How We Defied the Odds with Feline Renal Failure: Do NOT Take Your Vet’s Advice About Chronic Kidney Failure As Gospel

So your cat has been diagnosed with chronic kidney failure?

Oh, trust me, I know how scary it is because it happened to us. One day my beautiful Maine Coon/Siamese mix named Fritz the Cat seemed mostly healthy, and the next day he was violently ill. We never did find a cause. I searched high and low for any poison he might have ingested. We turned up nothing. It’s possible he was poisoned by his mainstream dry cat food but we will get to that later in the article.

And I made mistakes. Big ones. He had been vomiting sick a couple months earlier and turned out to be fine, so I didn’t take this as seriously as I should have. The vomiting started and didn’t stop. I should have taken him straight to the emergency vet but I didn’t. I foolishly took him to the regular vet. They didn’t get test results until the next day. So by the time he was admitted to the hospital with catastrophic kidney failure, he should already have been in there two days earlier.

When Fritz the Cat had been hospitalized for two days on IV fluids, and his sky-high creatinine numbers had barely improved (he was still over 10 U.S. !!!), the veterinarian was preparing me for the worst. She said we should continue to treat him in the hospital but was preparing me for a very short remaining time with him and intensive medical care at home, which would include daily subcutaneous fluids, expensive prescription cat food, and still a very bleak prognosis for my beloved little boy.

As you can imagine, I was absolutely distraught. My cat was only eight years old and I did not want to lose him. I also did not want him to become a chronic medical patient with a low quality of life. So I did extensive internet research to explore all my options. And I also did extensive energy healing. The combination of the two got us miracle after miracle. And my Fritz the Cat is still thriving today, WITHOUT subcutaneous fluids or intensive medical care.

I attempted at one point to share these secrets with some chronic kidney failure Facebook groups that had arisen around the Tanya’s CRF website. Unfortunately, most of the people in those groups are highly invested in their cat or dog being sick. They refuse to listen to other options, attack anyone who suggests that kidney failure CAN be healed, and after a while it just got too depressing for me. A new death was announced pretty much every day, and there are only a few hundred people in each group. There were endless stories of suffering and dogs and cats being drugged up on five or more medications. Ladies and gentlemen, many of those deaths could have been prevented by questioning the conventional medical doom and gloom about this “dis-ease” and learning a few new skills. And it makes no sense to go spend thousands of dollars on a regular basis at an allopathic veterinarian’s office when you could be learning new holistic skills and giving your cat or dog a much better quality of life.

(Here are some new articles I have written on this topic:
1. Celebrating the third anniversary of Fritz the Cat’s good health since our terrifying experience with kidney failure. Did you know I changed “reality” with that healing? Scientists have now proved that kidneys CAN REGENERATE.
2. Teaching you the emergency protocol that helped save his life.)

Before we get any deeper here, let me preface this article by saying this is NOT a substitute for veterinary advice and care. However, we learned a few things about feline kidney failure that your vet probably won’t tell you. She may not know these secrets. She may be “stuck” inside a conventional thinking box. And she may be hypnotized by the big money prescription cat food industry from which she earns commissions. When it comes to chronic kidney failure in cats, it is very much in your and your loved one’s best interest for you to #thinkforyourself.

Secret #1: The mainstream pet food industry is a big part of the problem

When I began researching chronic kidney failure, I was horrified to discover that the mainstream pet food industry is probably the biggest factor in the rise of kidney failure among indoor cats. Outdoor cats don’t get it nearly as often. Why? In large part, because of the food they are eating. Outdoor cats eat a varied diet including live prey with a high water content and pure rain water. Indoor cats are mostly stuck with pet food industry DRY kibble that is made of – I am not exaggerating – garbage. Basically, most of it is made from GMO corn, soy, and rice and the waste products from the meat and fish industries. So-called “food” that no human would touch. It’s also loaded with preservatives and other chemicals. In some pet foods, waste products like leather and dead cats and dogs that have been euthanized are “recycled” as protein into the “food.”

