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Buttercup · 09-20-2011, 10:17 PM

Many who have rallied with us know we bring our cats. And our little buddy Toro, whom I have taken to calling "The Old Man" is in veterinary hospital now with kidney failure. He is 16 years old and has been lethargic lately. I noticed increased pee output in the litter box (that is a sign that should not be ignored). He had become lethargic and has had a decreased appetite and of course lost a ton of weight (as far as cats are concerned).
A blood test confirmed that his little kidneys were not working well at all. At this point, in hospital, we are trying to get his body flushed out so we can bring him home.
My hope and expectation is that we will be able to treat him at home as best as we can to prolong his life rather than than to just simply euthanize him on the spot. I doing research on the subject I found that many pet owners have extended the lives of their cats years beyond the doctors prognosis by doing things like home based Sub-Q treatments. Renal failure is the 2nd most common cause of death for domestic felines. A simple procedure like nightly needle pokes to our cat may just give us a few more months with out beloved Toro Torodopolis.
This video shows a procedure to help prolong the life of your cat if you should you find yourself in the same position as we are in. It is simple and painless for the cat.

Giving (sub-q) sub-cutaneous fluids to our kitty cat (Good for sick cat with Kidney failure) - YouTube

Airtandem · 09-20-2011, 10:55 PM

I feel sorry for you and mostly Toro. Please talk to you vet before relying on "YOU TUBE" Yes, one can prolong the life of your friend for weeks, months or even up to a year. But you are only doing this for you and not your Toro. With the shots, he will be lethargic for a day and than act like a kitten for 2-3 days and than become more and more lethargic and might have some seizures. Than the cycle starts over.
We have had 5 feline family members of which 4 were males that died of kidney failure.
Please talk to your vet and do what is right for Toro. Our prayers are with you and Toro.

TBRich · 09-20-2011, 11:26 PM

This is sad to hear...We recently lost one of our dogs to her chronic illness, and even though we knew it was coming, it was still hard. We had to give her sub-q fluids many times... We are thinking of you...

2vets · 09-21-2011, 04:40 AM

I am so sorry that Toro is so sick. There is an informative site called veterinarypartner.com which has great articles and information on kidney failure. There are subcutaneous fluids and medications that you can give at home that can often make cats feel much better for at least a short period of time. I have had some cats respond beautifully to home care and others that continue to fail but you do not know until you try. Take care, Susan

Chuck · 09-21-2011, 07:36 AM

So sorry to hear this. We went through it a couple of years ago. Fluids gave us quite a few more months...probably 6 or 8. Its tough to go through this process.
{{manly hugs}}

Buttercup · 09-21-2011, 08:25 AM

2vets - thanks for the link, I read through that and gained better understanding of what is happening for Toro there. The Vet said he was stage 3 and I now know better just what that means. It will allow me to ask better questions to the doctor when we get ready to bring Toro home.
In terms of quality of life, Toro is still quite spry and lively. He is slower but not as bad as the last 2 cats I had who succumbed to the same thing.

safari57 · 09-21-2011, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buttercup

Many who have rallied with us know we bring our cats. And our little buddy Toro, whom I have taken to calling "The Old Man" is in veterinary hospital now with kidney failure. He is 16 years old and has been lethargic lately. I noticed increased pee output in the litter box (that is a sign that should not be ignored). He had become lethargic and has had a decreased appetite and of course lost a ton of weight (as far as cats are concerned).
A blood test confirmed that his little kidneys were not working well at all. At this point, in hospital, we are trying to get his body flushed out so we can bring him home.
My hope and expectation is that we will be able to treat him at home as best as we can to prolong his life rather than than to just simply euthanize him on the spot. I doing research on the subject I found that many pet owners have extended the lives of their cats years beyond the doctors prognosis by doing things like home based Sub-Q treatments. Renal failure is the 2nd most common cause of death for domestic felines. A simple procedure like nightly needle pokes to our cat may just give us a few more months with out beloved Toro Torodopolis.
This video shows a procedure to help prolong the life of your cat if you should you find yourself in the same position as we are in. It is simple and painless for the cat.

