There Are Two Types Of Renal Disease In Cats

Acute renal disease can affect cats of all ages. It occurs when your kitty has an acute/sudden injury to their kidneys. Possible causes include trauma, anti-freeze ingestion, toxin ingestion, an infection, or another underlying problem. Cats that suffer from acute renal disease are often very ill and may stop producing urine. When urine production stops, the prognosis is usually very poor. With acute renal disease, it’s important that it is diagnosed quickly and treatment is started as soon as possible. This helps protect the kidneys and gives your pet a better chance of recovery.

Chronic renal disease is more commonly seen in middle-aged to older cats. It occurs over the course of time as the kidneys stop functioning properly. Cats with chronic renal disease tend to compensate for months to years. Eventually, mild signs of illness and dehydration will occur before full-blown signs of renal disease may be noticed by owners. Chronic renal disease can be an aging change, but it can also be caused by other things, such as a kidney stone, cancer, polycystic kidney disease, or other conditions.

Symptoms Of Chronic Renal Disease
Early signs of chronic renal disease include increased thirst and larger wet spots of urine in the litter box. Your pet may also lose a subtle amount of weight. Cats with moderate to severe chronic renal disease may show decreased appetite, noticeable weight loss, decreased grooming, vomiting, lethargy, paler gums, bad breath, and noticeably increased thirst and urination.

Early signs of chronic renal disease can sometimes be detected when a veterinarian does a physical exam on your pet. Your veterinarian may notice abnormal kidney size, pain when palpating your cat’s kidneys, or may find stones in the urinary tract. Another useful diagnostic tool is blood work and an analysis of your pet’s urine. Blood work and a urinalysis will often shed light on how well your cat’s kidneys are functioning.

If your veterinarian discovers that your cat has renal disease, treatment is often initiated. The types of treatment recommended for your pet depend on how advanced the renal disease is and what the owner is willing to do. Treatment can range from something as simple as changing your cat’s food to giving fluids and other medications at home.

Bella's Case
Bella was a beautiful 17-year-old Himalayan cat that began her vet visits in September of 2015. The owners were new to the area and concerned because Bella was not acting like herself. One of the owners had been away for several weeks in August, and when she returned, she felt that Bella had lost a lot of weight and her appetite was not what it used to be. On exam, her gums appeared paler pink than usual, and her kidneys felt smaller than normal. Blood work was done, which showed that Bella was anemic (low number of red blood cells) and she had elevated kidney values. In Bella’s case, her anemia was caused by her renal disease.

Treatment plans were discussed, including further diagnostics with an ultrasound, diet change, giving subcutaneous fluids, and using a medication to help regenerate Bella’s red blood cells. The owners decided against the ultrasound but were open to treating Bella’s anemia with medication, doing subcutaneous fluids, vitamin B12 injections, changing her diet, and a long list of other things. Bella was very lucky because her owners cared very deeply for her and wanted to give her every opportunity possible.

Over the course of the next six months, we were able to resolve Bella’s anemia and keep her kidney values stable. Unfortunately, as is often the case with geriatric patients, other health issues came up, and Bella made her journey over the Rainbow Bridge this March.