SRS POST

[Sera]

So last night we had to take my cat to the ER. She was feeling sick earlier this week, but they said it was a UTI and gave me antibiotics and sent her home. She was doing ok for a few days... I mean she's 17 years old, so she's normally slow walking and lazy, but she does eat normally and i've never had any trouble with her going outside of her litter box...

But then she stopped eating (maybe a bite and then she's like nope, no mas) started drinking a LOT of water and her pee doesn't smell like pee, it's just water -- no smell at all. She hasn't meowed in a week -- and that's ridiculously out of character for her (she's a siamese and a very mouthy one at that.) Lokky set her down in her litter box last night and she just flopped over... she never does that. So we took her to the vet ER (it's about 5 minutes from my apt) and they did some tests...

Severe kidney disease They said she did eat this morning, but her temp is still 98~ (i'm told it's supposed to be 100-102 for a kitty) so she's still under blankets/hot water bottles and on this machine that warms all her IVF up before it goes in her. The goal atm is just to get her stable so I can bring her home and start caring for her there... apparently she'll have to eat special food and I'll have to inject meds and fluids into her daily at home.

Anyone had a kitty with this issue before? Vet says it's pretty common for old kitties. Just wondering if anyone has any advice.

[Ksandra]

ya, my cat had kidney failure because of it and had to be put to sleep when he was 16. I grew up with that cat ;_;


I wish you luck~

as for advice not much you can do outside what the doctor says, and hope for the best.

[Antithesis]

ya, my cat had kidney failure because of it and had to be put to sleep when he was 16. I grew up with that cat ;_;


I wish you luck~

as for advice not much you can do outside what the doctor says, and hope for the best.

That cat was like in King Ramses age already.

[Sera]

ya, my cat had kidney failure because of it and had to be put to sleep when he was 16. I grew up with that cat ;_;

kidney failure because of what?

[Ksandra]

kidney disease >.> he had it first, but eventually his kidney failed.

[Charismatic]

imagine there is a comma in front of because

[Charismatic]

OR NOT

[Sera]

oh oh oh i got confused because of the "and" sorry

apparently i'll have to inject her with stuff at home? if she comes home. i really hope she comes home :/

17 is a good run and i feel like ive been preparing for this for years... but i'm still feeling terrible about it, she didn't even show she was sick at all til this week...

[Ksandra]

oh oh oh i got confused because of the "and" sorry

apparently i'll have to inject her with stuff at home? if she comes home. i really hope she comes home :/

17 is a good run and i feel like ive been preparing for this for years... but i'm still feeling terrible about it, she didn't even show she was sick at all til this week...

ya when she gets home there is a shot you give to them. I know it's hard. Lol I had mine since I was 5 and I was in college when my parents told me in a Friendly's that they had to put him a sleep. We all started crying in the restaurant lol.

He wasn't the only cat I had, but I think the one you grow up with is the worst.

I'll be honest just do exactly what the doctor says and try to make sure she takes it easy. The problem with the disease at that age, is the kidneys are weak as it is, so hard for them to fight back. This is not to say they can't, just make sure you stick to the shot schedule to make sure she gets the best chance.


Towards the end I use to cook small turkeys to feed to him lmao. That was his favorite people food and the only thing he seemed to be willing to eat. (wouldn't even eat wet cat food or tuna)

[Sera]

yeah all she likes is fish based stuff atm, she'll usually eat WHATEVER THE FK I GIVE HER (she's a cat so she's not allowed to be picky, but i feed her science diet so it's not like it's bad food or anything.) I don't normally allow her to be picky about what flavor her food is but unless they give me a prescription diet I guess I will now.

[Sera]

It just sucks because I feel like I missed something huge, she didn't act sick AT ALL til this week, just makes me wonder how long she's been walking around the house being sick and I didn't notice... feels bad man

[Ksandra]

naw don't blame yourself. I always said pets are harder than kids in many ways. They can't tell you they're sick so it's always a constant guessing game with them.

[Ksandra]

If she lived to 17 that means you were doing it right

[Tomiko]

Ryko's practicing voodoo on your cat.

[Ksandra]

Come to think of it, I don't think we took our cat in right away either. He started getting really picky about eating food so that's when we started feeding him any wet food he'd take. But at the time we thought it was teeth related since he was missing some.

[Krye]

Sera you are fat and I hope your cat dies

[Tsakiki]

My 19.5 year old cat has been living with kidney disease for about 2 years. We don't have to give her medications or injections, but we do take her in regularly for blood work to see how the disease is progressing. We have her on Science Diet K/D dry food, and twice a day my husband makes a meal for her that generally consists of cream of rice cereal (organic brown rice variety), some form of meat (chicken, salmon, or baby food), a bit of homemade chicken stock, flax seed, wheat bran and vitamins (C, E, bone meal, taurine). It's a concoction he came up with starting with a few different recommended kidney diet recipes that Isis wouldn't eat, and modifying them until she would.

The theory is to reduce the amount of protein the kidneys have to process, but you know, cats are carnivores, and at 19, I'd rather have her last months be enjoyable than to drag her out a bit longer with food she doesn't like. Not much left for an old cat other than good food and nice spots of warm sunshine to sleep in.

One of the annoying things about the disease is that we had to take her off the anti-inflammatory medication we'd been giving her for her arthritis pain. Now we just provide heating pads and electric blankets for some extra heat to soothe her poor old body.

Don't beat yourself up - cats are masters at hiding pain and disabilities. As Ksandra says, you've definitely been doing things right to have her get to 17 unscathed. Kidney disease is very common in elderly cats.

If she's not drinking enough to keep herself hydrated, you will need to give her subcutaneous fluid injections. Good luck with your cat - I hope she comes home soon and you're able to control the disease's progression and have more happy years together.

[Milkster]

This is why dogs outdo cats.

[Ragnell]

:< I love that pussy

[Charismatic]

This is why dogs outdo cats.

One of many reasons.