Renal failure in cats: symptoms, treatment of acute and chronic forms. Signs of kidney failure in a cat: symptoms and treatment, diet and food, stages, chronic insufficiency

Acute renal failure in cats (CRF - Chronic renal failure in cats) is a pathology in which dysfunction of the excretory apparatus occurs, accompanied by pain and unpleasant symptoms. When this disease occurs, the activity of the most important organs is upset. The disorder also suffers from the water-salt balance of the body.

This disease most often appears as a result of previous diseases of the urinary system. Also, it can occur due to infections, injuries and diseases of a somatic nature. It is important to understand that this can be fatal or develop into CRF in cats.

The kidneys do the job of cleaning the body. If the kidney work fails, then the cat will receive a complex intoxication, which can subsequently become fatal.

Such a disorder is considered the most dangerous. As a result, the kidneys decrease in size, which leads to their dysfunction. Self-diagnosis of this disease is almost impossible.

The disease almost does not affect the behavior of the animal, therefore, at the slightest suspicion, it is worth taking the pet to the clinic. In the early stages, you can improve the condition of the body of a pet with kidney failure with the help of diets and simple treatment, so you should not postpone therapy until later.

Forms of the disease

Kidney failure in a cat is divided into two types:

Acute;
Chronic.

Such problems are caused by such reasons:

Damage to the kidney tissue;
Urine diversion dysfunction;
Blockage of blood flow in the kidney tissues;
Ingestion of toxic substances.

The peculiarity of the acute form lies in the fact that timely treatment can completely cure and restore the functional features of healthy cat kidneys. However, with frequent repetitions of acute insufficiency, it can become chronic.

Kidney failure in cats is a severe and poorly curable disease. It occurs in older and older animals. Often the chronic type of the disease occurs due to obstruction of the kidneys and other concomitant ailments. With proper diagnosis and timely intervention, it is possible to alleviate the course of the disease and associated symptoms.

Symptoms

Most often, they begin to appear almost immediately. These include the following signs:

Lethargy. The animal may become non-playful, sleepy and lethargic. Appetite disappears. Sudden weight loss (anorexia) is possible;
Vomit. This symptom can be repeated. Relief in the animal does not occur, and the general condition, on the contrary, is significantly weakened. Vomiting can also be accompanied by indigestion, accompanied by pain in the pet;
Thirst. The animal often drinks a lot. This can worsen the general condition of the pet;
Blood in the urine. She's talking about a blockage in the urinary tract. Also, the cat may experience frequent ineffectual urge to urinate. It is necessary to focus on the amount of urine of a cat. It can be either critically small or too abundant;
Seizures. It is expressed in involuntary contraction of muscle tissue. It is possible to fall into a coma and disorder of consciousness due to intoxication of the body;
Smell from the mouth. Owners may notice the smell of acetone or urine from their pet's mouth. This indicates severe intoxication and the need for urgent therapy.

It is important to understand that none of the above symptoms is characteristic of kidney failure, since this disease does not have specific and unique signs.

Thus, if the cat is restless or too lethargic, has a poor appetite and high thirst, it is worth contacting a veterinary clinic for an examination by a doctor and further diagnosing a possible disorder.

stages

Doctors distinguish several main stages of kidney failure in a cat of a chronic type:

early or latent stage.
At this stage, the amount of creatine in the body of the animal does not change. The pet itself practically does not feel changes in the work of the kidneys and on well-being.
Initial stage.
Its characteristic features are changes in the well-being of the pet. Cats become more lethargic, lose weight dramatically and have little or no appetite. The animal may occasionally vomit. This stage usually lasts for several months.
Conservative stage of chronic renal failure.
The normal filtration function of the kidneys is rapidly declining. Cats may experience symptoms such as: dehydration, gastrointestinal disturbances, anemia.
Terminal stage.
In this case, an increased concentration of urea and creatine is found in the blood of the animal. The cat may suffer from seizures and have an unpleasant smell of urine or acetone from the mouth. With a long progression of this stage, the life support of the animal is impossible without transplantation of a healthy organ.

Also, the symptoms of the disease include:

Bradycardia and tachycardia;
Ulcers in the mouth and on the tip of the tongue;
Softening of the bones of the skull (facial part);
Change in the size of the kidneys;
Increased pressure;
Coma;
Tremor;
epileptiform seizures;
Lethargy;
Poor coat structure;
immune depression;
Poor blood clotting, etc.

All of these symptoms and more are characteristic of chronic renal failure in cats.

Causes

This disorder begins to progress against the background of existing pathologies of the urinary tract, as well as due to somatic feline diseases. The main reasons identified by veterinarians are as follows:

Urolithiasis disease;
Tumors of the kidney tissue;
Pyelonephritis;
Diabetes mellitus and other metabolic diseases;
Pathology;
Underdevelopment of renal tissues.

