My cat has kidney failure. What's their life expectancy and comfort?

Part of this decision should be based upon how Squeakers is doing clinically and how bad or not bad his values are. In general, if kidney disease is caught early on, it responds very well to treatment. Most of the time, treatment is simply a diet change to a kidney friendly, prescription diet. Pet’s where the disease is more advanced, may need to take a pill to decrease protein loss through the kidneys and they may need subcutaneous fluids on a daily or weekly basis. For cats with more advanced disease, they may need hospitalization and IV fluids to see if they will recover. Again it all depends on the blood values and how the pet is doing clinically. Most cats with kidney disease, if caught in time, will live an average of 2 to 3 years of quality life after diagnosis. This is variable though. Some pets progress quickly and others live longer than 3 years. You don’t know until you try. I hope this helps to guide your decision making. You can also find a fair amount of information about kidney disease on this website. Use the search feature. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

It can be quite variable and depends a little on the stage of disease (which takes in to account creatinine value, any protein in the urine, and blood pressure), and how affected the cat is when it is detected. There are also other disease processes that can exacerbate kidney blood value elevation (creatinone) so these should be ruled out if not already (such as a kidney infection, high blood pressure). Some cats were early stage kidney disease can live years potentially. A diet change may be recommended to slow progression and if hydration is an issue an owner can learn how to give fluids at home. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

In chronic renal failure, the kidneys can become scarred or small in size, so the ultrasound supports that diagnosis. I am not sure what you mean by stain - this isn't a common term used in the US on ultrasounds. Changing the diet to a prescription renal food, increasing fluid intake by encouraging water consumption or administering subcutaneous fluids, using additional medications as the need arises, etc are ways to maintain or improve quality of life. Depending on the degree of kidney failure and Luci's response to treatments, she may have several more years of good life. But it is also possible that no amount of medical care could keep her comfortable and humane euthanasia may need to be considered sooner than later. Renal transplants are not commonly performed in the world. There is one University in the US that I am aware of performing them, but rarely. There is a large expense, risks of the immune suppressing drugs used, and the ethics of taking a kidney from another cat (that needs to be a perfect match) without them being able to give consent. Often the other cat will need to be adopted by the organ recipient.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear about your little girl! When it comes to palliative care, it is all about comforting them as much as possible. There are really no medications perse that will likely improve her illness depending on how affected she is. You could consult with your veterinarian if the administration of subcutaneous fluids at home could be an option for her which will depend on how advanced her disease is. Otherwise, I would encourage you to feed her all her favorite foods and things like that to make the best out of those last moments. If her appetite is poor, you can check with your veterinarian to see if they can prescribe an appetite stimulant such as mirtazapine. I hope she feels better!

Sorry to hear about your kitty. It sounds like he is in the advanced stages of kidney failure. Unfortunately kidney damage can not be reversed once it occurs - only managed. Once cats get to this stage of kidney disease, most treatments are focused on trying to make cats feel as good as possible for as long as possible. Sometimes treatments that are prescribed include SQ fluids (water given as an injection under the skin to increase hydration), anti-nausea medications, blood pressure medications, antacids, and other therapies to manage complications associated with kidney failure. It is hard to give a prognosis without knowing the specific details of your cat's bloodwork and history, but if he is not eating or drinking, he may be suffering and can quickly decline. If you are concerned about your kitty's quality of life, have a discussion with your veterinarian.

Hi and thank you for your post on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! CKD when diagnosed early can absolutely be managed medically. Daily SQ fluid therapy, blood pressure medications, as well as supplemental vitamins and phosphorus binders (if the phosphorus is high) can be given. Also a Rx diet that is kidney friends can also be very helpful. A lot can be done when caught early! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope this has helped.

Hi and thanks for your request. Cat's on chronic kidney disease are rarely experiencing pain. Controlling hypertension, decreasing urinary protein loss, and addressing anemia are important therapeutic goals in cats that develop this condition. Only hypertension might be vaguely related to discomfort, but this has not been proven in cats.