ASAP opinion ? success ?acute kidney failure and renal lymphoma

Any experience with cats in acute renal failure. She re did a biopsy and etc of his kidneys and blood and they really thing he has renal lymphoma. He's been there since Wed night. His kidney values won't budge. She started prednisone today before the results and says she usually sees steroids making a difference next day for renal lymphoma . She said if he improves we should probably do a feeding tube and give him a chemotherapy shot . He has barely eaten all week and had no in a day and a half. I figured it was absolutely stress related. I went there they cleaned a room for me and I was with him 2 hours and got him to eat all of it ! So we absolutely know it's mostly stress related and the way to get him to eat is a room with someone for 20 minutes and lots of love and coaxing . .can someone please give me their experience and suggestions . If I didn't have pet insurance I'd never have been able to get him all this. I have enough for him to stay until Sunday night ...but not with chemo most likely so my normal vet whose extremely invested in this and giving me opinions every day twice a day even when he's not there and he'd get treatment with her 8 to 6pm since she doesn't do over night noone else does . But she'd offer payment plans and I'd be able to give him apogee chance of treatment to extend his life

Hello!  And wow - you've been through the mill and you have done a lot for your cat already.  It sounds as though you've been through a lot to get a proper, full, dependable diagnosis.  I'm sorry it was a lymphoma diagnosis but it sounds as though it's been diagnosed properly and with care, and that you have as much information as you could possibly need - from people who might be much more qualified than me. The question is, what to do with all this information?  How to organise it in your brain?  Can these vets you have around you help you to figure out your options? Here's what I'd be doing in your shoes: making a picture of what life is likely to be like going forward. What if you took him home and tried to treat him at home?  What would that look like?  What cost, and what sort of outcome could you expect?  What life expectancy?  (I don't know this, but your clinicians can give you an idea). How about with continued hospitalisation - cost?  Outcome?  And how will you feel? How about - and you should take the step of considering this, even if you then go on to dismiss it - if you were, for example, to treat less adequately, or even to put him to sleep?  What would the future look like then?  Cost?  Outcome?  How will you feel? It is sounds to me as though no outcome is looking ideal here.  That what you need to look at several unpleasant alternatives - all of it, including the financial aspect and the prolonged lifespan and the quality of life - and make a decision. No one can put a value on a pets' life and what you really want may be something that money can't buy.   The right answer will be different for everyone. I think the best thing for you to do is to get the information, compare the different outcomes - and do what you feel is right for yourself and your cat, from the outcomes that are actually on offer. Best of luck.

Thanks for responding . It all started with just being itchy 2 months ago . He randomly was just suddenly very itchy one day and desperately hiding . I immediately scheduled a vet appointment because hiding like this. I mean like his life depended on it.   It's just crazy how insanely left  it went. He had got a nausea shot and was literally perfect acting an gour before when at home and then he got to the vet last Friday got that shot for nausea and Zofran to go home and immediately qhen home lethargic . Barely ate rheoigh the weekend. Noticed a pain response when feeling around him (I do this often with him and his sister because I'm paranoid and they're all I have .never had a family and they're they're I had as I bottle raised them found them 2 hours old ) So I put him on .5 liquid gabapnetin day and night and he slept and smiled and seemed a bit more comfy but still not really eating. Knterested in food but kinda stopped after a bite . So Monday morning he went back and they did xrays and blood and she said even without results she could tell he is really sick. He was back next day right right  to be on fluids because she figured it was kidney issues . All tests cane back later Tuesday and kidneys extremely enlarged and kidney values were insane. He had bone thinning in his back that seemed all over not one spot (she said if in specific spots then you'd think tumor or mass cancer stuff.  No idea why the thinning still ) He also had 2 rib cage fractures that have been shown to be healed. Yet 2 months ago different vet did x rays and didn't see them. This drill has shocked me. How tf did that happen. He neve once showed any sifn of slowing down with jumping up and down multiple times from my bed which isn't high up. Never showed any kind of pain.   I know the shot of nausea med Friday didn't cause this but his condition changed insane after lkke immediately after..   Also qhen this all started 2 and a half months afo he would drink insane amounts of bottle water ( tap water pH and etc is so do bad when I tested it so they never get tap . Also my cats are in my room always only and it's a pretty big bed room ) When he stopped itching from being on anxiety meds for a week he stopped drinking insane amounts of water and then qhen he started throwing up once Monday before breakfast . Still super happy for food and water . Tuesday same. Right before breakfast. Thursday night throws up. Friday goes to vet for nausea. Wed is taken to 24 hour vet for immediate ultrasound and care which never showed anything.   More of a detailed example of eats going on .   I have enough to keep him till Sunday night and id want to  take home and given pain med and sub q so he can be home at  night see how he is and obviously go to day vet Monday because we want to see chemotherapy but only if the prednisone from Friday morning shows any kind of change if small.  If not she doesn't think ges going to get better but even then I'd at least like one day of chemo injection to see before putting down .   I wouldn't let him sit home and suffer but I want to make sure I get multiple opinions even small ones .just in case. I'm really distraught.  I wouldn't let him be severely dying at home . I just.  This is my child . I hand raised him . The biological response that hit me wirh was like any woman would have with a baby.   He  is really active and moving arojnd and interested when he's in the private room when I visit despite everything and still extremely friendly and loving and says hi to the nurses every time they'd enter the room. I can't let gim go jntil 100 % sure. Its haunt me forever if I didn't give him a chance .   I have crohns disease and used to spend 2 years none stop in the er and hospital and miserable with doctors writing me off as fully of it even with  all tests they'd do showing and I was so so miserable and in pain so I get it but I know animals have an insane will to fight so I just want to ask as much as I can .

What has to happen before you are 100% sure?

They will be giving him a chemotherapy shot today. Vet just called. Some of his kidney values got worse and red count but she said his kidneys look smaller. Yesterday she was really not looking gooedul but today she wasn't as negative about it she absolutely wabted to try the chemo shot . I have him hntik Sunday night with the very last amount of money I could borrow from people... if he can survive Sunday night to Mknday 8am he can get more time at day vet until 6pm or put down Monday .... I got him to eat and will go back today .so . This is rhe first xhabfe we've seen in a week wirh his kidneys a little smaller . He only started steroids yesterday afternoon and prob won't get the shot until this afternoon to sadly because they have to call me for payment and they are busy...I wish I could give him 15 years of my life  or my legs or something.  I'm just so destroyed.

I'm sorry; I can hear (read) how sad and lost and frustrated you are feeling.  I know it isn't necessarily the end today, but I wondered if you knew about The Ralph site, a website set up by a vet called Shailen Jasseni after the loss of his cat, called Ralph.  They have resources to help owners to process the loss or illness of a pet and you may find them helpful right now. I don't know you of course, but as far as is possible, I'm thinking of you.

www.theralphsite.com

That is, both of you.