WHY ARE THE KIDNEYS SO IMPORTANT?
The kidneys play an essential part in maintaining your cat’s
health by removing waste products from the blood stream, but they are
responsible for so much more!
The kidneys produce three important hormones:
I. EPO,
which stimulates the bones to make red blood cells.
II. Renin
(REE-nin), which regulates blood pressure.
III.The
active form of vitamin D, which helps maintain calcium for bones and for normal
chemical balance in the body.
The kidneys also regulate the quantities of sodium,
phosphorus, and potassium in the bloodstream.
When your cat’s kidneys are compromised its body is thrown
into turmoil.
Kidney failure is usually separated into two categories:
• acute renal failure – which usually develops
quickly over a week or a month
With
early diagnosis, acute renal failure can be detected and managed’
• chronic
renal failure – the gradual deterioration of the kidneys over a prolonged period of time.
‘chronic
renal failure is an incurable condition that mainly affects older cats'
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF KIDNEY FAILURE?
As kidney failure is a progressive disease, you may not pick
up any symptoms in your cat until it is already quite ill. However, you may
notice:
• increased
thirst and urination
• Subtle
weight loss
• Decreased
appetite
• Vomiting
• Bad
breath – drooling (caused by mouth ulcers)
• Increased
sleeping patterns
Your cat may also begin to look scruffy as it grooms itself
less.
As you can see the list of symptoms is diverse and can be
attributed to many other illnesses. If your cat persistently shows any of these
symptoms it would be wise to get her checked out.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF KIDNEY FAILURE?
The causes can be as varied as the symptoms and often remain
unknown.
• Kidney
infection
• Advanced
dental disease
• Obstructions
such as kidney stones or blocked bladder which can cause; Decreased blood or
urine flow to the kidneys
• Cancer
• Ingestion
of toxic substances, such as antifreeze, pesticides, medications and cleaning
chemicals
• Polycystic
kidney disease- genetic predisposition to the disease
• Age older
than seven years
• Feline
infectious Peritonitis (FIP)
• Feeding
food high in phosphorus or increased levels of protein can increase the
disease’s progression
Your cat may also begin to look scruffy as it grooms itself
less.
As you can see the list of symptoms is diverse and can be
attributed to many other illnesses. If your cat persistently shows any of these
symptoms it would be wise to get her checked out.
HOW WILL MY VET DIAGNOSE KIDNEY FAILURE?
The first thing your vet will do after taking a detailed
history is to perform a physical examination. Apart from
evaluating the general condition of your cat, these are some
of
the signs your vet will be looking for:
• Low body
temperature
• Poor body
condition, weight loss, shabby coat
• Excessive
skin tenting and dry gums showing dehydration
• Sharp or
bad breath, possibly with ulcers in the mouth
• Pale gums
• Evidence
of ocular haemorrhage or blindness associated with high blood pressure
(hypertension)
It may also be possible for your vet to feel irregularities
in the size and shape of the kidneys.
If your vet suspects your cat has kidney disease there are
several tests which will help to differentiate the symptoms from other
conditions and which will indicate how severe the kidney disease is.
These tests may include:
• Complete
blood count (CBC)— to determine if there is
anaemia (too few red blood cells) or an increase in white blood cells
which would indicate infection, stress
or inflammation.
• Chemistry
profile with electrolytes
• SDMA
testing
• Urinalysis
with sediment exam—Examining a urine specimen, especially, prior to any
treatment, is a simple and economical way to gauge urine quality.
• Urine
protein to creatinine ratio test
• Diagnostic
imaging— X-rays and ultrasound to identify changes in the size, shape, of the
kidneys and their plumbing may show a need for emergency treatment.
• Infectious
disease testing—Routine testing of all sick cats for feline leukaemia virus
(FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is advisable.
Once your vet has evaluated your cat he will decide how best
to approach the treatment and management of your kitty. Each kidney patient
will respond differently to treatment depending on the severity of the kidney
disease present.
Acute kidney failure – if diagnosed and treated early enough
it is sometimes possible to reverse acute kidney failure. Immediate medical
attention is required to limit the amount of permanent damage to the kidneys.
Your cat will probably be hospitalized be given intravenous fluid therapy and
supportive renal medication. Sadly, there are cases in which the damage to the
kidneys is so severe that nothing can be done to help the patient and
euthanasia is the kindest option.
Chronic kidney failure - this is commonly seen in older cats
(over 7 years) and depending on the general condition of your cat may be
treated with supportive medication and fluid therapy.
Good nutrition is of immense importance in the management of
the kidney patient. Prescription diets are available that are formulated to
assist in the control of kidney disease in cats.
‘high quality medical evidence shows that diet is important
to slow chronic kidney disease ‘
‘It’s recommended that all cats 7 years and older get a
“senior screening” at their annual check-up in order to determine if your cat
has kidney issues.’
Although it is possible to manage most chronic kidney
disease patients it remains a difficult condition to control and in the case of
acute kidney failure it can leave the owner devastated and the veterinary team
feeling helpless.
Recources:
47 Kenilworth Road, Cape Town
kenvet@telkomsa.net
Telephone: 021-671-5018
kenvet@telkomsa.net
Telephone: 021-671-5018
