Be Alert for CRF: It"s a Killer
Sometimes nasty things creep up on you and your feline companion.
One of those things is CRF - "chronic renal failure.
" That's just plain old "kidney disease"- the degenerative and terminal bane of elderly cats.
By the time you discover it, your cat's kidneys are 70 percent gone.
But you may be able to prolong the quality of your cat's life in spite of it.
CRF is what recently crept up on my 11-year-old, 20-pound, long-haired palomino-colored, green-eyed cat Tigger.
Having been abused and abandoned before he was rescued, he tended to isolate himself.
His roommate, a three-footed long-haired black cat named Sweetums was his only other companion.
Always wary, he kept me at semi-arm's length for years, letting me pet him but ever-so carefully.
Consequently, it took him a long time to become the affectionate cat that dwelled under the layers of trauma.
It was not until 2010 that Tigger made a fantastic breakthrough with me, his kitty mom.
He finally felt secure enough with me to come out of his isolation, to climb onto my lap and chest to cuddle and luxuriate in all the petting I could provide.
He would writhe in purring ecstasy.
And it was, ironically, at this same time that CRF struck him, hard and fast.
CRF is insidious.
By the time you can physically spot its symptoms, like excessive drinking and urinating and weight loss, your cat's kidneys are nearly non-functional.
It is an invisible disease and Tigger remaining somewhat isolated made it hard to spot.
As the disease took over, he quickly became dehydrated and disinterested in everything.
His body was becoming toxic so nothing appealed to him.
Even with sub-cutaneous fluids, CRF supplements, special kidney food, and IV fluids and meds at the animal hospital for three days at a time, he was quickly spiraling downward.
It was obvious that the only way to keep him from deteriorating so rapidly was to keep him at the animal hospital full-time, indefinitely.
But that was away from his home and those who cared for him.
Despite his more normal BUN and creatinine blood chemistry readings, his sad demeanor told me he did not want to be there any longer.
He wanted to be in familiar surroundings with those he cared about.
It did not take long before he could no longer drink, eat, urinate, or defecate because his kidneys had totally shut down.
He was uncomfortable and looked miserable, especially when I offered to put him on my lap for petting.
What he had just come to deliciously enjoy was no longer his to savor.
With help he crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
Why am I telling you all this? Because CRF is very common among your feline companions.
If you spot it quickly enough, and are "very lucky," you can address the disease with some success and even extend the quality of your cat's life until the inevitable occurs.
While I have had a number of cats who have developed CRF, I was able to keep one CRF cat enjoying his life for an extra year with love, care, special food, and sub-cutaneous fluids.
The moral of the story is that you need to be aware of your cat's behaviors, especially as it ages.
Is he or she looking lethargic, drinking and urinating a lot, and losing weight? If yes, you need to get blood tests done immediately.
It might not be CRF.
Your cat might have diabetes or thyroid disease instead, which are more likely controllable.
But if it is CRF, you need to do all you can to treat the physical disease but never forget about your cat's emotional state.
This is the time when your cat needs you, your empathetic care, and loving attention the most.
Listen to your cat and make the time that is left with you the best and most comfortable it can be.
One of those things is CRF - "chronic renal failure.
" That's just plain old "kidney disease"- the degenerative and terminal bane of elderly cats.
By the time you discover it, your cat's kidneys are 70 percent gone.
But you may be able to prolong the quality of your cat's life in spite of it.
CRF is what recently crept up on my 11-year-old, 20-pound, long-haired palomino-colored, green-eyed cat Tigger.
Having been abused and abandoned before he was rescued, he tended to isolate himself.
His roommate, a three-footed long-haired black cat named Sweetums was his only other companion.
Always wary, he kept me at semi-arm's length for years, letting me pet him but ever-so carefully.
Consequently, it took him a long time to become the affectionate cat that dwelled under the layers of trauma.
It was not until 2010 that Tigger made a fantastic breakthrough with me, his kitty mom.
He finally felt secure enough with me to come out of his isolation, to climb onto my lap and chest to cuddle and luxuriate in all the petting I could provide.
He would writhe in purring ecstasy.
And it was, ironically, at this same time that CRF struck him, hard and fast.
CRF is insidious.
By the time you can physically spot its symptoms, like excessive drinking and urinating and weight loss, your cat's kidneys are nearly non-functional.
It is an invisible disease and Tigger remaining somewhat isolated made it hard to spot.
As the disease took over, he quickly became dehydrated and disinterested in everything.
His body was becoming toxic so nothing appealed to him.
Even with sub-cutaneous fluids, CRF supplements, special kidney food, and IV fluids and meds at the animal hospital for three days at a time, he was quickly spiraling downward.
It was obvious that the only way to keep him from deteriorating so rapidly was to keep him at the animal hospital full-time, indefinitely.
But that was away from his home and those who cared for him.
Despite his more normal BUN and creatinine blood chemistry readings, his sad demeanor told me he did not want to be there any longer.
He wanted to be in familiar surroundings with those he cared about.
It did not take long before he could no longer drink, eat, urinate, or defecate because his kidneys had totally shut down.
He was uncomfortable and looked miserable, especially when I offered to put him on my lap for petting.
What he had just come to deliciously enjoy was no longer his to savor.
With help he crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
Why am I telling you all this? Because CRF is very common among your feline companions.
If you spot it quickly enough, and are "very lucky," you can address the disease with some success and even extend the quality of your cat's life until the inevitable occurs.
While I have had a number of cats who have developed CRF, I was able to keep one CRF cat enjoying his life for an extra year with love, care, special food, and sub-cutaneous fluids.
The moral of the story is that you need to be aware of your cat's behaviors, especially as it ages.
Is he or she looking lethargic, drinking and urinating a lot, and losing weight? If yes, you need to get blood tests done immediately.
It might not be CRF.
Your cat might have diabetes or thyroid disease instead, which are more likely controllable.
But if it is CRF, you need to do all you can to treat the physical disease but never forget about your cat's emotional state.
This is the time when your cat needs you, your empathetic care, and loving attention the most.
Listen to your cat and make the time that is left with you the best and most comfortable it can be.