It is entirely possible that Fritz the Cat was poisoned by the IAMS dry cat food that he was eating shortly before he got sick. I think we had recently opened a new bag, and he was uncharacteristically leaving pieces of kibble in his bowl for a few weeks before he got sick. I don’t know for sure. We just could not find any other possible cause of his abrupt and severe kidney failure.

It’s not just that the food is garbage. It’s also that it’s DRY. Cats are not meant to eat all dry food, and I did not know this. Many cats are chronically dehydrated because the dry food sucks the fluid out of them and they don’t drink enough water to compensate for it. This is going to lead to our next tip about keeping your cat hydrated.

And it gets worse. Until recently, I was still feeding Fritz the Cat some of the prescription renal failure kibble recommended by our acute care veterinarian. And he kept having blood in his poop. It seemed no matter what I did I couldn’t get rid of the blood. So recently I switched him to a grain-free diet of high quality non-GMO cat foods. And guess what? When he’s off the prescription food, there is no blood in his poop. When I add the prescription food back in, he gets blood in his poop again.  Right now he seems to be doing well on Now! Grain-Free dry food with plenty of water mixed into it.  Sometimes though I think we obsess about protein and phosphorus at the expense of the BIG PICTURE. What’s most important is a holistically healthy food that is in harmony with YOUR particular cat.

You would think since these prescription food manufacturers like Hills Science Diet charge us $50 or more per bag for the kibble that they could use high-quality organic non-GMO ingredients. But they don’t. The main ingredients in the food that is supposedly designed to extend our furry friends’ lives is GMO corn and rice and chicken BY-PRODUCTS (i.e., garbage). And it was making Fritz the Cat’s colon sick. The blood was increasing over time, that’s why I finally took him off it.

So … your veterinarian is not going to tell you this because they are mostly hypnotized by the supposedly “scientific” studies about prescription cat food and they make money off selling it … but I’m going to suggest that you QUESTION EVERYTHING your veterinarian tells you and consider the possibility that your cat may be healthier OFF the prescription diets than on them.

[EA Postscript March 2015 – I thought Fritz the Cat had a bunch of allergies. However, after letting his digestive tract heal, I have reintroduced a lot of what I thought were the culprit foods and he is not having any problems. In retrospect, I believe it was a particular food that was the problem. However, it had so inflamed his digestive tract that other foods appeared to be part of the problem. Does that make sense? I had him on a grain-free food for many months and now he’s eating a wider variety of foods without problem. Meanwhile I tried the culprit food with my other cat and he too seemed to have problems with it. Ironically it’s an expensive vet prescribed diet that caused our problems. The food that helped us with the healing (in addition to tapping which in my opinion cannot be skipped as a step) … gets protein from novel sources and is grain-free. But now he’s back to eating other proteins and grains without any issues so far. My other cat Harvey lost weight after we put him on mainstream pet food so we’re going to try going back to all Azmira for him. I know how frustrating it is to try to isolate the problem and hope this information is helpful.]

Secret #2: Keeping Your Cat Hydrated

I have a working theory at this point that most chronic kidney failure in pets could be prevented by one simple change: get more fluid into your cat’s regular diet. If your cat has been diagnosed with kidney failure, your veterinarian may be pushing subcutaneous fluids on you. And that is one option for hydration, but have you considered the downsides? Not only does your pet become a “chronic” medical patient, but those fluids are expensive and full of substances that may not be good for your cat, such as sodium and God-knows-what residues from the plastic bags in which they are delivered. Some cats don’t seem to mind being injected every single day, but many cats are like my cat Fritz. They HATE it. And then injection time becomes a demoralizing battle of wills, causing many cats to hide under beds and fear their human companions. During the few months that we gave Fritz the Cat subcutaneous fluids, our quality of life was dramatically reduced. We were constantly stressed out and dreading the next injection. He would hiss and growl at me and scratch me. Sometimes it took an hour of fighting with him to get the fluids in him. So we had to come up with another option.

