|
Senior Cats - KIDNEY FAILURE |
|
|
|
 As with humans, as cats get older their bodies start to wear
out and things can go wrong. In cats, one of the most common
organs to fail is the kidneys. Originally cats were desert
animals so their kidneys are designed to make very concentrated urine
to save precious water. In the wild, bad teeth or arthritis would
cause death long before the kidneys wear out but as we can keep our
domestic cats alive for much longer the kidneys can give up
first. Cats’ kidneys work very hard to make concentrated urine
and also to detoxify the high protein diet that carnivores, like cats,
require so it is not surprising that poor old cats’ kidneys have a
tough deal!
One of the first signs of kidney disease is an increase in
drinking. If you notice your cat lapping from unusual places, a
trip to the vets is well advised as kidney failure is not the only
thing to cause a thirsty cat.
Your vet will probably take a blood sample and also check a urine
sample. Kidney problems are diagnosed if there is an increase in
certain toxins in the blood and if the urine is very dilute. The
latter happens because the kidneys are no longer able to work well
enough to make strong urine. Toxins build up because the kidney
usually acts as a very efficient filter and saves all the good
nutrients from the blood and discards the rubbish into the urine but
this filter system fails when the kidneys stop working.
Sometimes it can be difficult to know if your cat is drinking
more. You may have numerous cats or you may have an outdoor
cat. In this case you may not notice an increase in drinking and
the kidneys can get worse until the cat becomes much more poorly.
Signs can range from lethargy, to anorexia, vomiting and mouth ulcers.
Obviously a visit to the vets at this stage is much more urgent and it
is likely that your cat will require intravenous fluids to flush the
kidneys through, once your vet has diagnosed the problem.
Kidney failure can be treated with a particular tablet that helps stop
more kidney cells from dying and keep the remaining kidney cells
working efficiently. Your cat can also be put onto a special diet
that is low in protein and toxins to reduce the workload for the
kidneys and this can be obtained from your vet.
|
