Kidney Disease in Cats

Overview

Have you look at your cat in for a baulk up lately ? While your African tea may appear glad and goodly on the outside , that may not be the case internally .

Checking for signs of kidney disease in cats is one of the most important reasons that favored parents should take their felines in for routine veterinary examination and laboratory testing . Kidney disease is very common in quat and is all too often name recently in the course of action of disease , when the prospect is worse .

This clause will explicate what cat kidney disease is , how it is diagnosed and treated , as well as common symptom to look out for .

Cat with kidney disease

What Is Feline Kidney Disease?

The kidney are a twosome of organs that do very important function in our cats ’ body . The kidneys are involved in the following social function :

When the kidneys turn a loss their function , it can wreak mayhem on your cat-o'-nine-tails ’s body and make her very mad .

Kidney disease is much more common in old cats . Studies judge that 1 to 3 percentage of the overall cat population has kidney disease [ 1 ] , while kidney disease was rule to affect up to 40 per centum of cats over 10 years of age and 80 percentage of cats over 15 years of long time [ 2 ] .

Tired cat on bed

Certain breeds of cats are more likely to suffer from continuing kidney disease than others . Those includePersian , Abyssinian , Siamese , Ragdoll , Burmese , Russian Blue , andMaine Coonbreeds [ 3 ] .

Typesof Kidney Disease in Cats

Kidney disease is split into two independent category — knifelike and chronic .

Acute kidney disease , also call in acute kidney injury ( AKI ) or acute kidney bankruptcy , come on very short , will unremarkably make a cat very ill , and take hospitalization . Acute kidney disease is commonly because of toxins , such as antifreeze , isobutylphenyl propionic acid or lily ingestion , certain infections , and urinary blockages . If treated rapidly , AKI may be two-sided , however , it will make a cat more prostrate to developing inveterate kidney disease down the road .

Chronic kidney disease(CKD)—also called chronic renal bankruptcy — is much more common than acute kidney disease and is diagnosed when kidney abnormalities ( whether base on research laboratory tests or imagery ) are present for 3 months or longer .

Cat drinking water from bowl

The remainder of this article will concentrate on continuing kidney disease .

Stagesof Kidney Disease in Cats

Most veterinarians use the International Renal Interest Society ( IRIS ) scaffolding organization for continuing kidney disease [ 4 ] . inveterate kidney disease is a progressive disease and is divided into four stages of increasing hardness , base on blood levels of creatinine and symmetrical dimethylarginine ( SDMA ) , two marker of kidney part

Stage I : Cats are seldom name this early in the row of kidney disease . Persian qat that test incontrovertible for the polycystic kidney disease inherited mutation without any laboratory abnormality would fall into this category . Abnormal kidney structure may also be found by the bye during an abdominal ultrasound that would indicate stage I. No abnormal symptoms are present at this stage . No handling are recommended at this phase but heedful monitoring of descent and piddle trial is recommend to supervise for patterned advance into stagecoach II .

microscope stage II : At this stagecoach of kidney disease in cats there will be mild change to blood and urine values and near monitoring by your veterinarian . symptom may or may not be obvious to pet parent and include an increase in water consumption and frequent micturition . consider start your cat on a ethical drug kidney diet at this microscope stage .

cat getting veterinary checkup

Stage III : Significant disease is present at this stage of feline kidney disease , and symptoms are normally present . These may let in increase water intake , increase urination , decreased appetency , weight loss , vomiting , and short coating lineament . In add-on to feeding a ethical drug diet , certain medications and supplements may be dictate .

Stage IV : Also call “ last - leg ” kidney disease . Cats in phase IV of chronic kidney disease have a poor prognosis and often postulate to be hospitalized to receive endovenous fluids .

Causesof Cat Kidney Disease

In most case , cats with kidney disease have idiopathic disease , mean the campaign is unknown . However , some thing have a go at it to cause kidney disease in cats include :

sealed toxins or drug . toxin ( i.e. ingestion oflilies , antifreeze , and isobutylphenyl propionic acid ) cause acute kidney injury which may lead to chronic kidney disease

Trauma . This grounds decreased blood flow to the kidney and hunger the kidney of O .

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Viral infections . Viral infections includingfeline leukemia virus(FeLV ) andfeline immunodeficiency virus(FIV ) may damage the kidneys .

Bacterial infections . These can lead to long terminal figure damage to the kidneys if not treated promptly .

Kidney stones . Stones block normal transition of weewee through the urinary tract causing excess insistency , which damage the kidney that is block .

Polycystic kidney disease . This is a consideration characterized by abnormal fluid - satisfy cysts throughout the kidney .

Cancer . sealed Cancer includinglymphomaand leucaemia can penetrate the kidneys and damage their structure .

sealed autoimmune conditions . These will cause unnatural immune complex molecules to form within the kidneys , leading to harm .

