Kitty Has Kidney Failure. Questions About Average Timeframe I Can Expect, Fluids, Etc.

[EveAndHerThieves]

The Immortal Clyde is finally getting ready to cross the rainbow bridge after 19 long years. His kidneys just came back at 73 percent failing, up from 33 percent in Feb. He hasn't had a stool movement in quiet a while, and he's dehydrated. The vet gave him two bags of fluids and said to wait before bringing him back. It's clearly not working and back he will go tomorrow/the next day.
One of the options my vet gave me is giving him fluids at home to keep him hydrated. That sounds terrifying, and I have a few questions. My biggest one being - has anyone had these and found they help? If it only extends his life by a few days I'm not sure it's worth stressing him out. I know it's hard to say due to not knowing the medical history of the cat, but in your experience have they seemed to help your cat?
The other thing is needles. Needles TERRIFY me SO much. I know cats aren't as smart as humans, but do they hurt? Can I screw up and kill him? It sounds like a huge job to take on myself. I don't want to have to poke him several times if it causes him pain. He does have a LOT of loose skin, though.
Not as big of an issue, but does anyone know roughly how much I am looking at cost wise? I have to save for cremation as well.

As an aside so I can prepare myself, does anyone have a ballpark idea of how long cats live once their kidneys get that bad? I know it varies by cat. I've never had one do this before so I'm not sure if it'll suddenly jump from 70 to 110 overnight, or if it'll be a slow buildup.


I guess I'm trying to decide if fluids will keep him comfortable for a home passing or if we should just call it a fight well fought and put him to sleep. As much as I'd like The Immortal Clyde to stay around forever, I know that's not an option. I'm worried I'm just prolonging the inevitable and feeling really low tonight. He's an awesome cat, he deserves the BEST I can give him.

 

[Jem]

First, I'm so sorry you are going thru this. It is a difficult journey to take, to say the least.

Is the reason for no poop, because he has stopped eating?

I had my cat on fluids for over 2 years before he passed, the final year, he was in stage 4 failure, I'm not quite sure what % that is but it is the final stage before they ultimately shut down. He did very well with fluids. The thing with the fluids is they not only hydrate, but it acts like a dialysis, keeping the kidneys flushed, therefore lowering toxins in the body, making them feel better. That then encourages better eating, and overall well being.
If the vet is encouraging fluids, I would encourage you to do it. Having said this, as you already mentioned, I don't know his history or how he has declined or what his quality of life is at the moment.

If you do decide to try the fluids, doing them at home, as scary as it is, is not that bad. Cats take needles very well. Mine didn't even flinch, and would often purr as this was the perfect time to give him the most loving chin scratches he ever had! Well...when I say "didn't flinch", he mostly didn't flinch. Like you I was TERRIFIED at the thought of giving him the fluids, and at first, if I went too slow he would feel it, but it did not hurt him. I also scratched him with the needle once....I felt like a bag of poop, but again, he hardly even noticed.
Your vet can show you how to do it, and even watch you do it in the office just to make sure you feel comfortable doing it. Oh, and the chances of you killing him is pretty non existent in my opinion. There are obviously complications that can arise, but in well over two years of having to do this myself, we NEVER had an adverse reaction, infection, or anything...other than when I made him bleed when I scratch him. Which was soooo not a big deal.

Not sure where you are from, but my vet charged about 10 bucks for a 1 liter bag (that was 10 doses of 100 ml for us) and it was about 10 bucks for the line (it is reusable for way more than just one bag of fluids, you don't need to replace the line with every new bag, we used ours for a good 6 months), and a box of 100 needles (you have to change them after every injection) was just under 12 bucks. So this is not an expensive way to keep your kitty comfortable.

I can't really give you a timeline on how long he will last, but when my cats kidneys started to shut down, is was a slow process. It wasn't like he was fine one day and on death door the next.
First, he started to eat less and less, and then started to not drink as much. He became weaker and weaker but still enjoyed our company and to be held and so on. (This took a few weeks) Then the day came that he just couldn't walk more than a step or two and then he soiled himself. At that moment, when he could not get to his litter box, we knew it was time for him, and we brought him to be euthanized when our vet was open (he peed himself on a Saturday night, and our vet only opened on Monday). One thing I did though was I asked my vet for some pain medications, so that if he did start to pass before we could get him in, he would not have to be in pain. Passing from kidney failure can be very painful and also stressful on both you and him, which is why I firmly believe that euthanasia is a much better and peaceful passing, than allowing him to pass at home. (I'm not trying to tell you that you should put him down right now, just that when the time comes, it's just something that I personally feel is best, even if it is one of the hardest things you'll have to do.)

