Renal failure, which is a common disease in cats, progresses in two forms, acute and chronic, with the progression of primary kidney diseases over time.
Kidney failure often develops outside the causes of the disease, causing an irreversible process to begin with loss of function in the nephrons.
What is Kidney Failure in Cats?
The kidneys are an important part of the urinary tract, known as the urogenital system, in cats, just like in humans. Cats' kidneys are organs that are involved in the production of hormones and red blood cells, controlling blood pressure, and filtering wastes from the blood and removing them from the body through urine. Renal failure, on the other hand, can be briefly defined as the inability of the kidneys to fully perform these functions.
Causes of Kidney Failure in Cats
Kidney failure, which is a common ailment in cats, can have many causes due to different factors. The main reasons are as follows:
- Advanced age,
- Urinary tract disorders,
- Excessive toxin intake,
- Heart failure,
- Blood pressure diseases,
- Malnutrition (frequent consumption of foods containing high amounts of protein and phosphorus),
- Genetic predisposition,
- Diabetes,
- Long-term use of nephrotoxic drugs,
- YLack of adequate fluid intake.
We can classify the causes of kidney diseases as prerenal, renal and postrenal.
Prerenal diseases: These are diseases of the heart and circulatory system.
Renal diseases: Causes damage to kidney tissue directly; refers to nephritis, pyelonephritis, nephrosis, tumors, poisonings and infection-based diseases.
Postrenal diseases: These are diseases such as urinary tract obstructions, urinary bladder stones and infections.
Kidney disorders can have serious consequences when detected late or left untreated.
Types of Kidney Failure in Cats
We can examine the course of kidney failure in cats in 2 different categories as acute and chronic.
Acute renal failure: It occurs suddenly without any symptom and progresses rapidly. It can cause infections, decrease in oxygen rate, and blockage of the kidneys due to clotting. Acute kidney failure can occur in any breed, but the risk rate is higher in older cats.
Chronic kidney failure: It occurs as a result of the damage caused by the long-term diseases that have occurred before in the body. It can be said that some breeds are genetically more susceptible to kidney failure in cats.
How Is Kidney Failure In Cats Diagnosed?
Unfortunately, most cases of kidney failure; It does not raise suspicion as there are no obvious symptoms. Symptomatic cases are usually in the last stage of the disease. The most common symptoms in the final stage of the disease are:
- Frequent urination or difficulty urinating
- Seizures due to increased urea
- Bloody or cloudy urine
- Change in urine odor
- Weight loss
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Weakness, fatigue and restlessness
- Increase in drinking water need
- Respiratory problems
- Anemia
- Dehydration
- Bad breath
- Depression
- Decreased hair quality
In addition to all these findings, pain and tenderness during palpation may also indicate kidney failure.
Which Cat Breeds Are More Prone to Kidney Failure?
Persian cats, in particular, often struggle with hereditary polycystic kidney ailments. Breeds in the risk group that are predisposed to kidney failure include:
- Persian
- Abyssinians (Abyssinian)
- Siamese
- Ragdolls
- Burma
- Russian Blue
- Maine Coon
- British Shorthair
- Scottish Fold
Stages of Kidney Failure in Cats
Since the symptoms of kidney failure are similar to those of diabetes and hyperthyroidism, cat owners should follow a strict monitoring process and take their cats to regular veterinary check-ups.
The 4 stages of the disease are as follows:
- Stage:Kidneys are damaged, but azotemia due to toxin accumulation has not yet occurred. The treatment success rate can be described as the highest stage.
- Stage 2: As the filtration problems increase, increase in the amount of waste in the blood can be observed. During this phase, an increase in water intake and urinary frequency can be observed.
- Stage 3:It becomes difficult to filter the wastes in the blood. As a result, there is an increase in the chemical ratios in the blood.
- Stage 4:There is hardly any filtering. Increases in toxins in the blood occur and the symptoms become visible.
Diagnosing Kidney Failure in Cats
First of all, it is very important to observe the cats and detect the symptoms. In doubtful cases, a veterinarian should be consulted without delay. The veterinarian can diagnose the disease by performing some tests and looking at the values, if he deems it necessary.
In general, the examination steps of cats brought to the vet with the suspicion of kidney failure are as follows:
Physical examinationThe veterinarian checks the size, stiffness and sore spots of the kidneys with a physical examination.
Complete blood count and biochemistry tests: Kidney failure may reduce resistance to infections. The presence of anemia and infection is evaluated by complete blood count, and kidney-specific parameters are evaluated with biochemistry tests.
Urine test: It is determined whether the kidneys are working adequately by examining whether there are substances such as blood and protein in the urine.
Ultrasound: The kidneys are viewed to examine their structure, shape and therefore whether there is a problem.
Biopsy: In rare cases, the structure of the kidneys and the type of kidney disease can be determined by biopsy.
Treatment of Kidney Failure in Cats
If kidney failure in cats is detected at an early stage, recovery can be observed with an intensive treatment process. It is possible to cope with the disease with electrolyte and serum therapy as well as drugs that support urine production. Dialysis and stem cell therapy applications can be applied in advanced stage renal failure diseases. In order to avoid all these processes and to prevent possible kidney failure, blood analysis, ultrasonography and radiography evaluations can be performed once a year.
Nutrition in Cats with Kidney Failure
Cats diagnosed with kidney failure should be fed by adhering to the diet program approved by the veterinarian during the treatment process. In this process, it is recommended to use clinical formulas containing healthy protein and phosphorus. The low amount of phosphorus in the food is very important in terms of preventing the damage to the kidneys.
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