My cat is going through kidney failture and won't drink water anymore

[Treecie]

My cat Trudy is 13 and she started to eat less and less about a month ago and now she won't eat, and up until a couple days ago she was drinking water. But now she refuses to drink water. I've given her multiple sources of water and even bought a new water fountain. The only way she will drink is directly from the tap. She's jumping on bathroom sinks and kitchen sink to try to get water even though there's water sources in other places.

The vet said her kidney is failing yesterday. She is also constipated so I've been giving her laxatives per vet's instruction but it's really hard. The only thing she will eat are Temptation treats. I've been crying every day and barely keeping it together at work. Are there other ways to help her drink water other than turning on the tap water everytime she jumps on the sink because that is almost impossible and I can't keep the tap running all day..unless that is the only option...or is it really her time..the vet said they could hospitalize her to flush her kidney but at this point the expense and the temporary solution may not be worth it..they are going to test her this Thursday for high blood pressure and UTI to rule them out but at this point idk if she will even make it...please advise, support, anything is appreciated. I'm heartbroken.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. I am so sorry your cat is so ill.
Just to clarify, I am not a veterinarian, and although I have had allot of experience with cats in various stages of kidney disease and failure, all I what I write is just my unlicensed opinion and not “ medical advice”. Always check with your veterinarian before changing any treatment plan they may have your cat on.

It is very important for your cat to be properly hydrated, as dehydration leads to a quick decline in health. When the kidneys don’t work properly, the cat cannot stay hydrated on their own just by drinking. Therefore it is a very good idea to start to support the kidneys by doing subcutaneous fluids at home. It is not very expensive to do and is also easy to do. I do them daily for my cat and I do them by my self. There are many tricks to make it easier to do. If your vet will prescribe them for your cat, let me know and I will help with all the tricks and tips I know.
Will write more soon.

 

[stephanietx]

You might get a water fountain that has a spout that produces a stream like comes from the faucet. We also add water to wet food to increase water intake.

 

[silent meowlook]

It is important to have bloodwork done to see where the potassium levels are and the phosphorus levels, as well as other things shown on a complete senior blood panel. Often cats with
CKD ( chronic kidney disease) will have an elevated phosphorus and a low potassium. Both can make your cat feel very ill. The potassium can be supplemented if low, and phosphate binders can be added to food if bloodwork shows an elevated phosphorus.

Blood work will also show if your cat is anemic or if the protien levels are low as well as if the white blood cells are high, indicating a possible infection.

It is also important to have the thyroid checked as there can be other medical issues as well as the kidney disease going on.

A good senior cat blood panel should show this as well. I am going to assume that your cat had blood work done if your veterinarian said her kidneys are failing. Do you think you could ask for a copy of the results and post them here?

Another important test is a urinalysis. This will show if your cat is able to concentrate their urine as well as if there is any white blood cells in the urine, among other things.

Diagnostic wise, an abdominal ultrasound will show what the kidneys look like as well as the other abdominal organs and structures. This is best done by a board certified veterinarian in internal medicine.

I don’t know where you are and what your financial situation is, if your cat is insured or not. But of course it does get expensive with all the diagnostics. I would say the most important would be the blood work, as well as the blood pressure that your veterinarian recommends because often with kidney disease there is high blood pressure. High blood pressure can also be treated.

Cats with kidney disease are often nauseous and that causes them not to want to eat. There are anti nausea medications that can be given as well as appetite stimulants. But it is very important to get her appetite back and with proper hydration and addressing any electrolyte and mineral issues ( potassium and phosphorus) as well as addressing nausea, and possibly with the help of an appetite stimulant, you should be able to do that.

I know it sounds daunting and like a crazy amount of overwhelming things to do, but you can do it. With my cat and all her multiple issues, it takes me about 10 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes at night.

But do talk to your vet about all this, sooner than later, because she can’t survive if she doesn’t eat and get hydrated. The constipation should somewhat resolve with hydration.

Please keep us posted on how she is doing.

 

[IzzysfureverMom]

Adding water to food helps. I add small amounts of water to her food. But doing SubQ at home I think is even better. Most vets I know readily suggest to SubQ at home. It is certainly more convenient and less stressful then multiple trips to the vet. Doing them at home also makes it easier to do more often.Very very easy to do with help and also pretty easy to do on your own.

