u/Affectionate_South40

OP I want you to know you didn't do anything wrong. Sure you could have done x,y,z things sooner; but the cold reality of this situation is that our beloves felines prone to CKD who get diagnosed with it aren't in a situation where they can be cured yet. Ive read posts from people who have pets in stage3-4 for years; and I've read posts where people have a stage 1 CKD that rapidly progresses into Stage 4 and losing their pet in 9 months.

All of it is just unfair really. I don't think it's unreasonable to not panic and go into fight or flight when you have professional help trying to guide you in the right direction. Many vets are very good and help us form plans to manage, but the reality is we don't do the same in-depth thorough investigations in pets as we do people because "the whole picture" is a.) extremely expensive for the everyday working person and b.) not typically practiced by most vet practices; they find the problem and that becomes the focus unless other symptoms which are evidentially unrelated show up.

I had a sad situation years ago with my 5 year old boy Rudi. Had allergies to chicken, environmental allergies, and sinus mal alignment from poor development as a baby. He was born a runt, but grew up to be this lovely boy with 100 problems. He started vomiting clear fluid at times, it was attributed to his allergies, we changed his diet, it lessened but I followed up with the vet, it was then "post nasal drip" from his environmental allergies. Made sense to me. He started to get rashes on his belly- food change again. He started loosing fur on his belly from excessive licking- stress from the allergies. Started him on prednisone; which while it helped it masked what should have been my warning signs to an incurable blood cancer which if caught when we started him on that med could have been treated and he might still be here today.

Sometimes all the signs you get make sense, or aren't that "threatening". Monitoring is all you can do. You had a vet, they did blood work to follow up before a procedure, we'll never know if it contributed because they just don't look into that stuff when a pet passes like they do people. Outdoor cats who are rescued to families get the wild card of "unknown history". You don't know what they've been through, eaten, or been exposed to and as a result you find all sorts of wild things as you age with them.

You did such a beautiful thing for this little one, you gave him a home, love and security when life started to fail him. You did what you reasonably could and had medical support on board, you paid attention that he was different and cared enough to do something about it. Sometimes life is just so fricken unfair to these little gems, they mask symptoms so well, and they can improve 1% but they bounce up making us think it's significantly more improvement.

I'm so sorry you had to go through this OP and I'm so sorry for your boy *hugs* You are a good pet parent; and your boy will patiently wait for you across that rainbow bridge to show you how fantastic he is now and you'll get to keep all your babies for eternity in perfect health. My boy Rudi is waiting for me, and i know he'll be happy to wait another 50ish or so years for me to come; pending on how long my butt can manage to survive also.

When my 14 year old was diagnosed with CKD I felt angry that I had missed it and he's already in stage 3. I will continue to fight for him for as long as I can. I have 4 others; my attention will to them will increase as appropriate. My 12 year old will be getting yearly labs now to watch for the same thing, he will be weighed monthly to monitor between blood work and any unusual behaviour and eating or physical changes will warrant a trip to you vet. We're human, we're finite, we do our best for ourselves and our babies. Im so. so. incredibly sorry for the pain of this loss OP. You truly did your best, survivors guilt is not limited to the death of humans, it impacts us with pets too. Please take comfort knowing you acted as a sane human and got attention when it was warranted. You did just fine, im sorry the outcome was unfavorable for both of you. Sending love and hugs <3 please take care of yourself and your other baby as best as you can and give yourself some grace for goodness sake my friend.

Treats are life. My five kitties understand and if they could they would write a cats guide on the importance of treats. I hope Fred can find some goodies in the future.

Hi OP, it's okay 💜 you can take a moment to breath, he's still here right now, so you can take a moment and you don't have to run full tilt to find answers for him. As a nurse and also extremely familiar with using many types of IVs and needles; it's okay that this is suddenly hard. This is why we remind people that even if they're in the medical field they get to be family/be the patient and put that responsibility of being the professional in the room down. This is absolutely hard, I cried when my 14 year old was diagnosed last month, and I cried again when all the work I did to try to stabilize him was met with clinically looking better with some weight gain but worsened blood values. It's extremely overwhelming and painful.

