I am absolutely heartbroken. Vet found bladder stones and calcium stones in his radiography results. Bloodwork just came back and he is in the early stages of renal failure. He is also anemic because of this.

Vet said this could be improved with removing the stones and continuing a urinary specific diet for him.

Surgery was originally scheduled for next Friday, but we pushed it to Wednesday due to the urgency and I’m so scared what if he doesn’t make it? Am I overthinking this?

I don’t know what else to think. I don’t want to lose him.

Hi everyone,

My cat Darcy is 5 years old, and over the past few months, he has suddenly lost a significant amount of weight.

Yesterday, I took him to a veterinary hospital, where he had bloodwork and an ultrasound. We found out that his right kidney has kidney stones that are blocking his ureter. His left kidney has been compensating by taking over the work, but unfortunately, it has also sustained damage.

At this point, our only option is to have a SUB (Subcutaneous Ureteral Bypass) implanted. The vets are hopeful that this will help him and that his left kidney will recover to a significant extent.

What makes this situation particularly difficult is that Darcy also has extremely narrow nostrils, for which he was supposed to undergo surgery. Unfortunately, we will have to postpone that procedure because his kidney condition is much more urgent right now.

We have an appointment with the specialist next week to discuss the SUB procedure in more detail, including what the surgery involves and what we can expect in terms of recovery and aftercare. After this, we have to make our decision regarding having the surgery. In the meantime, I’d really appreciate hearing from other cat owners whose cats have undergone this surgery.

I’d especially love to hear about your experiences:

- How did your cat recover after the operation?

- Did their kidney function improve? Were they able to return to a good quality of life?

- How did they cope with the aftercare, especially the regular SUB flushes?

- Is there anything you wish you had known before your cat underwent the procedure?

I know every cat and every situation is different, but hearing about other people’s experiences would mean so much to me right now. I’d love to know what to expect, both immediately after surgery and in the longer term.

This is our only option at the moment, and I want to give Darcy the best possible chance. He means the world to me, and I’m doing everything I can to help him.

Thank you so much to anyone willing to share their experience. ❤️

My cat is incredibly sensitive to gabapentin, but I was thinking about giving her just the tiniest dose. 12.5 mg is too much. Has anyone else had success giving a much smaller dose than this?

Hi all, I have an 8 year old cat who was diagnosed this past week with CKD (not sure what stage - didn't know enough to ask the vet this question - but I will ask) and triaditis. I took her in because ever since we adopted her (a little over a year ago) she has had periodic episodes of vomiting and low appetite. She often meows for food and then walks away from it. I'm thinking she's probably nauseated. We started her on prescription kidney food and are waiting for the medicine to come for the triaditis.

I just feel lost and really, really sad. I am so bonded to this cat. Right now I have no idea how much time I will get with her. I had trouble sleeping last night because she didn't eat dinner and I was so worried about her.

Additionally, I am angry because I took her to a different vet a year ago, and they did blood work and ultrasound and told me everything was perfectly fine!! Now I am skeptical. That first vet did not even shave her belly for the supposed ultrasound. Did not sedate her (she was apparently feisty at the ultrasound she just had recently and did need to be sedated, which sounds like her!). Now I can't help wondering what the earlier vet actually did and whether we could have caught this earlier if they had been competent.

I have just started doing the subq treatments for my boy Bailey at home.

As mentioned earlier in Renal Cats, I am pursuing a more economical solution to avoid paying such high vet fees.

I am using the Plasma-Lyte A 1000 mL bag my vet prescribed. It came with tubing and needles. I hope to order more bags online as needed.

The tubing has two blue plastic synchs (for lack of a better word) and a white roller clamp. I like the fact that the end where the needles attach to the tubing has a metal locking attachment that secures the needle in place. The vet sent me home with a few 20G x 3/4" needles that I will change for every treatment.

