Frustrated, Cat With Kidney Disease, Starting To Eat And Drink, But Has Been Sick

[burrgandy]

• Hi Everyone.
• 
  
• I have PTSD, watched my middle son pass away 9 years and 9 months ago. August 2018, my cat was diagnosed with kidney disease and given a year to live. The vet sent me home with an expensive kidney diet my cat refuses to eat. After ordering $100 in low phosphorus foods she wouldn't eat, I started her back on her Friskies mixed grill. She did well for awhile, for a few days she wouldn't drink or eat without being pushed. Now, she is starting to drink, (not nearly enough water, but starting to drink ) and eat if I place a dish with watery canned food in front of her. I ordered turquoise and other healing crystals that were supposed to be here Friday , but now arriving today.
• 
  
• Turquoise is supposed to be powerful. I have such bad PTSD , I am emotionally shut down down about the vet. Terrified I will have to let her go... I don't want to lose her too. I get flashbacks about my late son's last moments in the hospital. Today she ate more than she has in days. I woke up to see her drinking water .. I need support . I have a local friend , being as supportive as she can, but she has commitments with her family , which I truly understand. Thank you in advance for reading my rambling. I didn't know how to post this on the "help" page.

 

[Furballsmom]

hello, I'm so glad you're here!!

When you're able, you might ask your vet about a phosphorus binder?

Here is a website that could be helpful, and they also have a support group.

Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Everything You Need to Know to Help Your Cat

Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Tanya's Support Group

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh, I was going to mention, try a pet fountain, bowls of water and food in unusual locations and even at different heights such as on a small box.

Try tap water with ice cubes, filtered water, maybe even distilled water.

If tuna is ok mix some with water and give your cat the juice, try the liquid from low sodium canned green beans.

 

[burrgandy]

I have distilled water out for her as something new to try. The last time I gave her tuna, it made her sick. She hated the low phosphorus cat foods that I had ordered. A phosphorus binder? Do you use that with Friskies? She was liking the dry prescription diet, even with it soaked in water. I've emotionally shut down, feeling hopeless . I was reading a lot at Tanyas website, but got frustrated when my cat turned her nose up to the expensive foods that I bought , mixing her favorite canned food with it, to get her used to it.

 

[burrgandy]

I made some pedialyte for her also . My vet sent me home with my cat, a large vet bill, pricey food , and told me she had a year to live. After losing a child , I am not so good with this news. I so appreciate your responses. I'm in tears. I'm feeling pretty alone.

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh bless your heart, hang in there, --this site has wonderful people.

The binder, as I understand it, could be used so that you can feed other food such as friskies.

Moistening the kibble is a great idea as well

Not to argue or agree with your vet, but every cat is very different.

 

[Furballsmom]

Here's posts from other members. Opinions regarding phosphorus seem to run the gamut and are wide ranging;
Food For Newly Diagnosed Ckd Kitty

Symptoms With Kidney Problem?

To Epakittin Or Not To Epakittin

 

[burrgandy]

That's awesome that there is something on the market to make other foods more digestable for these kitties. These cats that don't like the kidney diet, need more "happy choices ". I stopped painting my nails, because I figured the fumes would be hard on her kidneys. Whatever it takes to keep her going, now get her appetite and thirst up. Just I shut down, if I go to the vet.

 

[Furballsmom]

Here's another post in a thread that could help;

Kidney failure question about phosphorus binders

 

[burrgandy]

Good article, yet sadly, she lost her cat. Using herbs, and trying keep her cat stress free from repeated vet visits.

 

[burrgandy]

Thank you for your support. It means a lot . I guess with anything, you can do your best, and your cat can get back in track with fluids at the vet, new positive direction to get you and your cat to the next hurdle , "if" there is one , and ask about the best way to feed your cat, their favorite wet foods, with low stress on their kidneys , plus find out every trick in the book to get them back on track , healthy, and getting past "radar nose " to give them additional supplements and drinking lots of water again . When you are trying to avoid Sub Q, because my cat will shred me.

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm so glad to help in any way!

My boy would be the same, I think, about sub q fluids .