Giving (sub-q) sub-cutaneous fluids to our kitty cat (Good for sick cat with Kidney failure) - YouTube

It is always sad when one of our four pawed travel buddies craters. They just don't have the life span we humans do, and they touch our hearts so deeply that when they pass on it hurts very deeply. We've been giving our 17 year old cat nightly dialysis and it has made a huge difference. There are days though when we think he is down for the final count, lethargic and not eating, but by the next day (sometimes it take two or once it took three) he is back up and back to his normal happy self. Just lately he's lost quite a bit of weight though and that is not a happy sign, but we will ride it out. The nightly injection is no big deal now that we have it down pat (took a day or two to get it to the point where we knew exactly how to do it quickly) and we reward him afterward with a treat and do not let him go and hide under something, he is carried to where one of us is sitting and petted and talked to for a while, then he will sit with us for the rest of the night. When we travel we carry on the routine and have had zero issues. Good luck with Toro.

Crusty · 09-21-2011, 10:27 AM

Buttercup, you can indeed extend your little buddy's life perhaps even for years with careful, regular treatment if his kidneys aren't too far gone. First of all, you need to begin regular subcutaneous hydration to help his partially functioning kidneys to flush the wastes out of his system.

I can show you where to get the Lactated Ringer's solution and necessary supplies to begin this process. PM me and I'll send you the info.

Normally you setup an every other day schedule but I was able to successfully implement a weekly repeating schedule by skipping one extra day using more fluid throughout the week.

Your buddy will also develop an acid stomach which must be dealt with and I was able to treat that using Pepcid, which I ground up in a mortar and pestle and added water to make a slurry that I was able to dispense with an eye dropper.

Kidney infections are common and they must be dealt with. Strong, long acting antibiotic shots given by the vet are the best solution to these.

I was able to extend my little buddy's life by 3 quality years and I'm glad that I took the time to treat him now that he's gone.

I can give you tips and techniques that I learned along the way if you would like. Shoot me an email and I'll respond.

**Stefrobrts** · 09-21-2011, 11:08 AM

I'm very sorry to hear you are going through this. Stay strong and I'm sure you'll figure out the best thing to do for your friend. We also had a cat that we did sub-q fluids for, but she had other problems as well that finally took her. The treatment isn't too bad to do. Every animal is different, and only you and your vet can determine if you should do it or not. You'll know from their quality of life. Take care.

Buttercup · 09-21-2011, 11:35 AM

Wow, I am impressed at the number of people who have done what we are planning to do. I am completely unafraid to do the sub-q and have been looking over Toro's blood results. The more I educate myself, the more I am sure that we can give Toro the one thing he loves most, sitting in the window if full sun until his fur starts to smolder from the heat.
I have found some other great sites that have information about renal failure. The latest one is Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Renal Failure. And the message is that it is not an immediate death sentence to have a cat with renal failure.

Max Well · 09-21-2011, 01:43 PM

I am so sorry to hear about Toro! I had a 21 year old cat that lived another 6 months because I did the sub Q fluids at home. It isn't difficult and the cat really doesn't seem to mind the procedure. You can do this!