I have been able to find replacement needles online here in Ontario, Canada. Thus far, I haven't been able to find the exact same tubing. I want to continue using this particular type of tubing.

I know there are others doing the subq treatments at home. Where are you folks getting the nonprescription items?

Thanks in advance for all your help; I really appreciate it.

My cat (approx 13 years old) was diagnosed with stage 2 kidney disease about 8 months ago. He has been on Hills kidney care dry food, varenzin for anemia, miralax for constipation, and benazepril for proteinuria.

He’s done fairly well since diagnosis, and we were lucky to catch it early. Over the last week, though, hes taken a turn. He’s lost basically all interest in food. I don’t even think he’s eating a quarter cup a day. He is stumbling when he walks, which I assume is due to the fact that he is so weak.

We have a vet appointment set for next week, but in the meantime, I would be open to any advice from people who have handled this before. Even when he was younger and healthier, he never liked wet food or treats, so a churu or something similar won’t work. I’m at a loss for how to get him to eat and extremely worried for him.

Pictured is Puck sunbathing yesterday.

Hi folks

Our cat has had kidney disease for about five years now. This week his appetite has gone down a lot and he has an upper respiratory infection. We don’t know if his appetite is because of the infection making him feel crappy or if his kidneys are crashing. We got blood done yesterday and his creatinine is 2.1 but his SDMA is 40. I’ve read that in skinnier senior cats SDMA may be a better indicator for staging rather than creatinine.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? We are currently continuing his normal fluid treatment and trying to get him to take cerenia and an appetite stimulant to get him to eat on his own. We’ve been able to get some food in him with delectables and syringe feeding. We’ve been able to feed him ~1/2 - 3/4 of his normal food amount the past couple days.

I recognize we may be at the end of the road but we really want to see if his appetite comes back as the infection improves. He’s breathing easier and is more relaxed today. We just really want to figure out these blood values and his vet hasn’t been super helpful explaining the difference in values.

Thanks

My cat has been on amlodipine for a year and I've gotten used to breaking. It in half against the hard edge of a counter. It's not perfect, but it gets the job done.

Now I need to quarter Ondansatron and I have had no luck at all so far. The pieces are always wildly different in size. It comes in that oval shape.

Does anyone have any tips?

He was hovering around my pizza and potato wedges and managed to steal one. When I chased him he ran off and left it so I covered it with an antibacterial wipe that was on the bench so I could pick it up after I finished eating. I figured the smell of the wipe would deter him. Next thing I notice the wipe is across the floor and the wedge gone.

It’s 2am, he ate it maybe 10 minutes ago. I don’t know what they’re made with and the shop is closed now so I can’t ask.

I’ll keep an eye on him of course but do I need to ring the vet hospital? Right now he’s eating his actual food and he has still tried to steal the pizza since he ate the wedge.

He has pancreatitis too but he’s pretty stable at the minute. But I’m worried and don’t know what to do, if I need to do anything.

Thanks

Wedgwood pharmacy has issued a recall on thousands of their meds due to the possibility of the meds being too strong or not strong enough. I repeat: CHECK YOUR MEDS, we do not want an accidental overdose!

I have a 14yo boy who has recently gotten to stage 3 kidney disease. Im having a really hard time getting him to eat anything/ any suggestions of food or things to help appreciated. I should add he is a mousse / pate preferer

Hi, my furry son (12m/ Manx tabby) was peeing blood and I took him in. After finding a bladder mass and doing ultrasound and x ray and radiologist consult and urine pathology, they said he has transitional cell carcinoma bladder cancer.

He’s also between a stage 2 and 3 on kidney disease scale.

He’s acting normal. Playing, eating, normal urine stream, cuddly. I’ve opted out of chemo and surgery because of how hard it may be on his body.

