Chronic Renal Failure in Cats

Renal (kidney) failure is one of the more common diseases found in older cats. Most cats that live to be 12 to 14 years of age will have kidney problems to some degree. Renal failure is one of the main causes of death in our feline world.

Most people equate renal failure with the cat’s inability to urinate which is seldom the problem with kidney failure. Kidneys fail because they lose the ability to re-absorb water back into the body. The cat is not able to retain the correct amount of fluid in the body which leads to toxins building up within the body. Once the toxin level reaches a certain point, you will see the cat’s body go through a rapid deterioration and aging process. Often, in severe cases, the cat will go from a health appearance to skin-and-bones within 6 months.

Why does this happen? Several factors contribute to the problem. Age, diet, and dental infections are probably the main ones. As a cat’s body ages, the kidneys begin to deteriorate. This deterioration is a normal aging process. Cats are carnivores and eat a high protein diet, a factor which speeds the aging process as well. Proteins are broken down in the body leaving toxins that have to be dealt with by the liver and kidneys. Over the lifetime of the animal, these organs tend to wear out at a faster rate.

Dental infections often add to the problem because of low grade infections within the system as well as the secondary toxins and immune system complications that cause the kidneys to work overtime.

Renal disease is diagnosed by observing clinical signs and analyzing blood work. Prognosis of this disease is very hard to determine because the cat has an amazing ability to build up tolerance to the toxins if the failure occurs over a period of time. Although renal failure is not curable, in many cases it is very controllable if the patient is cooperative and the owner diligent.

The treatment of choice is the administration of subcutaneous (under the skin) fluids. The veterinarian usually determines the amount of fluid needed and frequency that it must be given. This treatment actually works like a primitive form of dialysis by forcing the body to flush or rid itself of toxins with additional fluids. Forcing the cat to drink water doesn’t solve the problem because they can only hold so much water before they vomit. Cats are usually very tolerant of the subcutaneous fluids. We often teach owners how to give the fluids at home so that we can minimize the stress to both the owner and the cat.

How the cat will respond to fluids and the eventual prognosis often cannot be predicted at the beginning of treatment. It is very important to diagnose the problem in the early stages, however, because the more chronic the problem, the less responsive it is to treatment.

What signs should you look for in your cat? Probably the most common signs are changes in eating and drinking patterns, weight loss, vomiting, and signs of dehydration (ask your veterinarian how to make this determination). If your cat is 10 years or older it is wise to run yearly blood tests so that the problem can be diagnosed prior to the cat showing clinical signs. At Animal Health Services, our goal is to keep your animal happy and health as long as possible.

Submitted by Animal Health Services of Cave Creek