A frequent case is that it is not possible to find the cause of the disease even after tests and various types of diagnostics.

The most effective treatment for a pet is considered when the veterinarian has identified the cause of the disease. If the etymology of the onset of the disease is not clear, then it is not possible to create the correct course of therapy. The maximum available in such a situation is to maintain the general condition of the animal's body for several years, without eliminating the source of the disease.

For maximum effectiveness of treatment, monitoring of the animal's tests and regular laboratory checks of new blood and urine tests are required. According to the obtained indicators, the doctor makes adjustments to the therapy.

When a cause is identified, doctors most often prescribe infusions of electrolyte solutions. Also, cats are prescribed additional medications to relieve unpleasant symptoms of nausea, dehydration, high blood pressure and anemia. If all these measures do not help the pet in any way, then doctors use surgical treatment or an “artificial kidney” apparatus.

Medicinal herbs also often become one of the additions to the main treatment and prevention. Herbal teas, mineral and vitamin supplements for a cat also perfectly relieve obsessive symptoms.

Unfortunately, a successful outcome in the fight against this complex disease is possible only in the first two stages described above. The conservative and terminal stages are practically incurable and will most likely lead to the death of the pet if good kidney treatment in cats is not undertaken.

Diet

Diet is one of the most important elements in the fight against kidney failure in cats. Doctors recommend paying attention to three main points when changing a pet's diet.

Protein

Water

Cats with kidney failure often suffer from dehydration. This is due to the fact that the kidney tissue poorly retains fluid in the body. The required amount of water in the animal's body can delay the development of the disease. It is important for the owners to maintain the necessary fluid balance and closely monitor this. Oddly enough, but most of the liquid enters the body of cats through the food they consume. In this case, it is better to replace dry food with canned and wet analogues.

Phosphates

Restriction of protein food helps the animal feel healthy, but reducing the intake of phosphates can significantly extend the life of the cat. This diet is also excellent at protecting cats from progressive kidney failure and tissue damage.

Medical food

Medicinal feeds have fairly high quality indicators. Don't be alarmed if your veterinarian suggests trying food for a cat with kidney failure. The composition of such food for a pet has an excellent balance of all the most necessary substances and can have a positive effect on the course of the disease.

Some owners have problems with their pets when it comes to changing food to medicated. Veterinarians recommend making the transition smooth by gradually mixing the medicated food into the dry cat food that is familiar to the cat.

Also, if the cat flatly refuses a new food, then the veterinarian may prescribe additional drugs that can improve the animal's appetite.

Care

Care has several important rules that should be followed to improve the general condition of the pet:

Follow the right diet;
Try to timely take your pet for regular check-ups;
Do not interrupt the course of treatment prescribed by the doctor;
Provide enough water in your diet;
Support the pet's body with vitamin complexes and minerals;
Monitor your pet for any deterioration in his condition. Pay attention to coat, appetite and behavioral features.

These rules for caring for a sick pet will help relieve him of pain, poor health and significantly extend his life. Remember that your cat's health depends only on your love and care.

Causes of kidney failure in cats

Causes of PN in cats include:

the course of inflammatory processes in the kidneys;
previously transferred infectious diseases;
diseases associated with disorders of the immune system;
all types of intoxication;
congenital malformations and malfunctioning of the kidneys;
stones and other neoplasms in the kidneys and bladder;
various kinds of injuries, for example, falls or blows.

These symptoms, due to their appearance, are divided into purely renal and predisposing. With kidney failure, the nervous system is affected - convulsions or tics (single muscle twitches) may appear. The first ones are associated exclusively with kidney pathologies and diseases transferred by the organ. While the latter do not have a direct effect on the kidneys. But still inadvertently lead to their damage.

Everything in the body is interconnected. Both those and other reasons can lead to the appearance of PN in an acute or chronic form.

Symptoms and signs of illness in cats

Chronic and acute forms of PN may differ not only in the course of the disease itself, but also in the clinic of its manifestation. In the early stages of the disease, the only symptom of kidney failure may be only a change in the composition and color of urine. But in general, one can distinguish general signs of the disease, according to which one can think about the diagnosis of kidney pathology.

Symptoms of the disease are as follows:

loss of appetite leading to pet weight loss;
disturbed urination;
involuntary urination;
pain when the animal walks on a small one;
: it can be both dark and too light, even transparent;
strong thirst or refusal to drink at all;

For a healthy and active pet, you need to drink 100 ml of liquid per 1 kg of live weight per day. This is the norm. But the owner himself must know how much his pet drinks.