All the best to you and little Toro,

Ken

bwoodtx · 09-21-2011, 02:48 PM

Buttercup, I am so sorry that your four legged family member is so very sick. I too, lost one to renal failure last year. Yes, you can prolong their life with what you are suggesting. But then the question becomes who are you keeping them alive for ? You or the animal. I know that letting go is the hardest thing to do, was there just last month with Alexandra. My counsel to you would be not to keep him alive for your sake, but let him go with dignity for his sake. And when he takes that final journey, hold him, comfort him, and tell him how much you loved him and how proud you were that God chose you to be his family. Keep him close in your and you will never be far from him. My thoughts are with you

Buttercup · 09-23-2011, 10:47 PM

Toro is home and sleeping in Kimber's arms. He is generally quite weak and suffering a case of ventroflexion (his head is drooping to the floor - he cannot lift it up exactly). This is probably due to the low potassium levels in his body. Google it to see what it is like. At first we thought he was drugged but I think his overall weakness is part due to the low potassium levels he likely has right now after 3 days of IV fluids.
He is eating and actually doing well enough to use the litter box and walk around. And no doubt he is much happier to be home - no doubt!

Buttercup · 09-24-2011, 11:08 PM

Well, not too content with simply waiting for Toro to rebound before we can start sub-Q treatments, I went in town and picked up a bottle of potassium gluconate, 99 mg. I converted the dose over to mEq and saw that he could take 4 pills easily and still not equate the daily Renal K+ brand dose of potassium gluconate gel.
So, I poured an entire ground up pill onto some low protein food and he licked it up and ate like a fiend.
Little by little he is able to lift up his head and he is walking less like a drunk sailor (personal experience here) and more like his normal self - the noble sailor that he is.
He did his normal routine of sitting in every sunny spot in the house, eventually winding up in the bedroom, where the heated mattress will provide him all the comfort that he needs.
I can see in Toro's eyes that he is quite happy to be home. He even is tolerating Mojave's presence around him. This is the best place on the planet for him. His doctor and I spoke this morning about his first night home and he is quite happy that he is doing as well as he is.
With renal failure being as comon as it is, I am surprised that there are not more resources out there for pet owners with these cats and dogs. For example, the local Petsmart store sold Royal Canin brand food, but not the Renal Failure low protein diet food. The sales clerk stated that they could not sell that item without having a vet on staff, which I thought was BS. Looking around I found the "Simply Nourish" brand of food that is low protein (10%) and has no bad stuff - in other words, a very good candidate for cats with CRF. No prescription needed here! We bought 3 cans to try it out and Toro ate it up with an entire 99 mg of potassium gluconate sprinkled on top. Yum, yum, all gone - better than Gerber baby food (for those who know what I mean).

Buttercup · 09-24-2011, 11:17 PM

Toro is sitting up as normally as I have ever seen him! His head was up and alert. I should have waited to make that last post. I think the little bit of potassium gluconate we gave him did wonders. Now, we'll be careful not to give too much and keep an eye on his overall appearance. he is an amazing boy! We are so happy to have him in our presence for this one victorious day.
To all the vets out there - thanks for the sagacious advice you all have offered thus far. it has been of tremendous help!

Buttercup · 10-26-2011, 08:16 PM

I have to share an update on our little man... he is doing so well that I cannot believe it! He is like he was 1 year ago before he was ever diagnosed with Feline Renal Failure. The differences now are that we are working with a vet offering a holistic approach to treatment as well as traditional treatment. She is practicing a Chinese based philosophy and recommends feeding more natural foods over the processed cans and bags we have been giving. And the foods she recommended is based not only on his condition but also his Qi (he is wood if you wanted to know). She understands that I have researched this to the n'th degree and we both agree on the approach to keeping him healthy.
We have been doing the sub-cutaneous treatments nearly daily of about 100 ml so he is well hydrated.
And lastly , we are cooking foods for him that are specifically tailored to his medical condition and what he needs most to help him along.
All of these changes has him running around like he used to and he is fairly keeping up with our 7 month old kitten! Every once in a while you will see him chasing her around!
Maybe he only has a few months left – I do not know. But the way he is right now, I would say that he will be around for a few years! Even his fur looks normal again.
We started cooking his food in batches and it is all natural and has only the stuff he needs. For example, including some greens, we can help his kidneys out by allowing the digestive system to take some of the nitrogen load. So greens are included in his diet to lower the load on his kidneys.
We are going to start cooking for all of our cats – in bulk it is cheaper and takes little of our time AND allows to be sure they are all eating well.
If anybody is interested, I can post some recipes that we used that work well for Toro.

zlee · 01-06-2012, 12:04 AM

I know this is really really late, but I'd love to see those recipes. I'm currently taking care of a rescue cat with kidney problems (only stage 2, tho) and want to take good care of her while I'm responsible for her.

