation.  You COULD mix the prescription food with his favorite food and reduce the old food 'til he makes the adjustment.  But, it is a tough battle when kitty is stuck in their ways.  

I just wanted to say I wish you the best.  It's hard when your little kitty-buddy gets old and sick.  Give him lots of fun and love.  Let the vet treat him for as long as he can and as long as you're willing.  Keep an eye on kitty and prepare yourself to decide when is when to make "the decision" when kitty has had enough.  You sound like a good kitty parent!  It sounds like you've got some good times left with him.  good luck and best wishes.  

Answer 3

I know how you feel.  I am a animal  lover and I know how difficult it is when they get old and become ill.  They do  have  dialysis but you said he is 14 years old, I think that might be putting him through too much.  You should just check with the  vet to see if he is up for it.  It is costly but if it is going to  give him a better quality of life I would say go for it.  I would do  whatever it would take to make him comfortable and happy.  More people should be doing this for there pets and not just put them down when they become ill.  That's when they need us the most.  Good luck with him, he is lucky to  have you.

Answer 4

First of all---so sorry that this is happening. I just had to have my cat put to sleep for this. Unfortunately, this is common in our cats. Kidney disease is so very common in cats.

Some say that a diet consisting of only dry food exacerbates the condition. The shots did NOT cause this. Be thankful for the time you have had with him cause it won't be long before he can not stand on his own, nor walk and will cry when he goes to the bathroom. I know this is going to sound mean and all that, but it is going to get worse for him and he WILL suffer in the end. You may prolong his life by having the vet give him fluids (washes the toxins from his body cause his kidneys can't) but he will end up in pain and it's easier if you accept that he is dying and have him put down now than to wait. I am thankful I had one more month with my precious, beautiful girl, but I think as she laid dying in my arms, that I should have thought more of her and less of MY feelings and had her put down earlier. I will never get over the feeling I let her down. There is nothing you can do for him. He will get worse and then you will have to decide what you want to do. It can't be about you. Miss Siah (See-Ah) got the KD dry for many, many months and I bought her bottled water to drink for many months too and she still gave out. She was 14 years old. Would have been 15 four months before I had her put to sleep.

I am going to change my avatar now because of this question. My girl deserved better than I did for her. I hate myself for this.

Isn't she beautiful??? She went everywhere with me! I could park a block away and let her out of the car and say "Miss Siah, go to papaws" and that cat would run to papaws porch and wait for me. I got her when she was 4 weeks old. I miss her so. Sorry.

Answer 5

I am going through the same thing with a 16-year-old.  My hunting buddy is a cardiologist.  He told me that when humans get kidney failure, doctors give them Ringer's Lactate, a type of saline solution/blood expander, intravenously.  So, I asked my vet about it.  He agreed that it would probably work, because Ringer's is a "turbocharger" for kidneys.

My cat was in the advanced stages of renal failure before I realized what was going on.  I have been giving her 200 ml of Ringer's every other day for about 3 months.  It has given her a lot of energy.  However, she is still not eating well and is slowly wasting away.  I think it is prolonging her life. Oh, and I am giving her Prednizone for pain.  At this stage, she seems to still be enjoying life, but I fear that she has only a month or so before she dies of malnutrition.

Answer 6

Just one thing -- there IS such a thing as kidney transplants for cats.  But it's extremely expensive and only a few animal hospitals in the country do the procedure.  Also, you'd have to sign a contract agreeing to adopt the donor cat.  So unless you're wealthy, I'm afraid that the procedure is probably out of the question.  

Kidney failure, as everyone else has said, is one of the most common causes of death in domestic cats.  The kidneys function as filters to catch and dispose of toxins, and when they fail, toxins build up in the bloodstream.  Dialysis removes toxins from the blood, but this is just a temporary fix and isn't a cure for kidney disease.  Even with dialysis, the kidneys will continue to deteriorate and lose more and more of their function with time.  In the early stages, your cat may not be exhibiting signs of suffering, but he will suffer eventually.  I'm sorry to say that when the suffering begins, it seems to happen quickly -- he'll seem fine and then within a few days, he'll be in really bad shape.

I know this is really hard for you, but try to think about the quality of his life and what he would want.  Suffering is really no way to live, especially when you know that it's not going to ever get any better.  For the time you have left, just love him and cherish every second.  Once he starts to suffer, though, you should go to the vet to put him out of his misery.  I think he'd thank you for that -- it would be your last gesture of love, thinking of him rather than how much it's hurting you.

Answer 7

1- Cats in kidney or liver failure generally die within 1 year or so.  There are no transplants for cats.  Dialysis must be done daily to have any effect, and it's just too much pain and stress to be worth it.  At best, it would only buy a few more weeks or months, not cure the problem or even hold it at bay very long.

#2- I hate to say it, but in his condition, no food is going to save him.  Let him eat what he likes so he can live his remaining days in happiness.

#3- Kidney/Liver failure is one of the most common causes of death in domestic cats.  It's possible the steroids may have contributed to it, but plenty of cats get organ failure without being on steroids.

#4- Yes, hair loss is common for cats with this condition.  As time goes on, he'll lose more weight and eat less, and lose more hair.  Eventually he'll become very lethargic, and possibly painful, and you'll know it's time to say goodbye.  

My sister's cat died this year at 16 from renal failure.  It's devastating because there's just nothing you can do except make them comfortable.  

Answer 8

  Dear Emma and Sunshine-  I  will try to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge.  I lost my Tas to kidney diseases/failure a year ago.  I also have 45 years of experience with animals in many capacities and worked many years as a verterinary technician.  Dialysis is not done on felines at this time.  If it is being attempted it is in a teaching/research facility?  A transplant is rarely done and successful under any conditions.  To my knowledge cortisone is not a trigger for kidney disease in felines.  Kidney disease/failure is one of the primary causes of death for our felines.  I know the cats don't like the KD, but it is less taxing on their kidneys.  Have you tried putting clam juice on the food to make it more enticing??  You acan buy it in the grocery store, it comes in a glass bottle.  I will tell you now that the sores will not heal because the immune system is being comprimised by the disease.  Also their bodies make decisions as to where it is going to use its limited resources and maintaining and growing the hair/fur ofthe body is not one of them.  At this point doing whatever you can to stopgap the weight loss is most important.  Cortisone is also an appetite trigger in felines and and would also address his allergy issues.  Sunshine does not need to be dealing with any other issue(ie allergies) that can be addressed.  The bottom line is that there is no cure for kidney disease/failure in felines.  Please talk to your vet again about  what you can do to make Sunshine as comfortable as possible.  14 years is a long time to be your buddy and remember you need to keep focused on Sunshine.  When the time comes that decisions have to be made you must remind yourself it is not about you, but about your best friend.