cat with renal failure

11 years ago

My 17 yo cat has renal failure and has developed abdominal swelling. Her activity has decreased severely over the past two weeks. She does not seem to be in pain or respiratory distress.

The last three times I took her to the vet I spent hundreds of dollars on tests that wound up being useless. They simply tell me she is going to die.

I would try the sub q fluids if they would improve her quality of life. How do I know if she needs them and why is her abdomen distended?

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Comments (4)

sylviatexas1
11 years ago
I'd guess her abdomen is distended from fluid retention;
if she isn't getting rid of fluid, more fluid will make her worse & make her discomfort much worse.

Her loss of activity combined with kidney failure sounds like she has reached the end of her long life.

In my experience, vets *never* say that a pet is going to die;
if mine were to tell me this, although I wouldn't want to hear it, I'd take it as absolute fact.

If you think your own vet has been unhelpful, take her to another one.

I'm so sorry, & I wish you the best.
MrsLizzy K
11 years ago
So sorry to hear! I think it's important to find out what organ in her abdomen is swollen--it could be several different things-- when making the decision on subcutaneous fluids. I'm currently struggling with my 15 year old cat to give him sub-Q fluids. It's only a struggle because he's a high-strung former alley-cat. But I can say that when I get even 50 ml into him (half the dose he's supposed to get) he seems to perk up quite a bit. He's even playful after 15-20 minutes, so it seems to be improving his quality of life. Best of luck!
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stephiepoopy
11 years ago
Hi,

I would definitely recommend the sub-q fluids ASAP. I had a CRF cat that was on 100ml daily for 2-3 years and I know that it greatly improved her life. She lived until she was 24 years old. My current senior kitty also has CRF but to a greater extent, and we give him 150ml every night. He is also on Calcitriol and Azodyl. I think the Azodyl has been very helpful in improving his blood work..definitely ask your vet about it if you have the chance.

Has your cat undergone an ultrasound for his swollen abdomen?

I wish you all the best of luck. It is hard to manage a CRF kitty but don't give up!! I've been going through this for a while and I know that CRF cats have their ups and downs. Also, check our Tanya's CRF website if you haven't already. Good luck..!!

http://www.felinecrf.org/key_issues.htm
Emily Hurley
11 years ago
We had a kitty with renal failure and did fluids twice a day. It did seem to help him quite a bit and make him more comfortable. It didn't ultimately save him, but I think he was a little happier, and that was worth it.