The cat's kidneys are failing, what should I do? My cat's kidneys are failing - what should I do? Chronic renal failure in cats treatment

Dr. Baker is a veterinarian with a PhD in comparative biomedical sciences. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Veterinary Medicine in 2016, then went on to earn her graduate degree in the Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory.

Number of sources used in this article: . You will find a list of them at the bottom of the page.

Unfortunately, many cats suffer from chronic kidney disease. Although kidney disease cannot be cured, there are many ways to slow it down if caught early enough. If your cat has become lethargic and has lost interest in food, take her to the vet. The doctor will likely order blood and urine tests, which will help him make the correct diagnosis. Then, work with your veterinarian to create a treatment plan that will help improve your pet's quality of life.

Steps

Signs of kidney problems

Watch your cat drink water. Check the water level in your cat's bowl every morning. Determine if your pet has started drinking more water. This can also be determined by whether you have to Lately Clean a wet cat litter box more often. As a rule, cats use moisture sparingly and do not need a lot of water, so if the animal begins to drink more and visit its litter box more often, it may have kidney problems.

• Kidney disease causes your cat to lose more fluid through urine and require more water to compensate for these losses. Diseased kidneys cannot concentrate urine properly and leave water in the blood.
• If a cat eats liquid food, it needs even less water compared to its counterparts who eat dry food. In this case, the animal receives part of the water along with food. Because of this, liquid food is usually preferable for those cats that may have kidney problems.

1. See if your cat is vomiting or showing interest in food. If your pet refuses to eat, it may be trying to avoid stomach pain. Kidney problems can lead to uremia, which is accompanied by painful inflammation stomach. In this case, cats often lose their appetite and may even vomit blood due to the formation of ulcers.

   • Uremia occurs in part because the kidneys are unable to effectively remove toxins from the blood.

2. Check to see if your cat's fur is dull or making noise. bad smell. Kidney problems may cause your cat to develop painful sores on her gums, in which case she may be less likely to want to brush her fur. The animal may completely refuse grooming. As a result, the coat may appear dull and dirty.

3. See if the cat seems lethargic. Cats love to sleep. However, take a closer look to see if your pet is sleeping more than usual, or if he has lost interest in his favorite games and entertainment. If your cat is acting too lethargic, she may have developed anemia or low potassium levels due to kidney disease. The accumulation of waste in the body can also worsen the animal’s well-being.

   • Kidney disease can cause blood problems because the kidneys help repair blood cells, regulate electrolytes, including potassium, and remove toxic substances from the body.
   • Anemia caused by kidney disease is also indicated by dull or white eyelids (in healthy cats they are pink).

4. Try interacting with your cat to assess its well-being. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine whether a cat is really unwell or if she just decided to lie down. Call your cat and see how she reacts to this. If your pet doesn't come to you, see if he raises his head or vocalizes in response. If your cat's gaze remains dull and she does not respond to your call, this may indicate that she has diseased kidneys.

   • Cats have a very heavy head compared to the rest of their body, and require considerable muscle effort to keep it straight. When potassium levels are low, cats tend to lower their head.
   • However, this sign is quite rare, and its absence does not mean that the cat does not have kidney problems.

5. Check for ulcers in your cat's mouth. If your cat's kidneys don't remove toxins from her body, she may develop ulcers in her stomach, throat, and gums. Gently hold the cat by the head and slowly open its mouth. Look inside and see if there are any red or irritated areas in your mouth. The sores may appear as white or gray dots. They can be on the gums and under the tongue.

   • Ulcers may cause your cat's breath to smell bad.

Establishing diagnosis

1. Ask your veterinarian to do a urine test. If you suspect your pet has kidney problems, the first step your veterinarian should order is a urine test. The doctor will take a sample of your cat's urine and send it to a laboratory, where they will test its density to see how dilute it is.

   • The same urine sample can also be used to detect other diseases, such as diabetes.
   • The veterinarian may also prescribe a biochemical test, which determines the protein-creatinine ratio in the urine. This test helps determine whether low urea concentrations in urine are actually due to kidney disease or due to shock.

2. Ask your veterinarian to take a blood test from your pet to rule out other possible diseases. Although a blood test may not always detect kidney problems in cats, it can help narrow down the list. possible problems health problems such as diabetes or an infectious disease.

   • The veterinarian may prescribe sequential analyzes blood to monitor the progress of kidney disease and make sure it has not led to other complications such as anemia.

3. Visit your veterinarian regularly to have your pet measured arterial pressure. Kidney problems often lead to high blood pressure. Measure your blood pressure every 1-2 weeks - this will help monitor the progression of the disease and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment. Typically, this quick procedure does not require an appointment in advance.

   • It is important to monitor your blood pressure. High blood pressure can cause serious complications such as blindness. If necessary, your veterinarian will prescribe medications to help lower your pet's blood pressure.

