Kidney Disease in Cats

Kidney disease is a commpn disease especially in older cats. However there are some treatments available that can reduce her suffering andgive her a full life.

CONGENITAL KIDNEY DISEASE- The disease can be congenital- that is from birth, perhaps inherited from her parents.

ACQUIRED KIDNEY DISEASE- Many cats who have kidney disease acquire ir during their life times simply as a  result of aging or infection or injury.

CHRONIC KIDNEY FAILURE- If a cat has chronic kidney failure symptoms will not show until up to 75% of kidney function  has been lost.

ACUTE KIDNEY FAILURE- In most cases there is a sudden shut down of kidney function. In most cases the prognosis for the cat is poor.

DIAGNOSIS- A regular check at the vets can detect signs of the disease, weight loss, dehydration , aneamia and enlargement of the kidneys. Examination of her eyes can indicate high blood pressure which is a common symptom of kidney failure in cats. Blood tests or ultrasound scans can confirm the diagnosis.

DIET AND MEDICATION- Kidney disease in cats can be treated by a mixture of a low protein diet and ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors which reduce excessive protein, reduce blood pressure and increase the lifespan of your cat.

Celiac Disease in cats

Cats can have celiac disease which is an allergy to a protein in wheat, called gluten. The first I knew of it was when I was told my youngest cat had the disease. Find out how to cope with a celiac cat
Now you know how to cope with your celiac cat!
I didn't bother to have Bagera tested for the disease as once I started an elimination diet with him, I dropped  lucky and got the first allergen- gluten

Cat Illness Symptoms

What do you do when the cat is ill? Sometimes they just don't seem to have their normal sparkle or want to play. The problem is when an illness crosses over from being an ordinary every day event into something more serious. Cats are often a little bit sick. How often have you been sitting quietly in the comfort of your home and suddenly without warning the cat is sick? Happens at least once a week in our cat filled house. This may be a sign of a prolonged illness but nearly all the time it is simply because they ate something that disagreed with them or had a particularly big hairball (fur ball) to bring up. I usually watch if any of them are eating grass as it acts as an emetic and sure enough a little while later up comes the sick, usually somewhere nice and warm where they fled to as they were feeling a bit off.  Washing sick off duvet covers is a chore that all cat lovers do several times a year.

Occasionally they will sneeze and the violence of that sneeze is tremendous, their little bodies shake and a loud noise appears from their nostrils. They don’t seem  to have perfected using handkerchiefs or covering their mouths and noses when they do it, they just sneeze! If your cat has a cold make sure that you clean her food and litter trays very carefully as  you do not want any infections to spread.

When do you seek professional advice from your veterinarian? It is a difficult question to answer. I think the rule must be the same as we use for our own general health. If the cat is looking really ill, having trouble breathing or has a temperature and maybe is sick all day and all night, call the veterinarian. If it’s a sneeze and a cough and then they roll over look adoringly at you and scoff their meal, then leave it a few days as it is probably just a head cold that will go after a couple of days rest and relaxation.

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