Kidney Disease in Cats
A tip from Garret Turley of Pet Doctors
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| Chichester Cattery Dykehurst West Stoke Road Chichester West Sussex PO19 3PL (Ph) 01243 536959 |
Kidneys deteriorate with the wear and tear of age and this is accelerated by infections, poor quality diets, bad teeth (the bugs in the mouth spread into the bloodstream and damage the kidneys), and exposure to toxins. Your cat will not start to display signs of kidney disease until two thirds of the kidneys have been destroyed. A major function of the kidneys is to filter and remove waste products. Damaged kidneys allow a build-up of waste products, and because the kidneys can no longer concentrate urine your cat will start to drink more to compensate for the loss of fluid.
Your veterinary surgeon will make a diagnosis by examination, blood tests and urine tests. The mainstay of treatment is the use of veterinary prescription diets that reduce the build-up of waste in the body and minimise further damage to the kidneys. We can also use anabolic steroids to stop weight loss, drugs that help damaged blood cells and, in the USA, kidney transplants are available!
So if your cat is drinking more, losing weight or has a poor appetite then get your vet to take a look and ensure we catch the problem early.
