My Baby Misty, Diagnosed with Kidney Failure Options

[Emily's Mom]

I can't believe this is happening to me again. As everyone here knows I just lost my baby Emily on May 6th to kidney failure. Today, I had to take my 18 year old baby cat Misty to the vet because she was drinking alot of water. They did the blood work and it came back that she was in the early stages of kidney failure. I just passed 4 months without Emily and now I'm about to lose my baby Misty.
I decided not to put her in the hospital because I remember oh to well what Emily went thru and I can't put Misty thru that. It only buys more time and I don't want Misty to suffer. I have decided to give her all the TLC and anything that she wants to eat until I have to make the decision. The vet said it could be 2 weeks or more but we all know what that means.
I am still in shock, I can't believe this is happening all over again I can hardly see the screen for the tears.. Please keep Misty in your prayers because she will be crossing the bridge anyday. God I feel so helpless. Please don't condem me for deciding not to put her in the hospital, I know that she won't get better.
Please once again just pray for my sweet baby Misty.
Thank you,
Denise aka Emily's Mom

[Shortrish]

I am so, so sorry that you are going through this pain again. I don't think anyone here would judge you for not putting your 18 year old kitty in the hospital. 18 years is a long time. We lost our 6 year old cat Scooter 8 weeks ago today to kidney failure. We did the sub q iv fluids for 18 months because he was so young, and that did help along with special food. It did buy us some extra quality time with him. But, he was so young when diagnosed. Enjoy every moment you can with your Misty. You are doing the right thing, at least in my opinion.

I don't know what it is, but so many cats seem to be suffering from kidney failure. Yes, age play a part in it I suppose, but so many young cats seem to fall victim also. Someone said to me, after I told them of Scooter's kidney failure, that they swore that it was the cat food that did it. We only feed high quality food to our kitties from the time we got them. I don't know what the answer is.

I will keep you and Misty in my thoughts and prayers. Again, I am so sorry you are having to go through this again. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing, and Misty too.

Scooter's Mom

[Furkidlets' Mom]

Emily's Mom,

Oh, dear....that is such heart-breaking news! However, I need to say something more positive and hope this might help. Our gal, Nissa, was diagnosed with early renal failure at age 13 ( I know that's quite a bit younger ) and the first vet who diagnosed her called it Kidney Failure, but when I checked with our holistic vet, and then hired a strictly homeopathic vet as well, they both said they'd call it Kidney Insufficiency at that stage, NOT failure, which technically only starts when the BUN and Creatinine levels get to a certain, very high stage. The good news is, Nissa' only just passed away, at age 19 years and 7 months, due to all the measures we took through our 2 holistic vets. It was alot of work for me, but the initial diagnosis of MAYBE 2 years for her to live turned into 6.5 instead. I remember being totally panicked by that first vet's grim outlook, especially since we'd just lost her brother to cancer, but set about to learn all I could, holistically, about our girl's disease, and my mind was pretty quickly put at ease after talking it over with the other 2 docs.

There are many alternatives to conventional treatment and management of this increasingly common disease, which I'd be happy to share with you if you wish....but it does take work which I realize not everyone is willing or able to do.

[Emily's Mom]

When the Vet checked her BUN was almost tripled and I forgot what her Creatinine levels were but the prognosis is fatal either way . I have decided to wait until she stops eating or going to the bathroom before I make the decision. The vet said that she would go into seizures but that will be long after she stops eating and I don't intend to wait that long.
My heart is so heavy right now. I thought I couldn't make it without Emily and now I'm losing my first child. I am going to make her as comfortable and give her lots of love, take more pics and all the canned food and people food she wants...she had some of my Subway sandwich last night.
Thank you to the few posts I have gotten so far. I will update another pic of her so you can really see how beautiful she is soon. I will also keep you posted on her prognosis. The Vet said to bring her in for more blood work in few weeks but in all honestly I don't know if we'll have that long.
Right now I am looking around for a Cat Urn for her ashes. I have this gut feeling I'm going to have to make the decision with a week but I hope I am wrong.
Misty has always been my baby cat we used to play hide and seek when she was a kitten. I would hide around the couch or loveseat and she would come look for me and when she found me we used to kiss and then she would run away.
Plese continue your prayers for Misty. We truly appreciate it.
I just wonder if Emily and Misty will remember each other when they meet at the bridge.
Thanks to all my friends in grief during my time of sorrow...

Denise aka Emily's Mom

[Shortrish]

I really do know what you are going through now, and I feel your pain and sorrow. You are doing all the right things. We did the same for our Scooter, took pictures, loved him, spent time with him. We did all these things anyway, but when we knew our time was so limited, every moment, every picture that we have of him now, is so cherished. I think I cried for 2 weeks before we made the decision. We let him have whatever he wanted to eat. But, he failed so quickly in that last week. After he would not eat for 3 days, and barely took water, we knew it was close. He had lost so much weight, and got so weak, that his rear legs could not make it up to the kitchen table when he jumped up.

Every case is different, so just follow your vets advise, and your heart.

