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Awww | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-07-08 |
Looking for churu dupes since they have high phosphorus and I just started my bubba on his journey with his new renal treatment plan. I bought a 50 pack of churu before I knew his diagnosis 😅
He loves the gogurts and also soft chews, any recommendations? A little overwhelmed with figuring out the best alternatives | r/renalcats | post | r/RenalCats | 2024-02-08 |
Following. My girl stopped eating Churus today and also won’t eat Hills KD dry kibble and I’ve tried other renal wet foods and she’s not a huge fan. She got ice cream today. Her creatinine is only 3.4, which the vet is apparently not worried about at all but she’s not eating much and I don’t know how long she can continue this. The vet only offered famotidine for nausea and said she’s not at the point of needing SQ fluids. I’m getting a second opinion. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Definitely get a second opinion you treat the cat not the numbers. A cat with 3.4 might need more than one at 4.8 it’s how they are that really matters | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Agreed. I am not happy with this vet and after talking to two other people in my city (which isn’t small) said they disliked this vet and she doesn’t listen and doesn’t do much. They suggested KD diet and wanted me to buy samples from them. Thankfully an acquaintance has KD and no longer uses it so she is giving me two bags and a few cans that she has leftover. My girl does drink but food intake is very low and some days not much at all. She also is a bear with IVs so the vet and I already discussed that it would be extremely hard to do fluids for her and I agree. But I think a transdermal appetite stimulant would be better than the famotidine because she won’t take pills. I feel defeated and I feel like I’m failing. I know my kitty will continue to decline given the circumstances. She said she’s not ready for euthanasia yet because of her numbers. She actually came and cuddled me yesterday so that’s an improvement. I’ve gotten better advice here and in groups than from the vet. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
I found this thread useful when looking for wet treats for my CKD cat https://www.reddit.com/r/RenalCats/s/FD5mxRSsKA | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-06-08 |
Thank you so much! | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-06-08 |
I really hope the best for your kitty and hope you can find solutions soon! If I hadn’t switched to a new vet, I would’ve never known that Homer had advanced ckd | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-06-08 |
My vet said to feed what they want if they are going on hunger strike which I agree with. My girl has had a great week so far and I’m pretty happy with how she’s doing | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-06-08 |
Tiki baby thrive and tiki silver comfort | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-07-08 |
[Most recent photo taken of Sassy on my computer. It's unrelated to her current behaviour, but I still prefer for people to know what she looks like while reading about her.](https://preview.redd.it/unwf8qv0tbgd1.jpg?width=1816&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca194ab69cc31cddfd00565de5136210d134f01d)
About a week ago I posted about Sassy and her sudden reluctance to eat any of her renal kibble even when Fortiflora was sprinkled on top of it; unfortunately, she's still largely uninterested in it (although I managed to get her to eat a few kibbles earlier today), but by using the charts on Tanya's website I was able to find a dry food brand that she likes with low phosphorus (Now Fresh Grain Free) and so far her appetite hasn't faltered while eating that. However, I've still been incredibly stressed about her... she's still incredibly thirsty and spending a lot of time in the washroom where her water is, going to the point of falling asleep there, and she's suddenly recognized that the water bowl in my bedroom \*exists\*... which is neat, but her continued interest in water makes me worry that her CKD is progressing. She's been exhibiting facial twitches, feels pretty bony in spite of her 4kg weight, and has been very sleepy.
She's not lethargic all the time. But when she gets tired, she's been very hard to rouse and unresponsive to stimuli. Sassy is normally a very alert and opinionated cat; if you poke her, she'll chirr or complain, but now she's been getting into states where she just... doesn't. Her inner eyelids will start sliding over her eye (sometimes this will happen while she's alert and I'm petting her, like she's very drowsy all the time) and she'll allow me to handle her without a fuss. Her head isn't limp or anything, but she'll let me move it around without issue, which is very unusual for her. Her behaviour reminds me of her being on Gabapentin, except she's not taking it, and she's not wobbly or off balance when she's actually awake.
She's been exhibiting all these new behaviours within a week and a half and I'm worried to death her CKD is getting worse. She has a vet appointment on the 6th but I don't even know if I can wait until then because I've been panicking not knowing her condition. Guess I'm just looking for any advice or reassurance on whether or not I should be taking her to an emergency vet. | r/renalcats | post | r/RenalCats | 2024-02-08 |
She sounds like she’s dehydrated (third eyelid showing while awake can mean dry eyes, and dehydration can cause some lethargy) and likely not eating enough. Does she like wet food or squeeze tube or broth treats? That would be a good way to get her some extra moisture and maybe entice her to eat. One of my boys love the Purina Hydracare packets.