Well, after extensive research about the perils of a dry-food-only diet for cats and dogs – and as usual, thinking outside the box – I started getting creative. The question in my mind was how we could keep Fritz the Cat hydrated without stabbing him with a needle every single day. It occurred to me that the pet food industry with its dry garbage kibble was basically inducing kidney problems and then the traditional veterinary industry was “putting a band-aid” on that problem by keeping cats dependent on subcutaneous fluids. Nobody was solving the problem in a holistic way.

Wasn’t the solution very, very simple? Get more water in his diet.

So immediately after Fritz the Cat got home from the hospital, I started giving him a partly wet food canned diet along with the prescription dry kibble. He would not eat the prescription canned food so I used a non-kidney food instead. And as the weeks wore on, and Fritz and I hated doing the subcutaneous fluids, it occurred to me that I could do even better than that. I started mixing water into Fritz the Cat’s canned food. And guess what? He ate it. Happily, with no fighting.

An absolute godsend for us in this department has been Fortiflora Feline Nutritional Supplement. If your cat likes the taste which Fritz does, you can sprinkle a tiny bit on top of the soup and he will lap it right up.

(Note: Before any feline CKD Nazis start getting their panties in a bunch about the phosphorus in Fortiflora, let’s please remember our common sense. It does have 2% phosphorus and if you were feeding it as a food it would be too high. But you are NOT feeding it as a food. We are sprinkling a miniscule amount on top of the broth, and using on average less than one packet a day (less than 1 gram per day). Therefore the phosphorus content in it is INCONSEQUENTIAL. Also consider that getting our cats’ digestive systems balanced with the probiotics in Fortiflora helps their overall health and takes strain OFF the kidneys.)

The veterinarian was alarmed when I took him off subcutaneous fluids in November 2012, just two months after he was released from the hospital. But his test results confirmed six weeks later what I already knew via intuition: He no longer needed the fluids. In large part, this was due to the energetic healing I did for him over those weeks, which we will get to in a moment. And part of it was just very simple: give your pet the fluid they need and would naturally get if they were living outdoors.

After doing more research about fluoride and chlorine in our tap water, I started giving him only a small amount of tap water for the fluoride and the rest of the water I gave him is the purest I can find, Acqua Panna in GLASS bottles. I started increasing the amount of water in the canned food, and he was drinking it like soup. Basically I had solved the problem that the pet food industry created by making sure his at-home diet had as much water as his “natural” outdoor diet would have. I also started adding more canned food and water to my other cat’s diet. A year and a half later, Fritz the Cat has maintained his weight at 1.5 to 2 pounds higher than when he was released from hospital. He is active, happy, and has one of the heartiest appetites I have ever seen.

If only the members of the kidney cat groups had been willing to listen. But they were too hypnotized by their veterinarian’s recommendation of subcutaneous fluids and multiple pharmaceuticals. And they refused even to consider or try the simple and obvious alternative: get your cat more water in their food.

Secret #3: Keep A Supply of No-Salt Added Tuna In Your Pantry

Oh if only I had known this secret when Fritz the Cat first got sick. If I had been able to get him to drink a bunch of tuna broth at the outset, he might not have ended up hospitalized. All they really did in the hospital was super-hydration for a few days, and it cost us about $4000 plus another $2000 for follow-up care in the few months that followed. If we could have flushed his kidneys before things got really bad, we might have prevented the crisis.

Later when I got my sense of humor back, I actually found this a little humorous.  Basically I paid $4000+ for high-tech water. 

So now I keep a supply of the highest-quality tuna I can find, for times of doubt. I get the kind that is lowest in mercury with no salt or anything else added to it. NO vegetable or soy broth. Get the purest you can find. And when I need it, I pour the full can into a glass storage container and add a bunch of Acqua Panna water to dilute the broth. This was a lifesaver yesterday. Fritz the Cat got scared when some workers were in the house and hid under the down comforter for a couple of hours. When I pulled him out, he had symptoms of over-heating like open-mouthed panting, rapid breathing, and lethargy.

