Feline Chronic Renal/Kidney Failure --Dehydration Crash. Facing Euthanasia --The Cat Came Back! 

I know this is an old video and if you ever check back I want to say I feel your pain. I know the baby is gone by now. your a wonderful person. keep loving.

thank you for sharing, my cat died on Tuesday at 9 years old of the same thing, absolutely heart broken, worst time of my life, she was my happiness, I feel so guilty I didn't seek help sooner

It is so hard to see a cat you are so close to...go down hill when you have tried so hard. I couldn't watch this without crying..... I watched one of my cats slowly deteriorate from thyroid cancer. It killed me. Many sleepless nights....many days just crying when I would look at my once happy,playful cat. I had to put her down back in july.Now my boy.. Remy... may be facing kidney disease. And I had to look up what the worse case scenario would be. Heart breaking. SO happy he turned around.

I had to put my Gingy down today through the battle. It was time. I love her so much and she will always be a special soul in my life. I'll see her on the other side.

I managed to keep my cat alive over three years with special diet and care. Always make sure that your cat eats sufficiently and is on a special diet. It will prevent your cat from crashing. Eventually, my cat became mentally confused and started to have seizures, but he lived almost 16 years. Don't give up too early!

Mooch died in the last week of June. I simply haven't had time to create a video to update people. Fact is, I really haven't even had time to mourn him properly. Just know there is something you can do. Love your Elvis. And when the time comes for your Vet to tell you that "it's time", stay with him. Can't stress that enough. Stay with your cat when it's Time. You really have my sympathies because I'm crying now --still not over it!

I went through this many years ago with one of my first two kitties. Sisters. I managed to bring her back for 9 months with daily sub-qs. She did not like it, but as time went on, she realized that it was making her feel better and accepted it. She was only 5yo when she had to leave me. These were my first kitties, and I did not realize there was any problem with her constant water drinking and soaking the litter box, I just did not know. Love all kitties. Meow.

I have been giving my cat subcutaneous fluids twice a day. And canned renal food. He has really been doing well and his numbers are much better. He will be 18 in August!! Thanks for responding back to me.

You are such a good, caring person. I'm so glad you discovered cats. If only every cat, or dog, or any other pet had such caring owners.

My oldest cat, Midway is facing the same thing. I was told by my vet today that she has chronic kidney failure. She is being put on subcutaneous fluids to try and rehydrate her, and I am facing a 4-500 bill very soon if she does not improve by Wednesday of this week. The vet had said if things do not improve, she might be put to sleep. It is hard for me now, because I lost my previous cat to almost the same thing, and I am struggling just to pay my bills right now.

I'm going through all that right now with my cat Mister Meow Meow. He's ginger and white just like Mooch. We are playing the waiting game, as he is being pumped with IV glucose and saline. I keep having crying periods. I started back up hearing you cry.

Thank you for making this video. My kitty is 16 years old and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in April and now chronic kidney disease yesterday. I'm scared we might have to say goodbye to her within the next few months until I saw that Mooch lived for 2 years with this condition. You've given me some hope. Thanks for sharing.

My baby girl was diagnosed October 2013 she was in a very bad way it was heartbreaking, I treated her just the same as you and miraculousy she came back fighting 5 days later. In July 2013 she began drinking more water than usual becoming obsessed with running water eating more and behaving like a kitten again then all of a sudden she bagan loosing weight rapidly. In July I knew that it would soon be her time but I never gave up on her. On July 11th at 3:00 am she took a turn for the worst she was disoriented crying throwing up the smell was bad she was unable to urinate it was so heartbreaking to see her suffer with no dignity or strength left in her. By 5 am she settled on her blankly and by 9 am it was time to say good bye I miss her so much it hurts I wish I had more time with her she was just 14 years old

I watched your video. I had to watch my cat go thru the same thing and then one day i had to make that final decision. It was an easy decision to make but the hardest thing to do if that makes any sense. Thank you for putting this video together for anyone else going thru chronic renal failure with their cat.

I am so very sorry for the loss of your cat. We love our cats like they're our children. You know you are an excellent cat mom. In time your memories will make you smile. Knowing your kitty isn't uncomfortable any more will help you too. God bless you and your family.... the whole family.

I just wanted to thank you for sharing these difficult videos, and to express my condolences for your Mooch. I had to euthanize my 17-year-old Bengal cat Bimini this past week. (The visiting vet suspected a stroke from the CRF. Bimini and I were both fortunate to be able to say our goodbyes peacefully and comfortably at home.) Perhaps no consolation for Mooch, but know that the brave videos you've shared of him helped me understand and process what happened to my beloved Bim and to validate the resulting grief and emptiness. We made life better for these blessed creatures for the time they were with us. But, oh, how they made ours better, too. Thank you again.

