Cat Dying Of Kidney Failure

[Scott]

I have an older cat, about 10 years old, that is dying of chronic kidney failure. About 5 or 6 years ago he had bladder stones and couldn't urinate. His situation was dire and he was taken from vet to vet and eventually to Chula and then Kesasat Vet hospitals. He was eventually cured of this and was on 2 mg of valium and another medication everyday for a long time. Because of the bladder condition his kidneys were damaged, but he did regain considerable functioning. About two years ago his kidneys began to deteriorate and he was on a host of medications, but the condition continued to deteriorate, but rather slowly. A couple of months ago, he started losing weight, not eating or drinking. He usually threw up the medication, so I stopped it (it didn't seem to be working anymore). He receives daily saline solution drip, but he no longer eats or drinks on his own. He now can only get (drinking) water through a syringe. I give him a mixture of egg yolk and milk by syringe in the morning and then about 1/2 later just plain whole milk. In the evening he gets water and milk.

He can no longer walk more than a few faltering steps. He is skin and bones and I believe he will die soon. He doesn't seem to be in any acute pain or distress, but it's horrible watching him slowly slip away.

I am not sure if there is anything I can feed him or give him to help him keep up his strength. I don't want to take him to the vet anymore. We moved sometime ago and it's a long way to his old vet and trips are just too stressful in his condition. I would like to put him to sleep when then time comes, but I have been through this route with vets and they won't do it--they say they will but then they won't.

As long as he isn't in pain, I don't want to put him down, but what can I do to help him with the transition to dying and what liquid can I give him to help him keep up his strength? (He can't/won't eat even a liquefied tuna in spring water).

[scott_cos]

Put him down? My friend, this is Thailand, a Buddhist country. Have you tried putting an animal down before? Vets will not do it. I have a 10 year old dog just diagnosed with cancer. I finally found a doctor that said reluctantly she would "help" when things got very bad with my dog and he was in pain. She would not commit to euthanasia however. I have had dogs (I raise Thai Ridgeback dogs) severely ill and have taken them to the best animal hospitals but alas, doctors all say "sorry".

Good luck.

[sbk]

My kitty died the same way, Scott. One day, she just slipped away and died. Sadly it was when I was in the US and couldn't be with her in her last few weeks. I would say your kitty probably doesn't have alot time left regardless, so just keep with what you are doing.

I am sorry to hear this, it doesn't get any better I am afraid. I miss my cat terribly, she was 17 when she died and I'd had her from a kitten.

[BB1950]

I had a dog, who was very close to me, die of kidney failure. Unfortunately you can't do more than you are doing. I desperately wanted to put the dog down to put her out of her misery. But as mentioned above, this is Thailand. I could not find a vet to do that. Instead, I watched her die for one month in agony! Really heart wrenching.

Good Luck!

[Scott]

As I said in my post, I have been through this before. This includes vets who say they will put an animal down, but then decide they won't. I will not take him to his own vet who has treated him for many years because the trip would be too stressful on him at this juncture in time. I surely don't want to take him from vet to vet to find someone who will put him down and go through all the vets who insist they think he can be treated. I have some rather strong sedatives that I can give him if he needs to be put to sleep, but that would only be the very last resort as it's hard to get the right dosage, they sometimes vomit them up (or part) and I do not wish to contribute to his suffering.

My limited understanding of Chronic Kidney Failure is that they usually go into a coma and then die.

Right now, I want to keep him as reasonably well nourished as possible and as comfortable as is reasonably possible.

[BottleBlonde]

Hi Scott, my heart goes out to you. We have several vets in Samui and i have recently helped a few people who have felt that the time has come to put their beloved pet to sleep by speaking with the vets on the owners behalf. So far on each of the occasions the vets have assessed the animal and agreed that putting them to sleep is the best option. For most owners It is a very difficult decision to make and often takes great strength. Whilst i do not believe in putting an animal to sleep because the owner just cannot be bothered to take care of them anymore, i really cannot understand those vets who because of their beliefs would rather let an animal die slowly and possibly in pain, or to ease their own conscience tell the owners to buy medication and do it themselves.

You are doing a wonderful thing by caring for your cat no matter what the requirements, and i hope that the end is peaceful and as pain free as possible for both of you.

[Scott]

Thanks. One of the nice things about this forum is it's one of the few places where people have any understanding of how powerful the bond between people and pets really is.

I was thinking of getting some of the baby formula used for kittens to feed him.

[bina]

http://www.felinecrf.org/

a rather good site and i found that all the different cases and scenarios she describes fit the cats that we saw at the clinic.. i personally knew of several people that had their cats die at home, usually the cats had slipped in to a coma and then died...

check out the site...

bina

[Pria]

Sorry to hear about your cat and totally fed up with the Thai pseudo-Buddhism approach that prevents a suffering animal from being euthanized to put it out of it's misery while the vet still keeps sticking his/her greedy hand for money knowing the treatment is useless.

You know what needs to be done. Chloroform is not that hard to obtain, neither is Valium which can be ground up and suspended in a solution and then fed.

If it was you that was so ill what would you want done to yourself?

It's not pleasant, but sometimes the greatest acts of love, compassion and kindness are not.

It's a very hard thing to do, but, I know if I was so ill, or someone (person or animal) I cared for was, what action I would take.

I don't envy your current predicament, but don't let the philosophical beliefs of numb-nuts prevent you from taking responsibility and doing the right thing. :jap:

[Scott]

Many thanks for the suggestions and kind words. I was raised on a farm, so I am familiar with the suffering that animals can go through. Right now, the cat doesn't need to be put down (in my opinion). He doesn't seem to be in any pain and with the syringe of liquid fed to him he seems to be deteriorating slowly. I want to make sure he has the most amount of nutrition and the least amount of suffering. He can walk a few steps and then rests, but he sometimes falls over. Usually he has to be carried to the litter box, if he's not nearby, but he digs a small hole and does his business. Occasionally he wets the bed--he has a thick blanket and towel to sleep on and sleeps near me. He lays on the balcony and moves around a bit to be in/out of the sun, depending on his needs.

His deterioration is slow, but steady. If I tried to euthanize him right now, I don't think it would work because he isn't close enough to death. I think he would end up convulsing and his body would fight the dying--not much fight left, but enough to make it unpleasant.

I will make a trip to his old vet about pain medication and advice on how best to manage him and when the end comes near, if he is suffering, then I will do what I have to do. He really doesn't like to travel and I wouldn't want to drag him to a vet unless he was in a coma. I know there are vets that will put animals down, here in BKK, but sometimes they will and sometimes they won't.

Any other advice is greatly appreciated.

[sbk]

It doesn't last very long Scott, from the sounds of it you have only a few weeks left, My cat was in this condition for less than a month and yes, she slipped into a coma and died. My husband said she never really seemed to be in much pain but to this day I feel awful for not being there when she needed me but I had no choice.

[bina]

... animals dont need to be near death to euthenize them.. with the proper preparations used specifically for euthenasia (in israel there are two different types, one that is potent and fatal also to the vet if the vet gets any on skin a;nd only cetain vets can use it, but very very effective, and the second is a combination of two different drugs, a bit slower, but safer for the vet ... either way, the animal doesnt convulse. usually the animal is sedated previous to the injection, and then the final drug is given in the vein. the 'straight to the heart' method is dependant on how good the vet is ( had the horrific experience of doing that to a goat kid, and missing.... he got the injection, but it took indeed a while for him to finally die...it was a preemie goat kid and bound to die due to lack of lung development but still......an experience i can never forget ) and hard to do to an animal that is still 'viable' and not comatose or paralyzed.

i believe the site i recommended is very good for everything about crf (chronic and acutic renal failaure in cats) including the death/dying preperation and feeding parts...

bina

[bina]

... animals dont need to be near death to euthenize them.. with the proper preparations used specifically for euthenasia (in israel there are two different types, one that is potent and fatal also to the vet if the vet gets any on skin a;nd only cetain vets can use it, but very very effective, and the second is a combination of two different drugs, a bit slower, but safer for the vet ... either way, the animal doesnt convulse. usually the animal is sedated previous to the injection, and then the final drug is given in the vein. the 'straight to the heart' method is dependant on how good the vet is ( had the horrific experience of doing that to a goat kid, and missing.... he got the injection, but it took indeed a while for him to finally die...it was a preemie goat kid and bound to die due to lack of lung development but still......an experience i can never forget ) and hard to do to an animal that is still 'viable' and not comatose or paralyzed.

i believe the site i recommended is very good for everything about crf (chronic and acutic renal failaure in cats) including the death/dying preperation and feeding parts...

bina

forgot to clarify, im not advocating euthenasia for viable animals but that animals dont need to be almost dead before euthenizing calmly...bina

[Patsycat]

My cat, Saturna, died very rapidly last year. One day, she was fine the next not. I don't know what it was, she was 16. She had done that losing her balance thing about two weeks before. But then was bouncing about within a few minutes.

