How long does it take a cat to die of acute renal failure?

Question

If a cat is in acute renal failure, how long until it is fatal?

Answer 1

Hi there... Acute Renal Failure (ARF) is characterized by an abrupt shutdown of kidney function, most often accompanied by oliguria (reduced urine production). The primary causes of ARF in cats are: urinary obstructions, infectious diseases, trauma, and the ingestion of toxins - the most common one being ethylene glycol which is contained in antifreeze. ARF is extremely serious and can quickly become fatal. Immediate veterinary treatment is imperative. Though the prognosis is usually poor, if damage has not been too severe and medical treatment is aggressive, it may be possible for normal kidney function to be restored.

I will include a website about feline renal failure. Perhaps you may find it helpful. http://www.felinecrf.com/ I truly hope your kitty is at the vet so that they can try to help him/her.

Answer 2

I'm no expert but what you are asking about is kidney failure. This means that a cat's kidneys are not cleaning toxins from the blood resulting in a buildup of toxins. I can tell you that this process will occur fairly quickly. Within less than a week for sure if not just a matter of days. I think the process will become very painful to the cat as the toxins begin to reach higher levels. If you have a cat that has been diagnosed with this condition, I'm sure the vet also suggested putting the cat to sleep. This would be my suggestion as well. If you really care about the cat, you won't allow it to go through the suffering.

Answer 3

Frightfully quickly. My vet says it depends on the cat. Mine was a longhair, and geriatric (9 years old), so it was fairly late when I noticed her weight loss and change in eating and drinking habits. My cat was allowed to self-regulate on food and water, and more than one person kept her bowls fresh, so I never monitored intake.

There are some treatments available, none of which are cheap (which, like dialysis, I actively considered, despite the cost), but it wouldn't have helped in my case. As it was, I kept her with the vet for 48 hours for an IV drip. No matter.My cat died less than 5 days after diagnosis.

What helps short term: hydration (to help flush)

There also specific specialty feeds you can find at a good pet store.

Brand names and other information are listed in the link below, but do bear in mind that remedies are firstly, short term--and mostly to increase comfort, and also, for chronic renal disease, not acute.

I will say this. I have a good, and sometimes more importantly, candid, vet. When I was asking about things that could prolong life and/or quality of life, he looked at me rather sharply and said, "Your quality of life or the cat's?"

Thus began a conversation that led to much soul searching. What my vet meant by the above comment is that often we do whatever we can do because we cannot bear separation, no matter how invasive or painful the treatment.

During the time my cat was in hospital receiving fluids, I decided that nothing invasive would be done to preserve life, but palliative care could be and would be used, and extensively--including, yes, putting her down.

Eventually, that was what I chose to do. The thought of even a day of unremitting, pain in an animal that can't understand context was anathema to me. When I close my eyes, I see her chasing lizards and swatting at junebugs, not hooked up to a drip.

I don't know how helpful this was, and I don't even know if I answered your question (the links I provided below are a good start though).

I don know this though: a question I had to ask myself (and am now, hopefully very gently, asking you now) is 'how long will it take me to accept that inevitable death?' If doing more procedures helps you to feel that you did all you could, and buys you time to make peace internally, then yes, by all means.

That's what giving the drip did for me--that and seeing her hooked up, not understanding what was happening, or why I was leaving her in a state of the art, but still sterile and impersonal, cage in a pet hospital. That informed my desicion to end her life--she was a dignified old broad, and I was compelled to do my utmost.

But yes, if it's acute, you need to be doing the internal work now. It'll come quicker than you think, probably.

All my best to you.

Answer 4

actually I've heard that renal failure is a painless death because all your organs shut down you go into acidosis which is coma type sleep.

Answer 5

Maybe two to three days. It is a very painful death I understand. I certainly hope you do not have a cat in this condition and are not going to euthanize it immediately.

Answer 6

Great point, but I'm not 100%

Answer 7

if your cat has this condition you have my sympathies, it usually takes about a week and is painful. my only advise is to take him or her to the vet and make it as painless as possible. my heart goes out to you in this time.

Answer 8

Interesting discussion!

Answer 9

I'm sorry your cat is sick