I hope this helps you make a decision that you can be at peace with. And if you have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask.

 

[EveAndHerThieves]

Is the reason for no poop, because he has stopped eating?

He's eating, but way less. He normally trots into the kitchen about six times a day for meals (He only eats a cup and a half of food a day + canned, per the vet's orders) Now we're lucky if he goes twice. And it's not routine. I have to remind him for food. When he remembers he's excited for it.

I had my cat on fluids for over 2 years before he passed, the final year, he was in stage 4 failure, I'm not quite sure what % that is but it is the final stage before they ultimately shut down. He did very well with fluids. The thing with the fluids is they not only hydrate, but it acts like a dialysis, keeping the kidneys flushed, therefore lowering toxins in the body, making them feel better. That then encourages better eating, and overall well being.

That's very comforting! I want him to be as comfortable as possible during his end days. If fluids make a big difference than I'm fine helping him out. I just want to be doing it because it's worth it, not because it prolongs his life for a single day, you know? Why scare kitty if he's just going to pass anyway? I think that's what I struggle with most. I plan on him passing in Jan, but you never know.


I'm glad fluids aren't that hard to use. My mother has diabetes and seeing her poke herself is horrible. I had an IV to get my wisdom teeth out and I couldn't even look at my arm. He's lucky I love him so much to be willing to do this. I'll for sure ask my vet to walk me through it.

First, he started to eat less and less, and then started to not drink as much. He became weaker and weaker but still enjoyed our company and to be held and so on. (This took a few weeks)

That's where we are at, I think. He's not eating much, his water intake has gone WAY down. I have to take him to the litterbox twice a day. But when I do he pees like a fire hose. I'm used to him spending ten minutes at the water dish - he drinks slow due to sinus issues - now he spends maybe two minutes?

As strange as that is, it's also very comforting. At least I kind of know what I'm looking for, you know? I don't want him in silent pain or anything. He already doesn't move much, so I'm used to carrying him around. He's also VERY snuggly. He sleeps under my arm every night like a teddy bear now. I'll fall asleep at night and he'll be there in the morning. And you know he hasn't moved, because moving causes a LOT of noise. (Wheeze, sneeze, wheeze, shift weight, wheeze, more weight shifting, thinks about getting up, shakes head, takes two minutes to stand due to a deformed paw and lots of flab, wheeze, jumps off the bed with a THUMP, loud sniffing sounds. It's always been an ordeal)

He also quits 'working' often. Before the fluids he would look at you, but you couldn't really tell WHY. It was like he didn't know. If I called him to food he would just stare at you forever. He wasn't staring into space, or confused, just staring. He'd do the same thing if I let him outside and it was time to come in. I would have to gently nudge his back to reboot him. The fluids seem to help for now. Tonight he got 'stuck' because there was a box in the easiest path to the kitchen and he didn't 'get' how to walk around it. He just stared at me. The second I moved the box he trotted through fine. It's not like he's staring off into space, or not there in the head, he just.... Quits working. At least tonight he meowed at me for food while I moved the box.

Also, the thing about putting him down is very helpful. My one sticking point was whether or not to do it. He's perfectly happy right now. I don't want to put him down early just because. But I didn't know if I SHOULD put him down. Having someone lay it out in plain English kind of helps me figure it out. I've never had a cat like this before, it's scary! my other cats either suddenly passed, got hit by a car, or just vanished. There was no end of life care.

I'm also glad it's not a zillion dollars for fluids. I've poured $2.5K into him in the last two years. I don't regret it at all, but it adds up - especially around the holidays. Knowing a rough idea for a budget is useful.


Hopefully the vet can help me figure this all out! I'm going to be a royal mess. I adopted him so he could die peacefully. I didn't realize how deeply I'd come to love the big guy. He's a very special soul.

 

[Tobermory]

Your guy sounds like a sweetheart and it’s wonderful that you’re willing to learn how to administer fluids to keep him comfortable. Your situation and @Jem’s sound very similar to my experience with my boy Max who died at age 20.

