Chronic Renal Failure - Editor's Choice

My beautiful cat was saved from almost certain death due to the information on this amazing website.

He had a terrible reaction when the vet put him under to extract blood *(he's part feral, do not mess) and wouldn't eat or drink upon his return from the vet. He would just sit there with his head hanging over his water bowl looking very sorry for himself.

Although I several times contacted the out of hours vet and was told to sit and wait, that he would come round, I panicked at about 10pm that evening as I could tell he had become terribly dehydrated and took him to the pet hospital where he was given an IV and rehydrated.

Home again the next day, he still assumed what they call the "meatloaf" position (when they look like a bunched up chicken, not sure why it's called meatloaf) with his poor wee head hanging over his water bowl but not drinking.

The dehydration had given his kidneys a boot in the balls and now he was very sick, I could tell he might not actually live much longer considering his age. I took to Earth Clinic, which deserves awards handed out from God's Angels and found a popular remedy of administering diluted Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (with the 'mother') to my friend to make him start drinking.

Luckily I had some in the cupboard, along with a plastic syringe thing in my kitchen draw. I diluted about 1ml ACV with 2mls of water and snuck up on him with a towel and the syringe, apologising all the time and making calming noises and telling him this would make him better. I was a bit cynical but desperate.

Although gentle, I firmly swaddled him in the large towel up to his chest - those claws are huge - then opened his wee mouth and squirted the liquid *across* his tongue, entering from the *side* of his mouth. I hoped this would prevent choking and thank God it did.

I watched him mournfully for the next 20 minutes until he again sat at his nice fresh waiting water bowl, head hanging down, bunched like a chicken. Not two minutes after this, he put his nose down and began to lap. 20 minutes!

I continued with the administration for the next few days, in all I felt he needed a shot of AVC four times, following which he was drinking of his own accord. Thank you, EarthClinic and all those who come back to say if something has worked or not. My furry friend is alive today because of it.

They should pass this info on at the vets when they suspect a cat is having kidney failure - how many people have lost their furbabies because of the "no advising anything but chemicals" protocol.

Now I'm having to deal with his kidney failure due to his over-anesthetisation but that is another story. It has been nearly a year since the incident and he's doing well.

Kindest regards,
Tearosekennedy

I would like to offer my personal experience with feline kidney failure. About 4 months ago, Emma, my 15 year old cat had a swelling on one side of her nose. The vet examined her and her blood work came back showing the beginning stages of kidney failure. The dental was still possible, and she did have to have one upper canine removed. I did give her some ringers lactate sub q fluids for a week. I noticed she was not eating enough so I started giving her raw beef that I ground up with some extra fat and blood ;about a 2 inch square, to which I added organic eggshell 1/16 tsp powdered, the same amount of nutritional yeast, and a few grains of l lysine. This is I feed her twice a day. She is gaining weight. From 5 to 6 pounds now. She is a petite kitty. She has recently began to play again. She initiates i .That tells me much, and that she is feeling much better.

The most important key however is the use of calcitriol. Kidney failure in any person or animal reduces the ability of vitamin D to be used. This is vital to ensure proper function of everything. I give her .12 ml by mouth every 5th day. I have to say in all the pets I have seen with kidney failure, this supplement, by prescription, is effective. I have tried ALL types of methods to save my pets, and they all have some mild effectiveness, but this actually works. This comes from a special compounding pharmacy. A 15 ml bottle is about $70., and will last a very long time, over 6 months for sure. I only wish I had discovered this sooner. Your vet may not have experience with this so you can look it up for human use to show effectiveness and necessity as all kidney failure shares this processing of Vit D. I know for sure that diet matters. Giving carbs to carnivores promotes high blood sugars therefore defeating the purpose of helping the kidneys. Raw protein in proportion with raw eggshell calcium, which serves to bind phosphates properly restores the correct nutritional balance to the system. Balance is the key.

Hi.....My cat, Merlin is 16 and has kidney disease. I have been giving him a small squirt of black seed oil in a pipette every morning for the past 2 - 3 months when I take some myself. He immediately stopped vomiting and smelling slightly rancid. I combined that with a tiny amount of ACV in his drinking water each day and nearly all of the symptoms now have disappeared.