 

[Treecie]

Hi. I am so sorry your cat is so ill.
Just to clarify, I am not a veterinarian, and although I have had allot of experience with cats in various stages of kidney disease and failure, all I what I write is just my unlicensed opinion and not “ medical advice”. Always check with your veterinarian before changing any treatment plan they may have your cat on.

It is very important for your cat to be properly hydrated, as dehydration leads to a quick decline in health. When the kidneys don’t work properly, the cat cannot stay hydrated on their own just by drinking. Therefore it is a very good idea to start to support the kidneys by doing subcutaneous fluids at home. It is not very expensive to do and is also easy to do. I do them daily for my cat and I do them by my self. There are many tricks to make it easier to do. If your vet will prescribe them for your cat, let me know and I will help with all the tricks and tips I know.
Will write more soon.

Hello, thank you. The vet didn't even suggest the subcutaneous fluids at home. I am going to call tomorrow morning but her vet won't be at the clinic until wednesday. I am just trying everything I can at this point. Turning on the tap water every time she jumps up and my mom is flying in thursday to keep her company and watch over her while i'm at work which has put my mind at greater ease.

 

[Treecie]

It is important to have bloodwork done to see where the potassium levels are and the phosphorus levels, as well as other things shown on a complete senior blood panel. Often cats with
CKD ( chronic kidney disease) will have an elevated phosphorus and a low potassium. Both can make your cat feel very ill. The potassium can be supplemented if low, and phosphate binders can be added to food if bloodwork shows an elevated phosphorus.

Blood work will also show if your cat is anemic or if the protien levels are low as well as if the white blood cells are high, indicating a possible infection.

It is also important to have the thyroid checked as there can be other medical issues as well as the kidney disease going on.

A good senior cat blood panel should show this as well. I am going to assume that your cat had blood work done if your veterinarian said her kidneys are failing. Do you think you could ask for a copy of the results and post them here?

Another important test is a urinalysis. This will show if your cat is able to concentrate their urine as well as if there is any white blood cells in the urine, among other things.

Diagnostic wise, an abdominal ultrasound will show what the kidneys look like as well as the other abdominal organs and structures. This is best done by a board certified veterinarian in internal medicine.

I don’t know where you are and what your financial situation is, if your cat is insured or not. But of course it does get expensive with all the diagnostics. I would say the most important would be the blood work, as well as the blood pressure that your veterinarian recommends because often with kidney disease there is high blood pressure. High blood pressure can also be treated.

Cats with kidney disease are often nauseous and that causes them not to want to eat. There are anti nausea medications that can be given as well as appetite stimulants. But it is very important to get her appetite back and with proper hydration and addressing any electrolyte and mineral issues ( potassium and phosphorus) as well as addressing nausea, and possibly with the help of an appetite stimulant, you should be able to do that.

I know it sounds daunting and like a crazy amount of overwhelming things to do, but you can do it. With my cat and all her multiple issues, it takes me about 10 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes at night.

But do talk to your vet about all this, sooner than later, because she can’t survive if she doesn’t eat and get hydrated. The constipation should somewhat resolve with hydration.

Please keep us posted on how she is doing.

They did the blood work and checked her thyroid. Thats how the vet found out her kidney is failing. I am trying everything to get her to eat. I just got gerber's baby food chicken which I read cats will eat and she did eat some but then when I tried to get her to eat it again she turned away from it. *sigh*. I will try again later though. I will ask the vet to prescribe the appetite stimulant and nausea medication...thank you.

 

[silent meowlook]

Can you post the blood work?

 

[silent meowlook]

If she is as bad as you say, I think Wednesday is too late to wait till. Is there another vet at the clinic you could talk to sooner?

 

[Treecie]

Adding water to food helps. I add small amounts of water to her food. But doing SubQ at home I think is even better. Most vets I know readily suggest to SubQ at home. It is certainly more convenient and less stressful then multiple trips to the vet. Doing them at home also makes it easier to do more often.Very very easy to do with help and also pretty easy to do on your own.

She turns away from water unless it is right from the tap. I will ask the clinic on tomorrow if I can do the SubQ for her. She drank a bit from the new water fountain but she's not rly drinking it from it after a while...thank you.

 

[Treecie]

Can you post the blood work?