Urethral obstacle . Urethral obstruction can have incisive kidney injury , which leads to continuing kidney disease .

Diagnosing Feline Kidney Disease

Your veterinarian will diagnose continuing kidney disease primarily based on bloodline and urine examination . systematically elevated blood creatinine and/or SDMA stratum together with a low urine concentration sustain a inveterate kidney disease diagnosing . SDMA stand for symmetric dimethylarginine , which is an amino dose that is produce when protein is break down and egest through the kidneys .

The veterinarian will also expend symptoms supply by the favourite parent and examination findings to support the diagnosing .

An abdominal ultrasonography is also very helpful in name kidney disease in cat , as it render a detailed mental image of the kidneys and help to check for underlying weather , such as kidney Harlan Stone and polycystic kidney disease .

Once continuing kidney disease is diagnose , descent pressure sensation and pee protein to creatinine ratio testing is important and will determine the motivation for certain medicament . computed tomography with continuing kidney disease are also more prone to developingurinary pathway infections ( UTIs)so urine culture may be bespeak from time to fourth dimension .

Life Expectancy For Cats With Kidney Disease

It is impossible to predict how long a cat can live once diagnosed with chronic kidney disease , as every cat will progress at unlike rates .

However , cats diagnose in stage I and II that are suitably deal may know many years . Meanwhile , a Arabian tea diagnosed in stage IV would likely succumb to disease within calendar week to month .

Treating Kidney Diseasein Cats

There is not a unmediated intervention for kidney disease in cat . Once a portion of the kidney ’s function is lost it can not be find . However , appropriate management of the disease can stop or slow the progression of the disease .

The mainstay of treatment for inveterate kidney disease is to flow them aprescription nephritic ( kidney ) diet . Cats who wipe out prescription nephritic diets may experience twice as long as those that do not [ 5 ] . These diets are humiliated in phosphorus , moderately protein restricted , incorporate omega-3 fat acids and other compounds that are good to the kidneys .

cat should be transition to a ethical drug diet as shortly as they are in stagecoach II or higher . Switching to the diet early on , before the cat has lost its appetite , will result in good acceptance of the solid food . transition the food very gradually over a few weeks to months is recommended , specially for picky eaters .

If potential , a cockeyed or force out dieting is preferred over the dry version , as cats with chronic kidney disease areprone to desiccation . Pet parents should also assure plenty of access to sassy weewee by placing multiple bowls throughout the firm or using pet drinking outpouring .

Medications for Cat Kidney Disease

Depending on your cat ’s research laboratory mental testing results or symptoms , she may need the postdate medications or supplements to help manage continuing kidney disease :

Cats in stage III and IV may also profit from receiving subcutaneous fluids — fluids administer under the cutis — to cover dehydration . favourite parents can be taught to perform this at home to shrink price and tension on the kitty .

On ordinary , the cost of treating feline kidney disease for the first year is $ 1,300 . ”

General Cost To Treat Kidney Disease In Cats

When inveterate kidney disease is first suspected , you will need to bring your true cat to your ex-serviceman more oft — commonly monthly — to have her probe and complete lab testing .

After the first few months , if the disease is stable , exams and research lab oeuvre should be perform every 3 to 6 months .

monetary value to care for kidney disease in cats will vary calculate on your locating but idea are as follows :

On average , the first - class cost to process feline kidney disease is $ 1,300 , according to Pets Best claims data.1If you have preferred insurance policy , this circumstance might be covered under your policy , but you ’ll still have to hold off to receive reimbursement for eligible costs . That ’s where a solution like theCareCredithealth and pet care acknowledgment card can come in handy , because it allows you to pay up over prison term with flexible funding choice . * you may use your card for any character of maintenance your cat penury , such as exams , nosology , medications , and prescription intellectual nourishment , at any supplier in the CareCredit internet .

How To PreventKidney Disease In Cats

Since the cause of kidney disease in most cat is still unknown , there are n’t many affair that pet parent can do to keep it . However , certain risk factors do exist . periodontic disease is a eff risk of infection factor for chronic kidney disease in cats as well as humans . Daily home dental care and annualcat dental cleaningscan prevent and belittle periodontal disease .

Cats should be maintain off from known toxin and drug that are harmful to the kidney . All kitty should bevaccinated against FeLVand inoculation should be continue for adults that expend unsupervised meter outside . Some veterinary urge feeding qat all or mostly wet food to prevent kidney disease but research is still needed to see if this would truly help .

Remember that early sensing of chronic kidney disease is key to a good resultant . hire your true cat to the vet regularly is crucial . Cats over the long time of 7 should ideally be try out every six months and take in roue and urine examination at least per annum [ 6 ] .