She had a wee convulsion and then I think she went into a coma, even though her eyes were open. I got her onto my bed and lay with her, talking, for about three hours. She didn't stop purring. Then she just sighed and was gone. (To be honest, I poked her to see if she was still alive!!)

I knew she wouldn't have survived the trip to the vet's across town at three in the morning. It was better she died at home with me and her brother.

Good luck. As you said - some people don't understand the bond we have with our animals.

[Scott]

Thanks for your comments and experience. Today I came home at lunch to give him some water as my friend was unable to get saline solution for the subcutaneous injection. He will get it tonight, but I am afraid the end may be very near. He wasn't able to swallow water from a syringe and he had a minor convulsion. He does manage to crawl a little, but this is limited to when he has wet on himself.

Like you, I won't take him to the vet. Those trips are just too stressful and what peace he has can't be replaced by medical treatment at this point. My partner sleeps on the floor with the him every night now. The cat can't be in the bed because he falls off too easily. He's in a soft cloth basket next to my partner at bedtime, but by morning has crawled next to him.

Thanks for the understanding and sharing your experience.

[sbk]

Sounds like your cat knows he is well loved, Scott. And for that I am sure he is grateful and loves you in return,

[JohnLeech]

One of my dogs whom I had managed to nurse successfully through serious distemper as a puppy died of kidney failure very quickly when he was only five years old. Once diagnosed a local vet said that they would try to nurse him but after a couple of days it was clear that there was nothing they could do and that he was infinitely better off at home with us; he definitely wasn't in any pain although he had no energy to do anything more than wag his tail and try to lick me whenever I held him, and fortunately for us both he was only that way for three more days before he died quietly.

By the sound of it any medical treatment would achieve nothing with him and the kindest thing will be to let nature take its course and to let him slip away peacefully and quietly, spending his remaining time with you and your partner.

For the record, I know a number of Thai vets that will euthanise animals under appropriate circumstances. The vet I have known longest here, whose practice I have been going to for over 17years despite now living some distance away, does but the one thing he asks, which I quite understand, is that the owner is present when the animal is euthanised.

[evanson]

Put him down? My friend, this is Thailand, a Buddhist country. Have you tried putting an animal down before? Vets will not do it. I have a 10 year old dog just diagnosed with cancer. I finally found a doctor that said reluctantly she would "help" when things got very bad with my dog and he was in pain. She would not commit to euthanasia however. I have had dogs (I raise Thai Ridgeback dogs) severely ill and have taken them to the best animal hospitals but alas, doctors all say "sorry".

Good luck.

I had a young cat dying in the same way you describe and after several visits to my local vet here on Phuket was told that he had Feline HIV for which there is no cure. He'd reached the stage your cat now appears to be in, couldn't eat, crying, obviously in great discomfort. I took him back to the vet who suggest I have him put to sleep. I have no idea why farang here keep saying the vets won't euthanise, maybe it's an 'area' thing, ie, the more in the boonies you are, the less likely a vet will do the right (in my view) thing?

By the way, my vet told me there's a vaccine for Feline HIV. I asked him why he hadn't told me before? He told me it was because it was 200 baht a shot. I'd pointed out that spent 5k having the cat stay in his practice's hospital! Christ. I also asked him to put a notice up in his surgery advising people to have their cats vaccinated. He replied that there was no point 'as they will not listen'. Give me strength ...

My sympathies. If you think he can stand the trip, bring 'im to Phuket.

[eek]

Im so sorry Scott.. i really dont know what to say. A beloved cat died from kidney failure...it was heart wrenching. I felt selfish in that i had the vet inject him twice to try stimulate his appetite. In hind sight i wish i had been strong enough to have the vet euthanize. My vet said the second injection should be the final one..if it doesnt work..then thats it. But..he died soon after the 2nd shot. I loved him dearly and i just didnt want to let go..but ill always feel guilty that i stretch out his life just for my benefit. I am sorry that vets here dont accept euthanasia. I wish you both the best.. sorry that i have nothing helpful to say..just that my heart goes out to you.

[Scott]

Eek: Thanks so much. I just got home from work and my lovely companion is either dead or very near. He is no longer responsive and his eyes no longer respond to light, but rigor mortis hasn't set in yet, so I am not sure.