This has never happened before. I was terrified and began my emergency Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT tapping) protocol immediately (see secret #5 below). I got tuna broth prepared for him in hopes I could rehydrate him quickly but at first he wouldn’t drink it. I considered injecting him with fluids as we still have some unexpired bags but didn’t want to stress him out even more. I kept doing the emergency EFT tapping protocol (see below tip #5) as I prepared to get him in the car. I had him in the pet carrier all set for an expensive and stressful trip to the emergency vet when … I looked at him in the pet carrier and he was sitting upright with alert eyes. This happens frequently with the emergency EFT tapping protocol – his condition usually improves in a matter of a few minutes.

Intuition said to let him out of the carrier and try again with the tuna broth. I kept tapping and mixed up a couple ounces of diluted no-salt added tuna broth. He also ate a bit of food. Suddenly he was drinking the broth and I brought him another one. The over-heating symptoms disappeared quickly. My intuition said it was not worth the stress of driving him in the car to the vet so I kept careful watch on him over the next few hours. By evening, he was running and exploring like a kitten again.

NOTE: Do not feed the tuna meat to your cat, it’s got too much protein and phosphorus and is not a complete food for cats anyway. This is just the diluted tuna juice with no solids in it. Basically just enough to have the “scent” of tuna when it’s really mostly just purified water. I also try to give this only when necessary and not all the time.

This is not the first time tuna broth has saved the day. When I’m not sure he’s got enough fluid in him, I offer him the unsalted broth. We have avoided several emergency trips to the vet this way. And if I did get him to the vet last night, what would they do for him? Well after waiting extra time to get hydrated, they would probably inject him with subcutaneous fluids and send us home. Isn’t it better if I can get him cooled down and hydrated immediately without the added stress and wait time? That was a lesson I learned during our first kidney emergency, when they made us wait in the lobby for about two or three hours before he was finally hooked up to an IV. If only I had known about unsalted tuna broth, I possibly could have hydrated him myself much sooner. I always keep several cans on hand now of the highest quality UNSALTED NOTHING ADDED tuna I can find.

(Btw, yes I realize that feeding my cats meat and fish conflicts with Becoming Vegan.  I am tapping for new solutions in this area because as of right now there is no acceptable vegan solution for my cats.)

Secret #4: Non-Prescription Supplements

After our kidney crisis, I also did a lot of research about supplements. Keeping phosphorus low is a priority for cats with kidney issues, and many people have had success with a phosphorus binder called Epakitin Nutritional Supplement. You can get it at Amazon for less than veterinarians offer it:

Also highly rated on Amazon are Standard Process supplements. There is a Standard Process Feline Renal Support supplement that we have been using. I cannot give you ‘before and after” results on these because I already had Fritz the Cat back into normal test ranges for creatinine and BUN using  my advanced EFT tapping system for healing (we will get to that in a moment).  He was already in normal ranges before we added any supplements.  But considering how many people have seen improvements in their pets, even if it’s only a placebo effect, it might be worth supplementing in order to save on veterinary bills and to increase quality of life.

Secret #5: The Emergency Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT Tapping) Protocol

It may sound very strange and provoke skepticism for those who haven’t tried it, but I cannot emphasize enough how important it is you learn this emergency EFT tapping protocol. I cannot tell you how many times we have saved emergency trips to the vet by using this protocol, including yesterday. I have seen with my own eyes Fritz the Cat go from lethargic and refusing all forms of food or drink to active and eating within about ten minutes of applying this protocol. Yesterday I saw him go from terrifying symptoms of over-heating to no symptoms and drinking an entire bowl of broth and eating food within about 20 minutes.

And by the way, this isn’t just for kidney issues. This is for ANY medical emergency.

If your cat really needs to go to emergency, by all means take him or her there. But learn this protocol also. Use it on the way to the vet.  Use it in the waiting room.  A few other people have been willing to try this out, and they also saw dramatic and nearly instant results.

Basically, the theory behind this protocol is that it is not really the body that is sick. The sick mind projects illness on ourselves and our pets. Think to the Matrix movie where Neo talks to the kid who says “There is no spoon. It is only your mind that bends.” Straighten your mind, and within a matter of minutes, symptoms can be seen to disappear.

