The Blog Pound

Friday, March 27, 2009 , late evening

Cats and kidney disease

Considering we have a household of feline misfits and castoffs, it’s a bit surprising that we’ve never had to deal with kidney disease. I’m quite sure Pinto died of undiagnosed kidney problems, but he had so many other things going on from the time we bailed him out of animal control that the kidney issues lay buried until his last 24 hours of life. We know so many people online who manage cats with kidney failure that it’s certainly an issue we’re familiar with, but this week was our first chance to get up close and personal with the problem. Luckily, the diagnosis didn’t belong to one of our cats, but it was nevertheless stressful when it happened to a young friend.

The story started out in a way I like… young woman graduates from college, moves across country to a cute guy and a good job, and brings along her elderly cat companion. I know far too many people who would try to dump their cat off on someone if they just moved to the other side of town, so I really respect this person for taking her responsibilities seriously. Her cat, a boy named Madison, had been dealing with IBS but that seemed to be under control. Then a few nights ago, he started to drag his back legs around, and stopped eating. From the description it didn’t sound like a blood clot, but I definitely suggested in a phone call with the that the cat go to the vet the next day. The diagnosis was rapid—one kidney was shriveled up and probably hadn’t worked for some time, and the other one was operating at about 20% capacity. The vet ominously suggested euthanasia or dialysis, the latter being ridiculous because a) we don’t have an animal dialysis center in Las Vegas, and b) who can afford dialysis at $1500/week?! I’m surprised he didn’t just recommend a kidney transplant. Madison’s owner was justifiably shocked and upset, but I told her that I didn’t think her vet was giving her the complete picture, and I practically begged her to get a second opinion from our vet. Even if the diagnosis/recommendations came back the same way, there would be no doubt about the decision to be made, and maybe lack of doubt could eventually contribute to peace of mind.

The people working at our vet clinic were incredible, and they treated Madison and his owner like VIPs. Instead of declaring the situation hopeless, they checked the cat into the clinic for a couple of nights of IV fluids. A recheck of his bloodwork showed normal values, and he was sent home with instructions on how to administer daily sub-q fluids. Nothing else was changed—no dietary changes for now, no additional meds, just daily fluids. As of last night (his first night home), Madison was eating a bit too well (he ate too much and then threw it up), and he was dealing with some residual constipation from being dehydrated before his diagnosis. He’s scheduled for a recheck of his blood values next week, but in the interim, the vet techs and even one of the receptionists have offered to help with the sub-q fluids of there are any problems. We’re certainly willing to run over and help, of course, but it’s nice to know that there’s professional help on standby. Not only did the clinic let Madison’s owner have a payment plan (a plan which essentially said, “pay whatever you can, whenever you can, we trust you because of who referred you to us”), they zeroed out a number of charges on the bill and effectively gave about a 15-20% discount. I desperately want to get out of Las Vegas for so many reasons, but the one really strong tie that binds me here is our vet and the clinic staff. It’s incredible peace of mind to know that whatever goes wrong, they’re going to help first and worry about money issues later. My favourite vet tech has also promised to marry me as soon as she gets rid of her husband, but that’s a story for another time.

The last few days I’ve been trying to cram about feline kidney disease so I can answer the occasional panicky phone call, but it’s a pretty overwhelming topic (I’m so glad I wasn’t a pet owner prior to the existence of the Internet). Two sites which have been helpful are The Feline CRF Information Center and Tanya’s Feline CRF Information (her “Just Diagnosed?” page was perfect for this situation). Kudos to YouTube for existing because it’s full of great instructional videos on how to administer fluids. (It’s also full of videos that people have taken of their cats dying… it’s one thing to take the video, but what compels someone to stick it up on YouTube? Ick.) Right now I’m hunting around for a local source of sodium chloride solution—I know it can be ordered online, but shipping costs mean it ultimately doesn’t offer much savings. The Target pharmacy didn’t stock it, so I’m going to call a medical supply place and see if they carry it. The vet clinic can supply it, but it’s cheaper to buy it elsewhere by the case (if it can be found elsewhere).

I know many of you have had cats in similar situations, so if you have any tips, advice, suggestions… please speak up, and I’ll pass them along! From what I’ve read, 20% function isn’t as bad as it sounds, and a cat could conceivably live a couple more years if the disease doesn’t progress. I’m happy to hear about anything and everything that worked for you. I feel really good that I helped someone give her cat a ninth life. I know I didn’t do anything but offer a recommendation (and some emotional hand-holding), but I’m glad I went with my gut instinct and suggested that second opinion. Oh, I went to pick up the mail yesterday and the vet clinic had sent *us* a thank-you card and a gift certificate for referring a new client. Totally unnecessary and totally appreciated.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 03/27 at 10:45 PM
The Litterbox • (5) Comments • Permalink