What else is she doing? How are her litter box habits? It doesn’t sound like what my Stage 3 CKD boy does, behavior-wise, but that doesn’t mean it’s NOT CKD-related. I’d be more worried she’s a bit malnourished and dehydration from her lack of eating that you mentioned.
August 6 is terrible far off, but I would get some extra food and liquid into her as much as possible before her appointment. It could help her perk up.
Wishing her and you the best. ❤️ | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
I can't say for certain that it's *not* dehydration, and with how much she's interested in water currently it wouldn't surprise me if it was, but that said, her skin is still springy and snaps back into place pretty quickly when I pinch it which is supposedly a method you can use to gauge if an animal is dehydrated or not. Granted, she as a fair amount of loose skin now due to the weight she's lost since the start of the year, so it may not be the most accurate method. Regardless, I've been pinching her skin every day for a while and haven't noticed a difference in its conformity afterwards.
Her third eyelid isn't permanently visible while she's awake - it only really starts sliding over when she's either drowsy, or receiving attention that would make her drowsy, such as head pets. It's just that not even a week ago she would still be alert while being pet and not so susceptible to dozing off, and while she's in a drowsy state she's not as responsive to stimuli as she's historically been while trying to sleep in the past.
I honestly think her appetite is fine at the moment? Sassy has been caring less for her renal kibble but has been steadily munching on the lower phosphorus regular brands we have in the house, and eating is better than wasting away so I've been letting her eat that instead of forcing her to consume the renal dry food. I do also provide her with a bowl of Hills early consult wet food three times a day, but she's... not really interested in that? She mostly just licks it but doesn't consume the meat. I always mix a tablespoon of water with it to help her remain hydrated, and also to try and get what little of the meat that dissolves in the water into her.
Sassy was still in Stage 2 in June and that's when her last bloodwork was taken. The lethargy has made me worried she may be progressing into Stage 3 (or worse). | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Can you call your vet to describe the behavior and see if they have advice or can fit you in sooner? | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Tuesday was the earliest appointment that I was able to book with the vet that's been seeing her and is the most familiar with her history. I could always book for a sooner appointment with one of the other vets staffed there, however. I'm just... hesitant to do so because this appointment date has already been rescheduled a lot, in part due to the fact that the frequency I've been taking Sassy to the vet has been scrutinized by one other household member.
At first, her appointment was for July 27th. Then, because her weight had stabilized, I rebooked it for August 17th. Then, due to paranoia about her increased drinking, I booked one for August 1st. Then I canceled the August 1st appointment because it was met with disapproval from the aforementioned household member. And then I booked the most recent one on Tuesday once she started getting more lethargic.
Kinda wish I'd kept the one for today... she's acting fine *currently* but every time I see her drowsy and unresponsive, my anxiety skyrockets. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Aw I totally understand being anxious about her health. I also blanked on the fact that the 6th is just Tuesday. Eating and drinking well is good. Would your vet give advice on the phone, just in terms of gauging if her behavior is concerning based on her history? Also, is it hotter out where you are right now? | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
My stage 3 boy deals mostly with nausea and some constipation issues, but he has always been a very sleepy man, so it’s hard for me to say if he’s more drowsy now than before. He has gone through some eye issues, and I remember the vet telling me I should rarely see his third eyelid, so that’s what makes me wonder. But if she closes her eye all way afterwards, then it’s probably fine.
I still recommend find some wet food or gravy treats that she might enjoy. The extra hydration could still help, and maybe a brand new treat will perk her up.
Hopefully the vet can help her out or otherwise ease your mind next week! | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
It *is* pretty hot in the region right now, or at least it is by the standards in Ontario, Canada; her being exhausted due to heat is one of the things my vet suggested as a cause for her lethargy when I was describing her symptoms to her before booking her Tuesday appointment (well, actually it was a theory for her excessive thirst, but I'm sure the same logic applies), but we also have air conditioning in the house with *horrendous* circulation that makes the downstairs feel like below freezing. It's hotter upstairs, but I'd figure if she was hot she could just know to go downstairs?
I called my vet this morning to see if they had any earlier appointments with the other veterinarians at their clinic, but they're fully booked for Saturday and Sunday :( They said they could fit me in on Monday, but at that point I told them I may as well just wait until Tuesday. I described Sassy's symptoms to the receptionist and she seemed reasonably concerned, and told me that if things get worse that I shouldn't hesitate to take her to emergency. So now I'm just weighing whether the stress of going to emerge without Gabapentin would be worth it. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Después de finalmente tener que decirle adiós a mi gatita ahora estoy buscando a alguien o algún lugar que necesiten del medicamento que me sobro, antes de que caduque.
