Ask Dr. Swingle! – Kiki’s Story: Older Cats and Kidney Disease

Kiki’s Story

Kiki is a 9-year-old longhaired Tortoiseshell feline that has been fighting advanced kidney disease for almost 2 years.  Kidney disease is the most common medical condition we see in older cats.  Most cats will develop kidney disease if they live to 15 years or more.  Kiki developed kidney disease around the age of 7.

Cats that develop kidney disease usually have to cope with 3 medical problems in various degrees.

• They can experience dehydration – because the kidneys lose the ability to conserve fluids. In the early stages of kidney disease they will drink excessive amount of water to compensate for the inability to retain fluids.
• They can experience nausea – because the kidneys are unable to filter out the bloods’ nitrogen (protein) waste products, the blood urea nitrogen builds up in the blood which causes nausea, stomach irritation and loss of appetite.
• They can experience anemia – in advanced kidney disease, the kidneys can no longer tell the bone marrow to produce red blood cells and cats often become anemic (low red cell count) and that makes them lethargic and feel depressed.

Kiki is fighting all 3 of these conditions.  Her owners give her fluids under her skin to prevent dehydration.  They also give her antacids to fight the nausea.  At this point her anemia is not causing her problems but may need treatment soon.  She is doing well in spite of her kidney disease and her quality of life is good at this point.

The moral of this story is that while most older cats will develop kidney disease, we have foods and medication that allow these cats to continue a high quality of life – sometimes for several years.  We recommend that all older cats be tested annually for kidney disease.  Early detection and treatment of kidney disease is key and can extend high quality of life for several years.  We are working diligently to provide the best care possible for Kiki and her owners.

If you have any questions or concerns about your own cats – please do not hesitate to contact us.  We are always happy to share information and provide important tests and treatments to keep your family happy and healthy.

Dr. Swingle
Countryside Veterinary Clinic
715-246-5606
24/7 Emergency Services 715-246-2619
http://www.countrysidevet-nr.com
http://www.facebook.com/ NRCountrysideVetClinic