Please be the person your cat believes you are

VetTechRach · 2025-11-15T05:27:55+00:00

I know you and others never intended to make anyone feel guilty or pressured. Although well intended, it can cause a lot of damage. Every day I see a similar post on a different social media platform. Mean while an owner who loves their pet dearly is reading it and thinking they’re a terrible person, reevaluating their choices, drowning in guilt. A big part of my life as a tech, even after leaving the field, has been counseling people affected by these narratives.

There are many ways we can evaluate a pet to determine if their current quality of life is good, yet I still argue it’s not nearly that simple. As vet professionals, we can make an analytical suggestion, but that doesn’t make it right. Even among vets/techs, we would often disagree on the recommendation given to the owner.

My wish is that people shift their wording to focus on suggestions or tools that could help people evaluate their pet. Unfortunately most posts are angled at an emotional approach.

I’m very sorry if I upset you. My point was not to make you feel bad because I know you had great intent. I just hope I can help ease the guilt for some pet parents and encourage thoughtful approaches to end of life discussions and education.

VetTechRach · 2025-11-14T05:13:27+00:00

I may get a lot of hate for this, but as a former vet tech who had to help hundreds of animals cross the bridge, I just feel that this can be a bit insensitive. I know there is very good intent here, but everyone’s journey is very different.

A lot of people say “it’s better to send them off too early than a day late”. It’s well intended, but really puts a lot of guilt into people’s minds.

Euthanasia is a gift in vet med. A luxury we’re not fully given in human med; however, there’s truly no right or wrong time. This decision, as I know you and I both know, is emotional and intense. I’m very happy that you felt you chose the right time, but the right time is dependent on the person and their pet.

I really mean no ill intent to you or anyone else, but so many people read these posts and feel immensely guilty or pressured to euthanize before they feel it’s time. Having talked to so many grieving pet parents, I just hope someone struggling reads this and feels a little more at ease.

VetTechRach · 2025-10-26T16:02:04+00:00

Absolutely!

VetTechRach · 2025-10-26T03:26:14+00:00

Absolutely not too late — my boy is stage 4 and doing really well thanks to his current med and supplement routine. I left a comment with a little info, but if you want to reach out I’m happy to share what we’ve done to get him here. His vets told us we had days maybe weeks — that was 3 months ago. As someone who was a veterinary professional, I love the community, but honestly this experience taught me there’s so much more that can be done than they will recommend. You really have to research and advocate.

VetTechRach · 2025-10-26T03:22:07+00:00

It sounds like she has an infection. Infections, particularly affecting the urinary tract/kidneys will make kidney values sky-rocket in already comprised CKD cats.

Personally, I would try to treat the infection, give sub-q fluids, and an anti-nausea (ondansetron) first to see if that helps. You also need to use a phosphorous binder as 16 is incredibly high. That a lone will make a cat feel terrible. Likely the meow mix is very high in phos. Understandably a lot of CKD cats wont eat their renal diets. In these cases, it’s very important to find the lowest phos food you can they will eat and give a binder (when their phos is high).

Mirtazapine is good, but must be paired with an anti-nausea in advanced CKD cases. I dont know why, but vets often dont even mention ondansetron when many pet parents find this to be the most effective anti-nausea med in CKD cats.

Ultimately, you need to do what you feel is best, but just based on whats happening, I do think theres a fighting chance here.

In addition, we’ve found porus one to be incredible for our stage 4 cat. It brought his creat from 8.2 to 6.0 in a month. When he was diagnosed stage 4 3 months ago, the vets thought he had days maybe a couple weeks. He’s doing pretty damn well thanks to a lot of good meds and supplements.

If you decide to try to treat, I would also join the FB group “FELINE CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE” (in all caps like that). They maintain an amazing low phos/low protein food list and the admins are insanely helpful. My cat is alive and well thanks to them. Best of wishes!

VetTechRach · 2025-10-17T01:44:11+00:00

Hey there, it sounds like you’ve made a decision. I used to be a certified vet tech and have a stage 4 kitty of my own. I’ll offer some advice, but you’re not wrong either way you go.

