It is estimated that around 10% of cats over the age of ten will develop CRF, with as many as 30% of cats over the age of 15 having the disease. (from www.felinecrf.org)
Annual (or semiannual) bloodwork on older cats can help identify it early (along with other potential health problems). The earlier it's diagnosed, the better the chances of treatment working. CRF isn't curable, but it can sometimes be controlled, sometimes for years - thanks to devoted human caregivers who, in some cases, make enormous sacrifices for their CRF kitties.
Finding out that your cat has CRF is frightening and bewildering; I'm extremely grateful to the friend from a more general online cat-people group who sent me in the right direction to get information. Even an excellent vet may not be entirely up to date on treatment options for CRF, or may not think to offer some options. I have an excellent relationship with my vet, and she agreed immediately to have one of the techs teach me to give Nermal subcutaneous fluids when I brought up the subject, but I'm not sure she would have suggested it herself - possibly because so many people are so nervous about needles. If I learned anything from that nightmare period of nursing Nermal, it's that it's possible to make myself do anything necessary, when it's for a member of my family, feline or human.
There's no point in my repeating information that has already been provided in a wonderfully friendly and readable form elsewhere.
To learn more about feline CRF, go to:
Tanya's Feline Chronic Renal Failure Information Centre
Feline CRF Information Centre
For support, information, discussion, advice, sympathy, there are two Yahoo Groups that helped me enormously. All you need is a Yahoo ID, which is free, then go to these group pages and click the "Join This Group" button.
Feline-CRF-Support
Caring-for-CRF-Felines
Please keep in mind that anyone can post anything on the Internet, and it may or may not be reliable, advisable, or safe. Verify anything with a vet before you act on it!
Please, take your cat to the vet for regular check-ups, especially if they're over the age of eight or nine years old. Whatever it costs, it'll be worth it if bloodwork can identify renal failure or other conditions before they've progressed as far as visible symptoms.
I've been grateful for this early detection personally: in May 2007, Loki's senior bloodwork turned up borderline kidney problems. A change in his diet (to a very high-quality-protein, grain-free food) seems to have halted it at that borderline - as of August 2008, his numbers hadn't changed, and we're optimistic we can keep it that way for a long time!
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