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T&P needed for my kitty please
Hi ladies,
I haven't posted here in a while but I need some T&P. DH took our eldest cat (he's 10.5) to the vet this morning because he was lethargic and seemed like he wasn't feeling well. He was even drooling a little bit. The nurse said he didn't have a fever so I thought it was probably just a cold. But the vet said he may be at the start of kidney disease because of something in his bloodwork. It's not conclusive at this point - all we can do is wait and see. He was dehydrated so they gave him some fluids and said for us to watch him and bring him back tomorrow if he's still lethargic.
Spencer is my baby boy. He's been through so much with me and I cannot imagine my life without him, but I don't want him to live out the rest of his years sick and in pain. I have been crying off and on at my desk all day. Does anybody have an experience with this that you could share with me? Can cats live happily and comfortably with this? TIA.
Re: T&P needed for my kitty please
It is not at all unusual for older male cats to have "the start of kidney failure" at some point, but they can live comfortably and for a long time after it begins. Kidney disease, I'm not certain about.
Good luck to you and your kitty.
Yeah that's right my name's Yauch!
I have a 5 year old cat in early stage 3 kidney failure. It's manageable, really! Unless there are other underlying health issues or you don't get to it in time, you can maintain what kidney function he has left for quite a while if you put some work into it.
Cats with kidney issues tend to dehydrate easily and might also lose weight because of an increase in stomach acid, making them less likely to eat when not feeling well.
Samson needs special food for his kidneys (low protein, low phospherous, low sodium) and I have to weight/measure his food out in order to track his calorie consumption. If he doesn't eat enough, I force feed him wet food mized with water in a syringe. It's not as bad as it sounds, it just takes 10 minutes or so. We also have 2 cats, so we have to keep them separated during the day in order to get accurate measurements.
He's also on subcutaneous fluid every third day. We have a big IV bag of fluid (basically electrolytes in a saline-type solution) and we have to stick a needle under his skin and drip 75 milliliters into him. Not as bad as it sounds and not painful for the cat. This helps his kidneys immensely. I've heard of cats who aren't advanced enough in their kidney disease to need this, who only need it every week or two, or, conversely, who need it every day.
Lastly, he's on medication for low potassium levels (common), high blood pressure (common) and stomach acid (necessary in cats with his level of disease).
Between the medication, the feedings, the measuring and the fluids, I spend maybe 30-45 minutes a day specifically on cat things. Again, this is early Stage III. If he's at a lower level, it will likely be much easier for you.
Also, Sam lost 2.5 pounds (out of a total weight of 7.75 pounds), but has put a pound back on, which we're very happy about. He is in MUCH better shape now than he once was.
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