The Good News? Your boy knows you love him, and you'll find ways to reward him when he gets his fluids, cats are smart he knows you're worried. Cats are also like people in the sense that if they can manage their symptoms and look normal- they will. You haven't done anything wrong and your boy putting on a good front tells me he's still fighting and wanting to go on.

There's lots of info for support and lots of therapies around which can give them a fighting chance and give us more time with them AND give them quality of life. It's overwhelming to take all of this in at once, but you're not alone and neither is your boy. Remember you're human and finite, don't try to fix everything today.

I wish I had a cure for this, but I don't; so my response is to keep seeking info and education. Because that's my best chance to help my boy. Now that you know what he's dealing with you can support him and you'll figure out his new normal. You'll be a master of his care and needs soon enough and you'll be able to breath better. Everything is going to be okay because you love him and you're willing to try 💜 🫂 I am hoping and praying for more time for you and your boy.

Check out Tanya's guide to CKD and the support group. There's a Facebook group also which is a huge support. You need that support because you are part of his care plan.

Hi OP! I have a void kitty who ended up with a renal stone, blockages from two types of crystals and several UTIs in the first few years of his life from 1-4 years of age. It was really stressful and we were sure he was not going to live long. I kept him on the renal diet for a year, and only gave him urinary and renal foods/treats. My vet wanted him primarily on wet. I used the royal canin dry food, I think it was Renal P, they were crunchy pockets with a chewy center, for cookies.

Even with all our diligence he still ended up with frequent UTIs and crystals. Our game changer ended up being the choice of getting a reverse osmosis filter installed for drinking water on recommendation of an ER vet. Turns out predator kidneys really dislike hard water and a Brita filter isn't enough to protect their kidneys. Our void kitty, Finn is just on a normal over the counter urinary health diet for safety and urinary support now, he can eat whatever cookies he likes and he hasn't had a stone, UTI or crystals in years. Tomorrow he turns 12.

If you live in a place with hard water, a fridge or Brita filter isn't enough. We were told Reverse osmosis water or bottled water was best. If you're already giving these things at least you know it's not the water causing the issues. Weruva makes a low phos lickable treat that my stage 3, 14 year old, loves. You could certainly look into those as an option for renal friendly treats. I hope Fred feels better soon 💜

He's going to be so beautiful when you see him again 💜 he'll wait for you patiently because he knows he gets you for eternity. What a beautiful boy, my deepest condolences to you OP 🫂

Thank you so much for your reply 💜 I'm going to take him for a follow up in a month to see your he's doing. My vet is very good and she's never denied me blood work or UA before so if I ask for more I know she'll be happy to do it.

I did discuss less fluids over fewer days and she said it was up to me as cats can get grumpy with constant pokes. I'm very fortunate that Heen has a beautiful patience with his care at present and he will sit there while I give him fluids and all he wants is head rubs. She suggested 100mL every other day. So I'm going to try that and hope to see improvement.

Im doing my best to keep up with offering high quality protein foods with less than 0.5% phos content as a goal but I mean if he wants friskies he can have it and I'll start looking at phos binders.

This stuff seems so straight forward to manage in text, but it's absolutely so different between every cat and there's so much conflicting info out there it's maddening.

Anyway thank you for your reply it's very much appreciated

My boy likes the Royal Canin T flavor; but I've had more success with Forza10 Renal diet. It's from Italy, created by a vet. We'll see how it helps him, he's only been eating it for two weeks or so.

I am fortunate that a local business in my city sells the Forza10 renal cat food in both wet and dry, it's from Italy and designed by a vet, you would think it would be ridiculously expensive, but it's $1.99 (CAD) for a 3.5oz tin, which lines up with the cost of the Weruva Low Phos diet Petsmart carries (also a decent option for you which is a renal focused diet with various flavors and two texture choices.)

