Belle

[Traci]

Susan, I'm so sorry to learn this, my heart is just breaking for you and Belle.

My Cotton (13y) was diagnosed the first of September last year. I lost my precious boy just 14 days ago. I feel your heartache as if it were my own.

If possible, try to avoid giving fluids twice a day, but rather try for once a day, whatever amount your vet recommends. The fewer needle-pricks and frustration on the part of you and Belle, the better. Keep a steady dialogue going with your vet regarding fluids, food, her overall health status etc.

I do pray with all my heart that Belle improves, and defies the odds, the most important thing is cherishing every day together (with or without illness) and doing all that you can in keeping her healthy, comfortable and happy.

You know that we are here for you and Belle and we're pulling for her!

(((((HUGS)))))

[Susan and the girls]

I just left the vet's office, after spending about an hour with my sweet Belle. They want to keep her one more day to maximize her hydration. I'll visit again in the morning after the vet does her check and then I'll

Belle is feeling so much better! She purred (like crazy!), kneaded, and headbutted me the whole time. She had that look that they sometimes get that says, "Yes? What next? Can I help you?" -- you know how they look up at you as if they adore you. I really adore her....

At one point, she even sat herself down & started grooming. That's definitely a good sign, considering how bad she felt when I took her in.

I kinda cornered the vet tech (who's been there probably the longest) and asked him to give me something of an honest idea/guess about how long I can expect. He said that until they re-did the bloodwork this morning, he hadn't looked at her initial values. He said he was pretty shocked at how bad they were today, and that although they hadn't improved much from Monday, they were a little better. He said that if she keeps eating and feeling better, she can last six months to a year. I hope she defies the odds. I just didn't know what to expect, you know?

My precious Belle.... I sure am praying for a miracle.

[Susan and the girls]

I meant to add, Traci, that I'm so sorry to hear about Cotton. I remember all your "C" kitties. I'm so sorry for your loss. How heartbreaking!! HUGS to you. I wish I knew the words to say. There just aren't any words other than saying how sorry I am. :*(

[Cleo]

Traci, I'm so sorry.
Hugsss

[Traci]

Susan, I know this is not what you want to hear, but no one, not even the vet, can say "when".

With Cotton, since he was otherwise in excellent health, I fully expected up to a year. But, not for lack of all that I tried to do, his kidneys just could not process. He did very very well the first 4 months, attitude wonderful, active, playful, healthy appetite etc. When he started choosing not to eat his regular food, and very little of the array of other foods, coupled with rapid weight loss, (and a few other symptoms) I knew it was time.

My vet wasn't confident upon diagnosis that we even had a month together. We had 6 1/2 months together, only in the last two or so weeks did Cotton begin to decline that I knew I couldn't turn the tables and I couldn't let him suffer.

We just don't know, we cannot predict. The lab values can't be ignored, but we also have to take into account how they do at home, their energy level, their attitude, their activity, their interests in their normal daily routines. There is a chance that Belle will improve considerably, but there is an equal chance the improvement may not be for as long as we wish. Focus on the positive, focus on helping her feeling better with the fluids and her food intake, and most important of all, love her, spend time with her, spoil her, let her know you absolutely cherish her.

To me, it's more important not to try to dwell on the question of when, but to cherish every single day, and do whatever you can in keeping her as healthy and comfortable as possible. Don't let on that you're stressed, she needs all the positive energy that you can convey.

((((((HUGS)))))))

[Susan and the girls]

Well, my Belle-cat is home. I picked her up (as late as possible today) from the vet (so she could get as many fluids as possible while there). I had put her little bed in our master bathroom, and bought another litter box so she could just stay in there til we get back into a routine. I also didn't want the other two (Scarlett & Daisy) to hiss & carry on at her since she has all the "vet" smells on her. We've already had to fight the battle too many times!

The things I've noticed since she came home: she went straight to the litterbox and urinated. She went to her bowl of food & sniffed, but didn't eat. She tried to eat a treat, but then acted uninterested. During all of this, she was kneading her paws, purring, and generally acting like she was simply glad to be home.

A little later, I noticed she was drinking water (a couple of laps) from her bowl. She continued to sit there at the water bowl, with her eyes closed. She wasn't hunched over it; she was just sitting there in front of it.

She hopped up onto the toilet when I walked by it -- something she *always* used to do when she was younger. She has kept that sweet look-me-in-the-eye look on her face - you know the one where they look up at you as if to say, "Can I get you something? Really - I'd love to help - anything at all. Are you sure you don't need something?"