Please, let us know how you anddoing. your Misty are



Scooter's Mom

[Precious' mom]

Emily's mom,
It's so hard having to face what's happening to a cat you love so much. I loved Precious like a human son. God let me have him for 19 years three days and then He took him home. It was the most wonderful time, we went through a lot together (marriage, divorce, relocation, mum's death) and when he died it felt like a huge door was slammed in my face. I know what you're going through right now and I feel for what's happening to you and know you will make the right decision when the time comes. I did but really beat myself up because I felt like I put Precious through too much pain by prolonging his life hoping for a miracle that never came. Now I'm a little better with it, the guilt feeling is gone but there's a hole in my heart that will never really heal. New adopted cat Patches is helping fill the void left by Precious but he will never be seen as a replacement, only an addition to the family.
It's also hard having to face the fact that your cat, the one you saw grow up from kittenhood to now, is elderly and will soon be leaving you. Please, please cherish every single moment you have together and have that to remember in the coming months! I did that with Precious and was also there with him until the very end. He was Heaven-sent and I made sure he went there (I also had him blessed by a priest). I miss him every day but know he is in a much better place and waiting for me when I'm called home.
Praying for you and your family,
Lisa

[Daisy's Mommy]

I know just how you feel. Debbie, the dog of my childhood, died at the vet's office all alone on a Sunday evening, having been admitted on Friday. Decades later I still feel the pain of it. When Daisy was coming to the end of her life, from liver disease, I let her vet and the specialist who was treating her that I did not want her to die alone at the hospital. So, after trying a short hospitalization, as a last ditch effort to safe her, the specialist said to take her home. He hoped she would rally, but I believe he knew she was likely to die. She had one night at home, during which we all pet her and told her how much we loved her. She was weak, but knew where she was, licking us and slightly wagging her tail. The next morning, she went into a terrible seizure. I rushed her back to the hospital where the vet helped her leave this earth. She died in my arms, hearing how much I loved her. In many ways, it was the worse experience of my life, but still better than remembering how Debbie had died alone, feeling abandoned.

There is no doubt in my mind that you are doing the right thing, and will know when it is time to let her go.

I will pray for Misty.

Daisy's Mommy,

aka Debbie and Zoes' sister

[RIT & Cleo]

I too so understand...I am so sorry to hear about Misty...I lost my 18 yr old buddy recently too. A year ago I did put him in the hospital and seeing his misery was so hard-he hated it so much. I just did the hydration to get him feeling better at the hospital and didn't do anything else but love him well. I dealt with alot of litter box issues too. I got almost 1 yr longer with him. He went down hill in the course of a couple days. I knew when it was time.

My heart goes out to you. Listen quietly - you will know when Misty can't go on.

[TheresaJDIY]

I am so sorry you must lose you furbaby so soon after the other. It is never long enough on this earth for our furry friends. I, too had a cat die from renal failure but she was 21 years old and I knew it was inevitable. I pray you will find peace and cherish the remainder of her days. May they be happy and memorable. At least she may be able to pass on with her loved ones in attendance.

Theresa

[Emily's Mom]

I can't stop the tears. Everytime I look at her the guilt just eats me up. I feel like I am going crazy. I knew that someday she would leave me but I always thought she would go in her sleep. The Vet told me the other day when we were discussing her illness that rarely happens.

It's like losing Emily all over again only this time I have to pick the day. I can't think clearly, the tears come so easily. I've got a million pics of her but I continue to take more.

I fed her people tuna this evening and she ate some not alot but she is still eating and going to the bathroom. It's like everything is exploding in my face.

I feel so selfish because here I am whining about my problems when other people are going thru the same thing.

I had this discussion with Misty . I told her that God would take her in and she will be with all of the other furbabies and that someday we would meet again at the Bridge.

I tried to explain to her that for everything there is a reason and that she was sent to me for a reason but now she has done her job and it is time for her to move on.

I also told her that my love for her will never die and that I would cry when she had to leave but that she wouldn't be in any pain and she could play and eat whatever foods she wanted and that all the babies there will play with her until we can meet again.

Am I crazy for talking to her this way? To be honest she laid in my arms and let me love her and talk to her for a very long time last night and she actually purred.

It hurts so much to have to play God and take a life. A life I devoted 18 years too. Loving her, keeping her fed, warm, safe, making sure her shots were current and look how her life has to end.

It's like she knows that she's sick. She does come out and wander thru the house sometimes but she stays curled up under our bed or in our bed . Maybe she's uncomfortable...I don't know.

I wish I could find a Pet Loss Support Group in our area. The only one I could find is 3 1/2 hours away in St. Louis.

Can somebody please tell me am I actually going crazy this time or is this all part of the greiving process. After losing Emily you think I would know.

How do you decide when it's time end your babies life.There is no right time or day. I just have to make the decision.
I'm sorry I've babbled on so much but today seems to be a really hard day.

You know they say God never gives you any more than you can handle...my question is why does he trust me so much?


Thank you for being here and thank you to who ever created this site.
This site and everyone here has been a Godsend for me.

Denise aka Emily's Mom


Please forgive me for babbleing....It's been a really bad 3 days.

[Kim R.]

[quote]I feel so selfish because here I am whining about my problems when other people are going thru the same thing