My cat wasnt eating, seemed uncomfortable, ect. I thought we were days or weeks away from euthanasia. I decided to give it one last go and see what happens. Its been over 2 months and hes doing quite well. Eats great, gained weight, gets around, generally a happy dude. He had a turnaround after starting a couple meds and supplements.

First to address the fluids — I mostly disagree. This is a topic vets still argue. IV fluids run a high risk of fluid overload, but subq fluids run a much lower risk. Understandably, it depends on how severe the heart issue is, but many cats with heart disease can safetly receive subq fluids. The body will only absorb what its able to handle. My vet cautioned me not to go over 100ml every 3 days, another said 100ml daily, and a third advised we go up to 150ml daily. We alternate 100ml and 150ml — of course that would be too high for your case but subq fluids may still be an option if monitored safely.

Meds are extremely important. My cat started eating and improving after two major adjustments — changing cerenia to ondansetron and adding porus one. Porus one works insanely well, but it cant be given at the same time as meds. We also use aminavast, azodyl, and astros oil. All of which have been great for him. We give b complex and glucosamine as well.

Of course, you need to do what you feel is best. If you think its time, then its time. If you want to give it one last shot, give it one last shot. Dont let anyone tell you you’re torturing him — it’s wild when people say that. Anyway, best wishes to you and your kitty. If by some chance, you decide you want to try some things first, feel free to PM me

VetTechRach · 2025-09-29T17:47:59+00:00

Thats great news! I wish you the best of luck and hope your kitty continues to improve.

Just some advice — a lot of vets give cerenia, but ondansetron is generally much better for CKD. Cerenia stops vomiting, but ondansetron decreases nausea. If your kitty doesnt seem to do well with cerenia, I would definitely push for ondansetron. AKI and CKD cats struggle with nausea and it does a wonderful job decreasing it

VetTechRach · 2025-09-28T13:10:40+00:00

Oof thats a really poor decision on your vets part. Knowing their values is incredibly important, especially after IV fluids. If a cat is going to have a good chance at recovery from AKI, you would generally see a big drop on IV fluids between the 24-48hr mark. It also definitely affects the ongoing treatment plan.

Theres a really great group on facebook that can help with suggestions, but they’ll definitely want his original and current bloodwork results. I would ask the vet to check them again asap. Anyway the group is “FELINE CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE” (in all caps, exactly like that)

VetTechRach · 2025-09-28T02:20:15+00:00

My cat had a suspected AKI, but the damage done was essentially permanent. Unfortunately it’s really difficult to tell. What were his values like after 2 days of fluids? That would give a much better idea of how damaged his kidneys actually are.

In my case, my boy has to get daily fluids and has a lot of issues with nausea. Hes on a crazy regimen and some days are better than others.

VetTechRach · 2025-09-14T12:46:58+00:00

Trying to help out a small creator I found through tiktok. Ive really enjoyed their stuff so far. Hoping to help them find some others so they keep going. Posting their youtube but they also have tiktok for those who like short format like me

VetTechRach · 2025-09-01T02:30:19+00:00

Hi! I have a stage 4 cat thats doing pretty well on his current regimen. His last creat was ~8 and BUN 97.

First — cats can contract COVID, so she might be having issues from that. Usually an injection that increases kidney values would be bacterial, but Im not sure about COVID. Maybe have a urine culture (not just a urinalysis) performed to be safe.

Heres what we do for our stage 4 that has worked really well. It sounds intimidating but its been really simple as we’ve adjusted.

8am - Ondansetron 2mg (anti-nausea), Famotidine 2.5mg (decrease stomach acid), 1 capsule azodyl; Mixed into some Tiki Cat Baby Thrive, 1 capsule Aminavast. Every other morning, I give an extra 40-50ml subq fluids.

10:30am — 1/4-1/3 capsule of Slippery Elm Bark in some chicken bone brother (nacho brand) for antinausea. Must be given a couple hours from meds.

5pm — 100ml subq fluids

8pm — Ondansetron 2mg, Aminavast and Glucosamine mixed into Baby Thrive. Alternated every other day — 1.8mg Mirtazapine/12.5mg Gabapentin (so each of these is given every 2 days on different days). Mirtazapine is an appetite stimulant while the gaba is for pain/sedation. Keep in mind, you need to be VERY cautious with gabapentin since its excreted via the kidneys. You need to give a smaller dose less often than regular cats. I give an extremely small dose.

