Cat kidney disease symptoms can be confused with those of urinary tract infections as many are similar. However, a cat with kidney disease may display the following:
Loss of appetite
Nausea and vomiting
Weight loss
Increased drinking
Increased urination, sometimes outside the litter tray
Decreased urination
Blood in the urine
Lower back pain, stiff gait, hunched seated position
Poor coat
Mouth ulcers or drooling
High blood pressure
Anaemia
The commonest diseases and treatments are the following
Pyelonephritis
Pyelonephritis often results from a bladder infection but can be transmitted in the blood and is a bacterial infection.
Symptoms are blood in the urine, fever, vomiting, kidney pain, stiff gait and hunched posture.
This disease develops gradually and may not display as an infection but the cat will gradually lose weight and show signs of kidney failure. It can be diagnosed during a regular check up and treatment before the kidneys become irreversibly damaged may provide a cure or at least slow its progress.
Treatment will be chosen based on urine cultures and testing but will normally comprise antibiotics and fluid therapy over a period of about six weeks.
Glomerulonephritis
Glomerulonephritis causes inflammation of the kidneys thus affecting the filtering mechanism. It seems to affect cats of around four years old and seems to be linked to the immune system and is usually associated with another disease such as feline leukaemia, cancer or other infections.
Nephritis and Nephrosis
Nephritis and nephrosis are grouped together because they display as scarring of the kidney and ultimate kidney failure. They are associated with high blood pressure and a predisposition towards developing blood clots. Diagnosis is by abdominal ultrasound and potentially a kidney biopsy.
Specifically, Nephritis is a kidney inflammation which may be caused by a number of things including poisons, drugs, toxins or viruses.
Nephrosis is a kidney disease where the nephrons are destroyed and the kidney cells cease to function properly causing protein to leak out and become lost in the urine. Ultimately, fluid will accumulate beneath the skin of the cat's legs and in the abdomen.
Regrettably, diagnosis of Nephritis and Nephrosis does not usually occur until the can already has kidney failure and therefore palliative treatment of steroids and a special diet are normally the only treatment.
When cats get older, they are much more prone to kidney disease so you need to be vigilant if you have an older cat. You can help prevent the onset by making sure that they eat wet food or failing that, ensure that they have plenty of water available to go with their dry food diet.