If you ask any veterinarian to name the most weakness in cats, the answer will be the same -. There are probably no cats that do not have any problems with this organ. For some, these problems are congenital, for others they are acquired. One way or another, with age structural changes in the kidneys and disturbances in their functioning appear in every pet. It’s just that for some they are insignificant, but for others, alas...

Why is this a weak point?

Statistically, cats are much more likely to develop kidney disease than other animals, for example three times more likely than dogs. Why? It's hard to say for sure. Most likely, again because of his historical origin.

Domestic cats owe their ability to get by with a small amount of water, obtained from time to time, to their ancestors - African desert cats. Hence the disturbance in water balance (especially when consuming dry food and not drinking enough).

Perhaps it plays a role anatomical structure urinary system in cats - a long and narrow urethra with three narrowings causes frequent blockages urethra, and failure to excrete urine puts a strain on the kidneys with all the ensuing consequences.

In general, all diseases genitourinary system cats – various jades, , etc. are interconnected and provoke each other, and everything affects the kidneys. Therefore, all cat owners should have an understanding of this organ and know what a failure in its functioning leads to.

Why are kidneys needed?

The kidneys are a paired organ (there are two of them in the body), which performs many different functions: hormonal, maintaining the acid level and electrolyte composition of the blood, regulating blood pressure. But the main task of the kidneys is to filter metabolic products. The kidneys constantly cleanse the body of toxins and maintain the required amount of water in the body. Detoxification is carried out by the formation and excretion of urine with dissolved in it harmful substances.

The bud has the shape of a bean. On the outside it is covered with a dense capsule; inside there is a layer of kidney tissue itself. Without going into anatomical details, the kidney can be conditionally divided into two functional parts: the renal tissue itself is responsible for filtering the blood with the formation of urine, and the pyelocaliceal system is responsible for the accumulation and excretion of this formed urine.

The kidneys are made up of small structural units– nephrons. It is in them that the process of urine formation occurs. Of course, one nephron filters the blood and produces urine in very small quantities, but if you consider that there are about 200,000 of them in each kidney, the result is liters.

Now the most important thing: kidneys are not capable of regeneration! The number of nephrons in the body is determined from birth; new ones do not “grow”. And if the nephron is lost, then it is irrevocable.

Kidney diseases in cats and kittens

Kidney diseases can be acute or chronic, congenital or acquired.

Hereditary (genetic) Kidney disease is common in certain breeds, e.g. renal amyloidosis (a disorder of protein-carbohydrate metabolism with the deposition of amyloid, a protein-polysaccharide compound, in the renal tissue) occurs in cats of the Abyssinian and Somali breeds, and polycystic disease(cysts appear in the kidneys and gradually increase in size) – in Persian, Himalayan and exotic cats.

Congenital anomalies may also include renal aplasia (one or both kidneys are missing at birth) and renal dysplasia (pathological development of the kidneys).

Acute diseases appear suddenly, for example, as a result of abdominal trauma, large blood loss or dehydration, blockage of the urethra, infection, poisoning (antifreeze is especially dangerous). They require intensive treatment of both the organ itself and the cause of its damage. If the disease is caught at the very beginning, the prognosis is favorable.

Chronic diseases develop gradually and require constant maintenance therapy. Usually progress over time and eventually lead to a sad end.

There is a very fine line between these types of diseases. The acute form can quickly turn into chronic!

Jades

(pyelonephritis, glomeronephritis, hydronephritis) – kidney diseases of an inflammatory and bacterial nature. Since the kidneys constantly filter the blood, any infection from it enters the kidneys.

Kidney failure

– syndrome of impairment of all kidney functions (!), leading to a disorder of water, electrolyte, nitrogen and other types of metabolism of the body. Characterized by progressive damage to a significant part of the nephrons and their gradual replacement connective tissue. Chronic renal failure (CRF) is already a death sentence for an animal (although this sentence may have a good reprieve).

How insidious kidney diseases are:

• Late detection Many kidney diseases can proceed for a long time in a latent or erased form and make themselves felt late, no, very late, and sometimes too late... Disturbances in the functioning of the kidneys do not cause pain in the animal (probably in vain!) and do not give themselves away in any way, since the healthy part can easily withstand the additional load. Until a certain point.

It often happens like this: 10% of nephrons die - nothing happens, 20% die - nothing happens, 40% - again nothing, 50% - the cat is a little “sad”, didn’t eat well, well, it happens, 60% - the cat is a few days old lethargic, barely ate my favorite food, vomited once, loose stools - perhaps I should see a doctor. And the doctor finds out that only 30% of the pet’s kidneys are working. And then a three-letter diagnosis may be announced - chronic renal failure - chronic renal failure.

Thus, kidney diseases often make themselves felt only when a significant part of them has already died irrevocably!

• Vague symptoms Symptoms of kidney disease are common to other diseases, making diagnosis difficult.