I had to give him sub-q fluids the last two years of his life. He was diabetic and had compromised kidneys. He didn’t like getting fluids, not because of the needle but because he didn’t seem to like the feel of the fluids running in even though I warmed them a bit. He didn’t mind the needle (or the twice-a-day insulin shots).

It’s a bit nerve wracking at first, but it’s really pretty easy and you’ll get the hang of it. Besides having the vet tech show me and watch while I did it, I found several videos online and watched them several times. I did flub it a few times. I had the needle pull out sometimes and once he bled after I pulled out the needle which made me feel terrible. They’re very forgiving, though, and he really did feel better after the fluids were absorbed. And his appetite was much better.

I hung the bag of fluids by a hook from the top of a kitchen cabinet door. Then I set Max on a towel on the kitchen counter. My husband would talk to him, give him chin scritches and keep him still while I inserted the needle, started the flow, kept the needle in place and watched the increments on the bag until I reached the amount he needed—usually 100 ml. Then we’d put him down in the floor and off he’d go! (Sometimes he’d leak a little of the fluids out but it quickly stopped.)

There’s an article here on TCS about kidney kitties and it has a video that shows several techniques for giving fluids. You might check it out and also look for others online. You’ll be doing your kitty a real kindness, making him feel better and improving the quality of his life!
Your Cat’s Kidneys Called

Please ask if you have more questions!

 

[EveAndHerThieves]

Oh! One more semi related question. He always seems cold. Could that be related to his kidneys failing? I have a heated blanket I keep on low for myself (I live in the basement) that he's glued himself to. I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not. I worry about him dehydrating quicker, but I also worry about him being cold. Did you end up giving kitty anything for warmth? I can always turn my blanket off, but he seems to enjoy it more than his daily sunbeam. And my house tends to get cold at night.

I'm feeling SO much much better, thank you so much. I was a bit panicked earlier and feeling blue. He's already not as lucid and staring off into space. He got the IV fluids two days ago, so I don't know if they're wearing off already. I'm sure I'll ask all these questions to my vet again when I get there. It gives me a piece of mind in the meanwhile.

So scary to think that if I hadn't adopted him he would have passed two years ago. He's such a sweet - and fat - cat. When I first took him to the vet she listened to his heart. She tried to be very professional, but her eyebrows shot straight up and her eyes got wide. After listening for over a minute she went "... Well, he's DEFIANTLY got a heart murmur... *feels side" Uh... No muscle tone. *Looks at eyes* Needs more water...." She was very kind about it, but you could tell she was a bit shocked at his condition (To no fault of his owner! His wife - who owned him - died of cancer three months after the birth of their 5th kid. The cat wasn't' on his mind and it was a painful reminder.) I've done rehab work with him by making him walk up the stairs once a day - he stopped halfway up for a minute to breathe before finally getting to the point where he ran up the stairs and out the door in annoyance. He's had a tooth removed, two bladder infections, an ultrasound for kidney stones (lots!) another UTI, prescription food, prescription soft food, keeping the normal kibble away, feeding him six times a day, making sure he pees, buying his very own bed, snuggling him EVERY night, etc. He's so spoiled. His heart murmur is totally gone (HOW?!) weight went back up before dropping, he's more active, healthier, gets a sunbeam at 11am every day exactly, and is just a happy monster.

I guess after all that I can manage fluids as well. He's a trooper, he deserves whatever I can give him. I've been blessed so far that we haven't had any pain at all. I watch him like a hawk, poor thing.

 

[Antonio65]

I'm so sorry...
Kidney failure is a beast, it can be slow or fast, but it's a beast!

One of the options my vet gave me is giving him fluids at home to keep him hydrated. That sounds terrifying, and I have a few questions. My biggest one being - has anyone had these and found they help?

I had been doing this to my cat for 11 years, every second night after dinner. And they did help very much. I could see the difference in about an hour, she would eat more avidly and was way more alert. I think those fluids were a boost!

If it only extends his life by a few days I'm not sure it's worth stressing him out. I know it's hard to say due to not knowing the medical history of the cat, but in your experience have they seemed to help your cat?

Depending on the staging of the disease, it could extend the cat's life by months or years. In my case, years!

The other thing is needles. Needles TERRIFY me SO much. I know cats aren't as smart as humans, but do they hurt? Can I screw up and kill him?