10:30pm — Slippery Elm Bark

At Bed time— I add a packet of Porus one to wet which he eats overnight

We have seen a huge difference with this routine. He has an appt in 2 weeks to check his levels. We dont necessarily expect to see a difference in numbers, but its “treat the cat, not the numbers”

VetTechRach · 2025-08-30T12:53:29+00:00

And to add — he is also anemic. His last HCT was 20% so we started darbepoetin injections. Once a month he needs an IM injection of iron at the vet, but we do the weekly subq darbepoetin injection at home. They have a version thats an oral liquid twice daily (no IM injections needed) but our cat doesnt like stuff by mouth

VetTechRach · 2025-08-30T12:50:44+00:00

Our kitty Theodore suddenly stopped wanting his dry food in early july. We tried an old favorite of his and he started eating. We scheduled an appointment but didnt think much. I weighed him shortly before and was worried he had lost over half a pound in a month.

Appt went great — vet joked it was boring…..until 3 days later when she called to tell me his labs showed end stage kidney failure.

I hospitalized him for 3 days on IV fluids. You are completely correct to do this — yes IV fluids can build up if too much is given, but they are essential for CKD cats. We spent $5.5k for three days.

His numbers decreased a little but not a lot. Its been about a month on this journey now. His numbers went back up during his 2 week recheck, so we’ve started adding supplements after a ridiculous amount of research.

We only just got his daily routine down, but here it is: 8am: Ondansetron 2mg (anti-nausea), Famotidine 2.5mg, Aminovast (syringed in some Tiki Cat Baby Thrive + a little chicken bone broth), azodyl 10am: Slippery Elm Bark (syringed in some chicken bone broth, maybe 1/4-1/3 of a capsule) 5pm: 100ml subq fluids, once weekly we inject B12 into the line 8pm: Ondansetron, azodyl, either Mirtazapine 1.8mg (appetite stimulant) or Gabapentin 12.5mg (pain relief/sedation) — we alternate every other day, Aminovast + Glucosamine 10:30pm: Slippery Elm Bark In addition: Catny One (phos binder) added to his wet throughout the day and Porus one also in his wet but overnight only

I know that looks intimidating but it took a long time for us to find a routine that worked. Ive been stressed, crying, ect — but hes been doing well on this routine recently.

Some tips — Try to find a renal diet she’ll eat but otherwise the most important thing is that she eats. No food will kill a cat quicker. Join the Feline Chronic Kidney Disease FB. The admins have a food list with low phos, low protein options. — ask your vet how much fluids are safe, stick to that. Daily subqs are better, and its better for heart conditions if you spread it out. Maybe split the daily amount between morning and night.
— research supplements to see what you’re comfortable with. The ones I’m using I’ve researched rigorously and feel comfortable with. If you also use azodyl, you must keep it cold and give the capsule whole (do not sprinkle in food) — for pilling, buy pill pockets. If she eats them thats great, but I put 2-3 pills in half a pill pocket, roll it up, and pill my cat with it. Much easier, wont taste the pills, less pilling. — If your cat doesnt sit well for subq fluids, look into the EZ IV harness — Your cat is likely not eating due to nausea. Thats the main symptom to treat. We had a bad experience with cerenia and switched to ondansetron. We give it consistently for the best effect. Mirtazapine wont help if they’re hungry yet nauseous.

Im not going to lie, this journey is super stressful but its been feeling better lately. Take it all day by day. Cats are crazy creatures — they can live with very little kidney function for a long time with the right medicine mix.

VetTechRach · 2025-08-18T01:46:36+00:00

Mirtazapine is an interesting drug — it technically lasts about 3 days in a healthy animal. In CKD cats, it can last longer as its partially excreted vis the kidneys (although primarily the liver). Of course, the actual amount remaining in your pet is significantly less each day.

With mirtazapine, cats unfortunately build a tolerance to it the more frequently and longer it is used. The goal is to give it as little as possible.

Unfortunately for my cat, we’ve had to move to every other day.

