CRF
That's cat-people short-hand for chronic renal failure. It's so common in cats that it has its own abbreviation. Like FeLV or FIV or all the other collections of letters that break our hearts...
But I'm feeling better this week. I have come to realize that Dinky's condition is just that--a condition. It is not curable and it is degenerative but there is a lot I can do to make her feel good and improve her health to the point where she could very well die of something else. I joined a couple Yahoo groups--the one I am active in being "Caring for CRF Felines"--and have found help and support and good advice. Several members have been keeping their CRF cats going for years, which I found heartening.
It helps that Dinky is looking and acting so good. It even seems like she has put a few ounces back on. We are developing a system in treating her, though I still have to list all the treatments/medication she needs for the day and check it off the list as I go: Pepcid, vitamins, Antirobe, fluids. Washing her quarter-tab of Pepcid down with a squirt of water seems to make the process easier. She doesn't much care for the sub-Q fluids but she is learning to tolerate them. I got the Terumo needles this last Saturday and they have made a difference, going in smoother and delivering the required amount of fluids quicker. And since I decided to split her 150ml dose into daily doses of 75ml, we are done in a little over a minute.
Dinky actually seems to enjoy the increased attention and our interactions have become just a bit sweeter as we cope with this together.
But I'm feeling better this week. I have come to realize that Dinky's condition is just that--a condition. It is not curable and it is degenerative but there is a lot I can do to make her feel good and improve her health to the point where she could very well die of something else. I joined a couple Yahoo groups--the one I am active in being "Caring for CRF Felines"--and have found help and support and good advice. Several members have been keeping their CRF cats going for years, which I found heartening.
It helps that Dinky is looking and acting so good. It even seems like she has put a few ounces back on. We are developing a system in treating her, though I still have to list all the treatments/medication she needs for the day and check it off the list as I go: Pepcid, vitamins, Antirobe, fluids. Washing her quarter-tab of Pepcid down with a squirt of water seems to make the process easier. She doesn't much care for the sub-Q fluids but she is learning to tolerate them. I got the Terumo needles this last Saturday and they have made a difference, going in smoother and delivering the required amount of fluids quicker. And since I decided to split her 150ml dose into daily doses of 75ml, we are done in a little over a minute.
Dinky actually seems to enjoy the increased attention and our interactions have become just a bit sweeter as we cope with this together.
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