You won't kill him.
Needles can hurt, depending on their size. I would use G21 butterfly needles. I would pinch the skin on her back, between her shoulder blades, and poke her skin horizontally. Sometimes she would meow a bit, but the most of times she didn't even realize.
I would give her 120 ml of Ringer's Lacate each session, every other day.
All was done in about 5 minutes.

Not as big of an issue, but does anyone know roughly how much I am looking at cost wise? I have to save for cremation as well.

It seems that the costs for such material in US is much higher tha here in Europe.
I would pay €2.50 for a 500 ml bottle of Ringer's Lactate, about €0.60 each butterfly needle (to be disposed of each time!), and about €1.80 each 60-ml syringe (I used two syringes a time, and disposed of them every four sessions).
So, in my case it was about €9.00 a week.

As an aside so I can prepare myself, does anyone have a ballpark idea of how long cats live once their kidneys get that bad? I know it varies by cat. I've never had one do this before so I'm not sure if it'll suddenly jump from 70 to 110 overnight, or if it'll be a slow buildup.

Since the diagnosis at the age of 5 and a half, my cat lived 11 years more, and died to something else. But I think I was lucky. I would also give her renal food, half a pill a day (Fortekor 5 mg), a mix of probiotics to get rid of the toxins building up in her bowels, vitamins B (a pill that had the whole B complex).
During her 11 years of disease I had her checked every 4 months, and her levels were always borderline.

I know how hard it is...

 

[Jem]

I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not. I worry about him dehydrating quicker, but I also worry about him being cold.

Kidney cats are prone to getting cold, so by all means do what you can to keep him warm. I would not recommend that you leave a "human" heating pad on all day for him, as they can get way too hot for such a little body, and they are a fire hazard if left on too long and can scorch. But if he wants to snuggle with you on the heated blanket and you are around to make sure it does not get too hot, he will be a happy little guy. When I say "too hot", it's that sometimes the heating coils can have hot spots, and if he doesn't move around much you don't want it to scorch his skin. You could avoid this as a precaution by placing a light folded blanket between him and the heating blanket, the heat will still radiate thru if it's not too thick. And don't worry about him dehydrating due to the heat, especially if you are doing the fluids. Besides, even a healthy cat likes extra heat most of the time.
If you want to leave him an extra heat source, you could place a water bottle or one of those microwave bags in his bed or favorite sleeping area. Add extra blankets and such to help with heat retention also can help. There are also pet specific heating pads, that do not heat past a certain temperature that would be safe to use as well as "self heating" pet beds. The material in them absorbs their body heat and emits it back to keep them warm.

 

[Jem]

My mother has diabetes and seeing her poke herself is horrible. I had an IV to get my wisdom teeth out and I couldn't even look at my arm.

Just keep in mind that you won't see the needle poke into the skin because of all the fur. That is what bugs me about needles, the dip in the skin and then the let go as the needle punctures. BLECH! But, doing it to a cat, you don't see any of that!!

 

[Tobermory]

He also quits 'working' often.

Sounds like a touch of kitty dementia. Max displayed those behaviors the last year or so. He’d walk into a room, stop, and stare around like he didn’t know where he was or why he was there. (Yeah, me too. ) He did everything pretty slowly and I often would carry him where I thought he wanted to go. I also moved a litter box close to where he spent most of his time and cut down the side a bit so he could get in and out more easily. I had to put a puppy pad on the floor where he climbed into the box because he would sometimes start to pee before he made it all the way in.

He also lost his hearing the last year. When it was time for his dinner, I had to come around in front of him and show him the bowl. Then he’d follow me to the kitchen.

Everything you’re experiencing is very normal for super seniors, including them getting cold and liking warm places. Max would sleep on the heater vent sometimes, but his favorite spot was the little nest of old blankets I made for him on the sofa. That was his go to place, especially if I was sitting there, too. He wanted to have his little paw on my leg.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Oh! One more semi related question. He always seems cold. Could that be related to his kidneys failing? ... I'm sure I'll ask all these questions to my vet again when I get there. It gives me a piece of mind in the meanwhile.

