My kitty just diagnosed w/ CRF - need advice & prayers

Do not be discouraged!!! Spunky was my fighter!!!! Be sure to warm up the fluids, so it is not such a shock to Blackie when it goes in. Quiet music, Mozart or Bach. Boo would sit up, too, whenI gave her fluids, like Mary said, it is a bit more difficult to get the needle in, but if that is the way the cat wants it, OK. When I had to get the needle in Spunky, a WONDERFUL therapy cat/ horrible sub q cat, I would give him warmed chicken baby food with some cut up cheese. As soon as he was eating the mix, in with the needle, and wide open the IV control. Maybe you could give 100cc's instead of 200. It would go in much faster, and maybe Blackie would do better with that....GOOD LUCK!!! HANG IN THERE, all the sub q people have had problems, too! You will be able to do it!!! Sandra

You can also try using a cat bag. You can purchase them online, for your cat I'd recommend the large size. Just fasten the velcro around his neck, then tuck him into the bag and zip it up. Then just unzip at the spot you want to pop the fluids in. Generally even the most uncooperative cats give up once they're in the bag, they know they're good and caught. Lots of petting and praise while he's in the bag and offer his favorite treat.

If you can't find a proper cat bag you can improvise with a pillow case. And switch to 18g needles if you're not already using them, the fluids fly in much faster. Good luck with him.

Kimm

Thanks again for the additional responses and encouragement. Good stuff! We are warming up the fluids beforehand. Also using 18-gauge needles. Thought we might need 20-gauge (to make it easier for us to push in)... but aren't having any problems with the 18-gauge and Blackie doesn't even flinch when needle is inserted. He just doesn't want to sit still long enough. Blackie loves the chicken baby food too. A friend of mine at work suggested using a soft cat carrier (with zipper top) as a "friendlier" version of the cat bag. Gives him some confinement without binding his legs.... but the cat bag may just do the trick for our feisty Blackie. As I'm sitting her typing this, he's going NUTS with the laser toy... and tackling his brother. Yep, he's definitely feeling better. :love::love:

Thanks again.

Purrs,
Lisa

Blackie wants you to work it out and figure out what will be best for HIM!!! Keep the faith, you will be just fine!!! The 18 gauge needle has a larger bore, and the fluid will go in faster. At one time, I had a very petite girl, Molly Meu. The vet gave me 23 gauge needles and it took FOREVER for the 100cc's to go in. Molly, who had a great deal of patience, got impatient with the fluids that session. Next day, we were back to the 18 gauge needle!!
This is a photo of our Molly. She left for the Bridge 2/18/08. Her kidney disease was doing well, liver cancer was why she died....she ADORED my husband and was rescued from the VA hospital where I worked in 1994....such a special little girl....

What a precious picture of Molly!

Well, David and I tried the sub-Qs at home again yesterday. We actually role-played first (without the cat) so we knew exactly what each of us was going to do. We also tried a slightly different set-up with the table, etc. Blackie could still sense something was up (it's hard to fake out a cat when you're stressed)... but we managed to do much better than last Tuesday's fiasco. We got him on the table but he just wouldn't lie down. He was sitting still, so I inserted the needle anyway but it meant the drip was slower than normal. We only got through 100 cc's before Blackie was D-O-N-E. Lots of growling and struggling, but David did a great job holding him down and "trying" to keep him calm. I think if the drip was running at normal rate, we would have gotten the 200 cc's in during the 3-4 minutes we had Blackie. I'm hopeful that next time we'll get him in a better position and can get the full dose in. WHEW - small victory... but we'll take it! :p

Purrs,
Lisa

I know what you are talking about. Filou gets his fluids at the vet's only- for 4,5 years now every week. He is a very energetic wiggle worm but at the vet's he is a little bit intimidated which helps.
But even there once in a while he insists on pulling the syringe out.
He is good these days- active and naughty. So it's all worth while.
Good luck for Blacky- that he may be a fighter and survivor like Filou.

Hi,
I was reading your thread on giving fluids to Blackie. I had to give fluids to my precious Siamese Tommy kitty who crossed the RB in 2008. He had intestinal cancer and also some renal disease but not severe renal. He also got impatient with me, as I made some mistakes with getting the fluid into him until I got the hang of it. What I did was give him the fluids wherever he was resting. He had a favorite chair right by my patio window where he loved to sunbathe. I put a nail in the wall and hung the bag there and gave him the fluids. This may not be easy or work for you. I live in an apartment, so it was easy to just pound a nail in the wall. I know it's not easy. More than a few times I felt like driving to the Vet and having them do it, but he would get so upset at the Vet and would hiss and growl and fight them that I hated to put him thru it. Good luck to you and your precious Blackie.

Two more sub-Q treatments under our belt since my last post... and it's starting to get better. David and I are both confident in the whole process... and clearly know what each of our roles is. Blackie is still a fighter but he seems to be giving in a little bit and "sitting" long enough for us to finish. The last couple of times he cooperated long enough for only 150 ccs in... but today we got the full 200 ccs in! Afterwards, he's resilient, active and in a good mood... especially when we give him his favorite wet food. Thank goodness!

Overall, Blackie is doing great...lots of energy and eating well (he seems to have put a little weight back on) and his coat is shiny again. We go back to the vet in 2 weeks for a monthly blood panel.

Thanks for all your encouraging words and support! Couldn't have done it without you.

Purrs,
Lisa

Wonderful! We knew you could do it! :D Sounds like all of you, especially Blackie, are getting the routine down.:)

Please give Blackie some tummy rubs for me. :love:

This post made me very happy. I hope Blackie just gets better and better!:love:

What great news!!! Knew you could do it!!!! YEA!!! Sandra

See there? Just a little more confidence and practice and voila! Good for you! :)

Hi there -

Just an update for you all! Blackie had his one-month follow-up exam today with blood panel. I'm happy to report that Blackie is... according to our vet... truly a "miracle kitty." His BUN and creatinine numbers have dropped significantly... to a more acceptable, almost NORMAL level. Numbers are now 39 and 2.15, - originally 138 and 11.3. WOW! He's also gained 1 pound! I'm crying tears of joy tonight. We'll go back in a month to monitor, but we're off the Sub-Qs now (hallelujah!). We had tapered off to once a week recently as that was all our feisty Blackie would allow (he is STRONG)... and we saw no negative effects from it. So, we're off the fluids completely and will monitor accordingly. We'll just keep up with the moist and healthy diet. He's doing so well... back to his old self.

We're keeping our fingers crossed that he holds strong for many months/years to come. Thanks to you all for your great encouragement and advice.

Purrs,
Lisa

Hooray for Blackie! And you.:)

This is wonderful news!!!:D I hope that he'll be happy and healthy for many more years to come.:)

That's great news all 'round! :D

Isn't it wonderful:D
This development is not so surprising in the beginning of renal failure. However he will need regular bloodwork to see how the levels develop. But anyway- his life span is now years to come :)

I am very happy for you and Blackie, may his good health continue.

Hey there -

UPDATE: One month later - Blackie's blood results are still good! BUN and Creatinine are still "high normal" but haven't changed in past month and are in acceptable range. Vet wants us to keep him on his special diet, but we don't have to resume SubQs (he's been off them for over a month and doing great - thank goodness!). Next blood panel not due until July! Yay! In meantime, his teeth/gums need some work, big time! So we'll get him in next month for some cleaning so that infection doesn't spread. Poor guy never catches a break. ;-)

Thanks again for all your advice and support over the last few months.

Purrs,
Lisa

Lisa, what great news!! May it continue!!