Living with an FIV Cat

One Year Later

More of this Feature • Part 1: My Kitty has AIDS • Part 2: FIV Update - One Month Later • Part 3: Living With an FIV Cat - 90 Days Later • Part 4: Living With an FIV Cat - One Year Later

Related Resources • FIV Resources • CRF/Kidney Disease Resources

My journey into nursing a chronically ill cat started in June of 2000. Shannon, who was seventeen at that time, had a serious bladder infection which reoccurred after only a few weeks. Our veterinarian did a complete blood scan and came up with a preliminary finding of FIV . Since the ELISA test can sometimes give false positives, a Western Blot was ordered, which confirmed the findings.

A Roller-Coaster Ride

The first ninety days took us on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, as Shannon suffered yet another bladder infection, and later, a strange "catatonic" spell, which may have been a seizure, but which has not yet reoccurred. However, he started the long spiral of weight loss which continues today. From a high of seventeen pounds in his youth, he is now a frail seven. His backbone is rippled like a xylophone, and his back legs are weakened, both from arthritis and loss of muscle tone.

Kidney Failure

It is not at all unusual for cats Shannon's age to suffer from CRF, so that condition cannot be blamed on FIV entirely, although his compromised immune system could have exacerbated the problem. About six months ago, Shannon started exhibiting signs of decreasing kidney function, particularly in his periodic blood test results. To better understand the significance of certain factors tested, I'll try to put them in lay terms.

BUN Blood Urea Nitrogen; the concentration of urea nitrogen in the blood, a useful indicator of renal function. Urea nitrogen is formed in the liver as an end product of protein metabolism, and from ammonia compounds, and a certain amount is present normally in the kidneys. However, a high count indicates the kidney is breaking down in filtering this agent.

Creatinine Creatine is a nonprotein nitrogen substance synthesized in the body from three amino acids. It readily combines with phosphate to form phosphocreatine, which is used in muscle tissues. Creatinine is a nitrogenous compound which is formed as the result of creatine metabolism, or the breakdown of phosphocreatine. It passes through the blood and is excreted in urine. Therefore, a higher than normal amount of this compound is indicative of compromised kidney function.

RBC A low Red Blood Cells count is another significant indication of kidney dysfunction, as production of RBC is stimulated by erythropoetin, a glycoprotein hormone secreted by the kidneys.

Since October of 2000, we have been monitoring Shannon's counts, and they have had a roller-coaster ride of their own.

What does all this mean? It means that Shannon's kidneys are fighting valiantly to do their job with some outside help in the form of subQ fluids and various medications. After the extreme highs of May 3rd, we decided it was time to put him on daily subcutaneous fluids, AKA Ringer's Solution, a combination of sterile water and electrolytes, to counter Shannon's dehydration, and in an effort to stimulate his faltering appetite. From being my "Hoover Kitty," who would vacuum up a dish of food in the blink of an eye, Shannon has for several months had only a mild interest in food. He still sometimes waits for me in the morning and politely asks to be fed, but at any one sitting he is apt to simply lick a bit of the wettest part of the food and walk away. We have been force-feeding him with a mixure of Hill's A/D and baby food vegetables, with a healthy slug of Vita-Cal thrown in. However, Shannon hates force-feeding even more than he hates being pilled, and we often have to stop before he gets as much as we'd like, because it stresses him so. He gets Epogen shots weekly, to try to bring up the red blood cell percentage. All of the above have been mildly successful to one degree or another, and are largely dependent on Shannon's tolerance.

FIV kitties do not deal well with stress, and this is a factor that must be measured in, along with necessary treatment. The situation is further exacerbated by the nutrition dilemma. FIV cats need a high protein diet; protein is anathema to the already-stressed kidneys of CRF cats. Shannon's anorexia is at the stage where we feed him anything he will eat voluntarily, along with the stuff he gets non-voluntarily. The alternative would be to surgically insert a feeding tube, but I'm vacillating on that extreme measure because of the risk of anesthesia at his age and in his condition.

Life is full of decisions, and some of them are more painful than others. The decision of "when to stop" treating a terminally ill loved one ranks right at the top. I've had to make it a couple of times in my life, and it never gets easier. Sometimes making no decision is a decision in itself, and that is where I am with Shannon right now. I'm doing what I can to prolong his life as long as he seems to want it.

When we started this roller-coaster ride a year ago, I prayed that he would live to see nineteen. He made it - today, the 4th of July, is his unofficial 19th birthday. When we gave him his baby food gruel today, we said, "What would you like first, the cake or the ice cream?" He just took it all, like the trooper he is, although he was no more pleased about it than usual.

He's a tough old soldier, and my brave and strong friend. He sleeps a lot more nowadays, but he still rouses himself occasionally to come into my office to see what's up with me. He still enjoys our snuggle-fests, and will lie on my chest when I sit back in my chair, and purr while I scratch his whiskers. I ask his forgiveness every time I have to force-feed him or stick that needle in for the subQ treatment, and he doesn't carry a grudge. With bravery like that as a example, I can do no less than try to be strong for him, for whatever lies ahead.

Happy Birthday, old friend!

Guide's Note: One week after this article was published, Shannon told me decisively that his time had come and I helped him to the Bridge on July 11, 2001.

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Bibliography:Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary, Second Edition, published by W.B. Saunders