Let her pass or take her to emergency (kidney failure)

[Cola]

My cat has gone from normal to being unable to move and barely breathing in 4 days.

On Sunday she didn’t eat, the vet did blood work Monday and didn’t force feed until Tuesday. On Tuesday she couldn’t walk anymore. They gave her IV fluids and antibiotics and said she had kidney failure. I asked what stage and they said 2-3 or 4, which didn’t give me a lot of information. By Wednesday night she is having trouble breathing.

Her decline has been so scary and rapid that I don’t know what to do. The vet hasn’t told me to prepare for death, they haven’t really told me much at all. Do I take her to an emergency clinic at 4am and hope they can do something the other vet didn’t? Do I just let her potentially pass at home? If they can do something, would this just happen again in a month? She’s 15, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this quick.

[fjm]

I am so sorry - what a devastating shock. Kidney failure is irreversible, as I am sure you know. The rapid decline may be due to dehydration, and it is possible that IV fluids might buy you a little more time. Assuming that you are in the States, the vet may also prescribe sub-Q fluids for you to administer yourself, but it is hard to say how much time that would give her, or how good her quality of life would be. If she is on antibiotics does that imply an infection as well as kidney failure, perhaps contributing to the blood test results? If she has only recently shown signs of kidney failure and some of her symptoms may be the result of an infection I would get her to a vet in the hope of improvement; if the signs have been there for some time (drinking more, peeing more, poor appetite, weight loss) and you think her symptoms are due to very advanced kidney failure there may be little that a vet can do except help her to slip away quickly and painlessly.

[Cola]

I am so sorry - what a devastating shock. Kidney failure is irreversible, as I am sure you know. The rapid decline may be due to dehydration, and it is possible that IV fluids might buy you a little more time. Assuming that you are in the States, the vet may also prescribe sub-Q fluids for you to administer yourself, but it is hard to say how much time that would give her, or how good her quality of life would be. If she is on antibiotics does that imply an infection as well as kidney failure, perhaps contributing to the blood test results? If she has only recently shown signs of kidney failure and some of her symptoms may be the result of an infection I would get her to a vet in the hope of improvement; if the signs have been there for some time (drinking more, peeing more, poor appetite, weight loss) and you think her symptoms are due to very advanced kidney failure there may be little that a vet can do except help her to slip away quickly and painlessly.

They did give us sub Q to give her in the morning as well as antibiotics. I adopted her already a senior, and when I got her she was already drinking a lot of water and getting water mixed into her food, although they said she didn’t have kidney disease when I got her I suspected she did and it just wasn’t showing up on blood work. Her favourite thing to do is sit in the bathtub and catch water droplets.

[Mollycat]

Has there been any change in her condition in the last hour since you first posted?

My first kidney failure cat was fine for 8 years and then her kidneys seemed to switch off overnight, it sounds similar but of course every case is different, so please don't take my experience as advice. She didn't eat all weekend while I was away. Wednesday we saw a vet who gave her some injection and sent us home with instructions to come back if there was no improvement. There wasn't, we went back, vet said her kidneys had failed and we could say goodbye there and then or rehydrate her in hospital on IV to see if it could kick-start the kidneys again and buy her some more good quality time. We took it. I collected her on the Monday, she felt better but nothing had actually changed. We had 4 good days, she had a quiet peaceful ninth life, and then I felt she had had enough and called the vet to help her go before she had to suffer. I have no regrets, not one thing. She passed at home, free from pain, after we had done all we reasonably could, and had enough time to say goodbye and for everyone including her to be ready.

The end stages of kidney failure can be painful, but if you are close to your girl and sensitive to her needs, you will know when it's time to step in and help her go peacefully. In the meantime, I sense in your question that you know deep down what's best for your girl, but maybe you need reassurance that it's ok. It is. Whichever you feel instinctively is right, when you strip away all the guilt feelings and the self doubt, what you feel is right for her is the right path, whichever that is.

[Cola]

Has there been any change in her condition in the last hour since you first posted?

My first kidney failure cat was fine for 8 years and then her kidneys seemed to switch off overnight, it sounds similar but of course every case is different, so please don't take my experience as advice. She didn't eat all weekend while I was away. Wednesday we saw a vet who gave her some injection and sent us home with instructions to come back if there was no improvement. There wasn't, we went back, vet said her kidneys had failed and we could say goodbye there and then or rehydrate her in hospital on IV to see if it could kick-start the kidneys again and buy her some more good quality time. We took it. I collected her on the Monday, she felt better but nothing had actually changed. We had 4 good days, she had a quiet peaceful ninth life, and then I felt she had had enough and called the vet to help her go before she had to suffer. I have no regrets, not one thing. She passed at home, free from pain, after we had done all we reasonably could, and had enough time to say goodbye and for everyone including her to be ready.

The end stages of kidney failure can be painful, but if you are close to your girl and sensitive to her needs, you will know when it's time to step in and help her go peacefully. In the meantime, I sense in your question that you know deep down what's best for your girl, but maybe you need reassurance that it's ok. It is. Whichever you feel instinctively is right, when you strip away all the guilt feelings and the self doubt, what you feel is right for her is the right path, whichever that is.

It was her time. She had arthritis as well and it was just the end. She went at 10:30am and I’m sad but relieved she doesn’t have to go through more pain.

Thanks to everyone who responded. I needed it.

[fjm]

I am sorry, but glad that she had her last months and years in the comfort of your care.

[Mollycat]

I really am sorry to read this, I suppose thankfully she didn't have a long illness being poked and prodded and medicated, but being time doesn't make it less sad saying goodbye. Take good care of you.