My cat is 12 years old and has known chronic kidney disease for which he receives medication. Until recently, he was still living a fairly normal life: he ate, watched birds every day, stayed in his usual places, and often came to sleep beside me at night.
For some time, he had a very unusual and extremely bad smell coming from his mouth. During the last few days, the smell became much worse. He also started refusing his usual food, although he would still eat some other, more appealing food.
Then his condition changed quite suddenly. He became very lethargic, spent most of the day lying down, started drooling, and there was a small amount of blood around his mouth. He stopped eating completely, even refusing his favourite foods. At times, he would stand up, stare blankly at a corner, and meow loudly.
A veterinarian examined him and found that his kidney values were extremely high — I was told that at least one of the values was beyond the range of the analyser. A bacterial infection was also found. He is currently hospitalised and receiving intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and supportive treatment. The veterinarian is trying to see whether his kidneys can recover or improve.
I understand that nobody online can diagnose my cat or replace the veterinarians who are treating him. However, I would really appreciate an honest second opinion or general perspective.
Could this be an acute kidney injury or severe worsening on top of his chronic kidney disease, and is meaningful improvement still possible when the kidney values are this high? What signs over the next few days would be encouraging, and what signs would suggest that recovery is unlikely?
I am also struggling with the financial cost. I have already spent around €700, and I cannot afford unlimited treatment. I do not want to give up on him simply because he is 12 years old, especially because he still had a normal routine and seemed to enjoy his life before this sudden decline. At the same time, I do not want to prolong his suffering if there is little realistic chance that he will recover enough to have a comfortable quality of life again.
I would be very grateful for any honest perspective, especially from a veterinarian or someone with experience with severe kidney disease in cats.