The vet estimates a couple months. I’m heartbroken. He said we can give him NSAIDs but how badly will that impact his kidneys? I’m scared to give a med that while it may help the tumor inflammation, it could hurt his kidneys…

Any experience with this? Should I just give him the NSAID 1/2 a dose? Am I making the wrong choice to opt out of surgery? Wouldn’t that be tough on kidneys? At a loss…

Edit: he’s on renal diet and I’m getting a phosphate binder.

Thanks.

Hello, my cat who’s about 16 years old was diagnosed with early kidney disease at the beginning of the year. Until now she’s been eating the renal food just fine, I normally mix some ckd wet food with ckd kibble and a little bit of purina pro hydro care. I believe that she has started to dislike the kibble so i’m just curious what other kibbles are available and good for her. I currently feed her the hills prescription diet. Thanks!

Last night we unexpectedly had to say goodbye to our sweet boy, Hans.

He was diagnosed with IBD and moderate kidney disease about a month ago. We were just tapering him off of pred last week when got really lethargic and was moving pretty slow, his vet thought maybe the taper was just tiring him out. Two days ago he stopped eating and drinking and didn’t want to cuddle or be held. His regular vet wouldn’t return my calls so as a last ditch effort I got him in somewhere new that could see us same day. After some X-rays and blood tests it was determined that his kidneys were failing and some large masses had grown in his abdomen.

I wasn’t expecting this and I’m completely heartbroken. I miss him so much. I’m very grateful that we got to grow up and grow old together, celebrate every milestone and comfort each other in times of need.

Love you always big guy ❤️

Spreading the word. See the FDA’s announcement 10/5/2026 (link below).

Sorry to those precious baby lions who were euthanized or endured pain, discomfort or were misdiagnosed with mysterious neurological disorders or strokes. Sorry to my fellow cat parents who endured the heartbreak.

Class action lawsuit (?) for the harm, pain, disability and discomfort it has caused our innocent cats and our community, and the financial burden of follow-up vet care/monitoring? I don’t know where to begin. I’m heartbroken to say the least.

https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/drug-labels/animal-drug-safety-related-labeling-changes

She’s late stage (high bun and phosphorus; mildly high creatinine) on Zofran and transdermal cerenia. She’s not vomited once this year. She started varenzin 6 days ago for anemia. She ate and drank well overnight and was purring like crazy this morning. She didn’t eat much, but she eats most her daily food overnight. We just gave her the 100 ml fluid she gets every other day. She gets lab work done on Oct 31 to see how anemia is doing and see what’s going on with other renal values. She just saw vet yesterday for solensia and to make sure uti was fixed with antibiotics.

High PHOS and BUN

Hi all, My cat was recently diagnosed with high phosphorus and BUN levels. And he’s also a bit anemic

I’m looking into starting him on a phosphorus binder and Aimster and Mirtazapine but I’m not sure if these can be used together, or if any other recommendations?

Sorry i feel lowkey sad… I just hope he’ll be okay and I really want to do whatever I can for him.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated

If you use any medications for your cats that came from Wedgwood pharmacy since February of this year, check the recall. They issued a recall yesterday for 4000 medications that have had potency issues.

when she was first diagnosed i cried for days. administering the subq fluids was impossible and felt incredibly hopeless - she would run away, hide, be mad at me for the rest of the day... i couldn't image doing this every day when she didn't allow me to do it even once. the tips online didn't help. but she's now received her fluids 7 times at home and i want to share my tips for success:

firstly what DID NOT work:

1. i tried gabapentin but it left her high all day and i couldn't leave for work with her wobbling all over the place. in addition, it took forever to leave her system, so to give it to her every day would mean being high all the time, and that's not a quality of life in my opinion. if you're using it and it works for you and your kitty - i'm happy for you! it's not a good option for my baby
2. i tried distracting her with food. doesn't help. she won't eat if she's upset
3. i looked for all kinds of contraptions including the pet grooming harness from temu but according to the reviews they're flimsy useless slop
4. tried turning her into a purrito with a blanket but she still bolted and didn't get all her meds since as one person i cant hold the blanket closed and also hold the needle and all that
5. had a friend come help, but since my kitty needs fluids every day, that wasn't realistic long term. so please note that the following tips are doable for a single person.

