I just found out my cat is in the early stages of kidney failure, what can I do?

Question

My beloved 14 year old cat, Sunshine isn't doing so great. He's gone from a robust 12 lb. to a skinny 8 lbs. in just a few months. I had a geriatric panel done on him yesterday and it came back good except for his kidneys. They recommended a food for him and said lots of water. Is there anything that they can do for him? He is still a happy cat and doesn't appear to be suffering. He has just slowed down a lot. He still purrs and loves to be held and pet though. Thanks for any suggestions.

Answer 1

I'm so sorry to hear of the diagnosis, I was absolutely devastated when one my cats was diagnosed, unfortunately it caught up with her in the end but I know that her last years were happy, comfortable and the best they possibly could have been.

There are lots of things you can do to help your cat.

First, water - and lots of it!!  Make sure that you have lots of fresh, clean (preferably filtered) water dotted around the house

Second, meds.  My cat was prescribed Fortekor, and it slowed the deterioration of the kidneys by a huge amount, she put on the weight she had lost, and regained the sparkle in her eye!

Third, diet.  The best for us was Hills k/d.  It comes in both wet and dry form - our cat loved the dry form - so much so that she refused to eat anything else towards the end, she even refused chicken, her alltime favourite.  I can only assume it's because eating the k/d didn't make her feel ill after eating when other foods did.

Fouth, regular check-ups with the vet.  You must make sure that your cat is checked over regularly.  Blood samples should be taken occasionally to monitor the creatine levels.

Fifth, and this is the hardest.  Know when the stop.  Towards the end our vet offered some very invasive treatments.  I know that some owners would have said to go ahead but this point in time our baby really wasn't well, and she was telling us to let her go and chase all the birds she killed as a youngster in heaven.  We let her go, and although it was over 2 years ago, I still miss her every day, and just typing this has left me with a tear in my eye.  Silly really, she was just a cat I know, but I'm sure you understand.

Your cat can still enjoy a great life, and at 14 years old, has already had a great innings!  My cat was just 6 years old when she died, and I guess that's why it hit us so hard.  Please don't give up, and as long as your cat is happy, that's really all that matters.

Best of luck with everything

x

Answer 2

Put him on KD                                                                                    

cat food at watch his water intake. He needs water.

Answer 3

If he said lots of water, then grain-free canned food is best. Get her off the icky corn-based cat crunchies that you are probably feeding her right now.  I highly reccomend wellness brand. You can get it at most independant pet food retailers, or a petco. I reccomend going to the Wellness website and click where to buy to find a petco or any other retailer near you.

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/

Answer 4

There's no topping Troublesniffer's answer so I won't even try.  I'm just going to be lazy and say that I second EVERY SINGLE WORD, and that includes tossing the k/d or whatever bag o' Hills the vet sold you.

Low protein diets are not the way to go, and the reason vets think this is based on tests performed on RATS, not CATS.  

Unfortunately there are still vets who haven't caught up on their education yet, and yours is apparently one of them.

I highly encourage you to join the Yahoo groups and learn more about this condition, along with the best treatment plans for it.

Good luck!

Answer 5

get a britta water filter so he can have filtered water...good for him and for you too...we double filter our water...the cats appreciate it...

Answer 6

Just give him lots of love and a quiet life and he might go on for a while yet. As long as he's not in pain and is eating ok, just keep a close eye on him.

Answer 7

You can help prevent kidney failure with feeding certain foods but when there is kidney failure you need to get help from the vet.  When kidney failure is caught early (4lbs of weight loss isn't that early...) it can be halted and treated.  As long as he is under the watch of the vet and you're doing what the vet says to he could still live a long and comfortable life.

Answer 8

Hi Summer,

Sorry to hear about your kitty. Your cat is in the early stages of kidney failure and there are many things you can do to keep the condition at bay, and help to slow the progression, and in some cases stop the progression altogether.

Yes, steroid shots, once thought to be rather benign, can be a cause of kidney failure. In the more recent understanding of how the drug affects the body, it is now learned that problems can start almost immediately after administering the drug. This being said, beneficial results of a steroid shot to treat an allergy should be weighed carefully against the risks.

http://www.chelationtherapyonline.com/ar...

One of the things you may want to consider is to seek treatment for your cat with a holistic practitioner. I have a cat in the early stages of kidney failure who is receiving kidney suppliments which seem to be working well, in addition to sub-q fluids if needed, and of course access to fresh water all the time. I mix water into his food, which is only canned. I give no dry food at all. There is some controversy going on about what diet is precisely the best for cats with this condition, as well. I find rx diets to be quite inappropriate and of poor quality.

For an excellent article about kidney failure and felines and some very informative ways of dealing with the condition, read this. You may wish to print it out, and discuss it with your vet, or find a holistic vet in your area.

http://www.alternativepethealth.com/kidn...

In addition to the above resource links, there is a very active group on Yahoo for cats with CRF. While your cat is not chronic, the support and information available is excellent. We all do need support when dealing with these conditions. The one I am providing is great, as it deals with the whole cat, not JUST renal problems, which is so important.

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/carin...

Hope this helps and good luck with your kitty. You can make  a huge difference in your cat's life and help him to recover and live a happy and normal life.

Troublesniffer

Owned by cats for over 40 years

Former breeder- Oriental Shorthairs and Siamese

http://frequentlyfeline.blogspot.com/

Answer 9

ask your vet about pet tinic, at the cat shelter i volunteer at we give all our cats that have early signs of kidney failure it. just mix it in with the food. Good Luck!

Answer 10

he NEEDS to be on a special diet =ie K/D, or something for renal disease, I read a few of the other answers, someone said C/D (not) that is for crystal in urine, not kidney disease, learn how to give sub Q fluids, you will need to do this in the near future, someone at you vets office can show you how, keep him on his med & do exactly what the vet tells you to & keep him happy for a few more years, I work for a vet and have seen older cat with renal problems last a few more years, but it takes some work, good luck, love your cat

Answer 11

You should speak to the vet about that...I don't think there's a lot you can do about your cat..I'm sorry

Answer 12

I lost my big boy, Siamese Oscar Johnson (Picture attached) to CRF 2 years ago this month.

He had been diagnosed with the disease 2 years earlier. The vet said if she had seen him even two years before that there might have been some more years in his life. The vet also said that for most cats kidney failure begins when they are very little and simply progresses into their adulthood. Nothing can be done to change that.

You caught it in time. Did the Dr give you a schedule to inject fluids or any other medicine?

There is a great support group for CRF cats and owners at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline-CRF...

All the best to you and Sunshine. Enjoy him. He has several more years of giving you love.