Symptoms of kidney disease in cats:

Increased thirst, excessive urination, dehydration, diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, weight loss, anemia (pale mucous membranes), dental problems(ulcers on the gums and tongue, tartar, dental diseases), drooling, mouth odor (sometimes ammonia), deterioration of fur, retinal detachment, high blood pressure. With nephritis, there may be increased temperature and pain when palpated.

A little more detail:

Causes of kidney diseases:

Often it is not possible to accurately determine the causes of the disease. The most typical are: age, genetic predisposition or congenital anomaly, ecology, infectious and systemic diseases (for example, diabetes mellitus), poisoning, trauma, unbalanced diet.

All animals over 7 years of age are at risk. They should be examined annually by a veterinarian, have blood tests, urine tests, ultrasounds and blood pressure checked.

Diagnostics:

Kidney disease can be diagnosed using clinical tests. A urine test will show its concentration, the ability of the kidneys to remove waste products from the body, a blood test will show the level of creatinine and urea (high values ​​indicate loss of kidney function), an ultrasound will show changes in kidney size.

High blood pressure, retinal detachment, dental problems, etc., along with diagnostic tests may be considered symptoms of kidney disease.

Unfortunately, blood and urine tests may not reveal kidney dysfunction until the kidneys have lost more than half of their capacity. normal function. For more early diagnosis You can use the ratio of creatinine in urine and blood - KFP (concentrating function of the kidneys). In healthy animals, the CFP is greater than or equal to 100%.

For pyelonephritis, urine culture is used to determine the sensitivity of bacteria to a particular antibiotic.

Treatment

1. First of all, treatment is aimed at identification and elimination of the underlying disease, which caused renal disorder(if this is possible, of course).

For genetic and congenital kidney anomalies, only symptomatic therapy is carried out aimed at maintaining normal level life.

Kidney infections (such as pyelonephritis) are usually treated with a long course of antibiotics.

Glucocorticoids and cytostatics can be used to treat glomerulonephritis.

2. Because in case of kidney diseases a significant number of nephrons are damaged, extremely important eliminate the consequences of their inoperability.

To eliminate dehydration and electrolyte disturbances To relieve intoxication (poisoning with toxic metabolic products), intravenous and subcutaneous infusions (droppers) are used.

Constant maintenance therapy is also needed to relieve associated symptoms: anemia, high blood pressure, gastritis phenomena, infections urinary tract, acidosis, anorexia, increased blood potassium (hence muscle weakness and heart rhythm disturbances), disorders of the liver, cardiac activity, etc.

3. Necessary reduce the load on the remaining nephrons. Here main role diet therapy and monitoring fluid intake play a role.

Proteins (protein) put an increased load on the kidneys. Diet for kidney failure should be different reduced content protein, phosphorus and sodium, while being balanced good nutrition. Of course, the easiest way is to use ready-made veterinary diets.

Forecast: All kidney diseases, if not treated in a timely manner and with relapses, eventually develop into chronic renal failure - a syndrome leading to death. BUT! Correct supportive therapy significantly slows down the progression of the disease, provides good quality and the lifespan of the animal.

Kidneys are very serious! Therefore, if there is any suspicion of a disease of this organ, we do not hope that everything will “resolve” on its own, we do not self-medicate, but immediately run to the veterinary clinic. If the pet is over seven years old, then once a year (or better yet, twice) we visit a veterinarian for a comprehensive preventive examination.

P.S. My cat Kuzya (16 years old) is a professional with two years of experience. Kidney problems were discovered by chance when we came to brush our teeth and were tested for admission and anesthesia. Before this, the disease was not even suspected. A little more and everything would be completely sad. Be sure to regularly diagnose older animals!!!

Today we had another full examination. All organs in good condition except for the kidneys. One kidney has a change in size and shape, the second is better. Both have significant thickening of the upper cortex, low blood flow. According to blood tests - increased values urea and creatinine. Very high blood pressure.

They prescribed: to lower blood pressure - amlodipine + vasotope, to compensate for protein deficiency - ketosteril (Kuzya has been on the Renal diet for two years). All medications are prescribed according to a schedule and for a long course, possibly for life.

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Kidney disease in cats can be acute or chronic. The acute form is dangerous due to its rapidly growing dynamics, when every minute counts. The chronic form is dangerous due to its mild symptoms: the disease is often noticed when it is already difficult to find an effective treatment.

Kidney failure in cats can be either primary or secondary, but it is difficult to save the animal in both cases. The primary form occurs as a result of direct kidney pathology under the influence of nephrotoxic poisons. The secondary form develops against the background of impaired blood supply, severe dehydration, urolithiasis, chronic diseases, requiring intensive drug treatment, infectious diseases accompanied by severe intoxication. A risk factor for developing the disease is the use of long-term anesthesia.

Congenital renal failure, which develops in the neonatal period, deserves special attention. Sometimes it is caused by pathologies of pregnancy or labor activity, including asphyxia.