So scary to think that if I hadn't adopted him he would have passed two years ago. He's such a sweet - and fat - cat. When I first took him to the vet she listened to his heart. She tried to be very professional, but her eyebrows shot straight up and her eyes got wide. After listening for over a minute she went "... Well, he's DEFIANTLY got a heart murmur... *feels side" Uh... No muscle tone. *Looks at eyes* Needs more water...." She was very kind about it, but you could tell she was a bit shocked at his condition ... His heart murmur is totally gone (HOW?!) weight went back up before dropping, he's more active, healthier, gets a sunbeam at 11am every day exactly, and is just a happy monster.

I guess after all that I can manage fluids as well. He's a trooper, he deserves whatever I can give him. I've been blessed so far that we haven't had any pain at all. I watch him like a hawk, poor thing.

E EveAndHerThieves
(see blue text above) ^^

If you are seeing the same vet who brought up hearing his heart murmur two years ago (was that when she listened to his heart? or when he was younger?), and if you and the vet are sure his previous heart condition is "totally gone" now -- I would still make sure with the vet that that is still the current state of heart health, e.g. a totally fine heart.

Giving fluids is normally done with a lot of caution, or rarely, if a cat has a heart condition or heart disease! It can be dangerous to do so. The vet would know some definitive tests beyond a stethoscope to check out his heart health for certain, prior to giving fluids.

I've given fluids to one of my cats before, and agree with so many things posted above, but if you are new to giving fluids and scared to do so, maybe it would be best to just take your kitty to the vet once or twice a week if needed, if your cat doesn't get too scared going to the vet. Your sweet Clyde is 19 yrs old and could easily pick up your nervousness and emotion (actually, all of our kitties do this, no matter the age -- what am I thinking!). A vet, or a vet tech designated by your vet, might be able to give fluids more easily and reliably.
Best wishes to you!

 

[EveAndHerThieves]

Sounds like a touch of kitty dementia

That's what I keep thinking. It's so weird, though. If I open a can he snaps to attention, just won't get out of bed. He KNOWS 6pm is dinner time, and 9pm is snuggle time. He also KNOWS as soon as he eats he goes out front to pee, and he has the sunbeam timed down to a second for when it shows up in the morning. But sometimes he just stops working. Like there's nothing there. He doesn't look confused, or empty headed. He just... Is. Luckily I know his patterns well enough to judge where he wants to go and help him move. I've never had a cat who 'crashes' before. He's needing more and more 'reboots' these days. Heck, I think he's forgotten he needs to pee unless I haul him outside.
It's great in its weird way, though. He 'steamboats' (He can't run - limp. But he walks FAST) to the front door. I can't even begin to count the times I've had to fly off the couch to open the door for him before he slams into it. He's always so sure that the door will somehow be opened by magic that he doesn't bother slowing down. It's hilarious when I have guests over and go flying to the door without breaking conversation. They think I'm a nut. I'm okay with that.

If you are seeing the same vet who brought up hearing his heart murmur two years ago (was that when she listened to his heart? or when he was younger?), and if you and the vet are sure his previous heart condition is "totally gone" now -- I would still make sure with the vet that that is still the current state of heart health, e.g. a totally fine heart.

When I first brought him into a vet she didn't even need to do testing. She could hear his murmur right away. That vet since went out of business (Retired) so I've found a new vet which Clyde likes. My old vet ran a full panel of blood/urine work on the guy, and my new vet has done the same. If there's one thing that works on Clyde it's his heart. If it wasn't for the reaction of the vet I would have thought she misheard it. I'm wondering if she heard a weak heart, and as I got him more active/healthy it got stronger and more regular.




Good news is, no at home fluids yet!! He didn't poo, so we hauled him back to the vet. The vet felt him and said there was for sure lots stuck inside this time. He wanted to give him an enema, which is risky with his failing kidneys. That was TERRIFYING! I paced around for hours in horrible worry. In the end Clyde ended up with another bag of fluids, an enema, a shot for his bloody pee and bloody snot, a shot for his vomiting, and a bath because EWWW.

I'm still not sure where we go from here. Wait until it builds up again and we flush him out? How can he stay hydrated with his kidneys THAT bad? Should I switch him to soft food? Ugh. I asked the vet I ended up seeing due to the urgency of his poo and he says we just wait and see. I think he sees an old cat and thinks it's not worth it to put money into him. His normal vet is super kind, but on vacation for a month. I guess for now I just sit and see what Clyde wants to do.

