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

[kb2yjx]

Lisa, Baby Food is used at our house, too!!! It is the ULTIMATE bribe food and they LOVE it!!! To get them off it, I have mixed the baby food with the food they are to eat. It was good to read the Blackie licked the plate clean!!!! Sandra

[Ladybug70]

So we got some mixed news yesterday from the vet. Blood results show that his creatinine and BUN are still WAY too high... but the numbers have stabilized and the creatinine has actually dropped ever so slightly (creatinine went from 11.4 to 9.7, BUN is still 156 - ouch!). Not the best news but Blackie is still showing signs of increased energy and an interest in eating. He's loving the baby food. I also got him some kitten milk that he seems to like and some alaskan salmon fancy feast "appetizers" (LOL)... but they are juicy and moist and he makes an attempt to eat a small portion (or at least lick up all the gravy). I just try to put something under his nose every 2 hours. The best news of all is that he hasn't vomited since Thursday morning!

We took him in to the vet yesterday for another fluid treatment (5th day in a row) and the doctor commented that Blackie looked like he felt a bit better. Since he won't get any fluids over the weekend, we're watching him carefully and still encouraging eating/drinking. We've let him out on our patio and he's loving it... even tried to escape over our patio wall (I don't blame him after all he's been through this week). We also got out the laser toy for some mild playing and he really perked up! Just trying to keep him stimulated and happy.

Please keep kitty prayers going over the weekend as he won't get sub-Qs until Monday. So far so good.

Thanks again for all your comments, suggestions and well wishes!

Purrs,
Lisa

[Medusa]

Do you think you're now in a place where you can give Blackie the subQ treatments yourself? His creatinine is still very high and the fluids might make a difference. After my Puddy had a treatment, she always perked up and when she was at her worst, I was aggressive w/the treatments and administered them sometimes twice a day. Whatever you decide, I'm glad that Blackie is showing signs of improvement no matter what his levels are. Keep it up, buddy!

[kb2yjx]

Paws and hands folded in prayer that your boy continues to EAT and have a good weekend!! I attached a photo of Miss BooBoo Kitty getting her sub q fluids with her private duty nurse, Nicholas, watching. Boo went to the Bridge at the age of 16 in 2004 and Nicholas in 2007, Boo was the first of my 9 kidney cats. She was a patient and kind teacher. I can never thank her enough!! Sandra

[Ladybug70]

What an adorable picture of Boo with Nicholas!

Mary, the thought of doing the sub-Qs myself really scares me. I've been reading a lot online about how it's done. It seems daunting and time-consuming, but I'm also reassured that it gets easier to administer. If Blackie can only remain stabilized through daily sub-Qs, I'm concerned about whether that treatment will be sustainable for us (time and money wise). Last week was the exception and I was able to take some time off each day from work. Otherwise, both my fiancee and I work full-time and can't be home during the day to check on Blackie to make sure he's eating or give additional sub-Qs. I really want to be willing to do anything (that Blackie will allow) to keep him going. Trying to take it one day a time for now... the "what ifs" scare me right now.

[kb2yjx]

Please be reassured that giving the fluids at home by yourself is not as bad as you may think!!! I taught my husband how to do it! Also, it will save you $$. You can give the fluids in the anytime during waking hours. As far as time goes, I can run 100cc's in under five minutes or less, since it is given sub q(under the skin), you do not have to worry about blowing a vein, and if the cat gets fussy, that is a good thing. I warm the IV bag in warm water so it will be not a shock when it goes into the cat, have the cat on a soft cushion, and have nice soothing music on, they all seem to have liked Bach or Mozart....Once you get Balckie stable, things will be OK. I have had to give fluids every other day, daily, or like now with Tina Peepers, only three times a week....things will work out....hang in there. Please, if you have the time, go to Tanya's CRF site, I think cfr.org. Excellent advice is there....

[Ladybug70]

Hi,

For those of you have performed sub-Qs, can you give me an idea of how much it costs you on a monthly basis to do it at home (fluids, supplies, shipping, etc). Assuming sub-Qs 3x/week (200cc)? 5x/week? Daily? I'm trying to compare it to what the vet charges.