The causes of deficiency are very diverse. In addition to those listed above, these may also be systemic diseases (or gout), tumors and cysts of the kidneys and urinary tract.

Acute and chronic forms: differences?

The acute form can develop as a complication of kidney infections. For example, pyelonephritis in cats often provokes an acute form, the main symptoms of which are complete absence urine, even with timely treatment.

Acute renal failure is characterized by the absence of stages of the disease. The main factor in diagnosis and treatment is the degree of damage to the diseased organ, which is calculated using a special formula for the concentrating function of the kidneys. But, despite the pronounced dynamics of the disease, the prognosis for acute renal failure is not as unfavorable as for chronic one: the animal can survive even after complete kidney failure. As a rule, the acute form is primary and develops as a result of simultaneous exposure to provoking factors (poisoning, prolonged anesthesia, severe infectious toxicosis).

Chronic renal failure in cats is more insidious, since even with functioning organs, it is often impossible to save the animal if the concentrating function is below 5%. But owners and doctors have more time to draw up a plan therapeutic measures- this gives the sick animal a chance to live longer.

In other words, when acute form Diseases all depend on speed; in case of chronic diseases, it depends on attention to the condition of the animal.

Stages of development of chronic pathology

• The latent or hidden stage is asymptomatic. Moreover, the results of many analyzes and tests may be within normal limits. Violations can only be determined by an extended urine test and a concentrating function test, which will not be one hundred percent.
• The compensated stage is also asymptomatic. However, the disease can already be detected through tests and examinations. In addition, at the end of the stage, the sick animal has a strong constant thirst and weight loss.
• The decompensated stage is characterized by an increase in the dynamics of the main symptoms and clinical indicators. The main danger represents refusal of food, general exhaustion and intoxication, although sick animals still suffer from thirst, and urine production does not stop.
• The terminal stage is characterized by complete refusal of water. Due to dehydration, exhaustion and intoxication, it develops deep coma with convulsions.

Symptoms of the disease

Unfortunately, clinical picture Chronic renal failure in cats does not have pronounced and characteristic symptoms.

The first signs only allow one to suspect the disease. As a rule, at the end of the compensation stage and at the decompensation stage, a decrease in activity and lethargy, lack of appetite up to complete refusal to eat, constant thirst and excessive urination are noticeable, quick loss weight, pallor of the skin and mucous membranes. Sometimes accompanying symptom are dental problems: rapid formation of tartar, stomatitis and gingivitis. More severe symptoms appear at the end of decompensation and at terminal stage. Therefore, at the first suspicion of renal failure in cats, it is necessary to conduct a full examination as quickly as possible, since the animal can be saved only by starting treatment at an early stage.

The clinical picture of acute renal failure is also not typical. But the dynamics of symptoms cannot go unnoticed, which makes it possible to diagnose the disease in time, examine it and begin treatment. In the acute form of the disease, not a minute can be lost.

Treatment

Kidney failure in a cat requires not only timely but also qualified treatment, and only after an accurate diagnosis. Therefore, no advice from pharmacists, traditional methods and other home remedies are unacceptable. And most often when acute course the disease requires treatment in a hospital setting. Therefore, owners should know only one thing: urgent consultation and assistance from a doctor is necessary. If you are lucky and the animal is left to be treated at home, then both medications and procedures must be fully agreed with the doctor.

Principles of therapy for acute and exacerbation of chronic forms

First of all, it is necessary to determine the cause and eliminate it. At infectious diseases Antibacterial therapy is required; in case of poisoning, the use of antidotes is required.

Simultaneously with determining the causes of the pathology, emergency detoxification is carried out: forced diuresis, hemodialysis, plasmaphoresis, hemosorption, peritoneal or intestinal dialysis. All these procedures are possible only in a hospital setting and under the constant supervision of medical personnel.

During emergency therapy, measures are taken to maintain or normalize all body functions: special diets, prevention of dehydration and bleeding of the digestive tract, control and prevention of activity disorders of cardio-vascular system. Important great attention pay attention to the feeding schedule: small portions (no more than 5 ml) every hour, sometimes even every 10 minutes. Clinical monitoring of the condition of a sick animal should be daily, sometimes even twice a day.

The list of drugs for primary therapy is quite extensive and depends on each specific case, its causes and the severity of the disease. When treating the disease, glucocorticoids are used to stabilize the water-salt balance, diuretics and laxatives as part of detoxification therapy, and potassium supplements to normalize the hemolytic balance.

Forecast for the future

This disease in cats is incurable, since even at the latent stage, kidney cells die, and it is no longer possible to restore them. The only way is to maintain the normal functioning of the remaining cells. In rare cases, when treatment was started at the compensation stage, it is possible to return the animal's condition to a latent form, but lifelong maintenance therapy will still be required. And here everything depends on the dedication of the owner.