Now that I had to say goodbye to my cat, now I want to find someone or some place in need of some renal medicine before it expires. | r/renalcats | post | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
It’s been since before the CKD stage 2 diagnosis and hasn’t gotten any better. She’s 14 and was initially diagnosed with a kidney infection that got better with an antibiotic.
She’s on a probiotic from the vet and her urinalysis came back entirely clean, so is this behavioral? And why is her poop so smelly and still not consistently solid? I’m so lost.
She’s eating normally and drinking normally, and occasionally pees in the box but recently it’s mostly out of it. She never poops in the box anymore.
Obviously I care more about her than the carpet, but I’ve been cleaning for about two hours every day and it’s been about two months of this. Help :( | r/renalcats | post | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Is she one a new diet? Sometimes a medicine can also upset stomach. Maybe something in the probiotic does not suit her. You could check for food allergies if recently changed diet. My cat was consistently on diarrhoea after the vet put him on hypoallergenic food as he had food allergies. The hypoallergenic food did not suit him at all and I tried for months but bad diarrhoea all the time. Had to change the vet as he refused to listen. Also you could get her anal glands checked to ensure she does not have any poop related pain.
I know this appears daunting for now but would ask you to be calm in this situation. I’ve been there. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
I would do a bloodtest and possibly an ultrasound to be clear. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Have you tried any foods geared towards “digestive” health or single, novel protein foods, or limited ingredient diets?
My sweet departed IBD boy used to have such problems with his stools before we found a food that suited him. He was a big fan of both Royal Canin Digestive and Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach diets. He also did well on Royal Canin Aging 12+ food, which as a bonus is low phosphorus and safer for my other CKD kitties to eat too. We tried hydrolyzed protein and Hill’s z/d prescription foods for him, but he just did not like them, and they didn’t seem to help entirely.
Bowel issues can have different causes, however I do recommend making sure bloodwork is clear, and maybe have an x-ray or ultrasound if the vet recommends it and it’s an affordable option for you. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
The diarrhea requires a vet to solve. There's a good chance she has some sort of parasite. Bring a fecal sample for analysis.
Regarding not using the box, there's a lot of reasons issues like this happen. For an older cat I'm thinking probably arthritis. Getting into the litterbox hurts. Try getting a low sided litterbox or add a ramp or staircase to your current litterbox.
If you end up at the vet for the diarrhea, ask about arthritis while you're there. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Bring a fecal sample to the vet and ask about Tylan powder. It's a low dose antibiotic they'd safe for long term use and commonly used to treat chronic diarrhea in cats. My 20 year old cat with CKD has been taking microdoses of Tylan powder since 2022 and it had helped her tremendously. Good luck 🩵 | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
How long was she on antibiotics? I can take time after to normalize the gut again. Best probiotic is Visbiome Vet. Does her vet think she could have IBD? Our CKD cat can’t eat the kidney diets they upset her stomach. Hang in there | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
This won't help the kitty, but you could put wee wee pads outside of the box to make cleanup easier.
I have two senior cats - one with ckd who pees outside the box when she has a UTI and another who sometimes does his business outside the box because of arthritis. Does she have any mobility issues or pain? | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
About a week and then a shot at the vet for the kidney infection! She’s on visbiome now and has already been on two rounds of probiotics with her food daily 😭 it’s maybe the kidney diet, but it was happening before we put her on it | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Thank you!! I literally have covered the floor in them lol!! She doesn’t appear to have any issues jumping up and down from places | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Thank you!! I’ll ask them for sure | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Do you think it could still be arthritis if she’s able to jump up to perches with relative ease/on and off the bed? I thought it could be that as well, but I’m unsure if that qualifies. Definitely taking in a poop sample though | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
I have a recently adopted 16 y/o ckd girl, and she also has litter box issues. (Arthritis, and mega colon, too) I tried the low entry senior/arthritis box, but she ignored it, and an under bed storage box that was cut down so she could enter easier. Neither of those worked well.
I wound up buying Improvia washable pee pads from Amazon, and I have them all over the place. Under the litter box, but sticking out a few feet for when she misses, and one or two in every room she goes in so she doesn't have to walk far. It took a while, but she finally caught on. I use the really big ones, and wash them in hot water with baking soda (no fabric softner, per the directions). I've had them for months, and rotate them often, but they still don't get soaked through or leak.
I also put disposable XXL dog pee pads on top so I'm not doing laundry all day, every day. I change the pee pads (if used) at least twice a day. Given that she goes 12 times a day, changing them every single time was costing me a fortune. Good luck! | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
I haven’t yet!! My vet didn’t want to do it yet because of her CKD, and she’s had intermittent issues with this but nothing this consistent.
