Tag Archives: renal failure

A day in the life of: Trent – Kidney Disease

Meet Trent, a gorgeous and very friendly 11 year old Domestic Short Hair cat. Trent visited us a few weeks ago after his owner Hayley noticed that he had been losing weight and the quality of his coat had been lacking.

In order to investigate Hayley’s concerns Dr Jenny decided that a senior check-up was in order. A senior check-up involves a thorough history and examination with a focus on issues that our senior cats are commonly affected by.  Our comprehensive examination includes a mobility assessment, dental health check, dietary assessment, parasite control review and a vaccination review.   The senior cat check-up also includes a full blood profile, blood pressure and urine testing all run in our state of the art in house laboratory.

Trent was an angel, he let us check his blood pressure without a fuss, we used a blood pressure cuff and a Doppler ultrasound to do this.  We made sure to use headphones so that Trent didn’t notice the noise at all. Blood pressure testing is extremely important as cats with high blood pressure have no clinical signs until they develop organ damage.  Sudden onset blindness is often the first sign we see.  Early detection and treatment can help prevent this, Luckily Trent’s blood pressure was normal.

We then went on to collect blood and urine samples from Trent, the blood test we ran measured his kidney enzymes, liver enzymes, thyroid hormone, glucose, and red and white blood cells.  The urine sample was to check urine concentration allowing us to assess kidney function, and to check for urinary tract infections which are common in our older cats.

 

After running these tests we found that Trent had early stage kidney disease, and this was what caused his weight loss and other symptoms such as changes to his coat.  Kidney disease can also cause increased thirst and increased urination – this is often what owners notice first.

Because of Trent’s vigilant owner we were able to detect the kidney disease at such an early stage that all Trent needed was a diet change to a special prescription kidney diet.  Trent actually quite liked his new diet, but don’t worry we have plenty of tips and tricks for cats that are more fussy.  In a few weeks we will follow up with Trent and recheck his blood and urine tests to make sure that he is improving with his treatment.

Image result for hills k/d cat Image result for royal canin renal cat

 

If your cat is 7 years of age or older, book in for their Senior Cat Check-up today, give us a call on (02) 6230 2223 or click HERE to book online now!

Kidney failure in cats

Mittens getting the right balance

What do kidneys do?

 

The kidneys remove waste products from the blood stream, regulate fluid and electrolyte balance, maintain the acid-base balance of the body and remove toxins and drugs. They also help maintain blood pressure and stimulate blood cell production.

What happens when my cat’s kidneys fail?

Signs of kidney failure don’t appear until at least 70% of kidney function is lost. Chronic kidney failure is known as renal failure.

Kidney damage accumulates for years before we see any signs. Even then the early signs of kidney failure – increased thirst and urine production – are not easily recognised in our feline friends.

You may notice an increasingly wet litter tray if your cat is only indoors. However if you have other cats you may not pick up increased urine production in a single cat.

Cats often drink from multiple water sources making it difficult to recognise increased consumption.

Other signs of kidney failure such as weight loss and poor coat quality are often put down to normal ageing.

Often the first thing we see is a cat off her food, vomiting, depressed and dehydrated. The kidneys are already badly affected by this stage.

How do we diagnose kidney failure?

We diagnose and stage kidney failure with blood tests for the two waste products, urea and creatinine and a urine analysis to measure the kidneys ability to concentrate urine. We also  check the urine for protein loss or a urinary tract infection.

Tests for other substances like potassium, phosphorus and calcium as well as blood cell counts help us decide on the best course of treatment.

Could it have been diagnosed earlier?

Because signs of kidney failure and rises in blood urea and creatinine are not evident until significant loss of kidney function has occurred early diagnosis is difficult. However, we strongly recommend at least annual blood and urine tests, as well as regular body weight checks. If urine concentrating ability is deteriorating or the creatinine is trending up we are able to slow down the progression of the disease with a special kidney protective diet. Any weight loss in a cat should be fully investigated.

What treatments are available?

After initial hospitalisation to treat dehydration and electrolyte disturbances, most cats are managed with a diet change and one or two other medications.

