Helping Your Senior Cat with Kidney Disease - Heaven At Home Pet Hospice (2024)

FAQs

When to put a cat down with kidney disease? ›

Here are some conditions for making that decision: End-stage kidney failure: Euthanasia can be an option if your pet has renal failure and isn't getting better with treatment. With this illness, your pet may suffer from seizures, severe dehydration, vomiting and generalized weakness.

Life Expectancy

For chronic renal failure there is no cure – but with appropriate treatment, your cat may live for months or even years – the median figure comes in at between less than two years up to almost six years.

Feeding your cat canned food instead of dry kibble. Adding a few ice cubes, which can encourage your cat to play in—and drink—their water. Placing water bowls throughout your house so your cat does not have to travel far to drink; this is particularly important for senior cats who may have arthritis.

End-stage renal failure, also known as end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is the final, permanent stage of chronic kidney disease, where kidney function has declined to the point that the kidneys can no longer function on their own.

The first signs of a dying cat include lethargy, a lack of appetite, a messy coat, and a decrease in the frequency of urination and defecation. Labored breathing, a loss in muscle mass, and changes in alertness could also occur during the early stages. Some cats may find it too painful to climb into their litter box.

End-stage kidney failure symptoms in cats include the general symptoms listed above, as well as dull, sunken eyes, inability to walk, body odor, urinary or bowel incontinence, seizures, confusion, refusal to eat or drink, twitching, blindness, pacing, and restlessness, withdrawing, hiding, and running away.

The 'Cat Loaf' has many variations, which include the 'Sphinx' (where only the back-paws are tucked under the feline's body, akin to the Sphinx in Egypt), the 'Meatloaf' (where the cat will lean forward, hunch it's back and direct its head towards the ground), the 'Partial loaf' (where the paws are only partially ...

In cases of end-stage renal failure, there is typically no pain associated with the kidneys. The big concern in cats with kidney failure is quality of life, because rather than feeling pain, they may feel sick and have nausea and weakness due to the buildup of uremic toxins.

Palliative care is required for cats with end-stage kidney failure. In their final days, this will mean keeping them warm and comfortable, with food, water, and a litter box nearby, as well as lots of loving human companionship.

If your cat is suffering from acute kidney failure you may also notice an arched back or stiff-legged gait, symptoms that your cat's kidneys are causing pain. Chronic kidney failure gradually progresses over years, and the signs may not be noticeable.

How do I get my cat to drink water with kidney failure? ›

– Start by adding a small quantity of water (e.g. 1 dessert spoonful) and gradually increase this over a period of several days if your cat is happy to eat their watered down food. Whatever you can do will make a difference and your cat will thank you!

Most cats are effectively managed with diet change, including supplementation and one or two other treatments. Your veterinarian will work with you to determine the best treatment for your cat. Therapeutic diets. Restricted protein and low phosphorus diets help lower the level of waste products in the bloodstream.

In the hours before death, most people fade as the blood supply to their body declines further. They sleep a lot, their breathing becomes very irregular, and their skin becomes cool to the touch. Those who do not lose consciousness in the days before death usually do so in the hours before they die.

Without life-sustaining dialysis or a kidney transplant, once a person with kidney disease reaches stage 5 (end stage renal disease or ESRD), toxins build up in the body and death usually comes within a few weeks. The decision to stop treatment should be an informed and voluntary choice.

A prescription diet restricting protein and phosphorus may be one of the first changes recommended with early renal disease. Warming food and hand feeding can help encourage cats to eat. Tuna juice water, gravy or low-sodium chicken broth can be mixed with food to coax eating and increase water consumption.

Senior (11-14 years)