She’s on the weruva phosfocused right now since it seems like she was throwing up her kidney diet food | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Thank you!! It’s so much and I really appreciate the kind words | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Probably not arthritis then. Are the litterboxes covered? My cats don't like covered litterboxes. You could try taking the covers off. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
I’ll try this today thank you! It’s been covered since I got her | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Stage 2 Kidney disease in 12 year old female. She is eating dry Royal Canin Renal diet only and won't touch the renal wet food at all. Is just the dry ( Which she really likes) enough? I saw wet food is better. She likes rain water for drinking which she has plenty of. Any recommendations or advice is appreciated. Thank you in advance. | r/renalcats | post | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Yes, just dry food is fine.
My cat has always preferred dry food and even before his CKD diagnosis almost 4 years ago it was difficult to find a wet food that he would eat even in small quantities. Since his diagnosis he has had renal kibble available 24/7 and I offer him some wet food and/or a Delectables treat when I feed my other pets twice a day. On a good day he’ll eat up to 1/4 can of a non-renal (but still relatively low phosphorus) wet food, but it is a very small part of his diet. However, he’s always been a good drinker and the vet has always found him to be adequately hydrated when examined without having to do subcutaneous fluids. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Thanks for the reply 👍 | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Have you tried a water fountain? My CKD kitty loved his Petlibro. I also used to soak his dry food until it absorbed the water and made it soft. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
I give my kitty hydracare and she loves it. I know she drinks water but I try to supplement with at least a pack of hydracare every day. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
Feeling a little hopeless right now. Our cat Toothie was recently diagnosed with CKD. We didn't catch it as early as we could have because she also has stomatitis so I attributed her symptoms such as not eating, having reclusive periods, etc, to that. We are not sure of her exact age but the vet says she is a senior and definitely over 10 years old.
After seeming not like herself for a few days, I took her in to the vet on July 6th to get a steroid shot for her stomatitis. She seemed better for a couple of days and then became even more reclusive, was barely eating, but was drinking an excessive amount of water. On July 15th I took her back to the vet. He still thought her symptoms were just part of her stomatitis and recommended that we remove her last few teeth. Before I agreed to that surgery I asked them to do full blood work, and we found out that she had extremely high kidney levels, and CKD.
She was hospitalized on an IV for two days, then I brought her home and began giving her fluids everyday. Aside from one day where she got nauseous for a few hours, she seemed to be doing really great. She had a checkup a few days ago and her levels had gone down even more and she gained two pounds. The vet said we could go down to giving her fluids every 3-5 days, and to bring her back in in about 4 months. My husband was away for work all week and I told him yesterday that she was acting like a kitten again.
Then suddenly last night she had another round of nausea. She's thrown up twice, has been hiding under the bed since yesterday evening, will not eat, and is maybe drinking a little water but is mostly just sitting next to her bowl. I gave her some fluids to try to give her a boost but she is still not feeling better.
Is she telling me it's time? I think I need to bring her back to the vet and try everything we can, but I don't want to put her through the trauma of dragging her out from under the bed, and another hospitalization if she only has a short amount of time left.
| r/renalcats | post | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
It could be something unrelated. Given that she recently had blood work done, it might not be kidney related. Did you change food or make any other changes?
Sending healing energy to Toothie and peace to her humans. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Steroids will elevate the CKD and my girl had both stomatitis and CKD she lived to 19 | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
We haven't changed anything. Thank you. ❤️ | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Wow, I didn't know that. How did you treat your cat's inflammation without giving her steroids? | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Is she on any medication for the nausea? If not, perhaps the vet will prescribe something (cerenia or mirtazapine, for example) without having to bring your kitty back in. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Atopica for a while but this also elevated the kidney values and eventually started antibiotics(clindamycin)and only used it when her breath started smelling foul and she started pawing at her face. Water additive for fighting plaque and fish oil drops … Plus gabapentin if she was just miserable … she only had it over the very back tooth … horrible disease. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
She was given a nausea medication when she was hospitalized. I called our vet to see if I could get a prescription for it but they said they can’t approve anything until the Dr who treated her is back in on Monday. I may have to bring her in tomorrow if I can’t get her to eat. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
r/renalcats | post | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 | |
I have no idea if this is related to her CKD or something else (her thyroid numbers were elevated the last time she had bloodwork and we were told to monitor her for hyperthyroidism. I've had a cat with hyperthyroidism in the past who had seizures so this could be those, but his were much more noticeable), but Tanya's website says twitching *could* be an uremia symptom so it doesn't hurt to ask. Plus it wouldn't surprise me if the people here were more familiar with feline health in general than the average person. I'll likely post this on a cat advice sub too, just in case. I've also sent this video to our vet but I don't know if I'll get a response before Tuesday, as the one who has been seeing Sassy is off until then.
