My cat has PKD. How can I make her comfortable in her final weeks?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This disease is not considered to be necessarily painful. It is more of a debilitating disease. Usually what I tell my clients is that the moment to consider euthanasia is when our pets stop doing the things that they love. For example, they develop poor appetite, stop interacting with you, or stop being herself in general. Usually that is the right time to consider euthanasia especially if there is nothing else that can be done to improve her status. Good luck!

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.

I'm so sorry to hear of Charmin's diagnosis. Poor kitty! There are several things you can do to keep Charmin more comfortable and to help with his kidney disease. You should speak with your veterinarian about learning how to administer subcutaneous fluids. These fluids can be administered at your veterinary hospital or by you at home a few times a week. These fluids can help keep Charmin hydrated and reduce the BUN and creatinine values. Vitamin B12 injections from your veterinarian may also be helpful. Medications such as famotidine (Pepcid AC) and Cerenia can be helpful for managing the GI problems we see with kidney disease. Please discuss these options with your veterinarian to decide if they are appropriate for Charmin. You may also want to talk to your veterinarian about special prescription kidney diets. If Charmin will readily eat these then they can be helpful in managing kidney disease. It looks like Charmin may have infection on his skin. It would be a good idea to have those areas clipped free of hair by your veterinarian so they can be more easily cleaned. Charmin may also need to be prescribed an antibiotic. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best wishes to you and Charmin!

Hi and thanks for posting! The time each cat has when first diagnosed with chronic kidney disease does vary on the age of the cat and stage of the kidney disease. Cats that have this can do very well with great supportive and supplemental care. Kidney disease can be managed with prescription diets, certain kidney friendly vitamins, SQ fluid administration, and blood pressure medication if needed. While kidney failure is not typically painful, other secondary issues they can acquire may be, such as urinary or lung infections. Sometimes kidney disease can cause nausea which can be uncomfortable but not necessarily painful. Nausea is often treated in these patients with anti vomiting medications. Kidney failure patients may pass in their sleep, but not always. They can develop serious complications from compromised kidney function which can lead some owners to humanely euthanize them towards the end due to decreased quality of life. I hope this helps you and I thanks again for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I am so sorry for your heartache, I know how difficult this time is. You have a couple of options to consider. 1) Let her pass at home. Make sure she's got a warm comfortable bed, allow her to be propped into a whatever position seems most comfortable. If she's having any difficulty breathing, it may help to prop her so that she's sort of lying on her chest, (so the breastbone is on the surface)--this allows both of her lungs to expand most comfortably. There is no medication that I can advise you to give her, but just being with her is the best thing you can do to make her comfortable. You can keep things she really likes (a cat toy she used to love, etc) and familiar scents (one of your worn t-shirts,etc) in the bed with her. Don't try to force her to eat or drink. 2) Call an emergency clinic. They likely have 24/7 full services, including euthanasia. Additionally, they may be able to refer you to "on-call" in home euthanasia services in your area. More and more of these at home services are available 24 hrs in metropolitan areas. Costs will vary, but will be more expensive than taking her in to your family veterinarian, due to the 24/7 service. You and your kitty are in my thoughts. Thank you for trusting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My concern is that Evelyn is potentially having kidney disease or failure from the cysts with what you are describing. The only thing you can do (if this is what is going on) is take her to a veterinarian and run blood work to see how bad her kidneys are. If the numbers are bad (which I would assume they are with her symptoms) she would need intense hospitalization and IV fluids. There is really nothing at home that you can do for her. I am so sorry she isn't doing well and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Unfortunately kidney disease in an older cat is generally a progressive disease. The treatments you are giving Mesi now are probably helping her feel better but the disease process is still continuing. Her kidneys will continue to shut down over time. I would recommend continuing the treatments for now if it is helping her feel better, eat, etc. You can also try to space out the treatments (like giving them every other day) instead of daily and see if that is still beneficial for Mesi. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.