Renal insufficiency in cats – Symptoms and treatment

Kidney failure in cats is a health problem that progresses progressively and that gets worse over the years. We must be very attentive to any symptoms and act promptly so that they can recover on time.

In this article we will help you identify this alteration, a very common disease in any veterinary practice. Below we will explain everything you need to know about the Kidney failure in cats – symptoms and treatments. Do not forget that it is essential to go to your usual veterinarian as soon as possible.

What is renal failure and what causes it?

In the urinary system we find the kidneys, the organs that are responsible for filter and eliminate harmful substances of the body of our cat for the production of urine. By filtering the blood, the kidneys have a series of tasks that are vital for all species:

• Maintain a balance between water and minerals.
• Eliminate chemical compounds introduced into the body and substances derived from the protein mechanism such as urea or creatinine.
• Through a hormone that is manufactured in the kidney, erythropoietin, the formation of red blood cells is regulated.

These substances that must be eliminated become part of the urine to leave the body of our animals. There are other more complex mechanisms but, for practical purposes, this is the correct renal function.

La Kidney failure (IR) It is a slow but progressive alteration of these vital functions, being a disease that can be controlled but not cured. Among the most known causes that cause its appearance we have:

• Kidney damage from toxins or mismanaged medications.
• Polycystic kidney disease (frequent in Persian cats) that is hereditary.
• Tumors
• Elderly cats, over 15 years.
• Bacterial infections.

There are many causes that can cause kidney failure in our cat, but once it has been triggered, we must be attentive to its control and treatment.

Main symptoms of renal failure in cats

Initially, the symptoms of kidney failure may go unnoticed and may even become confused with other diseases. In case of any of these symptoms, we recommend you go to the veterinarian:

• Loss of appetite and body weight.
• Noticeable increase in thirst (polydipsia). To orient ourselves, approximately, we know that the normal water intake is 50 ml per kg of weight per day.
• Increase in urine volume (polyuria) when normal are from 100 to 150 ml / day.
• Lethargy, depression and little mobility.
• Vomiting and diarrhea.
• Paleness of mucous membranes (gums).
• Dehydration We can check your hydration by pinching the skin of the neck. If the fold takes longer to return to its normal state and loses flexibility, our cat is probably dehydrated.
• Faded fur or excessive hair loss.
• Bad breath, ulcers in the mouth and / or stomach.

Differential diagnosis

The clinical signs are not consistent evidence for your diagnosis. They are appreciations of the owner and / or veterinarian but must always be accompanied by laboratory tests. Annual visits from the 8 years of life can help an early diagnosis of kidney failure. Within the routine tests chosen we can propose:

• Complete blood analysis (We look for increase in creatinine and urea).
• Urine analysis (physical, chemical, sediment and sometimes antibiogram).
• X-rays and ultrasound they are not strictly necessary like the previous ones, but they are usually ordered to observe the state of the affected organs.

Treatment of kidney failure in cats

The treatment and care of the cat suffering from renal failure will be essential since it is a progressive disease. As much as we treat the symptoms that we observe, we must have proper management and care to avoid relapses.

To begin with, it is essential to talk about the medication since we will find many options. The veterinarian will decide, according to the table, which will be the most appropriate for our cat. The use of antibiotics, vitamin complexes, minerals and appetite stimulants will depend of the patient, of the needs and symptoms that it shows.

La alimentación It is another fundamental aspect and is one of the pillars to overcome this pathology. It is very advisable to choose one of the best feed for cats with kidney failure that we find in the market, mainly those of high quality, but we can also follow homemade recipes for the renal failure of the cat. It will depend exclusively on us this choice and on the diet that until now our cat followed.

Finally we will talk about homeopathy, bach flowers and phytotherapy. In case of wanting to offer this type of products we need to resort to the most suitable professional and not self-medicate. It is about medicines, so if we choose natural therapies we will look for the veterinarian who dedicates himself to it.

This article is merely informative, in .com we do not have the faculty to prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.

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