Urgent decision needed: SUB surgery for my cat Lola – she's my world

Hi there,

What did you decide in the end? How did it go?

I'm in the same boat, but my cat has had a SUB for 3 years now...

It's such a tough decision.

 

Casa lili, my cat has a SUB system fitted but, more importantly, he used to suffer from recurring bouts of cystitis. I’ve been giving him a herbal supplement called Lithamine for two years now and he hasn't had a single flare-up since. Vets don’t usually suggest it because it’s purely plant-based, but it’s incredibly effective. Give it a go, it’ll save you a lot of money.

Evening, I hope you get some advice or hear from people who have dealt with this soon, which isn't the case for me. I lost my boy to CKD, but he never had any stones. I wish you all the best and send you my support. Give your little girl plenty of strokes. Thank you so much for your message of support... 🙏🏼 I'm praying for her every day. 🙏🏼 Thank you 💕 I am so sorry for your cat, my heart truly goes out to you. We love them so much, they’re our family—and often better than our own families.

Evening, I hope you get some advice or hear from people who’ve dealt with this soon, as I haven't personally been through it. I lost mine to CKD, but he never had stones. Wishing you the best of luck and sending you my support. Lots of cuddles to your girl.

Hi everyone, I’ve just come across this forum and read all your posts… I’m in exactly the same situation with my Meredith. Nearly a month ago, she was hospitalised for 15 days with acute kidney failure—her creatinine was at 117. It was a fortnight of stress, fear, and tears. Her levels just kept climbing during the first week and only started to come down in the second week. She was on an IV drip for the whole 15 days and had constant ultrasounds, but the vet couldn’t see if there was a stone or not because of all the other organs in the way. Her urinalysis and white blood cell count were fine, there was no infection, nothing... She suggested a biopsy, but it was too risky. Then she mentioned a SUB system if the creatinine didn't drop, but in the end, the levels went down enough that we didn't go through with the surgery. A few days later, she was discharged for a home trial with subcutaneous fluids and meds. Sadly, her creatinine shot back up to 55 (it was 21 when she left the clinic). During her blood test on Monday morning, the scan showed one kidney has significantly improved, but the other is still dilated and they still can't tell exactly what’s going on, whether it’s a stone or something else. The vet has suggested the SUB again. Meredith has been so brave and fought so hard—she’s amazed us all because she’s really come back from the brink and it was touch and go for a while. I feel like she deserves another chance and I want to try the surgery, but I’m absolutely terrified. I’ve seen some positive reviews and that there’s a very low risk of side effects, with a success rate of over 95%. She’s having a CT scan tomorrow to see the full extent of things. Does anyone have any experiences that might reassure me? Thanks in advance! 😊🙏🏼

*sorry, what about that?

Hello, my cat is 5 (nearly 6). She suffered from acute kidney failure back in June 2021 and I took her to the vet; they told me her life was on the line. Eventually, after five days in the hospital, they suggested fitting a SUB device. I didn't have any other choice but to agree—I couldn't bring myself to let her go, especially given how young she is. The surgery went very well and she reacted well to the anaesthetic. Once we got back home, however, it was a real struggle to get her to eat. She stopped feeding herself entirely (probably due to the long stay in the clinic and the fact that it’s quite major surgery for our four-legged friends). Following that, my partner and I took her back to the vet to have a feeding tube fitted so we could tube-feed her; it was the only way to get the nutrients she needed into her. After two weeks with the tube, we were finally able to have it removed because she had started eating her dry food again. Since that episode, everything had been going brilliantly. She was back to her playful self, as cuddly as ever, eating well (60g of dry food a day), drinking, and using her litter tray normally. But then yesterday, she stopped eating again. She was crying out and was sick all through the night. I took her to the vet today and here we go again. She’s having another acute kidney episode despite the SUB being fitted last June. The vet told me there are two options: First, put her on a drip to bring her potassium levels down (it’s at 6.2 when it should be around 5), then an ultrasound to see if the SUB is blocked (which is highly likely). Finally, a flush (this is the standard procedure for a SUB; my girl has regular check-ups for flushes, where they take a urine sample to check for infection and ensure the device is still working). If the blockage can't be cleared despite the IV fluids and the flush, the second option is another operation to replace the SUB device with a new one. With the massive vet bills that come with it, of course. My question is, what do you think of these options? Has this happened to anyone else? My cat has only had the SUB for seven months and I’m already facing health issues again... I’m lost. I don’t necessarily have the funds, yet I find it so hard to give up. I’m so attached to my cat—she’s like my daughter. Hi Marine, I also have a cat with a SUB. How is your baby doing?