The Forza seems to be well tolerated and enjoyed by my guy but I do rotate it with weruva because renal cats are very likely to snub meals they once liked and it becomes a battle to get them to eat. I've found more success with rotating meals they like, never anything two nights in a row. Every kitty is different. ( https://forza10usa.com/collections/shop-cat/products/kidney-renal-3 ) From their site in the USA you can get a 32 pack which works out to around $2.25 a tin, you can buy smaller cases incase your little one doesnt like it. I believe they even have a 4 pack as an option.

If your boy is really picky, phos binder and mix it with whatever he'll eat. Eating is the bottom line, renal is preferred but welp, we win some we lose some. Phos binders will help protect his kidney function even if he's eating the McDonald's of cat foods haha.

hello, thank you for your reply

-I do have a water fountain, I have several in the house, I only give my cats reverse osmosis water because the water in my province is really mineral heavy, which Ive learned is bad for cat kidneys.
-I do SQ fluids every 3 days, but I've spoken to my vet about doing them every other day as I've read it's more beneficial; my cat tolerates the SQ fluids process well; so I will happily do this for him
-I will look up the supplement Aminvast, thank you for that info <3
- I will also look up Porus one, I feel like I have heard about this one, Im a bit sad my vet hadn't recommended anything, they are very caring and educational, but they also don't specialize in CKD it seems
-I am very fortunate to have a small business in my city which sells the Forza10 renal wet food, I have recently bought a few cans for my boy and he does seem to really like it, if I can get his appetite up I would prefer to feed him this
-I hadn't heard of the lazer therapy, my boy also has arthritis which he gets monthly shots for, I will see what is available in our city, thank you for this education
-I had been reading about the FeliAIM vaccine from Japan, I know it's presently in the process of being approved for public use, but the absolute earliest it could be available would be spring of 2027, i do hope it's successful in it's release.
- I have accepted bad days will happen, it's more just made me incredibly sad that I've done everything the vet has asked for support and care and he's declining in his lab values faster than I expected :( thank you for your information however, it's truly appreciated

its very frustrating, my vet did encourage me to just let my cat eat whatever he can. I visited my cities pet nutrition center and it's in the Vet Hospital so it's all the best diets for animals health needs; they even told me to let him eat whatever he liked.

I was fortunate to get him to enjoy the Royal Canin renal T wet food formula, but Im sure it wont last long. I made a plan with his nutritionist to essentially rotate foods and I wont feed the same thing for more than 2 days in a row so he cannot associate it with feeling sick. Cat's are very much like people and get do get bored with their diets. I hope your little one perks up and starts eating soon <3

My vet gave me info on a new drug for cats, well new to our clinic, it apparently helps them gain weight and increase their appetite; we're going to give it a try, im not sure if your country has it or not, but it's called Elura. So we'll be trying that and we can add mirataz back i f needed to go with it

Hello little Carla and mom <3

I also came home from the vet today, my 14 year old had a big jump in his creat, urea and SDMA; I almost hate getting bloodwork done these days for him because it's never better. My vet has been very honest with me; his values will continue to worsen; but we just need to monitor his quality of life. His fur is better, his hydration is really good, and his weight is up; so we take those wins. The bloodwork, my vet mentioned, should be used as a marker for time left, and treatments that may be required for comfort and quality of life.
While I cried on the way home I do have to also accept that while my boy probably wont make it to 18, he's doing pretty good for a stage 3 and having multiple other illnesses and conditions. He's presently on my bed stuffing his face into the new food the vet gave and he's on his second bowl. He may not like it right now, but while blood values arent good, he is looking good today and that's all I can hold onto. My goal is more good days than bad at this point.

Carla is beautiful by the way <3 thank you for sharing her. With love from Heen and his "mom" in Canada

Oh Albert North! Yes I'm sorry haha. I posted way too fast. The vet beside Smitty's on Albert Street North.

We're at North Albert right now for my boys CKD! they're very supportive, education is given, options are given and my grumpy boy is pretty tolerant of them haha. I also love all the vets and support staff here, the only down side is they're not available on weekends so we go to the south Saskatchewan animal hospital for emergency situations

*inserts The Simpson's Meme*

https://preview.redd.it/sr01c55t8ewh1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=859c5093030e4a03ea0d3d9868789c3764806bb7

But in all seriousness, I sadly haven't reached this point yet. I will likely return here hoping you found an answer to update us with. Good Luck my friend.

