This past year, we lost two cats to kidney disease (aka. renal failure). We learned a lot about the disease and managed to keep our loved felines with us for almost an entire year past their initial chronic renal failure diagnosis. I hope what we learned will help you claim a little more time with your loved one too.
1. Feed the spirit
If you had to pick only one thing that would extend your pet’s life and improve his final days, this is the one. Feed his spirit! How do you feed your pet’s spirit? Know what makes their day special and make every day special. Here are the things we did for Amanda and Evan.
Love and Attention - The first time we almost lost Evan and Amanda was during a busy time. We were desperately trying to save our 17 year old Jasper who had some form of jaw cancer and I had started a job that required many hours. We’d come home, arms ladened with computers or groceries and fly into the kitchen to start on our to-dos, zooming right by two loving creatures waiting at the door to say, “I love you.” Can you imagine waiting at the door for someone to come home and when they finally did, they walked right by you? We changed this habit, leaving the groceries in the car and putting the computers down as soon as we stepped in the house, IMMEDIATELY giving affection to the furry babes waiting for us. We made an effort to prioritize how we spent our time, giving all our other pets more attention. This single change made a significant difference in both Evan and Amanda.
Plants - When it came to greenery, our house was rather barren. Since all our cats love eating grass and use to enjoy the outside life, we filled a small litter box with dirt and made sure they constantly had a fresh supply of cat grass. We also bought a lot of palm plants, which are cat safe and put them all over the house. The ASPCA has a wonderful toxic and non-toxic plant database to help you shop for your own home.
Water – Amanda and Evan loved water their entire lives. Amanda loved to be watered from the tub faucet. We made sure she got watered frequently, even though her demands were more about getting attention than the water. Evan worshipped water, singing his beautiful “raraooow” water song while he batted at the surface. We added a stainless steel water fountain to the house. Most of them are made of plastic, but our cats always enjoyed their water in glass or stainless steel bowls, probably because it tastes better.
When Evan was an outdoor cat, he loved the creek in our backyard. To raise his spirits, we also brought him fresh, crisp, creek water every day. He was grateful.
When Evan’s illness was at it’s worse, he’d crawl next to the toilet and hide, coming out only when we lifted the seat to use it. Knowing what he wanted, we scrubbed and sanitized the toilet, rinsing it thoroughly. We then made it off limits for use, lifted the seat and turned it over to Ev.
2. Food
Your vet is likely to prescribe a food low in phosphorus for your cat. If you have trouble keeping up with the expense, Science Diet makes a “Mature Adult” food that is lower in phosphorus and guaranteed to improve kidney health. It is also quite palatable.
Aluminum Hydroxide can also help. The aluminum hydroxide binds with the phosphorus in the food keeping it out of the blood stream. While you can purchase the liquid form over the counter where anti-acids are sold, your cat might not enjoy a syringe full of liquid in his mouth 3o minutes before each meal. Instead, try Aluminum Hydroxide powder. Mix it with your pet’s food and let it absorb over night. Your vet can tell you what ration of food to powder to use.
There may be times when your cat wants nothing to do with special cat food. During these times, feed your cat whatever he wants. Starvation and malnutrition is the last thing kitty needs right now. Let him enjoy life. Fancy Feast Appetizers has kept more than one sick cat eating when nothing else would do. (Thank you Fancy Feast.)
3. Subcutaneous Fluids
Subcutaneous fluids are fluids injected under your cat’s skin that you can do at home. It sounds rough, but it is not as bad as it seems. Your vet might recommend fluid supplements 1-7 days a week to help your cat feel better.
As the disease advances, your cat might show signs of stiff muscles. Evan’s back leg started to be a little stiff when he walked. Blood work showed he was low on potassium. The vet added Potassium Chloride (KCl) to his fluids, which fixed the problem.
Your cat might also become anemic. Blood work will show a low blood cell count and low iron. Physically, you might notice the pink color in your cat’s nose, ears, gums or the skin around the eyes fade to a lighter color. Procrit and Iron injections might help. Procrit tricks the bones into making more red blood cells. While iron injections are inexpensive, a vile of Procrit (about 25 doses) will run $200-$250. This saved Evan the second time he almost died; however the vet pointed out, it does not work in all cases.
Monitor your cat and know when the treatment is sucking more life out of your cat than it is giving.
4. IV-Flush
Your vet is likely to recommend an IV-flush. The vet will hook an IV catheter up to your cat and flush the cat’s system for up to 3 days. This helps some cats, but not others. If it will not break your cat’s spirit to be in the hospital for 3 days, it is certainly worth a try. If your cat will not do well with 3 days in the hospital, your vet can work out alternative options for you. We dropped Evan off at 8am and picked him up at 5:00pm for 2 days. After we found out it was not helping him, we opted to take him home where he would be more comfortable during his last few days.
5. Get Multiple Opinions
Different vets have different treatment plans they stick with. Some vets have alternative options. It does not hurt to get a second opinion. The first vet I took my cats to said there was nothing wrong with them, the second recommended the IV-Flush, kidney food and subcutaneous fluids with KCl. The third vet recommend all the former options, plus Procrit, iron and Aluminum Hydroxide. Medicine is not an exact science, shop opinions.
6. Energy Work
Reiki or qigong healing might help your pet feel better for a while and raise his spirits. It always amazes me how attracted pets are to energy work. Even pets that don’t like to stay still will typically calm down and relax, enjoying the energy work.
7. Knowing When It’s Time
At some point, no matter what heroic measures you take, your cat’s body will give out. If you have kept your cat’s spirit high, you can expect this. With Amanda, she would not eat for several days. The fine staff at NCSU Veterinary Hospital ran many tests on her to isolate the cause of her refusal to eat. Sadly, her entire body was failing her. When we went to see her, the spark in her eye was gone. Her spirit had already left and we knew without a doubt, it was time to help her on her way. With Evan, as long as he was being loved, he kept smiling and going. He reached a point where he was less enthusiastic about life and refused to eat. His last two days, he began to sway when he walked and many of the things he loved were of less interest. After a trip to the creek for a sip of water and a song, we let Evan rest in front of the screen door, where he could enjoy the cool February air and hear the birds singing, until his vet arrived to help him on his way. With Evan his body quit before his spirit. The spark in his eye was beginning to fade, but it was still there. Please know, this can be disturbing, even when you know it is time. It doesn’t mean you are not doing the right thing in helping him on his way. Your pet will thank you for your love and compassion.
If you’ve had a cat with chronic kidney failure and have other alternatives to share, please post a comment so others can benefit from your experience.
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