He has really gone quite peacefully. He hasn't seemed to experience any pain or at least not much. His last meal (this morning) was the juice from a can of tuna fish. He really didn't like getting milk in a syringe, but the tuna juice seemed pretty tasty to him. I saved a little for tonight, but I guess it's too late.

Right now, I understand your feelings, but it's natural to cling to both life and hope. In spite of feeling guilty, I am sure your cat would have appreciated your effort.

Thanks for the kind words. It does help. A lot.

And thanks to all the people who have been so helpful during this trying time.

[neverdie]

Scott, my thoughts are with you both & your feline friend. I hope he goes peacefully and without pain & good on you for taking such good care of him. Whats his name?

[eek]

Eek: Thanks so much. I just got home from work and my lovely companion is either dead or very near. He is no longer responsive and his eyes no longer respond to light, but rigor mortis hasn't set in yet, so I am not sure.

He has really gone quite peacefully. He hasn't seemed to experience any pain or at least not much. His last meal (this morning) was the juice from a can of tuna fish. He really didn't like getting milk in a syringe, but the tuna juice seemed pretty tasty to him. I saved a little for tonight, but I guess it's too late.

Right now, I understand your feelings, but it's natural to cling to both life and hope. In spite of feeling guilty, I am sure your cat would have appreciated your effort.

Thanks for the kind words. It does help. A lot.

And thanks to all the people who have been so helpful during this trying time.

Take care. ..as neverdie has already said, i hope he goes peacefully now..if he hasnt already.

[Scott]

His name is/was Oreo. He loved to eat Oreo cookies (actually anything we were eating). Chocolate is poisonous to cats, so he just a few crumbs, but that's how he got his name.

Thanks so much. My friend is on his way home now. It's been a long, long battle.

[neverdie]

Scott,

Im a little confused, I just re-read your last couple of posts and you seemed to refer to Oreo in past tense. I'm not sure what is your present situation, but please keep us informed.

[bina]

oreo seems to be comatose and or very close to death... usually temperature goes down, and the animal just sort of slips away, with the heart stopping last.... once they are really dead, u can usually tell.. there is some slight change in the body and feeling of the body when u touch it... but just to make sure, check for some kind of heart beat, wait at least a minute... since sometimes there is a very slow beat... after that... u can know.

eek: the injections are usually cortisones. we would also give them to animals that were fairly close to death as an appetite stimulant but also they seem to cause the animal to become 'vibrant' (viable? not sure of the english word but something like: a little more lively)... usually its to give the owner time to adjust to the death, and also to give the feeling that the person has doen absolutely everything there is to do before giving up ... like 'soctor , do something for him' and then the doctor says: 'if the second shot doesnt work, there is nothing more to be done'. the animal usually seems to really feel better after the injection, at least for a day or so....

well, at least the hard part of nursing is over, he went in a loving home, and with the taste of tuna in his mouth... what better way for a cat to go....

bina

israel

[Scott]

Thanks Bina, and everyone else. I had cleaned him up and wrapped him in his blanket. My friend, who was very close to him headed home and held him for a while. Once it was clear that rigor mortis was beginning to set in, he took him out and buried him under the tree in the yard.

It'll be a sad day today, but life goes on. His companion cat--they are the same age has been looking for him, which is a little hard. The other cat usually licked him and helped clean him up each day.

It's been a long time taking care of him and I am now sitting here early in the morning with little to do but get ready for work. No more saline solution and no more feeding with a syringe.

When he could no longer tolerate the medication he was on (vomiting from it), I discontinued it and also didn't take him back to the vet since there was nothing they could do and I didn't want him to suffer the stress of visits to the vet and heroic measures that they might take.

The posters on this forum have been a great comfort and a phenomenal help.

[Scott]

He was cleaned up and when my friend got home he held him for a while, but it was clear that rigor mortis was starting to set in. He buried him under a tree in the yard.

Thanks so much to all the posters for your help and support.

[neverdie]

Scott, You are probably one of the most considerate posters on TVF. This time my thoughts are with you, Oreo was lucky to have so much love. Keep ur chin up.

[Taro]

I'm really sorry for your loss. A few years ago, I lost two cats to kidney failure within 10 days of each other. My third cat, who was also suffering from acute kidney failure, made it through and she's still with me. It was just a horrible time and I completely understand how you're feeling. Take a deep breath and know that you did all you could and loved him till the end.

[sbk]

I am so sorry, Scott but take consolation in that he died happy, loved and had some tuna. You were a lucky man to have him in your life, remember that when you miss him.