Kidney Failure in Cats - Information from Vetscriptions

[angieh]

I do hope that it's OK to pass this straightforward information on. I have included the Vetscriptions copyright at the end.

Vetscriptions Information Sheet October 2011: Kidney Failure in Cats

Kidney failure is a common cause of illness and death in older cats, and many cats seem to begin to show symptoms as the weather starts to turn colder.

The word 'failure' implies that the kidneys either work fine or they fail and stop working altogether, but the reality is that kidney failure in cats tends to be a long drawn out process, and how quickly they progress to serious illness depends largely on what you decide to do about it.


1. How do you know if your cat is affected by kidney disease? The classic signs of kidney disease are:

- Increased thirst – draining water bowls or drinking from taps.

- Loss of appetite or increasing fussiness with feeding.

- Weight loss


If your cat is affected, your vet may suggest checking your cat’s blood looking for rising levels of waste products (urea), a protein called creatinine, phosphorus and calcium. And a urine test may show excessively dilute urine with higher levels of certain proteins.



2. If your cat has been diagnosed with kidney failure, what should you do about it?

- maximise your cats water intake.

- feed wet foods only,
- add more water or broth to the food
- buy a water fountain to provide running water
- in severe cases, your vet may recommend giving extra fluids by injection under the skin: you will need help and instruction with this.

- Diet is the single most important factor: the right diet can double your cat’s survival time.

- feed a low protein diet such as Hills k/d, Royal Canin Renal or Eukanuba Renal to reduce the amount of waste products produced.

- feed a diet low in phosphorus, or add a phosphorus binder to the food

- supplement potassium in the diet if levels are low

- make sure your vet monitors your cat’s blood pressure and treat it if it rises. Untreated high blood pressure can cause sudden blindness.

- give a prescription medicine called an ACE inhibitor every day if your vet prescribes it. It helps maintain the blood supply to the kidneys.

- there is evidence that nutritional supplements such as Rubenal and Essential Fatty Acids can help maintain kidney function

- use a high energy feed supplement such as Nutrigel or Nutri Cal if your cat is not eating enough calories to maintain bodyweight.


If you think that your cat might be suffering from kidney disease, take action: go to your vet and find out what you can do now to make a difference!

Copyright © 2011 Vetscriptions Ltd, All rights reserved.

[dandysmom]

Thanks, Angie; very valuable info.

[Elaine]

Sound advice

[truthisouthere]

Sound advice like this should be a stickie..

I give Mitzi Nutrigel with her breakfast although the recent blood test showed her kidneys are fine (I was gobsmacked) it's her liver enzymes that are a little elevated. With all that is wrong with her -the Eisinophilic Granuloma Complex, and the hyperthyroidism- she has followed a similar plan for the past 8 months with plenty of raw meat and fluids in the form of broth which contains essential fatty acids which are also essential for halting the EGComplex. This plan keeps her comfortable and helps stop her weight from falling any further.

I love to see posts like this. The info could mean the difference between life or death.