Diet

First of all, you need a balanced diet with a minimum content of protein and phosphorus, which will have to be followed very precisely - the slightest deviation will lead to a deterioration in the animal’s condition. Therefore, it is important to know exactly how and what to feed a cat with kidney failure. It is quite difficult to create a correct diet on your own; most likely, you will have to switch the sick cat to specialized and expensive food. Dry food is contraindicated.

It will be especially difficult to accustom a cat to a new type of food - it will require enormous patience and time, but it will help prolong to a pet life. In addition, you may need drugs that stimulate appetite and regulate digestive processes.

Drug support

A sick cat will need constant medical support: not just pills or injections, but regular droppers that will restore water and mineral balance and reduce the toxic load on the kidneys, which will keep the remaining cells in a normal state. All medications must be prescribed by a veterinarian after the next examination: constant adjustment of the treatment regimen is important. The owner will be required to pay utmost attention to the dosage and schedule of medication.

With the development of renal failure, it is also necessary to constantly monitor the animal’s weight. In case of sudden weight loss, it is necessary special purposes anabolic steroids and vitamin complexes.

Constant examinations for this disease

The owner of a sick animal also has the responsibility to regularly monitor its condition. Just watching external signs will not help: clinical tests and objective examinations are required. This is important not only for determining the degree of kidney damage: constant monitoring of hematopoietic function and hemobalance is necessary to prevent the development of anemia. Clinical tests often necessary every other day, when the animal’s condition has stabilized - every three months. You will have to constantly monitor your blood pressure levels - special devices for measuring are available for sale.

It can be extremely difficult to distinguish acute from chronic renal failure at the first visit, especially if a middle-aged animal arrives without a detailed medical history.

Why is this so important? The prognosis for a given patient depends on this.

The structural unit of the kidney is the nephron. Acute renal failure is a temporary, reversible dysfunction of a large number of nephrons, which can lead to the rapid death of the animal, but if it was possible to overcome it, then the prognosis is favorable: kidney function can be restored. Chronic renal failure is an irreversible degenerative process in the kidneys; restoration of the function of lost nephrons should not be expected. It should be noted here that in the absence adequate treatment acute renal failure, nephrons can also be lost irretrievably, that is, acute renal failure can become the beginning of chronic.

Causes

What causes can cause acute renal failure? Shock as a result of trauma, acute systemic and local viral and bacterial infections, poisoning with nephrotoxic substances, including medications, cystitis and acute urinary retention in cats. All these conditions require therapy aimed at maintaining kidney function.

The initial episode of kidney damage may be subclinical (unnoticeable). The reserve capabilities of this organ are quite large, so with full healthy kidneys nephrons operate at no more than 25% of their capacity. During primary damage, part of the nephrons dies; the remaining nephrons take over their function, but work with greater strain. The kidneys are the main excretory organ; all toxins that enter the body and are produced during metabolism pass through the nephrons. The greater the load on an individual nephron, the more vulnerable it is. Nephrons under increased load are more often damaged and die, their function is transferred to the remaining nephrons, which work even harder. Thus, chronic kidney disease does not become clinically apparent until more than 70% of the nephrons have been lost, at which point the animal will appear completely healthy.

When no more than 30% of functioning nephrons remain, the compensatory reserves of the kidneys are exhausted, the kidneys cannot filter the blood effectively enough, and toxic metabolic products accumulate in the blood. From this moment we can talk about chronic renal failure.

Is treatment possible?

Since most of the nephrons are lost forever, veterinarian cannot treat chronic renal failure, it is an irreversible condition, moreover, a progressive condition. The prognosis of chronic renal failure is always unfavorable. The doctor's efforts in in this case aimed at improving the patient’s quality of life and prolonging life.

To do this, it is necessary, if possible, to reduce the factors damaging the remaining nephrons: normalize high blood pressure, reduce the intake of protein, the metabolic products of which increase the load on the nephrons, eliminate or reduce the dosage of drugs that can be toxic to the kidneys. To stimulate the excretory function of the remaining nephrons and cleanse the blood of metabolic products and toxins, infusion therapy is necessary, which is carried out with extreme caution and under the control of diuresis, given that the nephrons are already working at their limit. In addition, renal failure is accompanied by a number of concomitant diseases And pathological conditions that require correction. This inflammatory diseases gastrointestinal tract, arterial hypertension, hypo and hyperkalemia, hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, non-regenerative anemia. Thus, all these measures, although they cannot cure the animal, can significantly alleviate its condition and affect its life expectancy.

Forecast

How long it will be possible to maintain the animal in this way depends on how good and long-lasting a response can be obtained to therapeutic measures; a veterinarian can give a prognosis only by observing the dynamics of this process.