Good question, the clinic did not release her test results to me yet. The vet only discussed it over the phone. I will ask for the document tomorrow morning.

 

[Meowmee]

My cat Trudy is 13 and she started to eat less and less about a month ago and now she won't eat, and up until a couple days ago she was drinking water. But now she refuses to drink water. I've given her multiple sources of water and even bought a new water fountain. The only way she will drink is directly from the tap. She's jumping on bathroom sinks and kitchen sink to try to get water even though there's water sources in other places.

The vet said her kidney is failing yesterday. She is also constipated so I've been giving her laxatives per vet's instruction but it's really hard. The only thing she will eat are Temptation treats. I've been crying every day and barely keeping it together at work. Are there other ways to help her drink water other than turning on the tap water everytime she jumps on the sink because that is almost impossible and I can't keep the tap running all day..unless that is the only option...or is it really her time..the vet said they could hospitalize her to flush her kidney but at this point the expense and the temporary solution may not be worth it..they are going to test her this Thursday for high blood pressure and UTI to rule them out but at this point idk if she will even make it...please advise, support, anything is appreciated. I'm heartbroken.

So sorry about your cat, hugs. There are lots of things that can be done or CRF cats. I don’t know how long she’s had this- did they do a recent bloodwork? That will tell you how bad things are.

There’s no way to know how long they will survive but IV fluids can get them out of a crisis. 3 of my cats had kidney failure. One was in full-blown failure and was hospitalized and she did well with the IV fluids, came out, and lived for another six months. She also had HCM and congestive heart failure, but she was able to take the fluids.
Sybil was being treated for crf, and was given too much fluid and that was when we discovered she also had HCM because she went into congestive heart failure. So you have to be careful about overdoing it with fluid at home.
Wizard lived a long time with CRF and he was given sub Q fluids at home. He also had anemia and was given B12 shots and Epogen. Unfortunately he developed lymphoma and eventually died from that. He was about 21 or so at that time. At some point when he developed the cancer and he had to be on steroids and chlorambucil, he would go to the Dvm to have IV fluids and stay there for the day as needed which helped his kidneys.

They all received sub q and sometimes iv fluids and Tess was hospitalized with kidney failure. Sybil was not able to take any more fluids after she had congestive heart failure. At that point kidney failure was the least of our worries and that’s not why she died. She ended up having a saddle thrombus.

I got the water fountain for Syb which she loved, and as I recall, Wizard didn’t have any problems drinking and never liked water fountains. At the time Tess had it I think I tried water fountains but they got moldy and I gave up on that but switched to all wet food. Just try any more liquid food and see if she will eat it. Licky treats are great for hydration.

I think the water fountain that acts like a tap is a good idea, but if she really will not drink, I would just leave the tap on very slow and then she can go and get a drink when she wants to. If you’re not doing the sub q fluids at home I would investigate that- dvm tech can show you how to do it. It’s not hard to do.

You also need to find out if she has anemia because she might need epogen and B12. There are all sorts of advice on the Internet about diet for cats with kidney disease. Usually a low phosphorus diet is recommended.

If the cat has high blood pressure they can be on blood pressure meds. One of my cats was discovered to have high blood pressure before he had kidney disease so he was put on blood pressure meds and then he did not develop kidney disease. As I recall, maybe until the very end.

 

[Treecie]

So sorry about your cat, hugs. There are lots of things that can be done or CRF cats. I don’t know how long she’s had this- did they do a recent bloodwork? That will tell you how bad things are.

There’s no way to know how long they will survive but IV fluids can get them out of a crisis. 3 of my cats had kidney failure. One was in full-blown failure and was hospitalized and she did well with the IV fluids, came out, and lived for another six months. She also had HCM and congestive heart failure, but she was able to take the fluids.
Sybil was being treated for crf, and was given too much fluid and that was when we discovered she also had HCM because she went into congestive heart failure. So you have to be careful about overdoing it with fluid at home.
Wizard lived a long time with CRF and he was given sub Q fluids at home. He also had anemia and was given B12 shots and Epogen. Unfortunately he developed lymphoma and eventually died from that. He was about 21 or so at that time. At some point when he developed the cancer and he had to be on steroids and chlorambucil, he would go to the Dvm to have IV fluids and stay there for the day as needed which helped his kidneys.