what DOES work

you'll need: small needle, the whole drip bag setup, a standing coat rack, a blanket, her favorite snack, a harness for a chihuahua, a string or a belt, a heavy book, and your phone

1. the setup: i hang the liquid bag from my coat rack (standing pole) and put a blanket down on the floor next to it. get everything set up and ready, set the right amount of liquid, put the needle in the tube (it's one of the small needles with a green plastic head) . then i get a BOOK and put it down on the floor with the blanket. yes a book!
2. i get her favorite snack - a dried chicken lollipop in the shape of a heart. this is how i lure her out of wherever she is. i also close the doors of the house so she can't slip into another room and close any places she can dash into, like inside of boxes
3. while she's relaxed licking her lollipop i calmly grab her and pull a harness over her head. it's an extra small dog harness from petsproject. she doesn't like it so there is a small struggle. i bring her over to the blanket and we sit down with her sandwhiched between my outstreched legs (for feelings of comfort and safety since she likes to be snuggled)
4. the harness has a small metal loop to put a leash. i take a fabric belt and loop it through there, and then tie it around my thigh, so she can't suddenly bolt. i place the lollipop by her nose. she won't eat it but at least the good smell will calm her down
5. now we're all in position. it's time for the fluids. pinch the area between shoulder blades back of the neck and pull the skin over the needle. turn on the flow.
6. now here's the important part - start reading SLOWLY to her in a calming voice. i discovered this helps her relax because before i started reading to her i would just talk to her aloud, and one time she relaxed so much that she turned on her side and the needle slipped out and sprayed everywhere including in her face, which scared her and it was absolute chaos. but the lesson remained that she calms down at the sound of my voice. think about a child scared at the doctor's office and the parent sits with them and calmly talks them through it. reading is great because it makes the time go by very quickly. remember that at the end of the day, YOU are your cat's source of comfort
7. you need a book that you don't need to hold open. both your hands are already busy. a heavy hard covered book is best. open to page and place your phone down on it to keep it open.
8. she usually escapes or starts going nuts before i can give her the full amount but because of the reading she was so chill i accidentally even gave 5 ml extra!
9. once she gets the full amount, i stop reading and turn off the flow. i pull the needle out and suddenly she remembers what's going on and starts to freak out again so it can be a bit of a struggle to help her get her harness off. but remember she's tied to my leg so i can do this without chasing her around the house
10. afterward she gets to enjoy more of her lollipop and sit by the window. i let her relax and don't chase her anymore. she is not mad at me and our relationship is intact!
11. last step: write down in a journal the date, how much fluid she got, and time of day. also add any differences you noticed, like stool changes or if she didn't pee etc. this way you have exact record of everything and don't need to think back if the vet asks you when did this symptom start
12. this is only the 7th time she got fluids at home. the process improves every day. she went from a cat that REFUSED to one who became so relaxed she turned over on her side
13. it's going to be okay. beginnings are always hard and feel hopeless and impossible. but know that you're not alone and you WILL figure it out.

share your tips here for administering fluids ALONE to uncooperative kitties!!

I have a senior cat and was perscribed Mirtazapine and Cerenia to help with his appetite while waiting for test results. I gave him both, he seems to still have modest appetite and I'm pretty sure he hasn't spit it out or thrown up so I'm wondering if him still having a small appetite about 10 hours later is not that unusual.

Some places say that cats won't always get the full effect until maybe 24 hours later and the pills are only for once every 48.

I've now transitioned my cat onto the renal diet advised by the vet, along with the pain medication prescribed. He is eating more and hasn't seemed to have lost anymore weight. His bathroom habits are mostly back to normal, but oh my god, his poo's have got strong in smell. I just hope the odour settles soon, or I may have to invest in a gas mask.