If the animal’s body stops giving a positive response to therapy, the only way to prolong its life is hemodialysis. This method in cats is extremely difficult due to the small size of the patients; dialysis machines are designed for humans, and besides, it has little prospects, given that kidney transplants have not yet been performed in cats.

veterinarian-therapist "MEDVET"
© 2016 SEC "MEDVET"

Among the many diseases that beset cats, one of the most dangerous is kidney failure. In the absence of the correct and timely treatment it leads to very rapid death. But if help was provided to the animal without delay, it has every chance of a long and happy life.

The difficulty is that evidence of a terrible illness, as a rule, appears already in the later stages, and before that the disease can proceed almost unnoticed by the owner. This is why it is so important to know what symptoms you should pay attention to and what to do if your furry pet begins to feel unwell.

Kidney failure - what is it?

Veterinarians call kidney failure a disorder of the urinary system, in which waste products are not excreted along with urine, but are retained in the body.

The basis of each kidney is an active tissue structure, or parenchyma, within which the renal calyces are located, responsible for the removal of urea.

In case of insufficiency, the parenchyma dies and is replaced by the connecting part. As a result, toxic substances formed as a result of metabolism cannot leave the body and begin to poison the blood and internal organs.

Under normal conditions, the kidneys perform a variety of tasks:

• regulate the amount of fluid in muscle tissue;
• They cleanse the blood of toxins and nitrogenous compounds resulting from metabolism;
• remove toxins from the body, including those formed during drug treatment;
• produce some vital hormones;
• control the flow of sodium into the blood, which increases or decreases blood pressure.

In case of kidney damage, these functions (all or some of them) cease to be performed. This affects the condition of the animal very quickly. In the most severe cases, death can occur within a few days, but more often, nevertheless, some time passes between the appearance of the first symptoms and fatal self-poisoning of the body, and the owners have the opportunity to help their pet.

A lot depends on the severity of the disease and its form. There are only two types of this terrible disease:

1. Spicy.
2. And chronic.

Serious kidney damage occurs in both cases. Both forms of renal failure require timely treatment, diet, and preventive measures. But acute renal failure in cats, as a rule, does not lead to immediate death and, if treatment was started immediately, allows the animal to live for many more years with virtually no restriction in activity.

And here chronic failure can only be suspended, but not reversed, and in this case we are talking, rather, about alleviating the cat’s suffering than about seriously prolonging life.

The danger of kidney failure in cats also lies in the fact that its symptoms are similar to those of many other diseases, because of which necessary treatment is not always scheduled on time.

The question of how long cats with this diagnosis live does not have a clear answer. It all depends on many factors:

• forms of the disease;
• the severity of its occurrence;
• age when symptoms first appeared;
• the presence of other diseases in the animal;
• and, of course, from the owner’s compliance with recommendations for treatment and care of the pet.

Cats that successfully survive acute renal failure live comfortably up to 8–10 years. And here in the chronic form, life expectancy, alas, rarely exceeds 1–2 years.

Although there are exceptions here: there are known cases where pets, whose owners were attentive to their health, went to the veterinarian at the very beginning of the development of the terrible syndrome. And, although for the rest of their lives they were forced to follow a strict diet and undergo regular examinations, they did not live much less than their healthy relatives.

Symptoms

Kidney failure, like any other disease, has its own manifestations. But the difficulty of diagnosis lies in the fact that the “safety margin” of the kidneys is very large: for some time, even a kidney that is damaged and has lost half of its urinary pelvis copes with all its functions. Clear evidence of failure appears only when 20–30% of the total mass of renal tissue remains in working condition.

In the early stages of the disease, the only signs of renal failure may be only a change in the composition of urine: the appearance of a large number of red blood cells and protein in it, an increase in the mass fraction of urea, a change in the color of urine and a decrease in its density. This can only be detected using laboratory analysis.

Subsequently, many other symptoms appear, each of which, even separately from the others, is already a reason for the owner to sound the alarm.

You need to urgently take your pet to the veterinary clinic if:

• The animal drinks a lot and often.
• Feels weak.
• More often than usual, he sits down in the tray or, conversely, experiences an ineffective urge to urinate.
• Refuses to eat (for late stage It happens that a cat asks for food, but cannot swallow food).
• Looks lethargic, sleeps a lot, stops playing actively.
• Often licks the genitals.
• There is an unpleasant odor from the mouth.
• Sometimes vomiting or diarrhea may occur, both together and separately.
• In severe kidney failure, painful cramps and seizures, similar to epileptic seizures, often occur.
• As breakdown products accumulate in the blood, blood pressure will rise - this is also a characteristic attack of kidney dysfunction.
• In some cases, the animal may go blind due to the rupture of blood vessels in the eye that cannot withstand pressure.
• And finally, an elevated temperature or simply bouts of trembling, similar to chills, indicate the need to take your pet to a doctor.

As the body is poisoned, the symptoms will become more and more obvious, and the animal’s condition will become painful. Main mistake For many owners, wait to see if the unexpected illness goes away on its own. In the case of kidney failure, a delay of even a few days can reduce the cat's chances of survival to zero. When kidney failure leads to critical intoxication, convulsions may not be noticed and almost coma the animal will be difficult; however, it is almost impossible to save a fluffy purr at this stage.

