How do I know if my cat is dying from kidney failure?

Question

My cat was diagnosed with kidney failure on Friday. He stayed in the hospital for three days where they gave him medication and an IV to treat his bladder infection. We took him home and he's been eating, drinking and his personality is normal. He still continues to urinate on the carpet which is what made us realize he was sick. How do I know if he is dying? One kideny is not working and the other is large and overworking to compensate. The vet says that can turn to cancer in cats. I am afraid he is dying and I am afraid he has to e put down but I am also afraid to act too quickly, but I can't watch him every minute and he's urinating all over the place. What do I do? Please help.

Answer 1

I'm sorry to hear this...please just try to make his last months as nice as possible....love him and don't have him put down.

yes pray for him...God is always there

Answer 2

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Answer 3

There are two main types of kidney failure: 1) Acute Renal Failure which usually kills a cat pretty quickly, and 2) Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) where a cat can live for several years after diagnosis. I have a cat that was diagnosed with CRF 2.5 years ago and is doing very will with just diet changes. Some cats will need more help than that like sub-q fluids, etc. but most cats can live with CRF for quite some time. The links below have a lot of good information on proper diets for cats in general and cats with kidney failure. Don't be afraid to ignore the vet's advice and NOT feed your cat k/d. That is bad food.

Answer 4

did the vet not give you any medicine to help with the problem? they should have medicine that can manage (not necessarily cure) the kidneys and usually have a special diet to help with that. It really depends on how well the meds work and how much your cat is able to fight it. They can last a long time, but you need to talk to your vet about when they recommend putting them to sleep. We have had owners who just refuse to let go and put their pet through excruciating pain as their organs shut down one by one just so the owner can keep them around. I am in no way saying give up now but talk to your vet and see if they think there is any hope for a good life. They will usually be honest and say yeah a few months or no it would be easier on him to let him go today. You just have to be willing to let them go when the time comes because I know you dont want your cat to suffer just so you can keep him a little longer. Hopefully the meds and foods will give you more time with your cat and hopefully they caught it soon enough to be able to get it under control. Good luck

Answer 5

i can relate to this question ,my cat was diagnosed with kidney failure last June i thought something was up when he kept peeing everywhere they gave him the injection to try and slow the progress down and that so he might not pee as much. it did work he just peed in the house when he couldn't get out on time and it wasn't that bad until last October every time my back was turned he peed and peed the poor thing wasn't in any pain to see but the vet reckoned in the inside he was screaming with pain and so i decided in October to get him put to sleep but i still regret taking him because he still looked so healthy. but my advice give it a few months yet you will know when the time is up for the cat as he will urinate all the time and more often than what he does now. i hope my advice helped and sorry it dragged on a bit

Answer 6

If your cat seems happy and like his normal self, I wouldn't worry. If he becomes more lethargic, seems depressed or is excessively dehydrated, or stops eating, it may be time to worry. If your cat stops producing urine, rush him to a vet immediately.
Unfortunately, renal failure is incurable. Once clinical signs manifest themselves, over 75% of the kidney cells have been destroyed. There is no way to replace them.
The good news is that CRF (chronic renal failure) can be managed medically, and this care can add years (quality years) onto a cat's life. Part of this treatment includes subcutaneous fluids, to help keep your cat hydrated and to help him remove toxins (diuresis) from his body.
Your cat will most likely continue to urinate frequently. Cats with CRF are unable to concentrate their urine and become polydypsic (drink a lot) and polyuric (urinate a lot). Giving fluids SQ will help him stay hydrated, but he will still urinate frequently. To help keep your house clean, try placing extra litter boxes around, or create "off-limits" areas for your cat.
You don't have to watch him 24 hrs a day, but keep an eye out for any behaviour that is out of ordinary for your cat. You know him better than anyone else, so you will be able to tell when he feels worse. Regular vet check-ups are also important. They can run bloodwork to monitor your cats kidney values (BUN, creatinine, all regularly measured electrolytes), as well as perform physical exams to monitor his health.
Good luck to you and your kitty. You obviously care about him very much.

Answer 7

I'm sorry, but most likely he is. My dog passed away last year from kidney failure. I was told it was more common in cats than dogs, but it resulted from our neighbors poisoning our dog. Our dog was 6 years old and as healthy as could be, but we noticed something was wrong when she started urinating on the floor. She lived for about 6 months after she started doing this. We had to give her an IV and eventually she couldn't walk or get up at all. If your cat starts bleeding when it urinates, that is when you know he may die. Our dog only lived about a month after she started doing that. Best Wishes~

Answer 8

I'm very sorry to hear you cat is ill. Kidney failure is very common in cats. You may have to make a very hard decision about this but believe me you will know when the time is right. I speak from bitter experience you just know.

Answer 9

my first cat died of kidney failure, she had a drip at the vets and when she came she couldn't put any weight on the paw that had the drip in, like she had lost all feeling in it, she was drinking loads and was panting, i remember letting her out of the living room coz she was too hot and putting her in the dining room, i went to check on her and shed collapsed on the floor and was panting really heavily that's when we knew shed had enough.

you'll know when your cats had enough, the shine in their eyes go and the look like they've lost interest in life, if theres defiantly nothing else the vet can do when your cat is at this stage its best to let your cat go with a bit of dignity, as we all know they are very proud animals.

its a hard decision to make to think of your cat.....x

Answer 10

Sorry to hear about this. Kidney failure is a terminal illness in kitties.

If your vet is certain about this, you have a difficult decision to make. Do best for kitty.

Answer 11

I am very sorry to hear about your kitty. BL is correct about the different types of kidney failure. Here is an article that you might like to read. http://www.healthypet.com/faq_view.aspx?id=179