Kidney Disease in Cats
As a cat gets older their kidneys can begin to fail. 30% of old cats have kidney problems. If you do not treat kidney failure your cat will have other complications. There are many things that you can do to increase the quality and quantity of your cat’s life by managing kidney problems early.
Kidneys are a major organ that all animals need. Your cat’s kidneys are responsible for:
• Maintaining blood pressure
• Producing hormones
• Stimulating the body to make more blood
• Eliminating protein waste from the body.
• Producing urine
Kidney disease is not just for old cats, kittens can also be born with problems. Other things such as trauma, toxin and infection can cause kidney problems.
Different Types of Kidney Disease
There are two different types of kidney disease.
1. Chronic Kidney Disease: this occurs when the kidney slowly stop working. Cats can adjust to these slow changes.
2. Acute Kidney Disease: this is caused by sudden damage to the kidneys such as toxin exposure.
Signs of Kidney Failure in Cats
Common signs seen in cats with kidney failure are:
• Frequent urination.
• Drinking a lot of water
• Decreased appetite causing weight loss
• Vomiting and diarrhoea
• Ulcers in the mouth, gums and tongue
• Smelly breath
• Dry skin
• Constipated
• Weak and lethargic
Early in the disease you will see increase in drinking and increase in urination. Sometimes this is hard for an owner to notice as cats commonly share water bowls and litter boxes with other cats.
Risk of Kidney Disease
There are certain things that may predispose your cat to having kidney disease. Older cats and certain breeds such as Persians more commonly have kidney disease, but there are other risk factors such as:
• Kidney infection
• Kidney stones
• Urinary blockage
• FIP
• Cancer
• Amyloidosis seen in Abyssinian, Siamese and other oriental cats
• Polycystic kidney disease seen in Persian cats
Physical Exam Findings of Kidney disease
If you think that your cat may have problems with their kidneys, you should make an appointment with your veterinarian. When your veterinarian examines your cat, there are certain things that they look for that could indicate that they have kidney disease.
• Low body temperature
• Weight loss
• Dehydration
• Unkempt hair coat
• Bad breath, with ulcers in the mouth
• Pale gums
• Blindness due to high blood pressure
Diagnosing and Treating Kidney Disease
Your veterinarian will want to run test to assess their kidney disease.
These test include:
• Complete blood count (CBC)—The CBC may show that your cat does not have enough red blood cells (anaemia) or an increase in white blood cells which means with infection, stress or inflammation.
• Chemistry profile with electrolytes – This will assess the kidney values.
• Urinalysis —Examination of your cats urine before any treatment is an easy way to see their urine quality.
• Urine culture—Checking for a bacterial infection in the urinary tract.
• Urine protein : creatinine ratio test
• X Rays or Ultrasound—This will help see the size and shape of the kidneys.
• Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) Testing:
• Blood pressure — Cats with high blood pressure commonly have kidney disease.
• Thyroid testing— Cats can have hyperthyroidism which mask signs of kidney disease.
All veterinarians will start with a physical examination. It is always advised to take your cat in for routine examination by your veterinarian. This is the best way to help prevent your cat from getting a serious problem. Your veterinarian can help you catch kidney disease before it has progressed to much.
Your veterinarian can feel the size and shape of your cats kidneys with just a physical exam. This can be very useful in the early detection of kidney disease. If your veterinarian suspects that there is something wrong with their kidneys they will want to run blood work or other test to get a better understanding on your cats kidneys.
How to manage cats with Chronic Kidney disease.
Your veterinarian will help you develop a plan to manage your cats kidney disease. This will all depend on the severity of their kidney disease and if your cat has any other problems. Some cats will need to be hospitalized for a few days and received intravenous(IV) fluids. Most can be easily managed at home. If your cat is eating and drinking they will most likely get to go home with medication.
Managementment of Kidney Failure in Cats
The best way to treat kidney failure in cats is to stay in the hospital with IV fluids and supportive care. With aggressive treatment about 40% of cats can recover. If the cause of the kidney failure is due to toxin’s the prognosis is usually poor with only a 10% survival.
Chronic kidney failure is irreversible. Once the damage has been done it cannot be fixed. The treatment for chronic kidney disease is diet change. Your cat should be fed a diet with low levels of protein and phosphorus. Your veterinarian can show you how to give SubQ fluids at home. As the disease progresses your cat may need blood pressure medication and medication for vomiting.
Prevention of Kidney Failure in Cats
Prevention is the key at treating kidney failure. You can prevent kidney failure in your cat by:
1. Decreasing your cats exposure to toxins: keep your cat away from thing that are toxic to their kidneys such as ethylene glycol, human medications and lilies.
2. Look for genetic problems: Abyssinians and Persians have a genetic predisposition to developing kidney disease.
3. See your vet twice a year: All cats should have an exam twice a year. Senior cats, those over 7 should have bloodwork done at these visits. This will help catch kidney disease early.
4. Know what signs to look for: Look for signs in your cat such as increased drinking, increased trips to the litter box, weight loss, vomiting and bad breath.
Final Thoughts
Kidney disease can be a very challenging disease for you and your cat. By being vigilant on your cats treatment, you cat can live a long and healthy life. By working with your veterinarian you cat can still go on to live a long and happy life.