She's been doing this since around July 27th - 28th. Sometimes not very frequently, sometimes at least once per minute. It doesn't seem to bother her except if it happens while she's walking, which I haven't seen many instances of, but she pauses in her step if it does. Lately it's not just facial twitching and sometimes the tremors are in her legs as well.
I'm worried that she could be seizing. Either way, I'm wondering if I should be taking her to the vet early to discern the cause. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Are her ears dirty? A while back I took my cat to the vet because she was twitching — similar to your girl— and they told me it was because her ears were dirty.
There are far more knowledgeable folks here, so they probably have a better answer. I hope it's nothing serious. Keep us posted! | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
She's not letting me look in her ears right now, so I'll try getting back to you when she's calmer and allows me to look at them closer with a flashlight. Google says that ear infections can also cause facial twitching in cats... but that's just one of so many other potential causes, it's hard to narrow it down. Such is the nature of Googling symptoms! | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Does she have high blood pressure? | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Does she respond to loud noises while the tremors are occurring? If yes, that’s a good sign that it’s NOT seizures.
Is she on any meds or supplements that might be causing it? If her kidneys function has decreased, she may not need as much as was previously prescribed. I’ve heard anecdotal reports of twitching on Miralax, although it’s not a listed side effect. Twitching/tremors can also be caused by electrolyte imbalance. I’d be going in for bloodwork to check that out. It might be something that’s relatively easy to fix with supplements. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
I think it would be hard to discern if she's specifically responsive to loud noises while having the tremors because they come on without warning and only last for half a second. She's always still attentive after having them, so if they *are* seizures, they're really small ones. Sort of partially why I was seeking advice from people who might be able to differentiate a minor seizure from a regular tremor.
She's not on any medications as of right now; we tried to give her Cerenia on the 25th of July, but the attempt failed and it stressed her out. Reddit gave me some strategies to give her the pills for next time, but so far she hasn't really needed it again.
She has an appointment on August 6th to get blood taken (among other things)! But every time she twitches it affects my anxiety, so I need all the advice I can get, heh. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
My Oz does that and we think it's because of low Potassium. Daily Potassium gluconate supplements have helped a lot. We use the pill form, but they are quite large. He's good with taking pills. My vet said there is also a lickable gel(?) supplement. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
Hi OP,
This page lists CKD issues/symptoms in alphabetical order. There are a lot of possible reasons for twitching but I’d consult a vet.
http://www.felinecrf.org/symptoms_treatments_index.htm#T | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
Obviously I can't know for certain what the problem is until I consult my vet about it in person and get some blood drawn, but it's good to hear from other people with renal kitties exhibiting similar symptoms, and that their cases are treatable! Puts my mind at ease a little because I've been very anxious about Sassy lately and thinking that maybe I should be freaking out.
Sassy is unfortunately not very good at taking pills, although I'm hoping that if it ends up that she needs to take one every day eventually that we can get her accustomed to it by rewarding her with treats afterwards. The cat with hyperthyroidism I mentioned owning in the past (he is sadly deceased) got to the point where he would beg people to give him his meds just for the treat he would get afterwards. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
I would definitely take her to the vet as soon as possible. It could be her ears are infected. I have one cat who had severe ear infections that I didn't know about and he would do similar type of twitch when he walked. It's always better to be safe than sorry. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
Just to be clear, I'm not going to be taking the advice of random redditors over the professional opinion of the vet, but I still believe there's benefits to discussing things with people with similar circumstances online because the vet can miss things and vice versa. I won't be taking action without the opinion of my veterinarian; however, the suggestions of others can help ensure that we've gone over everything.
It seems that twitching can be a result of several types of imbalances. Given the fact she's been turning her nose up at her renal kibble, it wouldn't surprise me if she's not getting the nutrients she needs. Hopefully if this is the case it ends up being something manageable. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
Any ways to discern if her ears are infected at home? She has an appointment in 3 days and I don't want to go into crisis mode prematurely. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
Will she let you look at her ears. If she will, are they pink or reddish inside? Do they have a smell? Do they appear to be dirty? Are they painful for you to touch them? | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
They don't appear to be painful to the touch, but she still won't let me look them too much because she just doesn't want to be handled. She generally enjoys ear scratches and isn't getting agitated when I do that, nor does she appear to have any type of odor or excess wax... her right ear does look to be slightly pinker than her left one, though. Not that I'm of the utmost familiarity on what to look for.
I took some pictures if you or other users want to look at them.
