Took my little cat to the vet yesterday, as she's lost a lot of weight in the last week or so and I thought I could feel a lump inside her.  It turns out she's got chronic renal failure, the lump I could feel that felt like it was moving was actually both her kidneys, they are enormous!

She hasn't been eating because she's been feeling lousy - the levels of toxins in her blood were very high, and she's slightly anaemic as well.  She went back to the vet last night to go on a drip to try and flush the toxins out.  I've had a very teary couple of days, when she had the appointment yesterday I actually had to leave the surgery without getting an invoice because I was breaking down in tears while I was waiting.  The staff were very understanding though.

I've just rang them back however, and it's looking better - she's eating again, and even better she's actually enjoying a special renal diet - this from a cat who won't touch anything that isn't Felix or a treat!  I'm off to see her at 2pm, and she should be coming home tomorrow.  What happens next depends on how she does - if it transpires that she's only got a little while left, much as I hate the idea, I'll likely have her PTS in two weeks - I'm moving on the 11th, and if she's near the end I don't want her last bit of time spent in a 5 hour car journey and 3 days at a boarding kennels with pills and all the trappings of CRF.

I'm still astounded at how stoic animals can be - she's not in a good way internally, but I had no hint of it from her until this week when her appetite dropped.  It's a total shock, and it's made worse by my other cat - she was PTS at the beginning of the month at 20yrs old, also due to CRF.  She lasted right to the end-stage with a convulsion, but at least this time I'm familiar with the signs so Whisp won't have to reach that point before I know it's time to say goodbye.

Oh Honey..Im soo sorry you've had a horrible time of it :(
C'mon {{{{Big Huge Ginormous HUGS!!}}}} (and a lend of me waterproof shoulder ;))
I really hope you both get some good news soon, and we're all here if you have a weepy moment  xxxxxx

I hope she continues to do well :) for your sake really as it is clear from your plans that she will never suffer.

{{{{hugs}}} - know what you are going through ......making plans you hope you'll not have to carry out :(

You know you are doing everything for the best though.

More {{{hugs}}} - and my ginormous never-ending tissues as well.

Margot

Feeling you all the way Nikita................ never forget my favourite tom cat from nowhere ballooning up with a growth on his lung, he acted perfectly normal, ate, went out, the only give away was he was more clingy with me, and when I looked into his eyes they suddenly looked older, our animals are very good at just getting on with it. I guess it is a preditory instinct to act normal even when in pain.

I've cried at the vets a couple of times with my first dog and with my ginger tom, no-one worries about it, we all feel the pain, I hope that you have a happy ending Nikita, you will do what is best for your cat.

My thoughts are with you.

Thanks for the support everyone.  I've been to see Whispy, she's a lot more perky and happy to munch on the hills diet - I was going to take some felix but decided against it, it's so unlike her to eat anything non-felix that I didn't want to remind her there was anything better!

She'll be home tomorrow, and the vet will tell me what's next.  She was a lot more comfortable though, so fingers crossed.  The boarding kennels will get a very thorough brief on her condition!

That is good news, roll on tomorrow for you. :-)

Glad she's a little better. CRF is a horrible thing but appears to be common in cats as you know.
My Oscar was PTS 18th Dec 2005 he had CRF too, he was 23 years and 4 months.
His sister Cleo (my other cat) was 24 this August, and she too has CRF, so I know how you feel.

Thinking of you. And always hoping for the best. Karen

I'm so sorry! Fingers crossed! Has your vet mentioned Fortekor at all? It gave one of my kidney cats an extra 18 months when he felt really WELL, and all we had to do was give half a pill a day -and he was a huge cat.

Sounds like PKD to me if they kidneys are big (=full of cysts), with "just" CRF the kidneys are usually small.

The trouble with cats is, you don't normally see any symptoms, or indeed even get any indication through blood tests, that kidneys are failing until already as much as 70-80% of the kidney function is gone, and that's when they go downhill quickly.  So you certainly didn't do anything wrong.

My heart goes out to you both are cats are very young we lost a cat about four years ago she was only young and it took us a long time to get up the courage to get another.  I have broken down in the vets to often to count you are definatley not alone there.  I hope you get some good news soon .

The vet has mentioned the possibility of cysts causing the swelling, certainly my other cat didn't have enlarged kidneys with her CRF.  Whisp's got fortekor tablets to take, she's on one a day - I'm assuming that's because it's so bad.

I spoke to the vet again earlier, she's coming home tomorrow now - I didn't catch the value he quoted (it was a toxin), but he said the top end of normal was 120; when Whisp went in she was 500, now she's at 300.  So she is improving - he wants to keep her in on a drip until tomorrow afternoon, then see how she does on the renal diet and fortekor.  Fingers crossed!

Fingers crossed! Cats seem to love the dry kidney diet but hate the canned one by the way! Let us know how she gets on!

Oddly enough, it's the canned one she's eating - she absolutely will not touch any dry food, picky little so-and-so.  It was me cutting down her wet food to try and get her eating dry (to help her teeth) that tipped me off to her appetite, when she stopped wolfing down the little bit of wet she was still getting.  I might try her with the dry anyway, you never know - obviously she's going to like the more expensive one though :D

I should be getting a call soon to take her home, I saw her last night and she was doing well.  The bill is horrendous - trouble is we still have the painful outstanding bill from old Smoke on top of Whisp's.  Not good!  Pets, eh? Gotta love 'em :rolleyes: