Cat Chronic Kidney Disease Treatment

Risk Factors Predictive Diagnostics

A Feb. 1, 2014, JAVMA scientific article examined Risk factors associated with the development of chronic kidney disease in cats evaluated at primary care veterinary hospitals. The retrospective case-control study looked at feline patients examined at Banfield Pet Hospitals in 2010.

According to the abstract: Risk factors for CKD in cats included thin body condition, prior periodontal disease or cystitis, anesthesia or documented dehydration in the preceding year, being a neutered male , and living anywhere in the United States other than the northeast. The probability of CKD decreased with increasing body weight in nondehydrated cats, domestic shorthair breed, and prior diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and increased when vomiting, polyuria or polydipsia, appetite or energy loss, or halitosis was present at the time of diagnosis or control group inclusion but not when those signs were reported 6 to 12 months earlier. Median weight loss during the preceding 6 to 12 months was 10.8% and 2.1% in cats with and without CKD, respectively.

Dr. Jennifer Ogeer, Antech vice president of medical affairs and commercial marketing, spoke at the AVMA Virtual Convention 2020 on Taking the Surprise out of Chronic Kidney Disease With Artificial Intelligence.

RenalTech provides actionable information that enables veterinarians to formulate targeted, personalized care plans for their feline patients, Dr. Ogeer said.

Benefits From The Kidney Disease Solution

With this program, you will reap the advantages you are likely to observe in your health and kidney function:

• An integrated and comprehensive treatment for kidney disease.
• An all-natural treatment plan which doesnt rely on medications, supplements or other procedures
• Lowering kidney load and relieving the toxin build-up in the kidneys
• Improved overall health through simple lifestyle modifications
• Improved diet through knowing the best foods to eat and what not to eat for healthy kidneys
• Reduced stress and improved sleeping through guided meditation and yoga exercises
• More power throughout your day

Staging Canine & Feline Ckd

The IRIS Staging of CKD guidelines were developed as a guide to classifying stable canine and feline CKD in order to both improve communications surrounding CKD and link appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic efforts to patients with varying degrees of CKD.

These guidelines have been published in well-known textbooks, such as Current Veterinary Therapy and Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and have been adopted by the American and European Societies of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology .2,3

This staging system is not used to make a diagnosis of CKD but is employed following a diagnosis of CKD in order to facilitate appropriate treatment, monitoring, and further diagnostics.

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Acute Decompensation Of Ckd

The cause of acute-on-chronic decompensation usually falls into 1 of 3 categories :

Purpose Of The Kidneys

To understand a little about kidney disease, lets discuss some of the many functions of the kidney. The kidney is one of the most amazing organs in the body and has numerous critical functions. It filters around 20 percent of the bodys blood, regulates body water and electrolyte balance, and helps regulate arterial pressure and acid base balance. It also regulates the excretion of calcium and the production of the active form of vitamin D. It plays a key role in the metabolism of some important body minerals and produces almost all of a special substance called erythropoietin, which stimulates the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow. In addition to all this, the kidney is responsible for getting rid of metabolic waste products and chemicals through excretion in the urine. If this vital organ is not functioning as it should, there are lots of systemic consequences.

The most common signs that an animal may be experiencing kidney dysfunction are increased thirst and urination. In later stages of the disease, gastrointestinal signs such as bad breath, vomiting, poor appetite and diarrhea may appear. There may also be a gradual decline in body condition with weight loss and poor hair coat. Some animals show no signs at all, and their disease is picked up, as stated above, during routine physical examination and screening tests of blood and urine.

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Kidney Health Grocery Shopping List

It is a great addition to your cookbook as well as a meal plan. The key to a healthy kidney is the diet, and you have to replace unhealthy food with healthy ones. This useful guide helps you select the most nutritious food items next time you are shopping for groceries. It lists out what foods to eat and what you shouldnt eat to enhance kidney function.

How Is Kidney Disease Diagnosed In Cats

None of the signs are specific for chronic kidney disease in cats, so we will need to carry out a number of tests to find out what is causing them.

Initially, your cat will need a thorough clinical examination in a free consultation with one of our vets. In addition to the presence of the signs above, we may be able to feel that your cats kidneys are enlarged, painful or shrunken.

There will often be an increase in kidney values on blood tests. These include Urea, Creatinine, Phosphate and electrolyte imbalances. In addition, a newer, more sensitive marker SDMA is helping us to detect the condition at an earlier stage. Even so, we are unable to detect kidney failure until 66% or more of the kidneys are not working normally.

Before your appointment with the vet, we will ask for you to collect, or hospitalise your cat to obtain, a urine sample. Cats with kidney failure will usually have protein in their urine and sometimes blood or cells dependent on the cause.

If your cat is compliant, we will advise blood pressure testing. Blood pressure is often high due to excessive salt retention by the kidneys. We may also suggest X-rays or an ultrasound scan to check for conditions such as polycystic kidneys, kidney stones or tumours.

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Treatment For Kidney Disease In Cats

Acute renal failure in cats is potentially reversible if diagnosed early and treated aggressively. A cat with ARF will require admission into the veterinary hospital for intravenous fluid support to correct rehydration, flush out toxins and balance electrolytes.

We can provide your cat with anti-sickness medications, gut protectants and, where appropriate, intravenous antibiotics to aid their recovery.

What Causes Chronic Kidney Disease In Pets

There are many different causes but by the time the animal shows signs of kidney disease, the cause may no longer be apparent. Some potential causes include:

• congenital malformation of the kidneys
• chronic bacterial infection of the kidneys with or without kidney stones
• high blood pressure
• diseases associated with the immune system )
• acute kidney disease

Often the cause of chronic kidney disease is unknown.

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What Is The Cost

Currently, the whole collection is available at a discounted cost of just $87 for the entire set of cookbooks, ebooks, meditation videos, audiobooks and more. For this one-time fee youll receive all updates in the future free of cost.

The program comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee , where you can receive a complete refund in case youre not satisfied with their product within 60 days.

You will get instant access to all the materials when you pay fees for your program. The material is available in the form of audiobooks, ebooks videos, and ebooks.

What Is Kidney Failure In Cats And What Are Its Causes

Healthy kidneys in your pet help to manage their blood pressure, maintain a normal balance of electrolytes in their body, remove toxins, produce important hormones to encourage reed blood cell production, and regulate their calcium levels and hydration.

If your cat experiences kidney failure , it means that their kidneys aren’t functioning properly any longer. This can be caused by a wide variety of factors or conditions such as consuming something toxic, infections or the development of tumors in your cat’s body.

The immediate risk of failing kidneys in cats is that they cannot clear the blood of dangerous toxins.

One possible contributor to kidney failure in cats is the kind of diet you are feeding your feline companion. Cat’s have a very low drive to drink water, which means that they will often be dehydrated but not feel thirsty. Dehydration can be a contributor to infections in your cat’s urinary tract or chronic kidney disease.

Because of this, feeding your cat dry food can contribute to kidney failure, while wet or canned food can help to keep them hydrated and healthy.

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Kidney Health Grocery List

This is an additional great supplement to the recipe book as well as a meal plan. The most important factor in a healthy kidney is the diet, and you have to switch out unhealthy foods with healthy ones. This useful guide helps you select the most nutritious food items the next time you are shopping for groceries. It outlines what you should eat and what you shouldnt eat to enhance kidney function.

Types Of Kidney Failure Seen In Cats

There are two types of kidney failure in cats. Each type differs in causes, treatment options and prognosis.

Acute Renal Failure

If your cat is suffering from acute kidney failure, it means that their kidneys are suddenly unable to function properly. This type of kidney failure occurs suddenly, within days or weeks. If diagnosed in time, acute renal failure can often be reversed.

It can happen in cats of any age and typically results from poisons, trauma, infection, organ failure, urethral blockages, dehydration and other causes. Poisons, such as toxic plants, pesticides, cleaning fluids and human medications, are the most common cause of acute renal failure.

Chronic Kidney Failure

Chronic kidney failure in cats is a gradual condition that typically develops over several months or even years. This type of kidney failure is typically caused by autoimmune diseases, cysts in the kidneys, and genetics.

Chronic kidney failure is a progressive illness that can lead to total kidney failure, where the kidneys gradually stop working as they lose the ability to filter toxins out of the blood.

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Chronic Kidney Disease In Cats Part 2

In the second part of this two-part series, Vanessa Bourne MVB CertAVP PGCertVetEd FHEA MRCVS, Royal Veterinary College, continues her exploration of how to increase longevity, improve the client-practice bond and increase revenue by employing optimal monitoring and treatment options for chronic kidney disease in cats

Prognosis and managementChronic kidney disease is a very common finding in mature cats, potentially affecting over 30% of cats over 10 years of age. CKD is a generally slowly progressive disorder, caused by chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis and interstitial fibrosis in most cases. Patients can survive with reduced renal function for many years. Identification of complications and co-morbidities can allow for earlier interventions, improving quality of life and longevity. It therefore makes good business sense for clinicians to become familiar with the optimal monitoring and treatment options.

What Is The Prognosis For Cats With Ckd

Once sufficient damage has been done to the kidneys to cause CKD, the compensatory changes and adaptations that occur to try to maintain normal kidney function usually eventually fail and progressive kidney damage occurs. The disease is usually therefore progressive over time and will eventually lead to the need for euthanasia. However the rate of progression of renal disease varies considerably between individuals and appropriate support and treatment can both increase the quality of life of affected cats and also potentially slow down the progression of the disease.

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Treatment For Chronic Kidney Disease Feline

A large number of Americans are estimated to have chronic Kidney Disease. The majority of the time dialysis or kidney transplants are the only options available to those who are in the advanced stages of the disease.

Take a look at into the Kidney Disease Solution, an all-in-one resource for improving kidney health and functioning. The program was developed by Duncan Capicchiano and his wife Fiona Chin, the program is designed to help users reverse kidney disease through natural methods.

This in-depth review will cover everything you should learn about the program from the way it operates to the benefits and cost. If youre wondering whether this program is right for you, then go through the article.

Before you go on, you may want to watch this video by Review Vid on YouTube that gives a quick review. Afterward, you will want to read the rest of the article for a more comprehensive review.

What Are The Causes Of Crf

CRF is the end stage of a number of different disease processes rather than a specific disease in its own right. Diseases or conditions that can eventually lead to CRF include:

1. Congenital malformations of the kidneys – such as polycystic kidney disease in long haired cats

2. Pyelonephritis – bacterial kidney infections

3. Glomerulonephritis – inflammation and damage to the kidney’s filtration membrane

4. Neoplasia – various tumors of the kidney, most commonly lymphosarcoma

5. Amyloidosis – this is the build-up of an unusual protein in the kidney that prevents the kidney from functioning normally

6. Viral infections such as feline leukemia virus or feline infectious peritonitis virus

7. Kidney stones or ureteral stones

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Medication For Kidney Disease

Phosphate binders e.g Pronefra, Ipakitine can be used to reduce excessive phosphate and toxin levels in your cats blood.

ACE inhibitors e.g Benazecare, Fortekor may be used if your cats blood pressure is raised to prevent further damage to the kidneys and any other secondary effects of high blood pressure e.g stroke, heart disease and blindness.

Angiotensin blockers such as Semintra can be used to reduce blood pressure and protein loss through the kidneys. Excessive protein loss through the kidneys is associated with a shorter life expectancy in a cat suffering from CKD.

Potassium supplements may be required in addition to diet, and appetite stimulants and antacids may be prescribed for cats with poor appetite or gastric ulcers.

What Is Kidney Disease In Cats

Kidney disease in cats occurs when the animals kidneys are not functioning properly. This can lead to kidney failure when both kidneys are affected and the cat can no longer adequately remove waste products from their system.

The kidneys are responsible for several important processes within the body. They filter out and eliminate waste products from the bloodstream, maintain normal water and salt balance, and produce hormones which control blood pressure and red blood cell production.

If the kidneys are not functioning normally for more than three months, it is referred to as Chronic Kidney disease . CKD is one of the most common conditions to affect older cats . It occurs when there is long term, irreversible damage to the kidneys. It is a progressive condition, but the rate at which this occurs can be highly variable between cats. Some cats can live for many years with a gradual worsening of signs. The sooner a diagnosis is made and treatment started, the better the outcome for the animal.

Kidney diseases which are shorter in duration are referred to as Acute Kidney Injury or Failure. Depending on the cause and severity and unlike CKD, some animals may make a full recovery from acute kidney disease.

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What Are The Different Types Of Kidney Failure In Cats

There are two types of kidney failure in cats. Each type differs in causes, treatment options and prognosis.

Acute Renal Failure

If your cat has acute kidney failure, it means that their kidneys are suddenly unable to function properly. This type of kidney failure occurs suddenly, within days or weeks. If diagnosed in time, acute renal failure can often be reversed.

It can happen in cats of any age and typically results from poisons, trauma, infection, organ failure, urethral blockages, dehydration and other causes. Poisons, such as toxic plants, pesticides, cleaning fluids and human medications, are the most common cause of acute renal failure.

Chronic Kidney Failure

Chronic kidney failure in cats is more gradual, and usually develops over several months or even years. This type of kidney failure is typically caused by autoimmune diseases, cysts in the kidneys, and genetics.

Chronic kidney failure is a progressive illness that can lead to total kidney failure, where the kidneys gradually stop working as they lose the ability to filter toxins out of the blood.

What Causes Ckd In Cats

The cause of CKD is usually difficult to determine. Damage to the nephron, the kidney unit that filters the blood, is usually irreversible and progressive. Many different diseases can cause Chronic Kidney Disease. If your veterinarian cannot determine a definite cause, it is called idiopathic kidney disease.

Some common causes of Chronic Kidney Disease are:

• Certain toxins, like lilies and antifreeze
• Genetic abnormalities
• Lack of blood supply leading to the kidneys
• Infections
• Cancer
• Immunologic diseases

Sometimes the cause of CKD can be specifically treated, but most of the time the changes in the kidneys are permanent. By partnering with your veterinarian, it may be possible to slow down the progression of CKD and achieve a good quality of life for your cat.

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