Causes of the disease

From a physiological point of view, renal failure is not an independent diagnosis, but rather a complex of symptoms that arise as a result of a host of other diseases. This dangerous syndrome develops in all cases where the genitourinary system has been damaged.

Veterinarians usually name the following diseases as the main cause of kidney dysfunction:

• pyelonephritis;
• diabetes;
• kidney vasculitis;
• piroplasmosis;
• enteritis;
• pneumonia;
• leptospirosis;
• as well as any infections that force the kidneys to work harder or, conversely, inhibit their functions.

If the animal has suffered any of these diseases, you need to be especially attentive to its condition. It’s best a month or two after recovery, even if there are no dangerous symptoms does not manifest itself, take your pet to the veterinarian and take tests to ensure normal kidney function or, if the results are disappointing, begin treatment immediately.

Kidney failure can also occur due to genetic predisposition to some diseases - for example, polycystic disease, amyloidosis, glomerulonephritis. Inherited unilateral underdevelopment of the kidney (or so-called unilateral hypoplasia) is very dangerous. As a cat ages, its only kidney experiences increasing stress and at some point may simply fail. The Abyssinian and Persian breeds are very vulnerable in this regard.

Sometimes the cause of damage to the genitourinary system is intoxication with various substances: lead, mercury, antibiotics, analgesics, anesthetics and others. medicines. During this period, the kidneys have to work harder to cleanse the body of both breakdown products and toxins that come with medications. Often, especially when the dosage is exceeded, the remaining active ingredients are not removed, but are deposited in renal pelvis and begin to destroy the organ. This is one of the reasons why no drugs should be given to an animal without consulting a specialist.

Acute renal failure

Acute renal failure in cats develops rapidly; as a rule, against the background of another disease that impairs kidney function (for example, enteritis or pyelonephritis).

Despite its severe course, this syndrome is reversible and often ends with the cat’s recovery.(although there are also deaths, especially if the animal has not received proper treatment).

This form of the disease has four stages:

1. Initial, or “precursor stage”. Symptoms during this period are practically invisible, largely because most of them are the same in both kidney failure and the underlying disease.
2. Diuresis disturbance. At this stage, urination stops or becomes very insignificant, and blood appears in thick, cloudy urine. Poisoning of the body with toxins formed during metabolism occurs very quickly, which immediately affects the state of health: the temperature rises, diarrhea begins, and heartbeat increases. The animal becomes lethargic, its limbs swell and twitch convulsively.
3. When successful treatment, after some time the third stage begins: gradual restoration of diuresis. The terrible symptoms disappear, urine is released profusely, but has little density.
4. The final stage of the disease can last from one to three to four months; During this period, there is a slow recovery of all kidney functions.

The prognosis for the acute form largely depends on the stage at which the problem was identified and how adequate the therapeutic measures. Timely treated acute renal failure practically does not reduce the length and quality of life of a cat. Although it requires constant preventive measures and compliance with the diet prescribed by the veterinarian.

Chronic renal failure

The chronic form of this syndrome also occurs due to poisoning, infection or hereditary disease, but appears very slowly. The deterioration of the condition in this case is not associated with temporary dysfunction, as with acute failure, but with the slow but irreversible death of the renal parenchyma.

As active cells becomes smaller, the load on the urinary tissue increases, and the kidney copes with its functions worse and worse.

Chronic renal failure (CRF) also develops in four stages:

1. The latent, or hidden, stage manifests itself only in slight lethargy and constant thirst. At this stage, it is not difficult to help the cat, but most often the owners begin to sound the alarm much later, when the changes in the kidneys have already become irreversible. That is why it is so important to immediately contact a veterinary clinic if the slightest symptoms appear.
2. At the stage of increased diuresis, the cat begins to frequently run to the litter box, while the density of urine decreases due to weakening of kidney function, and the amount of protein and red blood cells increases.
3. After some time (often quite a long time), urine production begins to decrease, and then disappears altogether. Accordingly, all the symptoms of self-poisoning of the body appear.
4. Terminal stage. It is manifested by constant diarrhea, weakness and drowsiness. During this period, malfunctions occur not only in the kidneys, but also in other organs, in which toxins that cannot be removed from the body accumulate. Except in rare cases, this stage ends with the death of the animal.

Chronic renal failure is practically incurable. But it would be a mistake to think that a pet owner with this terrible diagnosis you need to give up fighting for your furry friend. Maintenance therapy (especially if treatment was started at the first or second stage) can significantly alleviate the animal’s condition, and extend life and activity by 3 to 4 years.

Treatment of kidney failure in cats

Despite the difference in the course and duration of the disease in acute and chronic forms, The basic treatment methods remain the same for both options. Therapy manifests itself, first of all, in restoring the normal functioning of the genitourinary system.