Also, did you buy directly from the vet or via medical supply company? Also, how did you handle disposing of medical waste (needles)? Thanks for your help.

By the way, Blackie is still hanging in there. Not great , but not bad either. Mild appetite, no more vomiting, and a little more energy. Still not his normal self (may never be). We're just taking it a day at a time. We're trying 3 sub-Qs this week with a blood test on Friday. Will meet next Monday with vet to review results and discuss next steps/options for long-term care. Keep those kitty prayers coming!

Purrs,
Lisa

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

LadyBug70, I hope your kitty will do well even with the CRF.

I think there is a Yahoo support group for CRF kitties. I have an on-line friend who helped her cat, who was 15 when diagnosed with CRF, live 3 decent quality years despite the diagnosis. She used special diet and meds, then started SubQ fluids for the last year or so.

[Ladybug70]

Hi all-

Just wanted to give an updated on our sweet Blackie. It's now been 3 weeks since he was diagnosed with CRF. We've been doing aggressive fluid therapy at the vet clinic but tapered back to 3x/week last week and this week.

We had another blood test this past Monday and since Blackie's overall behavior/symptoms have greatly improved over past 2 weeks, we were hopeful for better numbers. Unfortunately, the results are worse. His BUN, creatinine, potassium and phosphorus numbers are alarmingly high. So it's really amazing to see Blackie doing so well considering the numbers! He is alert, eating, washing himself, playing, cuddling, etc. and no vomiting in 2 weeks!

Given Blackie's strong will to fight the odds, our vet is recommending we ignore the blood results going forward and just continue with sub-Qs until Blackie tells us otherwise. The vet feels sub-Qs 2-3x/week should keep him stable for now. The vet is very supportive of us doing the sub-Qs on our own.

So, we are now taking the step to now learn how to do sub-Qs ourselves. The vet and his wonderful staff gave me my first lesson with Blackie at the clinic yesterday. I watched carefully... fortunately, Blackie seems to be an excellent patient and just sits quietly (with his head tucked into my stomach). Even the staff commented at how good he always is. Tomorrow, my fiancee will join me and we'll get another sub-Q lesson. This time I'll be handling the needle with the vet's supervision.

Wish me luck!

Thanks for everyone's support and encouragement. I'm sure I'll need more of it once we start doing this at home... but just trying to take it a day at a time and not get too stressed about it.

Purrs,
Lisa

[kb2yjx]

You will be a pro in no time giving sub q, especially if Blackie is a good as you say!!!!!!!!

[Medusa]

Yes, you'll handle it just fine, no worries. It'll be so much better for Blackie and thus for you. AND for your finances.

[Ladybug70]

Well, I did it! I was able to successfully administer sub-Qs today for the first time. The vet assistant at the clinic was amazing (the whole staff has been so great to us over the last 3 weeks). They let me set everything up from start to finish, and talked me through it all. I thought I would hesitate when pushing in the needle but I felt so calm and confident with their help. Everything went perfectly. Blackie was just amazing. He just sat there and purred. My fiancee, David, helped me hold him and memorized all the steps in the procedure (thank goodness cuz I was only focused on THE NEEDLE part). 10 minutes and 200 CCs later...yay! Blackie was so calm and was in a great mood when we got home. It was David's first time watching sub-Qs and he was amazed by how simple/fast the whole procedure was and feels confident he can do it too.

The vet sent us home with 2 weeks' worth of fluid, IV lines and needles. Only cost me $45 (including today's supervised lesson)...compared to $60 PER VISIT. Wow - should only be a $100/monthly cost. Even if we have to go to daily sub-Qs at some point, ~$200/month... totally manageable... and worth it for our fur-baby. I'll just stop by every 2 weeks (they're 2 blocks from my house - so convenient!) to get a new supply and drop off the used needles. We're going to set up everything on a table in our guest bedroom and make it comfortable/cozy for Blackie. Our first solo sub-Q will be Sunday night or Monday morning. Wish us luck!

Thanks again for all your encouragement! If it wasn't for you all, I'm not sure I would have had the confidence to even try this option. Thank you for helping Blackie.

Purrs,
Lisa

[Medusa]

We all knew you could do it!