Kidney Disease in Older Cats The Cat Doctors & Friends

 This article is a brief review of one of the reasons why you might want to bring your apparently healthy older cat in for regular examinations, and why lab work is so important.
You have a cat 10 years or older, and he or she is eating pretty well, may be just a bit skinnier than previous years but not really skinny, is drinking plenty of water, and seems generally happy.  Do they need an exam? Well, yes. Because (1) any weight loss is cause for concern, (2) drinking “plenty of water” may actually mean drinking extra water (and if so, why?), and (3) it is always better to look for problems early, when they can be addressed more easily, than later, when signs (decreased appetite, weight loss, lethargy, vomiting, etc.) are entrenched.
Kidney disease means a decrease in kidney function.  The main function of kidneys is to filter out wastes and preserve water – that’s why a young healthy cat has dark yellow strong-smelling urine.  As the kidneys become less able to do this, the urine becomes lighter in color and less odorous – because it is being diluted with water. That means the kidneys are no longer preserving water, and the loss of water becomes an issue for the cat. To compensate, it will start drinking more.  As cats are not great natural water drinkers, there is a limit to how much the cat can compensate for the loss before it becomes dehydrated – and if it does, then the dehydration will cause even more damage to the kidneys, among other things.
The causes for kidney damage are numerous, including:
• infection, either from the blood or ascending up from a bladder infection
• toxins, such as lilies, antifreeze, and numerous others
• stones (calculi) that can form in the kidneys from minerals, and can in the worst cases even block urine from flowing out of the kidneys
• trauma (rare)
• genetics (malformed or poorly functioning kidneys, or cystic kidney disease)
• secondary to other diseases where they may get very ill and dehydrated
• secondary to the general aging process
• etc.
Kidney disease cannot be cured, unless it is solely caused by an infection and no permanent injury has yet occurred. But it can be managed, often very effectively, for years.  The best “treatment” for kidney disease without an obvious treatable cause (e.g. infection, calculi) is diet – a prescription diet made to ensure optimal kidney health and function.  These diets are available in both canned and dry forms, in numerous flavors, and made by four different manufacturers – so hopefully a flavor any cat may like! Statistically, cats with kidney disease fed a kidney diet have a 633-day survival rate, compared to 264 days on a non-renal diet.  That’s significant. There are other treatments as well, such as appetite stimulants, anti-nausea medications, and fluids given under the skin at home. And very late in disease, other treatments that we won’t review here.
So, remember to bring your older cat in for (at least) a yearly exam and lab work, to ensure optimal health and life span. To schedule an appointment, please call The Cat Doctor & Friends at 661-259-5288.