Hi everyone, some news back from the specialist referral hospital. This afternoon we get the verdict and the final decision... they’re going to suggest fitting a SUB device for Lola, my 12-year-old cat. She has kidney stones and hydronephrosis in her right kidney... the left one is unaffected for now. She’s had blood in her urine for two months... the first vets thought it was a UTI at first... but she isn’t in any pain when she pees. So the blood might be coming from somewhere else... She’s currently being treated at the specialist centre to try and clear the stones... but it’s likely that a SUB will be the next step. Please let me know if you have any feedback or experiences with this... Hi, how is Lola getting on? I’d really like to get in touch. My cat has a SUB as well, and to be honest, I don’t know anyone else who’s in the same boat to talk to about it. Hope you're having a good day.

Hi everyone, My little girl, who is 5 (nearly 6), suffered from acute kidney failure back in June 2021. I took her to the vet hospital and the outlook was very poor—it was touch and go. In the end, after five days in hospital, they suggested fitting a SUB (Subcutaneous Ureteral Bypass). I felt I had no choice but to go ahead with it; I couldn't bear the thought of letting her go, especially since she’s still so young. The operation went very well and she handled the anaesthetic perfectly. However, once we got her home, it was a real struggle to get her to eat. She’d completely lost her appetite, which was probably due to the long hospital stay and such a major operation for a little pet. My partner and I ended up taking her back to the vet to have a feeding tube fitted for assisted feeding—it was the only way to get the nutrients she needed into her. After two weeks with the tube, we were finally able to have it removed because she’d started eating her dry food again. Since then, everything had been going brilliantly. She was back to her usual playful self, always wanting cuddles, eating well (about 60g of dry food a day), drinking normally and using her litter tray. But since yesterday, she’s stopped eating again. She’s been howling in pain and was sick all through the night. I took her to the vet today and it’s the same story all over again. She’s suffering from acute kidney failure again, despite having the SUB fitted last June. The vet gave me two options: - Put her on a drip to bring her potassium levels down (it’s at 6.2 when it should be around 5), followed by an ultrasound to see if the SUB is blocked (which is very likely). Then a "flush" (this is the standard procedure for SUBs; she has regular check-ups to have it flushed, where they take a urine sample to check for infection and ensure the device is still working properly). If the blockage doesn’t clear with the drip and the flush, there’s a second option: - Another operation to replace the SUB device with a new one. With all the financial costs that entails, of course. So, my question is, what do you all think of these options? Has anyone else been through this? My cat has only had the SUB for seven months and we’re already facing health issues again... I’m at a complete loss. I don’t necessarily have the funds, yet I find it so hard to just give up. I’m so attached to my girl; she’s like my daughter.

Hi everyone, my Lola has had a SUB fitted since 15/07/2021 at a specialist referral hospital. This followed two months of struggling with a local vet whose only diagnosis was a UTI... even with blood in her urine. A second opinion sent me to the specialist hospital and, despite her being only a year old, they suggested the SUB because her kidney and blood values were very stable. Once I was reassured that her quality of life wouldn't be affected, I didn't hesitate – she’s my baby. At first, she struggled to start eating again, but things are better now and she’s devouring her food. However, she’s been having coughing or choking fits... she drinks a lot, and she has a UTI that’s proven really hard to clear up. We’re heading back to the specialists tomorrow for a flush and a check-up. For my part, the surgeons always reply to my emails or call me if I need them, and she’s also being seen in parallel by our local vet. It’s been so much worry, even though she’s slowly getting her life back. She’s lively at times but gets exhausted very quickly... she doesn't play as much as she used to. She gets scared when I’m getting ready in the morning; she’s had enough of the vets and her carrier! She’s become cuddly again – we’re inseparable, but for a while there, she was starting to distance herself. I’ll be dropping her off at 11:00 tomorrow and picking her up later. I really hope they find a solution for this infection... it’s such a worry, and the thought of losing her is just unbearable. It’s heartbreaking to leave her there. I’m looking for any stories or experiences regarding life expectancy... best of luck to you all.