First, my sympathies. I'd always disliked cats and took Mooch (and Lucky) in only because my parents could no longer care for them. And you're right --you just can't help but bond with them. I can't explain that to this day. There is no cure for feline kidney failure. That's the thing. You know that the moment you get the diagnosis. Then it's up to you to keep your cat as comfortable and happy as you can in the last stage of its life. And clearly Kero got that in abundance from the two of you.

Thanks so much for this video. My cat Emily has CRF too and had a dehydration crashdown 8 weeks ago. We gave her infusions too. Sadly her heart couldnt handle the fluence, so she nearly died by overhydration. But atm she doin realy fine and gaining weight. I inhale Helens webside and storys like Moochs giving me hope that I can help Emily to have a hopefully long live. I´m enjoying every second with her. I´m sure Mooch is running over grassland now, without thurst and hunger. Hugs from Germany!

thank you for the video. Sorry for your loss. I'm up late sitting with my cat. He had his fluids, prednisone, some pain meds... He's not eating at the moment, can't keep anything down, and his bowels are very irritated. :-( He's not looking so great. This is his first "crash". I'm hoping he will bounce back. They do that sometimes. We're lucky. He's been in end stage for a year now, and he's done really well. He's been very happy, good appetite, and affectionate all that time. I worked with a nutritionist and have been making his food since the diagnosis. Don't know if it's helped. But, it's made me feel better. I'm not sure if he'll pull through. But, this video gave me a lot of hope. I would love if he could pull through for the first warm spring day, so he could sit in the warm sun on the porch -even for just one last time. :-(

Sandy June my female wonderful cat passed away at 8:15 pm tonight. She was the sweetest cat I ever had and I will miss her. She died from kidney disease. She was 11 and I am sad tonight

Hi, i just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. It took so much courage to post this video and the love you feel for Mooch is so evident. I want to thank you because watching this prepared me for what my cat was going through. Because of the valuable information in your video i was able to make her last few days much more bearable. Thank you. You are truly an inspiration.

i am sorry for mooch. but u have given me great hope ! thanks for posting this. i just lost my dad and cant bear another loss. i am going to try a few things for him and see what happens. thank you for the renewed hope.

I'm really glad you posted this video. My cat Johanna just had her first crash. She is still at the Vet's getting fluids. I know there are a lot of posts on forums saying that they can bounce back but seeing this video is way more comforting. Even when she was crashing she still came to me when I came home and wanted attention so I am hopeful that she just needs some fluids and extra care.

I am so sorry to hear about Mooch. My cat Paco is going through the exact same thing Canashea's cat Elvis is going through. I watched this video over a month ago when I was looking for hope and answers, and this video gave me both. Though Paco isn't doing so well right now, I'd like to thank you for making this video and referring to Tanya's site. Please know that with your message and care for Mooch, the hope and awareness you've put out there has made me not give up on Paco till it's time.

Hi Thankyou for shareing your video of Mooch, Bless poor mite. Our Minnie was poisend on friday morning we took her straight to the vets, she has been kept in but can come home today we also had another cat poisend same day but she had to be pts, so minnie is comming home today she has kidney failure and heart murmur so will need special renal diet. its going to be a long process but will try and do everything we can. Bless Mooch and Minnie and all the other babies out there.

I have a 6month old kitten facing euthanasia because of kidney failure but I refuse to give up. Kidney transplants are relatively successful but expensive. Ive not yet been given needles to give my kitten fluid so have been giving him as much fluid as possible

My cat is going through the same thing. Thanks for posting. Sorry for your loss. My cat is down to 5 lbs and her HCT is at 7. Her BUN and phosphorus is normal though. I don't know if it is CRF but she urinates a lot in the box and has strange mouth odor. You took very good care of Mooch and provided him with a good life.