[Left](https://imgur.com/a/jtwMJUM)
[Right](https://imgur.com/a/PajbSJn) | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
How is she when the shaking/tremors/seizing stops? My cat Indy had seizures that got so bad he went blind from them and soon was seizing 20 times a day. We helped him over the bridge, for his quality of life was non-existent.If Sassy were my cat, I would bring her to the vet. It might be something minor, but it is better to play it safe and ease your mind, | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
My cat does the same thing. It is connected to his CKD. It could be thyroid related or due to high blood pressure, but in my cat’s case it is not. He was tested for thyroid and his blood pressure is normal. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
The more I watch your video the more I think that twitching is from pain. If it's not its ears, it could be his mouth. If you can get an earlier vet appointment that would be great, otherwise just take her to her already scheduled appointment. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
Unfortunately, at this point I would likely be unable to make an earlier vet appointment with my regular vet (at least, it is with how long it took me to read this after going to bed) because they're usually fully booked two days going forward and there wouldn't be any places available on today or Monday. The only way to get her check out before her appointment would be to take her to emergency.
I don't know, it's conflicting. It's definitely something I'm worried about, but I've already caught flak from my family for being a hypochondriac with her and I'm trying to keep my head level. Taking her to emergency would also cause her a greater level of stress as it would likely be without Gabapentin and she doesn't handle vet visits well without it... at the same time, results from tests they run would have an immediate return rather than having to wait a day for bloodwork results from my regular vet.
The tremors don't seem to be affecting her quality of life so she can probably manage until Tuesday. But I also don't want things to potentially get worse and unsalvageable in the time it could take for back and forth testing. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
I'm sorry to hear about your kitty Indy, I hope Sassy doesn't have the same problem he had :(
She behaves completely normally with the onset of the tremors. They don't seem to bother her, it's just something that happens for a second at maximum and she'll continue purring and acting like they didn't happen; if cats didn't have a tendency to hide their pain, I would assume she doesn't even notice them. They're also not constant, only happening at certain periods of tie when she's calm and I'm petting her, very rarely at other intervals.
She has an appointment on Tuesday. Not very far away, but responses from this thread have me uncertain if it's soon enough. I'm less concerned about her having to wait for the appointment so much as has long setting up tests could take. For example, if she needed an ultrasound for whatever reason to figure this out, it could be scheduled a week away, and even if it isn't, I like to space her appointments apart so that she can recover from being Gaba'd. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
No idea. It's one of the things I'm looking to check for on Tuesday. The last time her blood pressure was taken was... I think May? It was normal then. I know high blood pressure can cause blindness and seizes so it's not something I've ruled out.
EDIT: I have no clue why this comment took so long to appear for me, it's only showing up just now. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
This is comforting to hear (but also not because it means her CKD could be progressing), but the various responses to this thread have gotten me indecisive on what I should do. If it's CKD related it can probably wait until Tuesday, which is her next vet appointment, but I don't want things to fester and get worse if it's something else. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
Beraprost seems to be (as far as I can tell, please let me know if this is not the case) one of the few clinically studied \*treatments\* of CKD in cats (in Japan). Whereas it doesn't reverse CKD, it has been shown in laboratory studies to slow the progression.
However, since it is approved in Japan and not by the FDA, it is not readily available in the US. Does anyone know how someone in the US could get their hands on this? I have already spoken to my vet, who is not against Beraprost but does not know how to get it. | r/renalcats | post | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
If someone know how to get it in Europe, I’m all ears. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
UPDATE - unfortunately things weren’t looking good this morning and I decided to let my kitty go in peace. Her temperature kept dropping, she was dehydrated and weak. The vet said she likely had full kidney failure. I’m heartbroken. In physical pain and just don’t know how I’m going to get through the day without her.
My kitty was diagnosed with CKD in Feb this year. She’s been doing really well and I’ve been feeding her Hills as much as possible.
Suddenly this past week she stopped eating everything. Stopped drinking water too. After a day, I took her to the vet. That was this morning.
He was very helpful and gave her a drip, a vitamin B shot and an appetite enhancer. 12 hours later there’s been no change at all.
In fact, she seems to be even worse. I’ve had to feed her through a syringe throughout the day because she still has no appetite. Same for water.
She keeps howling, she can’t walk tonight for some reason too. She’s urinating on herself over and over again.
I’m freaking out thinking it’s the end now. The vet said I need to see him on Tuesday and make the call. But just 12 hours later, I feel like she’s just gotten worse.
I don’t know if I should wait another day and just be patient with the process. Feed her with the syringe and keep her hydrated the same way.
Honestly, she went from eating non-stop throughout the day to this state. It’s heartbreaking to see and I don’t want her to suffer but at the same time, I don’t want put her down if there’s still time.