Sound too good to be true? All I ask is that you try it. This is what I wrote on Facebook some time ago:

In the interest of hopefully seeing less death and grief in my News Feed, I am sharing this Emergency EFT Tapping Protocol publicly. This morning Fritz the Cat was not eating and this felt quite alarming and in the past has always led to a trip to the vet. In my desperation to get him healed last year though, I discovered something. This is what I want to share with you today.

I discovered that if I got out my A Course in Miracles book and flipped to the Table of Contents of the workbook, and began tapping out loud through the titles of the lessons while tapping … that Fritz the Cat’s demeanor would change almost instantly. He would often go from listless to energetic and playful within the span of a few minutes. I also used this technique to relieve a number of physical symptoms that came and went over the past year.

(NOTE: If you don’t have a copy of A Course in Miracles handy, you can run a Google search for “a course in miracles workbook” “table of contents” and pull it up online.)

This morning, after he refused every dish I put in front of him, including tuna water, I was very concerned. I had all the dishes he had refused lined up in front of him. I got out the book and began tapping through the Table of Contents of the Course in Miracles workbook. Literally within about 5-10 minutes of beginning this, Fritz the Cat got up and drank the tuna water. Then he ate part of the dry food and part of the wet food. This afternoon he had two more dishes of tuna water and another dish of dry food.

Literally I will be recording a health EFT tapping video in my living room, and within a few minutes, Fritz the Cat will be running around like a kitten … It only takes a few minutes. In an emergency, you can do it while you are waiting in the waiting room or have someone do the tapping on the way to get help. Please try this – I have a feeling it’s going to save a lot of lives.

Don’t believe me? Sound too weird? Try it for yourself. Isn’t it worth trying something that could save you thousands of dollars in veterinary bills and give your pet a much higher quality of life, even if it sounds a little strange?

Secret #6: Learn My Advanced EFT Tapping System for Holistic Healing

Our Secret #5 explained above is a powerful basic protocol for beginners and emergencies. What is even more powerful is learning my entire holistic healing method.

During our kidney crisis in September through November of 2012, what made the biggest difference was daily Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT tapping) for Fritz the Cat. I tapped for him using surrogate tapping and also healed my own issues that I was projecting onto him. Surrogate tapping can be done for your pet even from a distance. I would record videos late into the middle of the night and then visit Fritz in the hospital during the day. The more I tapped, the more his test results improved. The veterinarian told me it would not be possible to get his creatinine results back into normal range, but I did it – and I did it without subcutaneous fluids or any supplements. We only added supplements later. If you want these kind of results for your beloved pet, it’s time to try something new (you can sample some of my free videos at https://erikaawakening.com/start-here to begin learning how).

For example, the 30-Day Health & Fitness Challenge and the 30-Day Simplify Your Life Challenge are both every powerful programs for enhancing health and reducing your dependence on Western medicine.

Using my method, I have eliminated my own chronic pain, vastly improved a chronic skin condition, lost weight, and much more … I’ve also helped many of my clients and customers lose weight and enhance their health and fitness without side effects …

We also spared Fritz the Cat from the unnecessary strain on his body of dental surgery under general anesthesia by healing his dental cavity with EFT tapping (read more about that here).

If you have any questions about which of my programs would be right for your situation, please email me at Erika @ ErikaAwakening.com.

ATTENTION:  If you need a payment plan to afford my products and services, please email me at Erika @ ErikaAwakening.com.  Many of my clients and customers have used payment plans to purchase my offerings, and I am always willing to work with a committed person to come up with a plan that works for both of us.

I hope this article will help you remain calm, stay optimistic, think creatively, and greatly improve health and quality of life if you find yourself in the dire situation in which we found ourselves. Nobody wants to hear the words “feline renal failure” about their beloved pet. But you are not powerless, and it is so very important not to take the recommendations of a veterinarian as gospel. You are more powerful than you think if you are willing to try something new and think for yourself.

You can beat chronic kidney failure. I’m praying for you!
Love,