She really seems to like being back in her own "bed."

The d/c instructions explain the 200 cc fluids every 12-24 hours and a 10 day recheck so we can further plan our strategy. I think everyone there at the vet's office fell in love with her and is really pulling for her.

I'm still praying for my miracle. My husband, who is not a big "cat person," told me today, "Susan, when it comes her time to go, you can NOT say, 'Oh, if only I'd done more - I didn't do enough!' because you've done all you can do. You know you have." I think that no matter what we do, we never feel like we did enough to repay the years of love our pets have given us, you know?

[slvrwhispr]

Believe me, Susan... we know. We know SO well. *hugs*

[Traci]

I know exactly what you mean. It's being human, and we can't change that, no matter how hard we try.

You will have to expect her drinking more, she may get easily dehydrated because most fluids are lost through urine. This is common in kidney disease. Sitting or practically lounged and laying at the water dish can indicate she's tired, particularly in the rear legs.

Hopefully, once she is settled in at home again, she will get back to her more normal food routine. Hospitalization was stressful, as was the IV to some extent, although I know she was a good girl through it all.

Your vet's instructions are a little unusual...I'm assuming she definitely wants Belle to receive 200 ml daily, I don't know why she would state every 12-24 hours, that would be 400 ml in one day. If Belle is a small-framed kitty and depending on her weight, that's a lot of fluids for daily use. Did she actually intend to mean, 1/2 of the fluids in morning and the other 1/2 in the evening? (100 ml in a.m, 100 ml in p.m.)

[Susan and the girls]

Yes - Traci -- 200 a day. (She meant to do 100 every 12 hours or 200 at once.) I thought it was written weirdly, as well, but knew from what she meant from talking to her. I have opted to do 100 every 12 hours, since 200 at once would mean sticking her twice anyway (or having a HUGE lump on one side, which can't be good).

I scooped the litter box this morning and found that she urinated a LOT overnight. (She probably had 2x as much urine in the box compared to the two others' urine.) She has been drinking -- probably about 1-2 oz since she came home yesterday at 5:30-ish. She does sit and look at the water bowl. As the morning has gone on, though, I've checked the box and she hasn't urinated any more than usual.

She has eaten the treats I left for her. (I put the treats in her cat food -- trying to get her to eat the food around it, but she picked the treats out!) I got some plain cat food (the kind we feed the cats outside - Purina Cat Chow) and put it in her bowl & she started eating. I know that ideally, the mature adult (or KD) would be best, but if she's not going to eat, I'd rather have her at least get some calories. The article the vet gave said there are medicines you can give to bind the phosphorus to the food so it doesn't go to the kidneys.... I don't think I can pill her.

I gave her about 125 cc of fluids this morning, and while she definitely protested, she wasn't as fussy about it as usual. WHEW. She got straight up & went to her bowl to eat a kibble or two.

She has been VERY purry --- I can hear her from 3 feet away. She also eats whenever I go to visit. (She's a social eater and always has been. Any time I enter the room, she goes to her bowl & starts eating. I just stay til she's had enough.)

And so begins our journey.... The first of (hopefully) many last days together. Unless, of course, God answers my prayers....

[Traci]

The excessive urine yesterday was most likely from her IV fluids, and although she might drink/urinate a lot more than she normally did before her diagnosis, which you will have to expect, it will and should not be, as excessive as yesterday - it will probably normal off to some degree. (unless she is in another renal crisis in which you want to contact your vet immediately).

I always keep a kitty food "stash" in the house (keeping it replaced and fresh) - of various types of canned foods like Fancy Feast, Friskies, Iams, etc. Fancy Feast now also has little plastic cups for some of their foods. While none of these should be fed as a staple diet, they are good to have on hand to tempt kitty to eat something, something like adding a teaspoon or so of a canned food mixed in her regular diet to tempt her. Or, the juice/gravy from the can poured over her food. Remember, you can always put these in a blender with water and use them as a special kitty gravy to add to her food if need be. Fish varieties are not ideal and I find most renal patients prefer chicken or turkey, but every cat is different and you have to find what she will eat. I also have canned white chicken meat packed in water, and white albacore tuna packed in water, but I do not feed the tuna unless absolutely necessary to get a cat to eat. Again, if cats don't like the texture of some foods, the blender is your friend

Hang in there, don't give up. Give Belle a big hug and kiss for me.