The vet said if she does well, I can administer the drip myself from home. I don’t mind at all. But at this rate I don’t know if we’ll get there.
She’s 20 and she’s had a good life but I won’t be able to live with myself if I cut it shorter than it could be. Any advice would greatly help. Thanks! | r/renalcats | post | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Did the vet do a urine test to check for a UTI? | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Sorry OP this really sucks I just had to make my decision on Tuesday :(. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
I just don’t see us getting any better at this rate and she’s so unhappy. I can’t stand to see her like this. The vet was quite optimistic but 12 hours later, I feel likeP it’s just worse. It’s the evening here now so going to sleep by her for the last time and see the vet in the morning.
Edit - sorry for your loss too. Sorry I didn’t even realise I left that out. Just quite stressed out about this all. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
I am so very sorry that you and your girl are going through this. I have been doing sub q fluids for my 17 year old lil cat boy for a little over a year now. I’m not sure what type of appetite stimulant your vet used, but we had great luck with one called mirataz.
I’m trying to put myself in your shoes and I would take your girl to an emergency vet ASAP. I wouldn’t try and wait until Tuesday to go back to your normal vet. The fact that she hasn’t improved at all since the vet visit is concerning, and I am honestly so sorry to say this but I would also try to get the details coordinated for in home euthanasia if at all possible. I totally understand wanting to give it another shot at the emergency vet, and if you can do that, I definitely would because it sounds like she is crashing. Not eating or drinking, unable to walk, howling, urinating on herself is just heartbreaking and if/when I am in your situation, I would really honestly consider her quality of life. I would not want my cat to spend an extended amount of time in that state, as much as it will rip my heart out to make that decision. If she improves, that’s amazing and you can keep caring for her the best you can and appreciate all the good days, but if she remains in her current state, it honestly is just existing and the kindest thing you can do is to make a very difficult decision. Again, I am so sorry and I truly hope that this all comes across in the kindest, most empathetic way possible because that’s how I mean it from the heart. 💗 | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Thanks for the kind words. I definitely feel the same. I was hoping for some kind of miracle after today’s visit but it just didn’t work out.
I have given her some pain meds (gabaplentin) which also act as a relaxant to see her over until the morning. I’ll go to the vet then. Definitely won’t wait until Tuesday. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
You’re welcome. I hope the gabapentin helps her to relax and get some sleep, and I’m sending all the prayers/wishes/good vibes out for a miraculous improvement by the morning. 20 years is an incredible, long life for her and it never would have happened without your dedication & care. In the meantime, give her all the love 💕 | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
It’s ok and it’s a stressful situation … I eventually did it because she had severe heavy breathing… sucks op just sucks. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Was there any blood taken at the vet? This largely reads like anemia is taking hold and getting to the point of needing a blood transfusion or more aggressive treatments, which is quite typical with CKD in its later stages. The B vitamins should have helped quite a bit if it was mild early anemia. Absolutely 100% don't wait until Tuesday. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
Oh no I’m so sorry. I just had to put my kitty (19) to sleep Thursday. With your cat now having trouble walking and urinating all over that sounds like things are really progressing unfortunately. I would get in as soon as you can. 20 is amazing ! I hope things turn around for you but if not just know you did all you could and she had a wonderful life | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
She sounds exactly like my guy last Saturday night. The howling, inability to walk and the incontinence, completely different from all his other crashes. I gave him Xanax and Gabapentin all night and the vet came at 11 to put him to sleep. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-03-08 |
So sorry 💔 | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
Me too my baby was 5. It's so hard. Rip to your sweet child 💗 I hope our babies are playing together in their next life. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
By drip I take it he gave her subcutaneous fluids, rather than IV fluids, since you can't give the latter at home.
Her best chance would be if you take her to an ER and have her for a few days on IV fluids. Plus blood tests and correcting any other issue, like anemia and low potassium. There's also a few more appetite stimulants and anti-nausea meds they can try.
But all of this will be a lot of money and a lot of stress for her, and there is no guarantee she will make it, or how long she will be ok for until her next crash that again may or may not be recoverable.
I definitely wouldn't wait until Tuesday, though. I'd call any emergency vet that is open during weekends, and either try some more treatments, or give her peace. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
I’m really sorry you’re going through this. I’ll give you a brief version of my experience and maybe it’ll help you:
My buddy was 2 years old and suffered the same symptoms, minus the incontinence. He was still himself. He got the fluid treatment (both at home for a few weeks, and a 48 hour treatment at a hospital) and just seemed really out of it after that. The fluid built up in his body, made him uncomfortable, and needed to be drained. The night I took him home from the hospital, I had to bring him back because the fluid built up in his chest to the extent that his breaths were short and rapid, I thought he’d have a heart attack. It was expensive. The vets recommended I let him go, and after a few more expensive procedures, I didn’t want to see him suffer anymore.
