Kidney disease :(

[Thelonious Georgia]

Well, according to our vet, our cat who is 11, has kidney disease. The
treatment is a shot of IV fluid every day. He looks very thin and isn't
behaving in a normal cat-like way and this is really upsetting me. My
question is, will having the vet treat him initially ($1000) plus us giving
him a shot every day bring him back to the way he was, or are we just
prolonging any suffering, *is* he suffering, and what would happen if we did
nothing? I really don't know what to do; money is tight but I love the cat a
lot and after 10 years, can't imagine what it would be like without him.

:(

Theo

[Twc6]

I'm so sorry about your kitty. Many cats respond very well to the fluid
treatments, and once they get over their initial "crash" they can function
normally for some time, perhaps needing special food and additional
medications.

You MUST join the Yahoo Group Feline CRF Support. People there are a tremendous
resource, and there are lots of links and tips there to cut your costs -- you
can order the fluid bags through the INternet for a fraction of the cost, and
there is a donation page where people will give away supplies and food they no
longer need.

You can also get info there about IMOM.org, which is a website that helps
people in financial need pay for medical care for their pets.

[TracyN]

"Twc6" wrote in message ...

>
> You MUST join the Yahoo Group Feline CRF Support. People there are a
tremendous
> resource, and there are lots of links and tips there to cut your costs -- you
> can order the fluid bags through the INternet for a fraction of the cost, and
> there is a donation page where people will give away supplies and food they no
> longer need.
>
> You can also get info there about IMOM.org, which is a website that helps
> people in financial need pay for medical care for their pets.

Very good advice. Also, be aware that kitties with CRF often have a loss
of appetite because their stomachs get upset. The vet should be able to give
you some medication to perk up his appetite and ease the nausea.

My cat (18 yrs) also has CRF. Pretty frightening at first. Giving the Sub-Q
fluids is
not as awful as it seems. You get used to it pretty quickly and the cats
usually tolerate it very well.

Good luck.

Tracy

[Stellactica]

Hi, I'd say it's worth it. My cat, also 11, was diagnosed with kidney
disease almost a year ago. She's in the early stages ... i noticed she was
drinking more and was concerned so took her into the vet. She's now on a low
protein diet, tumil-k(potassium), a chinese herbal called Renagen, and subq
fluids every couple weeks. She's doing great! I swear she has no idea
there's anything wrong. She's playful and lovable ... a real little
sweetheart.

Given the fact that your cat is thin and feeling lousy may mean he's further
along in the disease, BUT it doesn't mean a death sentence.

Here's an excerpt from a book I have called "The New Natural Cat" by Anitra
Frazier. I think it'll help you with your decision ... sure helped me.

"One of my first experiences with subcutaneous fluids was with 15-year-old
Suzi, a little red tabby shorthair. Her story is a good example of what to
expece. Suzi had been the hostess with the mostest in her old home. Her
owner was a highly emotional person who loved Suzi very much but coulld not
deal with the extra care Suzi needed. She reaslized that Suzi's disease was
terminal and wanted euthanasia to be carried out at the proper time in a
proper way but she knew she wouldn't have the emotional control be be there
with Suzi when the time arrived. So, when Suzi entered the final stages of
kidney failure, she was left with me for terminal nursing care. She arrived
dehydrated, anorexic, constipated, stiff in the joints and so weak she
couldn't always make it to the litter box. We put her on the kidney diet and
began hydration with 100ml of Ringer's Lactate once a day. That was 4 years
ago. Suzi is 19 now. She's still a kindey patient and eating the special
diet plus frequent treats of watermelon, cantaloupe, and Chinese broccoli.
She still receives subcutaneous fluids (now only 3x a week). But Suzi
doesn't know she's sick. She feels just fine and has taken over as hostess
at my place. When visitors arrive, they're greeted by fluffy, perky little
red-haired Suzi standing tippy toe on the antique highchair just inside my
door, purring and arching her back to be petted and making everyone feel
welcome and important."
"Thelonious Georgia" <keepbert...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:9of9ms$s8h$1...@news.panix.com...

[blkc...@home.com]

Theo,
Join the Feline-CRF-Support group at groups.yahoo.com. There you will
find many people who are dealing with the same situation you are. Many
of these people are quite knowledgeable about CRF and the various
treatments. You can get a lot of info and support.

Sue

[Cathy Friedmann]

A great website about kidney disease / chronic renal failure:
http://users.ouvip.com/tanya/

Cathy

--
"Staccato signals of constant information..."
("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon

Thelonious Georgia <keepbert...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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