You guys are taking excellent care of Mooch in this video, but it absolutely kills me to see any cat feeling so sick. :( I found this video while I was trying to diagnose my cat since he has been vomiting and defecating at the same time while looking like he's going to fall over, and then he will crouch down and drool for like 20 minutes feeling just awful. The interesting thing is that he feels better after a little while and then eats some dry food and drinks some water. The thing that worries me is that this has happened about 4 times in the past month and a half, and my kitty looks so sick and scared while the whole thing is happening. I get so worried that I get physically sick and depressed and anxious at the same time since I don't really know what to do for him when it's happening. It happened tonight and the extreme worry I felt caused me to have a severe stomach ache and I had to drive myself to the ER. Except, I didn't go in. I sat in the parking lot at the hospital hoping to feel better so I could go home to make sure my cat was feeling better. Luckily he seemed like he was doing ok when I go back home. Just seeing any beloved pet get really sick REALLY rips me apart inside. :(

My cat has lost lots of wait she is from 15 down to 7. lbs going down thinner I am taking her in to be put to sleep tomorrow she is suffering not eating or drinking .I did the syringe thing but after she totally refused I thought Im not force feeding her no more I will miss her sooo much .

My cat is currently going through the same thing...he would be eighteen in August. We too will need to make that hard decision because he deserves to leave this world peacefully.

Thank you so much for your documentary on Mooch. I'm soo sorry for your loss. My Missy girl is suffering the same. There good days when her appetite and physical being is great and others not so good. I treasure each and everyday with her. Just as yourself, I love just watching her. My vet doesn't want me to give her any over the counter wet food, yet I see that Mooch loved it. What is your thoughts on OTC wet food, liver, and Petcid vs. Anti Nausea medication.

I'm going through this right now. Our 14 year old cat has had chronic bronchitis, and feline herpes that she has had since she was a kitten and we first got her. Last Sunday I noticed she was acting funny, I thought old age. Then on Monday I noticed that she wasn't feeling well (eye discharge and snot coming out of her nose) By Wednesday I was constantly cleaning her eye discharge (nothing new for me since she has had feline herpes since she was little) I made her feel better by using a cold compress over her eyes. And cleaned the snot from her nose. I tried giving her a little bit of benadryl hoping it would help but because it was bitter tasting it made her drool. Thursday I came home from work she was meowing and looking towards me as if being for help. I picked her up and her breathing was labored and drool was coming from her mouth. Her little head flopped against my chest as if it was too heavy for her to hold up. Sick with worry at this new state she was in we took her to a Walk in that we had never been before in a very shady part of the city. (referenced there because apparently our vet clinic doesn't accept walk is and was booked for a week. So we went to the walk in filled with worrisome hope. It smelled like sewage and the receptionists were unfriendly, unkempt, and unwashed with greasy hair and prison ink on their necks and hands. But I dismissed all of that in hopes of getting my cat better. The vet who hardly spoke any English. Looked at my cat and dismissed the labored breathing. Said that he needed a $150 x-ray and 3 mins came in with a x-ray of my cats thoracic area. He pinpointed that the kidneys were enlarged and that my cat has 1 day to live and the best thing to do is euthanize. When my husband and I both said no, that we wanted to take her home and not give up on her that day (we honestly thought it was a URI because all the symptoms pointed to that) he tried to sell it to us. Even though we were breaking down in tears, just wanting our cat, the bill, and to get her the hell out of there. He still was trying to sell its on it. So we had to go to the counter and pay first before they would allow us to have our cat back ($220) which wasnt a problem for us. After that our chloe was brought back to us looking worse then when she came in. We later found out that he gave her a shot in the back of the neck for fluids. Even after getting her back, and in tears in the "lobby" the vet was still trying to get more money from us by trying to sell us this "special" cat food... We left and I didn't even make it to the car before breaking down in sobs. The past two days has been ok. She gets up and moves on her own. We've been keeping her hydrated with a mix of water and pedialyte via a 3ml syringe. She had no problem swallowing. Will use the litter box often, but she is weak and still needs to be feed and watered via syringe. I've wondered if we should have euthanized her but I honestly feel that she has a URI. Two weeks ago my husband caught a virus from work, and was out sick for an entire week. Then I got sick and was miserable. Went to the Dr and found out it was a virus that no antibiotics could cure. I finally got better (not 100%) last a few days before or cat started getting sick. I just can't stand the thought of ending her without knowing for sure whether this is just a bug that she could get over. We've agreed though that if she isn't better by next weekend then we will have to put her down.

Thankyou. Have to wait until tomorrow for an appointment because of bank holiday, have to feed her with syringes until then.

This happened to my cat. He was put down yesterday at 4 years of age :(

Hello! My cat Mow Mows is going through this very same thing. My vet suggested that I put him down over a week ago but I have been taking care of him at home and he seems to be doing the same thing that your cat did. Btw, such a precious kitty! I'm curious however, what is the pepcid AC for?