They all received sub q and sometimes iv fluids and Tess was hospitalized with kidney failure. Sybil was not able to take any more fluids after she had congestive heart failure. At that point kidney failure was the least of our worries and that’s not why she died. She ended up having a saddle thrombus.

I got the water fountain for Syb which she loved, and as I recall, Wizard didn’t have any problems drinking and never liked water fountains. At the time Tess had it I think I tried water fountains but they got moldy and I gave up on that but switched to all wet food. Just try any more liquid food and see if she will eat it. Licky treats are great for hydration.

I think the water fountain that acts like a tap is a good idea, but if she really will not drink, I would just leave the tap on very slow and then she can go and get a drink when she wants to. If you’re not doing the sub q fluids at home I would investigate that- dvm tech can show you how to do it. It’s not hard to do.

You also need to find out if she has anemia because she might need epogen and B12. There are all sorts of advice on the Internet about diet for cats with kidney disease. Usually a low phosphorus diet is recommended.

If the cat has high blood pressure they can be on blood pressure meds. One of my cats was discovered to have high blood pressure before he had kidney disease so he was put on blood pressure meds and then he did not develop kidney disease. As I recall, maybe until the very end.
[/QUOT

It is important to have bloodwork done to see where the potassium levels are and the phosphorus levels, as well as other things shown on a complete senior blood panel. Often cats with
CKD ( chronic kidney disease) will have an elevated phosphorus and a low potassium. Both can make your cat feel very ill. The potassium can be supplemented if low, and phosphate binders can be added to food if bloodwork shows an elevated phosphorus.

Blood work will also show if your cat is anemic or if the protien levels are low as well as if the white blood cells are high, indicating a possible infection.

It is also important to have the thyroid checked as there can be other medical issues as well as the kidney disease going on.

A good senior cat blood panel should show this as well. I am going to assume that your cat had blood work done if your veterinarian said her kidneys are failing. Do you think you could ask for a copy of the results and post them here?

Another important test is a urinalysis. This will show if your cat is able to concentrate their urine as well as if there is any white blood cells in the urine, among other things.

Diagnostic wise, an abdominal ultrasound will show what the kidneys look like as well as the other abdominal organs and structures. This is best done by a board certified veterinarian in internal medicine.

I don’t know where you are and what your financial situation is, if your cat is insured or not. But of course it does get expensive with all the diagnostics. I would say the most important would be the blood work, as well as the blood pressure that your veterinarian recommends because often with kidney disease there is high blood pressure. High blood pressure can also be treated.

Cats with kidney disease are often nauseous and that causes them not to want to eat. There are anti nausea medications that can be given as well as appetite stimulants. But it is very important to get her appetite back and with proper hydration and addressing any electrolyte and mineral issues ( potassium and phosphorus) as well as addressing nausea, and possibly with the help of an appetite stimulant, you should be able to do that.

I know it sounds daunting and like a crazy amount of overwhelming things to do, but you can do it. With my cat and all her multiple issues, it takes me about 10 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes at night.

But do talk to your vet about all this, sooner than later, because she can’t survive if she doesn’t eat and get hydrated. The constipation should somewhat resolve with hydration.

Please keep us posted on how she is doing.

Update: I talked to the vet this morning over the phone and they prescribed me anti-nausea medication and appetite stimulant. I just applied the appetite stimulant like 30 min ago. She did eat a tiny amount of wet food this morning and drank from the tap. I hope she will eat soon. Fingers crossed.

 

[Meowmee]

Update: I talked to the vet this morning over the phone and they prescribed me anti-nausea medication and appetite stimulant. I just applied the appetite stimulant like 30 min ago. She did eat a tiny amount of wet food this morning and drank from the tap. I hope she will eat soon. Fingers crossed.

That is great! I hope she continues to eat. Try the licky treats too.

 

[neely]

This sounds all too familiar since we just went though something similar last week with our boy. Our vet did most of the procedures S silent meowlook recommended and I followed up routinely with meds, etc. One of the vet techs suggested Friskies Party Mix cat treats which although not the healthiest helped him to eat his wet food a little. Regarding leaving the faucet run in your sink, we had a previous cat who would only drink water from the bathroom sink. No other sink in the house but just one particular bathroom so I left it on low for him all day.

Sending special thoughts for Trudy and fingers crossed her appetite improves.