Buttercup · 01-06-2012, 05:44 PM

It's never too late to start taking care of your CRF/CKF cat. The first place I would go to find recipes is Tanya's FelineCRF web site. Actually, if you are treating a cat in any stage of renal failure, Tanya's should be your home base for research. She has done an excellent job of gathering the information for all you need to know on CRF cats.

It is important to know that you cannot improve kidney function with a good diet, only limit how hard the kidneys have to work when they are stressed. Once kidney function is gone, nothing will bring it back.

The most important thing is that you should absolutely, positively NOT serve dry cat food of any brand to your cat if you can avoid it. My vet had nothing positive to say about dried foods in the first place because of the fillers and junk in it, not to mention the poor nutritional quality when compared to just about any home cooked meals. We stopped feeding dry food to all of our cats but one still gets a little because she still after months has not fully adopted a wet diet. Dry food is sort of akin to eating Twinkees all the time - sure you can live on it but it ain't the healthiest food on the planet.

My recipes are generally a mix of homecooked natural foods and some of the premium all natural, no filler foods that are as close to homecooked as you can get. For homecooked, We cook things like Chicken or salmon as gently as possible. You can throw in some rice and other fillers as long as they are not toxic to cats (onions for example).

I mix a 50/50 of good protein to pumpkin filling (100% mashed pumpkin, no sugar or cream) and Toro tolerates that fairly well. It has lots of moisture (>80%), low phosphorus and not too much protein for his little kidneys to struggle with. I supplement with ground up Taurine, Potassium Glucconate and Salmon oil as well as a smidgen of vitamin B-50 complex - not too much as it is not palatable.

Also for CRF cats, some greens like asparagus or broccoli are natural nitrogen binders so they help to naturally bing nitrogen in the gut. This improves BUN/Creatinine levels. However, Calcium Carbonate or a quality chitosan-based nutritional supplement will help.

If you are only stage 2, you likely do not need all of that - just a quality diet will do the trick and you vet should be able to help you pick that out. Keep away from dry food, a few cat treats are fine.

As for actual recipes, start at ItchmoForums CRF food recipes. Again, your cat may not be far enough along to need a low protein recipe, but adding natural nitrogen binders will help and may be all you need besides a high moisture diet to keep your cat running well.

Oh, one advantage to a natural diet.... the cat box smell is reduced dramatically! No kidding, we never smell poop now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zlee

I know this is really really late, but I'd love to see those recipes. I'm currently taking care of a rescue cat with kidney problems (only stage 2, tho) and want to take good care of her while I'm responsible for her.

zlee · 01-06-2012, 09:26 PM

Thanks so much for all the info, Buttercup! Kitty is doing all right, but she still has a lot of weight to gain from being starved so comprehensively. The vet also recommended as little dry as possible, we're offering it to her between her three meals of wet food. The vet did say that she thought a good diet might heal her condition, so it might be acute rather than chronic. (She's at a cattery at the moment, so while they're willing to care for her, I suspect homemade food might be out of the possible just yet.)

Buttercup · 01-07-2012, 11:35 PM

Well, if her BUN/Creatinine levels put her at Stage 2, she is at stage 2....There is noting that can improve that, Kidney function is reduced. That is that. The blood tests do not lie. So treat her as well as you and they can. She will not get better.

Our little man went from a soft stage 2 to a solid stage 3 in a matter of a few months. and I suspect that it had something to do with the anesthesia he has to remove yet another bad tooth. He remains at that level today, but better now that we are treating him....