Renal Failure In Older Cats

Kidney failure in cats is a progressive disease and, sadly, difficult to diagnose. More frequent in elderly animals, it affects one in three specimens before the age of 10 and more than half of those over the age of 15. From a medical point of view, the disease causes a progressive deterioration of the kidneys that occurs when the damage is now irreversible.

A silent enemy that affects older cats

As in any other “silent” disease, symptoms and warning signs are not specific. Unfortunately, by the time relatively clear episodes appear, the deterioration of kidney function has already  reached a critical state. If the general symptoms appear visibly, it means that 75% of the kidney functions are inevitably compromised.

Considering this scenario, the only option for detecting early kidney failure in cats is to have more frequent vet visits and blood tests after 8 years of age.

This way, you can get better results in terms of your kitty’s quality and life expectancy.

How to tell if your cat has kidney problems?

While the signs of kidney failure in cats may go unnoticed, or be confused with those of other diseases, you should see your vet right away if your pet:

• Presents a progressive decrease in weight.
• He loses his appetite.
• He drinks more water than usual.
• Urinates a lot.
• He often tends to vomit.

In the final stages of the disease, the animal is lethargic.

Treating a cat with kidney failure

An increase in blood urea and creatinine and low urine density are indicators of kidney failure. But if this is not detected in time, the safest thing is that the cat must be hospitalized to be rehydrated.

Therefore, you will have to follow a specific diet, with high quality proteins and a decrease in phosphorus and salt. However, it is likely that the animal will not accept the new food. In these cases, it is preferable that you eat some baby food that you like rather than fasting. Or you can use an aromatic substance to help your little friend regain his appetite.

Your vet should also direct you to a supplement that contains:

• Vitamins of group B.
• Antioxidants.
• Potassium.
• Omega-3 fatty acids.

Why does kidney failure in cats show no signs?

The kidneys are made up of a large number of small tubes called nephrons , which are responsible for filtering and reabsorbing fluids. A young and healthy cat has a large number of nephrons. This is why some are put aside, in reserve .

When kidney damage occurs, some nephrons stop working. At that moment, those who had been put “on the bench” return to action,  leaving the reserve at zero.

As renal deterioration progresses and with no reserve nephrons, the first signs of imbalance begin to become evident. The reserve system of the nephrons is what masks the signs of the disease until the damage becomes irreparable.

Causes of kidney failure in cats

But what makes a cat’s kidneys no longer able to properly filter and eliminate waste products from the blood?

Unfortunately, in most cases it is not possible to establish a single specific reason for kidney disease. Biopsies usually show a large amount of fibrous tissue replacing normal tissue, a fact that also occurs in other diseases.

However, among the main causes, the most frequent are:

• Polycystic kidneys.
• Kidney tumors.
• Infections.
• Glomerulonephritis.

Kidney failure in cats: better diagnosed in time

Although it is an irreversible disease, in many cases these little cats manage to live very well with kidney failure. The only but crucial  condition sine qua non is that  the disease must have been diagnosed in time. As the owner, it will be your job to offer the animal all the best possible care.

But if the diagnosis is late, even if not all animals react equally to treatment, the prognosis is usually not favorable.

Therefore, despite the efforts made to keep his organism in balance and guarantee him the highest possible quality of life, it is almost certain that your cat’s health will continue to deteriorate, until the last moment.