Your Cat and Kidney Disease
“He’s just not himself recently. He’s become very picky with his food and has lost quite a bit of weight. Oh yes…and I’ve noticed that he’s drinking more than usual these days”.
This is a very common starting point for a consultation when a middle aged or older cat is brought to us for treatment. Several potential diagnoses go through the mind of the vet, but in many cases we are dealing with chronic kidney disease (CKD for short). One third of all cats over nine years of age will have some degree of kidney failure. Some cats show no signs of kidney disease until about two thirds of their kidney tissue has been damaged.

When the filter is damaged things begin to go wrong. Protein, which is normally kept in the blood stream, starts to leak out in increasing amounts into the urine - less water is retained - large amounts of dilute urine are produced. The blood pressure in the kidneys increases in an attempt to force them to work more efficiently, but all it does is lead to high blood pressure centrally, and further damage. Finally a complete imbalance occurs in blood electrolytes, which are crucial for health - e.g. high phosphate and low potassium levels. Together, these effects lead to the principal signs of kidney failure.

> Excess drinking > Weight loss > Weakness
> Reduced appetite > In many cases anaemia

What can and should we do in these cases?
Well, as with all disease processes, the trick is to try catching them early! A combination of dietary management, medication to lower blood pressure and reduce protein loss together with antibiotics where appropriate, will all help control the symptoms of chronic kidney disease.
Early diagnosis using blood and urine tests can lead to early control. This can help ensure extra years of good quality life for our feline patients. So if your cat is 10 years or older, why not consider asking your vet to screen for early-stage kidney disease when you’re next in the clinic?

How does CKD develop?
In general it is the result of recurring infections, or age-related degenerative changes in the filtering mechanism of the kidneys. The kidneys are vital organs for life, and their primary role is to filter toxins from the blood stream to ensure that just the right amount of water and essential electrolytes are either excreted or reabsorbed as appropriate.