  • Low protein and phosphorus diets lower the level of waste products in the bloodstream.  Try a few of the ready made kidney diets like Royal Canin renal or Hills k/d to find one your cat likes. Once your cat accepts the diet it must be her sole source of nutrition. Although if renal failure is advanced and your cat’s appetite is poor, any diet that the cat enjoys is acceptable.
  • If blood phosphorus levels remain above normal after a few weeks on the special diet we add phosphate binders like Ipakitine to the food. Reducing blood phosphorus makes your cat feel better and slows progression of the disease.
  • Urinary tract infections are common in kidney failure and are treated with antibiotics.
  • Cats with renal failure lose potassium in the urine leading to muscle weakness, stiffness, a poor coat and exacerbation of the kidney failure. The special kidney diets contain extra potassium but sometimes we have to add more.
  • Severely affected cats need extra fluids. We can teach you to administer      subcutaneous fluids at home to reduce dehydration in advanced cases.

FRESH WATER MUST BE AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES

How long can I expect my cat to live?

Unfortunately aged kidneys do not recover. However, we can slow the progress of the disease and improve your cat’s well being with treatment and regular checkups. We check  phosphorous and potassium levels to see if your cat requires supplements and check for urinary tract infections at least every 3 months. This should give your cat a good stretch of high quality, active life.

 

 

Lilies poison cats

All species of lilies are toxic to cats. Indoor cats with little choice in plant munching material are most at risk as they will try any cut flower that comes into the house.

Any part of the plant – flowers, leaves or stems – is dangerous. Even lily pollen licked off the coat destroys cats’ kidney tubules.

Lilies proven to poison cats include: Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum), Tiger Lily ( Lilium tigrinum), Day Lily (Lilium hemerocallus), Asian lily (Lily asiatic spp.) and(Lilium rubrum).

If you see your cat with lily on her coat, in her mouth or in her vomit don’t wait for signs of poisoning. The sooner we get it out of her system and start treatment to protect the kidneys the greater her chance of survival.

Affected cats vomit and are depressed within hours of ingesting lily. Some then seem to recover before starting to show signs of severe kidney failure a day or so later. Others continue vomiting, go off their food and get more and more depressed.

If emptying the stomach and medications to prevent absorption of the toxin are effective, the chance of recovery is excellent.

If your cat absorbs enough toxin to cause damage to her kidneys then her outlook is very poor. It is essential to seek emergency care immediately after ingestion of the lily plant.

Rats and rabbits are not affected by lilies but there could be a risk to dogs.

 

Kidney failure

Dogs with failing kidneys drink a lot of water and produce large quantities of urine.

Old or damaged kidneys don’t eliminate all of the body’s waste products and cannot concentrate urine very well.

When is this likely to happen in my dog?

Chronic kidney failure is the result of ageing; it is simply a “wearing out” process.

Small dogs show signs from 10 years of age. Larger breed dogs’ kidneys may fail as early as 7 years of age. In some breeds there is a genetic predisposition to kidney failure.

What do I see if my dog’s kidneys are failing?

Dogs with kidney failure produce large volumes of dilute urine. This increases thirst in an effort to overcome dehydration.

As waste products build up in the blood they lose their appetite, are depressed, vomit, and have very bad breath. Ulcers form in the mouth. These signs of advanced kidney failure are called uraemia.

How is chronic kidney failure diagnosed?

  • Blood tests for the body’s waste products, urea and creatinine
  • Urine tests for concentrating and filtering ability, and to find infection

Can we treat kidney failure?

In some cases the kidneys are so worn out they cannot be revived.

With early diagnosis and appropriate treatment many dogs survive for many months or even years.

Treatment occurs in two phases. The first phase is to flush out the toxins with large quantities of intravenous fluids. Fluid therapy, also known as a drip, also replaces lost electrolytes, especially potassium. Drugs to control vomiting and diarrhea, and to treat infection are given as necessary.

The second phase of treatment reduces the kidneys’ workload by reducing dietary protein. This keeps toxic by-products of protein digestion as low as possible and makes your dog feel better. A special kidney or renal diet is the easiest and most effective way of doing this.