Our team calls our first base "Legendary Shoe Box" It is simple. cost effective. barely fits everyone. It will continue to live in our days to come.

Deep hugs OP. Your little one has done his job in this life. You must now do yours. The bitterness that we must fall in love with these beautiful animals and we know we'll out live them every single time is a different kind of love.

He probably is ready to go but he wants you beside him. He trusts and loves you and you are his peace, he's only making sure you know his wishes. I'm sorry you feel your vet blew you off, irrespective of his prognosis you deserve compassionate care for his care team and support even if things are irreversible.

This pain is deep and I'm so sorry it's happening. Take what comfort you can in knowing that you've done so well for this little one that they've chosen you to be their last everything. 🫂💔 I'm sorry this hurts so much, it's going to be okay one day but it's okay to take whatever time you need to get there and learn to live with the memories you made together.

As painful as it is watching our beloved companions out age us, it's a very beautiful thing to witness the geriatric years of a cat. Too few make it to this truly charming stage. The elder cats are a different kind of delight and they carry and soft gentleness which I truly love. They know who they love and trust and it's become engraved in their changing bones. The "old man/lady" cat faces earn are so special. I know aging is hard, and it's unfair in many ways, but you've done so well to keep this darling little one in such good shape 🫂❤️ my family cat Wilbur lived to 19.5 years and my older sister and her husband had a cat named Lady , she was in my better in laws care for 24 years before she passed. I only hope I can see more grow to such an age. Spencer is a handsome elder, but also still a baby. You two enjoy your time together.

The structural changes in a cats face that come with this kind of aging into geriatrics is one few people are blessed to see. I'm so sorry for your loss OP. What a beautiful boy Bandit was. You took supremely excellent care of this little master. Thank you for sharing his story with us ❤️ he'll be so excited to see you again one day and he'll run proud and fast to you to greet you 🫂❤️

That's really beautiful that you could have those last moments with her OP. I'm sure she knew you were there, animals are amazing that way.

I'm intentionally waiting until Saturday 😂 I hate it but it must be done or nothing will get done haha

Your efforts to save her will never be forgotten. Her last view in life was of you, the one she trusts most 🫂❤️ thank you for loving her so much and I'm so bitterly sorry she was stolen from you. Please take care OP. This pain is deep.

Beautiful tribute to your friend OP. My deepest condolences for the loss of both your companion and the experience you should have had together. I feel my late husband would have absolutely loved this game, but sadly he never even got to know it existed to the best of my knowledge.

I found building in the game quite cathartic and I do very much look forward to going back this weekend to start anew with other friends. I hope you get the same peace that I did with building. May we make new memories to share with them in future, I'm sure they'll have some absolutely fantastic stories for us too. Take care my friend, may your adventures bring you peace 🫂❤️

OP I'm so sorry 🫂💔😞

The weight of losing these beautiful companions is so heavy it's unreal. I unfortunately lost my husband in my 30s and prior him 2 years earlier we lost our five year old feline Rudiger to cancer. I remember the pains of losing both of them and it was so similar. I still miss them both, but I comfort myself knowing they have one another while they wait for everyone else.

Losing a pet is a crack in your soul that never really heals, you carry them with you for life. I personally need a cat in my life always. They never can be replaced, but I have so much love for them I always rescue again soon after.

Your beautiful Lacey looks so well cared for in these photos. You gave her a home and an incredible life that some cats never get to see. How blessed she was to have you. I know she'll be waiting for you patiently. In the meantime I'll ask my boy Rudiger to find her, he's always loved other animals and I know he'll adore Lacey. Thank you for sharing her with us OP. Please take extra good care of yourself while you navigate this grief and be gentle with yourself ❤️

What a hard journey for the team. Incredible work. This is my favorite game now and I share it with any and all of my friends