Stage 4 Chronic/Acute Kidney Disease...

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Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

I’m joining this community to ask for some honest advice/opinions :)

So, my little girl Kira, who’s only three and a half, hasn’t been herself these last two days. She was eating less, hiding away in the flat, and most of all, she’d stopped playing (even though she usually wakes me up in the middle of the night when she's playing).

So I went to the vet, feeling quite hopeful, thinking she was probably just a bit run down.

Well, I came away with a diagnosis of Stage 3 or even Stage 4 CKD (kidney failure)!

They put her on a drip for 48 hours; her urea (60 mg/dl) and creatinine levels have come down, and I was able to bring her home today.

But what about her future? She’s got tablets to take every day and specific 'renal' dry food.

Should I expect to only have a few more days with her? A few weeks? A few months? I don’t even dare hope for years.

Does anyone know why it’s happened so fast (because I keep thinking there must have been Stages 1, 2, and 3 before Stage 4) and if I should have spotted it? Isn’t this usually a disease for cats over 10 years old?

Thank you for your replies...

Translated from French
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    • Teemteem
    Teemteem Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there, My little panther has chronic kidney disease (CKD); it’s a bit different from your situation as hers is a genetic condition. However, the treatments and tests are exactly the same. When a cat's creatinine and urea levels start to drop after 48 hours on a drip at the clinic, the vet usually decides to see if that progress continues by keeping them in for 5 to 6 days. This ensures all the organs are thoroughly flushed out and the levels are as low as they can be. Then, a week later, they do another blood test for creatinine and urea to see if the cat is still benefiting from the fluids. Usually, the levels go up slightly—there’s always a bit of a drop-off after the initial treatment. But those results a week later show you the overall trend and what stage of kidney failure your cat is actually at. I’d suggest asking your vet about this protocol, and if they aren't helpful, perhaps look for a second opinion elsewhere. It’s not about being cruel or over-treating them; it’s just about giving your cat a fair chance rather than cutting it short. My cat was saved two years ago thanks to this. She’s gained two extra years of happy life with the family. See what you can do within your own limits, both financially and emotionally. Of course, she might only get another 3 months, or nothing at all, or maybe 2-3 years, but you’ll only know for sure by following the protocol I've described. Best wishes.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Yeah, absolutely, he even mentioned she could go downhill again within just a few days. You know, when I first took her to the vet, her urea and creatinine levels were so high that the blood analyser could only show the values were off the charts (rather than giving a specific figure...)

    So, she’s on Nelio, but that’s to be given in the morning and I think that should be fine. But I have another medication (potassium) which comes as a large capsule (like a paracetamol capsule for humans) and that’s the one that’s been really tricky to get down her...

    I do try to talk to her and be reassuring, but I know what I'm like, I'm stressed and she must definitely be picking up on it. It’s been such a massive shock for me, finding all this out...

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Thank you so much for your reply.

    Kira does indeed have quite long fur, so perhaps that plays a part in her being predisposed to this condition.

    Unfortunately, the vet couldn’t really tell me much; basically, he just said it’s a short to medium-term outlook... When she first got back from the vet around 5 pm, she was acting as if nothing had happened. But for the last couple of hours, she’s had no energy and she growls whenever I pick her up... Plus, giving her her meds was a bit of a struggle.

    The vet didn't tell me to come back for a blood test... That really worries me, because if he’s saying that, it must mean that the next time she has a crisis and her urea and creatinine levels spike, she'll definitely have to be put to sleep... 🤧

    Translated from French

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