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My Journey with CKD, the Silent Killer

My Journey with CKD, the Silent Killer

My Journey with CKD, the Silent Killer

Feline chronic kidney disease, or CKD for short, is insidious and challenging to spot in its early stages. The best way to prevent CKD is to work on prevention from an early age. By feeding your cat a healthy, balanced diet from kitten to senior, and keeping toxins such as cleaning products and toxic plants far away from them, you are giving them the best chance at avoiding CKD in their golden years. Please consult pet food nutritionists and your veterinarian before implementing any changes to your cat’s diet. Older cats are more prone to developing CKD, which is why regular vet visits are crucial because most cats don’t exhibit any symptoms of the disease until it has advanced significantly.

When I adopted Phoebe, I could barely afford food for myself, let alone cat food. Naturally, I wanted to give her the best cat food on the market, but I just couldn’t afford it. I had to settle for a supermarket brand, and because no one educated me, I assumed it gave her adequate nutrition. When she was diagnosed with CKD two decades later, I started researching, desperately looking for a cure, and this is when I saw that I was feeding her the wrong type of food and treats: dry food, milk, and tuna. I unintentionally contributed to her kidney health decline, resulting in me carrying the burden of guilt for the remainder of my life.
When Phoebe turned 18, I noticed changes in her grooming and litterbox behaviour and started taking her to the vet more frequently. During one of these routine check-ups, Phoebe’s vet noticed that her kidneys felt unusually small, and this is when they made the diagnosis. We kept an eye on her, and despite great difficulty, I tried to transition her to a kidney-friendly diet. Phoebe was very resistant, so getting her to adapt to her new diet required a lot of patience and trial and error. She ate like a truck driver, yet she was losing weight. She had cat acne, which frequently got out of hand and caused her to over-groom and scratch her skin nonstop, and frequent hairballs became the bane of our existence. Fortunately, her veterinarian was able to get her skin condition under control with some antibiotics and cortisone.
As she grew older, new symptoms emerged, including a recurrent ear infection (which I initially thought was an ear mite infestation), arthritis, lethargy, weight loss despite her voracious appetite, and dementia-related symptoms. She was losing her hearing and her vision, which caused her to become confused when she couldn’t find me and she would pace the hallway while crying out forlornly. We kept the lights on in the house at night and played her favourite classical music to soothe her. Her vet prescribed subcutaneous fluid therapy, and weekly visits soon became the norm. Over time, she distanced herself more and refused to sleep in my arms like she’s done for such a long time. Even until this day, it’s difficult to fall asleep without her in my arms. We did everything we could to make her as comfortable as possible, including setting up a nursery in a spare room. But we were aware that time was running out.
I was both financially and emotionally unprepared for CKD. Phoebe’s wonderful veterinarians did everything possible to help her, and I gleaned a wealth of knowledge about this illness in the process. This is the reason I put together an extensive brochure using all the data I gathered, including my own experience, web research, and even studying The Journal of Veterinary Medicine. It took me almost a year to compile all the data, and despite searching frantically in the hope of discovering a cure, I came up empty-handed. The best course of action is prevention, according to every study I could find. I would suggest the following to cat parents who have an ageing cat in their care:

Put money aside for veterinary emergencies because, in the event of an emergency, you’ll need the cash right away and most pet insurance companies only pay out after a certain amount of time. Keep a close eye on your cat, and no matter how small the odd behaviour may seem, take them to the vet just to be safe. When the time comes, stay with your cat until the very end. Discuss an end-of-life plan in advance with your vet. Holding them one last time will show them your love and give them comfort.

When you see your feline friend struggle with CKD, it can become too much to handle, but the unfortunate truth is, life moves forward, and obligations rarely get lighter. Take care of yourself, get as much rest as you can, and ask your family members to lend a hand where they can. Pet bereavement counselling is not widely available in South Africa, which made it extremely difficult for me to deal with losing Phoebe. The support of my husband and my in-laws helped me get through. I would not have survived without them.

I eventually opened my heart to a rambunctious little black cat who did her best to cheer me up when she saw me crying. There will never be another Phoebe, but I have room in my heart for a tiny house panther. Using the information I gathered, I have taken an active role in Jellybean’s health and am making every effort to keep her from developing CKD.

Your cat’s well-being is the top priority, and I encourage you to take this brochure to your vet and discuss it with them.

Download the Feline CKD Brochure here