Hello. My 10 year old by Napoleon, has been diagnosed with chronic renal failure. His BUN and creatinine at the time was 127 and 7.4. He was hydrated over night, and those values came down by about a half. His appetite is poor, and he was prescribed an appetite stimulant and prescription diet. He is home tonight, and does not appear to be very comfortable. The vet wants us to give sub Q fluids at home, but, my husband is dead against it, saying it will only prolong the ineveitable. He is away for work, and won't be home for some time, so I have no one to help administer the fluids. I have placed an order for Feline Renal Essentials and Flower Essences Kidney Strengthener.

Do these supplements really matter if we don't give the fluids? Does anyone have experience giving fluids, and is it something I can do by myself? I am a nurse, and proficient in the handling of needles and fluids, but never with a feline patient. I am mainly concerned about being able to restrain the kitty while performing the procedure.

Any info would be helpful.

My 16 1/2 year old kitty was diagnosed with CRF several months ago too.

If you vet wants you to give him sub-Q fluids, do it.  It works and could "prolong the inevitable" for years.  

I recently found the most fantastic site completely dedicated to feline CRF - every topic seems to be covered in depth including the meanings of test results, different symptoms & treatments, holistic options, feeding suggestions, etc.   She has pretty detailed instructions for administering the fluids in a manner that will be the least traumatic for you and your cat including links to youtube videos of the process.

Tanya's Feline Chronic Renal Failure Information Centre

http://www.felinecrf.org

I hope this proves to be helpful, but more importantly I hope Napoleon starts to feel better very soon so he can enjoy many more years with you!   

Napoleon really has not been well the last week. We went to the vet today, and it seems his renal failure has reversed. His BUN abd creatinine are normal. However, he still appears sick, so the vet did x-rays which showed a mass in the liver. We won't know exactly what it is unless we do more testing, which I can't afford. The best we can do is keep him comfortable to the best of our ability.

Thank you, though, for all the information. I did check out the website and found it helpful. I did give a few days of SQ fluids. It wasn't so hard, even doing it by myself.

Thanks again.

Just an update...Napoleon passed away last week. It seems as though his renal failure was secondary to the fact that he was so sick with a liver tumor. We were able to make him comfortable for a short time, and we gave him the kindest gift we could by allowing him to pass before he had to suffer more.

I miss him very much. He had such a huge presence and personality. I know that I will see him again on the other side of the bridge.