 

[Treecie]

This sounds all too familiar since we just went though something similar last week with our boy. Our vet did most of the procedures S silent meowlook recommended and I followed up routinely with meds, etc. One of the vet techs suggested Friskies Party Mix cat treats which although not the healthiest helped him to eat his wet food a little. Regarding leaving the faucet run in your sink, we had a previous cat who would only drink water from the bathroom sink. No other sink in the house but just one particular bathroom so I left it on low for him all day.

Sending special thoughts for Trudy and fingers crossed her appetite improves.

Thank you. Trudy loves the Temptation treats and if all else fails, at least she will eat that. The only issue with the tap water is that the owner lives right below me so the other night when I left it on all night long, he came knocking on my door in the morning. I could try to run it a suuper tiny amount but I don't want to risk getting kicked out . Best of luck with your boy and hope he improves as well<3

 

[Kwik]

I'm sorry your kitty is unwell and I know all too well what you are going through,my heart and prayers are with you

You'll be very surprised how much the Sub Q fluids is going to help your cat ,and between the appetite stimulant and anti nausea meds kittys quality of life should improve greatly- this of course greatly depends on what stage CKD you are dealing with

I don't think the landlord will hear a slow drip from the faucet,kitty will just stay longer at the faucet)I always leave mine on with a little drip for my one faucet fiend girl(I have 5)

 

[Treecie]

I'm sorry your kitty is unwell and I know all too well what you are going through,my heart and prayers are with you

You'll be very surprised how much the Sub Q fluids is going to help your cat ,and between the appetite stimulant and anti nausea meds kittys quality of life should improve greatly- this of course greatly depends on what stage CKD you are dealing with

I don't think the landlord will hear a slow drip from the faucet,kitty will just stay longer at the faucet)I always leave mine on with a little drip for my one faucet fiend girl(I have 5)

Thank you. Her vet appointment is tomorrow so I will ask the doctor about SubQ. The anti- nausea and appetite stimulant has helped a ton. She is eating and drinking now thank god.

 

[Treecie]

It is important to have bloodwork done to see where the potassium levels are and the phosphorus levels, as well as other things shown on a complete senior blood panel. Often cats with
CKD ( chronic kidney disease) will have an elevated phosphorus and a low potassium. Both can make your cat feel very ill. The potassium can be supplemented if low, and phosphate binders can be added to food if bloodwork shows an elevated phosphorus.

Blood work will also show if your cat is anemic or if the protien levels are low as well as if the white blood cells are high, indicating a possible infection.

It is also important to have the thyroid checked as there can be other medical issues as well as the kidney disease going on.

A good senior cat blood panel should show this as well. I am going to assume that your cat had blood work done if your veterinarian said her kidneys are failing. Do you think you could ask for a copy of the results and post them here?

Another important test is a urinalysis. This will show if your cat is able to concentrate their urine as well as if there is any white blood cells in the urine, among other things.

Diagnostic wise, an abdominal ultrasound will show what the kidneys look like as well as the other abdominal organs and structures. This is best done by a board certified veterinarian in internal medicine.

I don’t know where you are and what your financial situation is, if your cat is insured or not. But of course it does get expensive with all the diagnostics. I would say the most important would be the blood work, as well as the blood pressure that your veterinarian recommends because often with kidney disease there is high blood pressure. High blood pressure can also be treated.

Cats with kidney disease are often nauseous and that causes them not to want to eat. There are anti nausea medications that can be given as well as appetite stimulants. But it is very important to get her appetite back and with proper hydration and addressing any electrolyte and mineral issues ( potassium and phosphorus) as well as addressing nausea, and possibly with the help of an appetite stimulant, you should be able to do that.

I know it sounds daunting and like a crazy amount of overwhelming things to do, but you can do it. With my cat and all her multiple issues, it takes me about 10 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes at night.

But do talk to your vet about all this, sooner than later, because she can’t survive if she doesn’t eat and get hydrated. The constipation should somewhat resolve with hydration.

Please keep us posted on how she is doing.

I just want to THANK YOU SO MUCH for the suggestion for anti-nausea and appetite stimulant. It has helped a lot and she is able to eat and is drinking from sources other than the tap which is an improvement.

 

[silent meowlook]

I am so glad she is doing better.