The upside is he's now taking up snuggling under my arm every single night. He's my own fluffy teddy bear. Who pokes me with all his bones. He's very, very happy.

 

[Jem]

Should I switch him to soft food?

I would say yes. If he likes canned/wet food, that is an excellent way for him to get more water. Not only that but it might encourage him to eat better as well. And if you find he's becoming picky with his food, having a variety of wet food flavors on hand is a good idea. I can't remember if this was mentioned in this thread yet, but kidney cats are prone to feeling ill (build up of toxins - the fluids would help with that), and when they feel ill, they often associate their food as the source of it. By changing up the flavors and textures of food, it will help curb their refusal to eat.

 

[kittyluv387]

Soft food is a good idea. He needs all the hydration he can get.

 

[Jem]

Wait until it builds up again and we flush him out? How can he stay hydrated with his kidneys THAT bad?

I know you're kinda happy that the vet did not say to start with subq fluids, but I would encourage you to bring it up again.
First, If he's not eating as much, the fluids will help with that as it will make him feel better, but keep in mind, he may only need a dose of fluids once or twice a week to keep him feeling good.
Second, cats need to keep eating to keep pooping, so introducing a wet food diet will be great but, if he's not feeling well because his kidneys are not flushing, he still won't eat enough to keep his bowels stimulated to push the poop, and the more it sits, or the slower it moves thru his system, the more water gets removed causing worse constipation.
I'm not trying to tell you to go against your vets recommendation, it's just I know how helpful fluids were for my kitty, they made him more alert, more vocal, more active, he ate better, his hind legs worked better and was even able to jump (not high mind you) again.
And if Clyde's heart is fine, some additional fluid will not hurt him, especially if he gets dehydrated quickly. Most kidney cats can't keep up just by eating and drinking, with the amount of fluids they pee out.

 

[hunter1]

I know what you’re going through, my Bengal at 14 years also diagnosed with kidney problem. He’s getting his fluid shots once a week at the vet, although he’s eating a lot, he’s losing weight. It seems like a losing battle..good luck with your Baby, hope he gets better.

 

[EveAndHerThieves]

I know you're kinda happy that the vet did not say to start with subq fluids, but I would encourage you to bring it up again.

Oh I intend to. I'm watching Clyde like a hawk. His eating is way down, as is his drinking and peeing. As soon as I finish paying off THIS vet bill he's headed back in to HIS vet for a checkup. He's still got horrible diarrhea at the moment...

Luckily he LOVES moist food. He hears the can pop and comes trotting in at full speed. I have him on a mix of prescription/Science Diet/Blue canned cat food with his vet's approval. He doesn't like the prescribed mush flavors, so I mix them. Normally he goes through about 1/4th a can a day. Right now he's eating upwards of half to 2/3rds a can. Kibble is way down to about 1/4th a cup instead of a cup. And water is down to... About half a cup, I want to say? He drinks SLOW due to chronic sinus problems, so it's hard to get a reading.

I'm pretty sure at this point even HE hates how often how I check on him. He even blinks weird and I make a note of it. I'm sure I'm going beyond overboard, but he's such a special guy. I should note he's often in the same room as me so he's not crowded or stressed. He doesn't notice me looking at him half the time.

And if you find he's becoming picky with his food, having a variety of wet food flavors on hand is a good idea. I can't remember if this was mentioned in this thread yet, but kidney cats are prone to feeling ill (build up of toxins - the fluids would help with that), and when they feel ill, they often associate their food as the source of it.

That makes sense. I know I've had food in the past that has made me ill, and just thinking of it triggers my gag reflex. I bet that's why he's suddenly started avoiding it. He prefers to sneak downstairs to the 'junk food' my others eat. I'll try grinding it up and mixing it with tuna water and such to see if he'll like that more.


So far he seems to be okay. Fingers crossed for another healthy month! Every day I get with him is a mini blessing to me. He's wonderful, even when he sneezes bloody boogers at you.

 

[Jem]

He's wonderful, even when he sneezes bloody boogers at you.