To this day (about 6 months later), I still tear up regularly when I think of him, and I do hold lots of regret, wishing I gave him more time. That said, reading some of the less fortunate stories both here and on other social media of cats with similar outlooks, I’m glad I spared him the end that some others had to go through. I’ve heard of cats getting seizures, infections, licking their skin raw, and even suffering cracked bones from being so weak/lugging around their weight.
As much as I am still heartbroken and in many ways regretful that I didn’t maximize my best friend’s time, I think that sparing him that fate, and making his final days as peaceful as possible, was the most respectable thing I could have done (at least that’s what I tell myself). My observation on this sub and others has been that, yes, there’s always sadness and regret when potentially saying goodbye a bit too soon…but it seems like there’s even more regret, even more grief, when sometimes they wait too long. “Too soon is better than too late”. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
I think your vet is optimistic they can prolong things. But now is the time for you to make the call for your best buds wellbeing. It sounds like kitty is no longer in quality of life stage. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
Hi, I had to say goodbye to my 20 year 10 month cat last Saturday. On top of kidney disease and arthritis (she’d been managing with that for many years) she developed new issues - significant anemia (close to the point of requiring a blood transfusion), fluid retention,bladder issue and fluid in the abdomen over a short period.
I share all of this only because there does come a point where at an advanced age, things build up. However she managed through many years and was still a happy cat for a long time. Eating, playing with catnip toys, using her box, drinking, asking for treats, talking in her quiet way, and of course … keeping me in line and showing me how she could mostly manage without help.
I also share that there was also a moment ~three months prior when I thought it was time (couldn’t get up : hind legs gave out) but she somehow bounced back after about a week of care. She was physically resilient, mentally strong and seemed she would make it to 21+
All of this information to say, sometimes they do bounce back, but also have to take the medical data (obtain 2nd opinion if possible) as inputs to guide actions and probably most important is how only you know your cherished cat. No one else knows but you how she looks/behaves/seems … that will aid your decision. Bloodwork and x-rays and ultrasound helped me understand her medical conditions.
So very sorry your cat is not feeling well. Please continue to take care of her and yourself. It is very stressful I’m sure. Again, take care and hugs to your cat. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
did they test for UTI? sudden change might be something treatable. peeing on herself suddenly seems strange | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
Go to the store and buy human UTI strips. My cat stopped drinking and had major bathroom issues until we tested her and found a UTI. Antibiotics cleared it right up. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
yep, mine had OPs symptoms a month ago and we took her to the emergency vet to run bloodwork but she had a UTI that we tested with human test strips. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
yeah a UTI f'd my cat up big time. Other struggles related to pooping can be alleviated with miralax | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
yeah the yowling and peeing on self could be pain from UTI I'd check that first | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
Did she get labs drawn today? That would be helpful to see what’s going on. Could you live with yourself if she suffers unnecessarily and experiences pain as it sounds like she might be in the last stage of renal failure? I ask this because it sounds like you are considering euthanasia and it sounds like she may in the last stages of the disease. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
>She keeps howling, she can’t walk tonight for some reason too. She’s urinating on herself over and over again.
Waiting and seeing about how treatments work isn't a bad decision. But given these symptoms, you have a critically ill cat, likely in pain, and a final vet visit is reasonable, too.
You have a 20-year old cat. You've done great in taking care of your kitty. There is no wrong decision here. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
Did the vet do a urine culture? My kidney kitty (just turned 20 last month) developed a bad kidney infection. She developed all of those symptoms and became septic within 48 hours and had to be seen at the emergency vet. He cautioned me that she might not make it multiple times. During the first few days, she wouldn't eat or drink and I had to syringe feed. It's a traumatic process but the vet said we could give her a little Tallow with her meds in a syringe just to make sure she was getting calories and we did daily subQ fluids. We had to put her on some serious antibiotics for 4 months to finally clear it. I'm so sorry you and your kitty are going through this and I hope she pulls through. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
I'm so sorry for your loss. It is so hard and we always feel, like you said, like we cut their life too short. I've read people say oh you know it's time, but I have questioned myself daily since I made the decision 5 weeks ago. I am so sorry and even if I say you did the right thing (which you did), it never gets easier. | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
She's had a long life with you, it's always hard to let them go but it sounds like it's time. My Mom waited too long when she had a rescue Bishon. He died on the couch next to her after a seizure as I was coming to take him to the vet to be put down. It's better one day too early than one hour too late. You're a great pet owner, sorry you have to go through this | r/renalcats | comment | r/RenalCats | 2024-04-08 |
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