This article has been viewed 32,499 times. Talk to your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns about your cats condition, particularly if you notice a worsening of: Treating Your Cat's Kidney Disease at Home, Feline Kidney Disease: A Vets Perspective, A Better Method for Diagnosing Kidney Disease in Pets. They block the X-rays and appear white on the scan, highlighting blood vessels, organs, or other structures. If your cat won't eat, it may develop a form of liver failure called hepatic lipidosis, which is just as dangerous as kidney failure. B vitamins can be replaced by a weekly injection of a multivitamin preparation. Symptoms of pyelonephritis can range from mild to severe. Ive seen animals survive for over 10 years with attentive care. There's no cure for cat chronic kidney disease. This is equivalent to half a 5 mg tablet once daily. Veterinarians diagnose CKD when they see that the kidneys are not functioning properly. In addition, signs of anemia to look out for in cats include pale gums, increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, lethargy and weakness (sleepiness), decreased appetite . Ryan Llera, BSc, DVM; Robin Downing, DVM, CVPP, CCRP, DAAPM, Contributors: Ryan Llera, BSc, DVM; Robin Downing, DVM, CVPP, CCRP, DAAPM. Potential complications of pyelonephritis are include sepsis, kidney failure, and in severe cases, death. However, if the cat becomes dehydrated it may be necessary to give the cat intravenous fluids and put it on a drip until it recovers enough to be able to drink on its own. Options for treating end-stage kidney failure in cats are limited. Kidney infection (also termed pyelonephritis) affects the renal pelvis, a funnel-like portion inside the . Giving oral vitamin B can also help. Commercial diets for cats with CKD are developed to prioritize these key goals. This makes it critical for you to provide your cat with an unlimited supply of fresh water. Keep reading for tips on how to medicate your cat with kidney failure. When your senior cat was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), you may have felt worried, confused, and overwhelmed. It is important that the subclinical infections are detected and treated with antibiotics before they cause further kidney damage. This is the time when your cat needs the most aggressive treatment. In a dehydrated animal, the skin lacks elasticity and may take a few seconds to fall back into place. This can allow the isolation of specific bacteria, which then helps determine the best antibiotics to fight off the infection. Are you able to get calories in, even if you need to give your cat an appetite stimulant? These will also allow investigation for urinary tract stones or congenital abnormalities that predispose cats to pyelonephritis. A failing kidney cannot efficiently filter toxins (like the by-products of digestion, urea and creatinine) from the blood. Antibiotic therapy for two to six weeks is usually necessary in cases of kidney infection. This gives a definitive answer as to whether an infection is present or not, and what antibiotics would work best at killing that infection. Do they get up, have a snack, use the litter box, and go back to bed for several hours? Kidney disease is a common problem in older cats and infrequent in younger cats. Sodium. This can be achieved by increasing the water content of a pets diet (e.g., feeding canned food only) and through intermittent subcutaneous fluid treatment (giving boluses of sterile fluid under the skin). When a cat has kidney failure, it is important to work closely with your veterinarian to discuss prognosis, strategies to monitor quality of life, and when euthanasia should be considered. It helps to create a list of things that your pet usually enjoys, and then use a calendar to rank each day on a scale of 1-10. Offer lots of fresh water. When to Put a Cat With Hyperthyroidism to Sleep, Cat Kidney Transplant The Health of Both the Recipient and Donor Matters. So perhaps the middle ground is having a veterinary technician make a house call on a regular basis to help, or maybe you even take your cat in for the quick procedure at the hospital a few times per week. For more information on this condition please see the handout "Chronic Kidney Disease in Cats". Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: Diagnosis: Kidney Disease. However, medications may be given to at least reduce symptoms and slow down the disease progression. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. This involves the pet being admitted to the veterinary hospital and a catheter being placed in one of its front legs. For a cat in late stage 2 or stage 3, Dr. Vaden starts evaluating and managing factors inherently associated with progression. Cats with ARF may regain some kidney function with treatment, supportive care, and time, depending on the cause. Your veterinarian should perform a urine culture at least twice a year in order to identify infections. The capacity of the kidney to perform its tasks is thereby reduced. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. The results speak for themselves. Looking for a convenient way to access your pets health records, refill prescriptions, view upcoming appointments and more? Yolande Bishop. Fluid Buildup in the Kidney Due to Kidney or Ureter Obstruction in Cats. Does human interaction seem enjoyable? This may be due to poison or from a fast-acting infection. Abdominal radiographs and abdominal ultrasound are often used to help differentiate between lower and upper urinary tract infections. As hard as it is, the bestand maybe easiestway to make decisions is often to look at the world through the eyes of your cat. Cats with upper or lower urinary-tract disease are at a high risk of chronic, recurrent infections. If the hypertension is more severe, your veterinarian may recommend an antihypertensive medication, such as amlodipine. Some treats will get cats to eat any food. There are many options when it comes to treating a cat with kidney disease. Waste products are normally filtered out of the blood by the kidneys and excreted in the urine, but cats with CKD will end up with an accumulation of these waste products in the bloodstream as the filtering process breaks down. Who do they recommend for after-hours care? Your veterinarian will also be able to provide tailored advice and guidance based on the objective changes they see in your kitty. A kidney diet is low in both phosphorus and protein, and is enriched with vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. Infections that occur in the bladder and urethra are called lower urinary tract infections. When you notice that these basic categories are starting to consistently drop to a level that indicates that your kitty isnt happy with life anymore, its time to consider euthanasia. Less severe cases (in cats that are well hydrated and are eating well) can be treated with oral antibiotics and sometimes pain medications. If they have other diseases, even more medications may be involved. Otherwise, try serving water in a very wide bowl; some cats seem not to like their whiskers to touch the edge of a dish. At some point, medical management will not keep a cat comfortable and end-of-life planning will need to be discussed. Kidney infections are uncommon in cats, but lower urinary tract infections are very common. Poisons, which are the most common cause of acute renal failure. Time becomes limited, and the primary goal is maximizing your cats quality of life. Make sure youve discussed the options with your veterinarian. If you have a larger cat and serve it bigger portions, your veterinarian may recommend two pumps of Renalzin, twice a day. If its condition deteriorates and it starts to vomit then sucralfate and an H2 antagonist are added to help its stomach heal. You need a vet to diagnose the problem, start treatment, and possibly even hospitalize your cat until she's stable. If your kidneys become severely damaged, you might need treatment for end-stage kidney disease. Kidney infection (also termed pyelonephritis) affects the renal pelvis, a funnel-like portion inside the kidney that filters urine from the kidney to the ureter (the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder). Is your cat eating enough to maintain a stable weight? This is a calcium channel blocker and the dose in cats is 0.625 -1.25mg per cat once a day. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. When compared with normal maintenance adult cat food, a kidney support diet contains less protein, sodium, and phosphorus, and increased omega-3 fatty acids. In cats with end stage renal failure associated with chronic kidney disease, clinical signs include: Confusion (possibly pacing and restlessness), Changes in behavior (withdrawn, irritability). Examples of these prescription diets include Hills K/D and Purina NF diet, and are available in pouches, tins, and dry kibble. Your veterinarian will likely already have or take a history of your cat and do a thorough physical examination as the first steps in diagnosing a possible kidney infection. . The dose is generally 0.25 to 0.5mg/kg once daily by mouth. Congenital kidney dysplasia is a condition that leads to small, nonfunctional, or underdeveloped kidneys. In very extreme states, they can start to get painful ulcerations in their mouth. How quickly this happens is hard to predict. Renalzin comes in a pump-dispenser bottle and has a paste-like consistency. The average dose is 0.625-1.25 mg once per day this is about an eighth of a 5 mg tablet. Symptoms of CKD When to contact your vet Causes of chronic kidney disease How will kidney disease affect my cat? Perhaps a family member or friend visits and is shocked at how much your cat has changed or the level of care you need to provide, and it causes you to second-guess your decision. The easiest way to do this is with routine urine cultures every three months. Getting a diagnosis of CKD is never easy. Unfortunately, dosing can be difficult. With some cats, this can be multiple medications, such as subcutaneous fluids, phosphorous binders, electrolyte supplements, and special diets, amongst others. Some cats are fussy about drinking water from a bowl, but you can ensure that your cat takes in . Ask your veterinarian what the possible side effects are of the medications your cat is taking. In ARF, the kidneys may be swollen and painful (sort of like a lower backache). It happens in cats of all ages and is usually the result of: If diagnosed in time, acute renal failure can often be reversed. "I learned how to help my cat with her kidneys, things that my vet did not tell me. Acute kidney disease, sometimes called acute kidney injury, is fairly uncommon in cats. In cats with acute renal failure, clinical signs include: Ammonia-like odor to the breath (due to uremic toxins building up in the blood), Changes in urination (large amounts or cessation), Abdominal pain due to swollen kidneys (seen in cases of acute renal failure). 1 Although there's no cure for CKD, in some cases tailored nutrition can help support cats by restricting and supplementing certain nutrients to help promote renal health. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Additional recommendations are based on a pets individual needs and may include: Kidney transplants may be an option for cats who meet specific criteria. Kidney failure is a common problem, especially in older cats. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. While you might think this is a sign your cats kidneys are working well, it actually means they are no longer able to hold water.