Or, if this is not possible (for example, with polycystic disease, in which the tissue of the urinary pelvis itself is destroyed) in maintaining the kidneys.

There is no uniform advice on how to treat kidney failure. The reasons for the development of the syndrome and the nature of its course in each animal are unique. Only a specialist can select medications and rehabilitation measures that are suitable for a particular cat; attempts at “self-medication”, at best, will not give any effect, and at worst, they will bring a sad end closer.

Therapy for renal failure is mostly symptomatic. Only transplantation can provide a 100% effect, but so far this method is only just beginning to be talked about in veterinary medicine.

Depending on the severity of the disease and the causes of its occurrence, different methods are used:

• intravenous nutrition to restore fluid balance and combat anemia;
• administration of antibiotics (as a rule, this is used only at the first stage, when treating the root cause of the syndrome);
• the use of heart medications to normalize blood pressure and prevent capillary ruptures;
• vitamin injections;
• pain relief and blockade of nerve endings;
• artificial blood purification (so-called hemodialysis);
• blood transfusion, which can slow down the development of the syndrome in chronic failure;
• and finally, transplanting a healthy kidney into the animal.

The medications necessary to save the animal are prescribed only by a veterinarian; Despite the fact that many medications produced for humans are suitable for cats, it is not recommended to give them on your own. The only exceptions are those cases when the animal suddenly became worse, and it is impossible to immediately take it to veterinary clinic No. In these cases, you can use medicines from a human first aid kit:

1. To reduce blood pressure - Enap or enalapril.
2. In case of severe anemia, you can give an injection of B12 or Remocorn.
3. For vomiting, cerucal is best suited.
4. For liver problems - Essentiale Forte or Heptral.
5. You can support your heart with Neoton, Preducal, Riboxin or Digoxin.

The dose must be calculated based on the weight of the animal; for a medium-sized cat, 1/8, or even less, of a standard tablet is enough. You need to be especially careful with pacemakers and blood pressure medications: exceeding the dosage can cause coma and death.

In addition, in case of renal failure, especially its chronic form, great value has a properly selected diet, which allows you to reduce the intake of “difficult” substances into the body and reduce the load on the kidney.

Diet: natural food or professional food?

The question of what to feed a cat with kidney failure is especially acute. Along with food, the cat receives not only nutrients and vitamins, but also many microelements that are not fully absorbed by the body.

If kidney function is impaired, these “extra” elements are not excreted along with urine, but accumulate in the body: in the kidneys themselves, in the tissues of other organs, on the walls of blood vessels, in the blood.

Task therapeutic diet– exclude from the animal’s diet everything that will serve as intoxication, while at the same time providing it with all the substances necessary for health.

There are several rules that will help reduce the load on urinary system and support your pet's health:

• It is necessary to reduce the intake of phosphorus into the body, which means completely eliminating fish (including caviar and fish oil).
• Avoid foods high in calcium: dairy and fermented milk products, eggs, cottage cheese, cheese.
• All fatty meats are contraindicated: pork, beef, rabbit, duck and goose. Only chicken and turkey meat (exclusively breast meat) are relatively safe for cats with kidney failure.
• Proteins and fats should enter the body to a minimum. It is better to reduce the share of meat to 10 - 20% of the total food.
• Porridge in any form, as well as bread and other flour products will also have to be excluded from the pet’s diet.
• It is necessary to increase the mass proportion of vegetables, especially cabbage and carrots.
• It is imperative to add alkalizing foods to your food to help maintain the acid-base balance. Chalk or special preparations can be used as such substances.

For cats suffering from kidney failure, natural diet is poorly suited because the list of permitted products is depressingly short and does not provide the cat with the required amount of essential substances.

Only boiled vegetables can be given in unlimited quantities, and furry predators consume them with great reluctance. In addition, in this case another problem arises: selection of necessary vitamins and mineral supplements, as well as determining their correct dosage.

Specialized foods are best suited for purrs with kidney failure, especially chronic. The ideal option today is considered to be Renal food from Royal Canin. The nutritional content in it is precisely selected to maintain the health of cats, almost of which are unable to properly remove toxins from the body.

No additional vitamins or dietary supplements are required with this diet. True, there are also contraindications: Renal cannot be prescribed to kittens under one year old, as well as to pregnant and lactating cats.

The minimum time during which an animal needs to be given this food is six months. And in case of chronic renal failure, veterinarians prescribe Renal as a dietary food for the rest of their life.

The danger of kidney failure, especially chronic, is that owners do not always realize the full danger of the illness that befalls their pet. With the slow progression of the disease, the animal may look quite alert, which creates the illusion that dieting and prevention of renal failure are no longer necessary.

Violation of dietary principles may not cause immediate deterioration. However, this will speed up intoxication and reduce the time that the furry pet could live next to its owners.