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Do you have the numbers from your cat's bloodwork? Speciically her BUN and Creatinine? I just find it very curious that she isn't drinking a ton of water on her own. I've had three kidney cats and that's pretty much how we figured out there was a problem....they were constantly drinking and the litter box needed to be emptied out more often than the usual twice per day!

None of my three ever ate any of the kidney foods, nor did they ever ue phosphorus binders in their food. Our Vet simple said to make sure they eat. That's the number one priority! Anything they want to eat, but she did say to try not to feed foods where salt was too high up in the ingredient list. I did TRY to keep the phosphorus level as low as possible, using the food list on Tanya's website as a guide (not the prescription foods), and sometimes mine would eat "lower" phos foods, and sometimes they would eat food pretty high in phos. It just depended on the day. ALL of my kidney cats lived for three years after diagnosis. Some cats here on TCS have lived ten plus years after diagnosis. As Furballsmom said, every cat is different, so I just don't know how on earth your Vet could give you a time frame . Plus since my last kidney cat passed, there are new medications out there to help. Don't get me wrong, as far as I know, there is still no cure, but it doesn't mean they can't go on for quite some time . As far as sub-q fluids, we actually hired a Vet Tech to give them to one of our cats because she was a tyrant! I just called around to all the Vet Offices in our area asking if anyone was interested and ended up finding someone who lived about a quarter mile from us. She came over a couple days a week and did it. BUT, sub-q fluids usually aren't needed until late Stage 3, that's why I asked for her bloodwork figures.

Did your girl always eat canned food, or was she a dry food junkie? If she is now eating canned food and didn't before, that may be why she isn't drinking too much. Canned food has so much more moisture in it that lots of cats don't drink water at all if they eat canned food. With my cats, especially kidney cats, I make the canned food soupy with water so get more into them, even when they are getting sub-qs. Also, I fed lots of small meals throughout the day and night.

Is your girl throwing up at all? Tanya's website addresses issues of vomiting, constitpation, how to get them to eat, etc. Is she getting Vitamin B shots? That can be very helpful with kidney cats, aside from the vitamin itself, it can help improve their appetite. Our guys got an appetite stimulant along with antacids to make them feel better.

for your little one, and for you

 

[burrgandy]

Yes, Sash has always LOVED her Canned food. She owns me! I took her to the vet today, sipping water occasionally and not eating much, she is weak, yet last night she jumped on my bed, also today she did. She wants to feel better and let out to sad Meows. It broke my heart. I talked to the vet, this one was different from the last vet. I told him she is all I have. I lost my little boy , and can't do another loss. I left her at the vets to do an IV and try and jump start her kidneys and give her, her best chance at getting stronger. He said, I will seriously need to look at Sub q. My cat is feisty, he said there is something I can order to wrap her in, yet I would still need 2 people. I'm alone , but, I have a friend that I might get to help me 15 miles away. She loves my cat too. It's weird not having her here right now. The vet said sub q there , would be $45 each time. I can't afford that on my small income. I hope this IV treatment helps get her over the hump. Thank you for your replies. I'm feeling pretty lost.

My question, can we avoid kidney disease in cats by looking at different feeding options? Are we poisoning our cats, without realizing it, thinking we are doing right by them?

 

[burrgandy]

I don't know what the blood work said, even though the vet spoke to me about it. I'm full of emotions . praying she gets kidney function back with IV treatment.

 

[Furballsmom]

There are cats who live long lives eating only dry kibble, but many TCS members will suggest that feeding canned food because of its higher moisture content, and supplying clean safe water with a pet fountain to entice more frequent drinking, are good methods for helping the kidneys function better.

 

[Furballsmom]

. .

Maybe something here might help;

No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life

Financial Aid for Pets

 

[burrgandy]

My cat's blood work came back , and the Dr said it isn't good. The numbers are not in her favor to get better or have quality of life. I might have to make the decision before Friday , my birthday to put her down. Or bring her home for a few days after IV fluids, and....

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[Furballsmom]

I just wanted to mention that I'm keeping you and your kitty in my thoughts and prayers