Have you tried anything to help with his dry nasal passages and congestion? (I assume the blood is because of irritated nasal passages)
You could bring him into the bathroom and steam the place up by turning on the hot water in the shower for a while.
You could also place a humidifier in the room you spend the most time in so the air is not as dry. I know my house is getting quite dry with winter here and the heat on.
I also, when my cat had nasal congestion, went and got PURE saline solution to put up his nose. I'm not sure where you live, and if this product is available to you, but, I purchased some saline for babies. It's from a company called Hydrasense (logo is the little dolphin, blue packaging), is was specifically designed for babies and did not contain any other ingredients and came in a box of about 24? little individual droppers. You just twist off the top and you drop maybe 2 drops up each nostril. And whatever is left in the dropper, just put it in a small container that will hold it upright (I used an clean empty pill bottle) and you can keep it in the fridge for a couple of days and reuse it, as long as the tip did not come into contact with anything that could contaminate it. If you try this, just make sure you let it come to room temperature before reusing, it would probably be uncomfortable for kitty to have cold drops up his nose.

He's still got horrible diarrhea at the moment...

Mine had horrible diarrhea, for years, and nothing we ever did worked well. It's funny because as soon as we switched him to the kidney diets from the vet, his poop was perfectly normal. There are a few different companies that have kidney food, I'm not sure which ones you tried but..
Royal Canine has for wet - T, D, E, and dry - A, S, F, P
Science Diet (Hills) has - their KD in both wet and dry and you can get chicken or tuna flavor either in pate or stew.
Purina Pro Plan has NF, for early and advanced. I only ever was able to get one flavor of this kind at my vet, but mine really liked this one as it did contain more protein which made it more palatable. (More research is being done into the fact that it's not so much the protein that causes issues with CKD cats but the phosphorus content)
I believe there is another brand out there, but I can't for the life of me think of it.

I'm sure I'm going beyond overboard, but he's such a special guy.

You are doing a fantastic job caring for you little guy. And I applaud you for how much you pay attention. Kidney cats can become quite a complicated mess of multiple symptoms all at once, and we all know how well they can hide their symptoms also. Keep up the great work, and don't ever feel ashamed or pressure from others on how well you care for him. Most people will not understand what we go thru to help out little babies, but we do here, so you'll always have an understanding and empathetic ear on the other end of your computer.
Just keep us posted on how he's doing!!!!

 

[Tobermory]

You are doing a fantastic job caring for you little guy. And I applaud you for how much you pay attention. Kidney cats can become quite a complicated mess of multiple symptoms all at once, and we all know how well they can hide their symptoms also. Keep up the great work, and don't ever feel ashamed or pressure from others on how well you care for him. Most people will not understand what we go thru to help out little babies, but we do here, so you'll always have an understanding and empathetic ear on the other end of your computer.
Just keep us posted on how he's doing!!!!

Beautifully said, Jem !

 

[EveAndHerThieves]

Aww, thank you, Jem! Everyone keeps telling me maybe I should put him down because of the money issues. I say no way. He's fine, not in any pain. Just slow. I wouldn't put my granny down just because she has health issues. A cat is no different. Besides, he's helped me SO much. He deserves to be repaid in kind.

We've tried EVERYTHING for his sinuses. So many rounds of antibiotics, nasal drops, humidity, heat, you name it. On the advice of my vet I gave him half an allergy pill for a little bit. But he would foam at the mouth and spit it up. When I got it down he'd look like he was trying to puke. It was miserable for both of us. His old owner said he'd had it the 15 years he'd had Clyde, so I figured he was used to it for now. We just manage it the best we can. If it gets TOO bad he gets drops, otherwise his heating pad (for kitties) seems to help let him sleep. The vet says at this point unless we do an Xray and surgery there's not a lot to be done, so we keep him comfortable.

He's slowly getting back into the habit of eating again. He doesn't like it. I have to boot him out of bed so he remembers. Drinking is also down, but that could be because he's eating less.

After not peeing all day I got fed up with him. Every few hours I'd toss him in the box. He'd pee, then grump and go to bed. No stool, though. So I sat him down and literally told him he needs to go or else he's going back to the vet. A few hours later I hauled him to the food dish, then out to the litterbox. He peed, then glared at me. I told him flat out he wasn't coming in until he passed a stool. In return I got a head shake, a sneeze, the ears back, and he glared at me while he went. It was kind of comical in a way. His stool is firming up, but still really light and runny. I think he hates the vet more than he hates how hard it is to poop.

He got tuna as a reward. (Well, the water.)

 

[kittyluv387]

You do such a great job of taking care of him. <3