Feline
Kidney Failure
Feline Kidney Failure is the
second biggest cause of death for older cats (right behind Feline
Leukemia). Once your cat reaches 13 years of age it's time to
watch for early signs of kidney problems.
Two common signs are increased
thirst and frequent urination. Often accompanied by loss of
appetite, frequent vomiting (with no signs of hairballs or foreign
material), and low energy levels. Any older cat (even young ones
on occasion) exhibiting these symptoms in combination is a sure
sign of serious kidney problems.
Kidney failure quickly starts
dumping toxic material into the blood stream since the kidneys can
no longer function at a high enough level. This causes more
problems and other important body functions become weak and start
to fail.
I had a feral cat, Mother Kitty, that I rescued when she was probably around 2-3 years old.
She was one of the most invincible cats I have ever known, proving
on many occasions the proverb of cats having nine lives. She was
never ill (although she did get into fights and got to go to the
Vet for antibiotics for cat bites), roamed far and wide until the
day she passed.
She came in one morning and
looked a little weak in her demeanor. I got her some leftover
roast beef to see if that would perk her up and she just sniffed
it and passed. I immediately knew something was wrong and took her
straight to the Vet.
Our Vet knows everyone of our
animals and Mother Kitty had given everyone in the clinic a lesson
about messing with her at least once. So I generally held her for
examinations. This time she let the Vet pick her up and I knew
this was really serious.
He took her temperature and ran a
quick blood test. He came out and told me the bad news. He said he
doesn't understand how Mother Kitty was even alive because her temperature
was so high and blood count so bad. He had put her on water bag
(that's where they hook them up to bag of saline solution) and
said I should go in now and say goodbye to her.
To say I was shocked at the
sudden down turn in her health doesn't cover it. But the Vet said
that this can happen often, especially with strong willed cats. I
have to say that was one of the worst mornings I've had for many
years.
That's the bad part about kidney
failure, most of these symptoms don't start until the cat is very
ill, maybe down to 20-30%% or less of kidney function. Mother
Kitty never showed any signs of the symptoms before that morning. If the
kidney function goes any lower than 20%, death is not far away. If symptoms
are caught early, there are some treatments and special diets that
can help.
Cats that have bladder or kidney
problems when they are young are very susceptible to kidney
failure even at a younger age. There are many contributing factors
but one of the key elements that you can control is diet. Feeding
your cat a healthy diet can prolong their lives and increase their
quality of life (see Urine
Tract Health Cat Food for more on diet)
A diet high in protein, enriched
white rice, and vitamin supplements can be helpful with low Kidney
functionality. Fluid therapy and vitamin shots can also be
helpful. The bad news is that Kidneys can't regenerate so it's
still no cure, just makes it easier on your cat.
The best thing you can you is be
very watchful of older cats and look for the symptoms on Feline
Kidney Failure above. The
sooner you can start treatment, the better quality of life you can
provide.
Related Articles:
Our Website Resident Cats
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presented only for informational purposes and does not replace medical advice from a practicing veterinarian.
The
contents on this site are not presented from a licensed
veterinarian, and any and all health care for your pet
should be
made under the guidance of your own veterinarian.
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