My cat keeps coughing like he has a hairball. He vomited a couple times last night but i believe it's because he may have ulcers down his throat. He has the typical mouth sores and ulcers that this disease creates and it appears to be quite painful for him to eat anything so I have broken down the food into very small pieces. Giving him fluids under his skin, too. This is so sad....they are our family....our friends, terrible to have to go through for the kitties and the loving families.

if your pet has kidney problems , you are not supposed to be feeding them beef, liver, Fancy Feast, Friskys etc because it is high protein which is hard for the kidneys to process. The vet will tell you you need to feed them low protein prescription food = K/D etc. and subcutaneous fluids. Cats with kidney problems will drink a lot of water trying to make up for the non functioning kidneys.

So sorry, my cat is 6 & just got diagnosed

Hope my cat has a come back like yours. The name is Rimski, as in Rimski-Korsakov, the composer of Bumblebee.

it is so sad..

Hi UniqueAlexa, I have an easy answer for you. Time to get another vet, wouldn't you say? And I'd do it quickly! Hope your cat gets better with a more compassionate vet!

My cat hasn't eaten for days and the vet won't help her, he just says we should consider putting her to sleep. She's only 2, how can I do that? How can I save my cat? Help please xx :(

what kind of medicine helped him

Great news for your Tabby, How is your Cat now? BELIEVE ME I know your pain because recently my Cat had Kidney Failure and I suffered so much when she was in the Hospital for several Days. Now she back in my Life Eating and getting stronger each Day. :-) AWESOME VIDEO!!!!!!!

Im going through the same thing with Sandy June my 12 female gray tabby. She weighed at 3,5 lb and im feeing her with a syringe. She sleeps a lot and sometimes drinks from the sink spiket. I have to give her iv fluids to battle dehydration. It a matter of time I know.

my cat is going through it too....

god bless you.... ive been doing this for 3 months. an feeding my cat by hand with a syringe packing it with soft cat food an draining the juice an letting him drink the juice first. 10ml of soft cat food in the syringe shoot it to the back of the throat an lightly apply pressuire to the noice an bottom chin allowing the tongue to come out .. dip ur hand in luke warm water an wipe there mouth until the syringe is empty. try a sedative after feeding an a dark relaxed environment to place them in for a few hours while digestine is in process. then do the saline an place back into his dark environment for a hour or so, until absorbstion is done or in process of empty. try they steps in the order that u find easiest .. if they wont drink clean ur hands an dip ur hands into luke warm or room temp an wipe there mouth an apply droplets on there noise to make water or drinking appealing. persistence is key ! .. success will come after u struggle.. good luck!! an love ur pets. !

Regarding what the Pepcid was for, we got the idea from the Feline Chronic Renal Failure Information Center website. It's the best resource out there. The Feline CRF Information website states that Pepcid is "A systemic gastric acid production inhibitor, that is, it inhibits the production of acid rather than neutralizing it." There's an important FDA warning and that if your vet prescribes Pepcid they need to know about that warning Google "Feline Chronic Renal Failure Information Center"

Hi there. So sorry to hear about Mooch. You did all you could. I had a cat with renal issues but not enough to warrant a full diagnosis. however she started to not eat or drink and withdrew herself to her own little corner. I sure know the worry of a cat not eating. She also started eating litter. I'm just curious if Mooch ate litter too. Also I don't know if you're aware but there is a medication now available through a vet called Semintra. My cat was not on it as she only had trace proteins in her urine but I've heard it can be a great medication if your cat responds to it. My 16 year old had hyperthyroidism which can hide or mask renal failure.

I am currently going through this right now. The best thing we can do as human beings is to stop suffering. We don't want to let go but one day we will see our friends again.

my 2 year old cat, has the same problem.. the vets told me its genetic. the problem is that i have to force feed him and im wasting so much energy out of him.. to be honest i dont think thats healthy for him, still i just cant see any other option working. he s just so stubborn..

Feeding the cat Fancy Feast etc is not helping the cat. these foods put more pressure on the kidneys. you have to feed them prescription food that the vet tells you.

Oh no, you shouldn't feed your cat fancy feast, you should feed it a prescribed Renal diet as your cat's kidney is partially damaged you wouldn't want to stress the rest of it anymore...My cat was diagnosed with Renal failure too and she is having renal diet daily from www.hillspet.com

that fancy feast crap will kill an older cat faster than anything else... switch to raw food next time around with the next older cat....

Honestly liver, or any meat for that matter, in soft foods or certain hard foods is bad for their livers. Just feed your cats whatever your vet recommends, or the next best thing...

Sadly for Mooch, he should be on a Kidney diet, as protein is one of the worst things you can do for a cat with kidney failure.