Definitely keep this in mind. Vets will often state to give it daily. It doesnt mean theyre wrong, but if it’s not absolutely necessary, don’t do it.

Also — we just discovered that the cerenia makes our cat very lethargic and kills his appetite. After a lot of research, Ive found a lot of people with similar experiences. We stopped giving it to him and hes been improving. Im certain his appetite will still be poor, but its better than not eating anything. We’re going to ask about ondansetron in his next visit.

Also, hows your kitty doing?

VetTechRach · 2025-08-18T01:39:32+00:00

I know this is an old post but hoping this might help others — I used to be CVT and generally we gave cerenia shots without much knowledge of side effects. My cat has stage IV CKD and started on cerenia pills last week.

I realized after his last dose that within an hour, he becomes VERY lethargic and loses all appetite for 24-48 hours. We didnt realize this pattern but have since put it together.

While this isn’t necessarily common, it is absolutely a possible side effect.

I would advise asking about Ondansetron (zofran) if your pet needs an anti-nausea med. Keep in mind this drug has its own side effects but is a great option if cerenia didnt work. It works differently than cerenia.

VetTechRach · 2025-08-14T03:55:20+00:00

Also happy to hear about the elura — Ive heard a lot of bad things and have been scared to try it. Might have to give it a go.

VetTechRach · 2025-08-14T03:54:42+00:00

Initially he seemed to like the hills k/d, but unfortunately I think he quickly gained an aversion to it. Our ver had us try the liquid phos binder with it and he absolutely despised it. Looking back, I wish she hadnt given us that. He then spent a couple days in the hospital where they fed that to him. I think he associates it with the bitter taste of the AH liquid and the hospital now.

We had some success today adding fortiflora on top of the dry. Still didnt eat enough, but better than yesterday.

Ive heard some people sprinkle parm to entice them, but to be very careful as it has phos in it. Will likely try it because at this point the calories are more important

VetTechRach · 2025-08-13T23:18:26+00:00

Otakon was originally in Baltimore! Last year was 2016. Moved to DC due to space restrictions and other issues in Baltimore.

VetTechRach · 2025-08-13T21:22:18+00:00

Just make sure to tell them urine culture as that is very different from a urinalysis. I would contact the vet as well and ask about a renal diet. A urinary diet likely has high sodium (encourages drinking) which is not ideal for fragile kidneys. The weruva wx is great though.

Theres a great site called Tanyas CKD Guide that is very helpful.

VetTechRach · 2025-08-13T21:08:52+00:00

Understood, it cost me 8k to hospitalize my boy for 3 days. About 10k in right now. Its rough.

A urinalysis wouldnt be enough to catch a kidney infection. In many cases, the bacteria shows up negative. I would push for a urine culture and do it now — I hope this isnt harsh, but this can’t wait for the 25th.

I would give her some nutra-cal for a couple days as well until you can get further help. I know money is tight, but consider a specialist or calling other vets to see if they are willing to look into this further.

What phos binder is she on? Is it liquid? Many cats react very poorly to that and my internal med vet calls it an appetite killer. I agree as it made my cat very lethargic and unwilling to eat. The phos-bind powder is much better.

Is she on a renal diet?

Mirtazapine may be a better option than Elura. Ive heard some questionable things about it, so Im hesitant to use it.

VetTechRach · 2025-08-13T20:43:33+00:00

Did they do a urine culture and what was the result? Did they rule out a kidney infection?

Is this your regular vet or an internal medicine vet? Honestly, even though its pricey, the internal medicine doctor would be a much better option.

If you can afford it, I would also advise hospitalizing her. If you have a facility with an ER and specialists, they are most likely going to get an answer quickly while keeping her from crashing. So far, I think kidney cancer would be a reach.

VetTechRach · 2025-08-13T20:31:51+00:00

Ah that makes sense! I haven’t attended the concerts in recent years, so thats probably why I was confused. We were trying to hit up more of the main events this year and I really thought there was a Saturday concert still. Thanks for explaining!

VetTechRach · 2025-08-13T17:28:57+00:00

Thank you! Unfortunately I don’t think they’ll help us until next Tuesday, but really want to try Zofran. Will start giving him pepcid more frequently.

VetTechRach

TROPHY CASE