After all, everything is individual and any deviations may indicate a violation of the work of his body.

lethargy and apathy;
the cat sleeps all day and is not active;
vomiting impulses;
diarrhea;
anemia;
ammonia smell from the mouth;
deterioration of vision. The pet may not even see obstacles in its path;
dehydration, accompanied by too viscous saliva, as well as dry and dull gums.

Diagnostics

PN can be diagnosed on the basis of information provided by the owner of the cat (anamnesis), external examination of the animal and, most importantly, laboratory tests. The latter include: complete blood count; analysis for sugar, protein and salt content; study of the nature of the sediment. According to the analysis of PN, there is an increase in the content of creatine and urea in the blood. Moreover, very often the level of phosphorus and acidity of the blood goes off scale.

Without fail, the owner is asked if the cat suffers from diabetes, kidney pathologies, whether there is swelling and how often he goes to the toilet for a little.

Particular attention is paid to the measures taken by the pet owner, whether he treated the pet on his own and what he did.

Kidney failure is not allowed to be treated at home on its own.

Here you need qualified help. And self-medication will only aggravate the situation.

Treatment with drugs for acute and chronic PN

Therapeutic therapy of PN is aimed at restoring the excretory ability of the kidneys and eliminating the accompanying symptoms. Therefore, the course of treatment is individual and should be prescribed exclusively by a professional. It is not worth treating yourself with folk remedies.

Self-medication in this case is fraught with serious consequences. Moreover, therapy will differ in acute and chronic forms of renal failure.

There are a lot of nuances here.

For OOP, you need:

engage in the elimination of toxins;
prevent anemia from developing;
remove side symptoms in the form of vomiting and diarrhea;
normalize blood pressure.

To do this, the veterinarian prescribes a medical course of treatment: describes what drugs you need to purchase, how to take them. Additional laboratory and instrumental studies are also possible.

It is important to find the true cause of the pathology, otherwise the disease will manifest itself in the future and may develop into a chronic form of PN.

Despite the pronounced dynamics of the disease, the prognosis of acute renal failure is not as unfavorable as in chronic.

There is no cure for chronic renal failure. Her therapy is lifelong. Veterinarians try to normalize the condition of a sick cat and maintain kidney function so that the pet lives as long as possible.

Measures for the treatment of CRF are aimed at slowing down the process of death of kidney cells, suppressing symptoms, improving metabolism and the overall health of the animal. The cat will have to be regularly observed by the veterinarian, take medications and undergo procedures. Now this is his fate.

Complications of the disease

The worst complication of kidney failure is death. Since the animal's body at one moment cannot cope with the rapid development of pathology and medical procedures. The life support system of the animal gradually fails. Blood clotting is disturbed, ulcers appear on the skin and mucous membranes, the cardiovascular system functions poorly, hormonal imbalance and anemia are actively developing.

It is necessary to treat PN exclusively under the supervision of specialists. By self-medication, you can kill a cat with your own hands.

And it will be a long and painful death.

Sick cat care

Treatment of kidney failure can take a lifetime if it concerns its chronic form. Therefore, thorough care is needed for cats and cats.

Take medications prescribed by a specialist on time, visit the veterinarian regularly and, most importantly, establish dietary nutrition.

If the animal has been ill with acute renal failure, you need to be careful. Since at any time the disease can recur, for example, after hypothermia or a fall from a height. Nobody is immune from this.

Diet for chronic renal failure

The following foods are prohibited:

animal fats;
dairy products;
fish fat;
liver;
caviar from fish;
sea fish.

It is necessary to minimize the content of phosphorus and protein in the menu. You can only white chicken and turkey meat, and then in small quantities.

Now the diet should consist of carbohydrates, mainly cereals and flour products. An unlimited number can be vegetables. But the pet rarely likes this.

The best option would be ready-made specialized food for cats with kidney failure.

Royal Canin RENAL FELINE - wet food for cats with chronic renal failure with chicken

They will not only saturate the pet, but also allow the normal functioning of the kidneys.

Prevention at home

Preventive measures of PN are the organization of proper care for a pet. It is important to exclude drafts, provide high-quality and balanced nutrition, regularly take the cat to the veterinarian for examination.

It is better to prevent the disease than to fight it later.

Kidney failure in cats is a terrible disease, the consequences of which can be disastrous. And the process of rehabilitation after an experienced pathology is difficult. That is why it is recommended to monitor your pet, to prevent the disease and provide him with proper care. It is better to prevent PN than to treat it later, and your pet will live a long time.

Renal failure is one of the most serious pathologies that occur quite often in our smaller brothers. Pathology occurs when the kidneys for some reason stop doing their job.

Causes

Renal failure is understood as a syndrome that has arisen against the background of concomitant diseases affecting the genitourinary system. Such diseases include nephrosis, pyelonephritis, urolithiasis and other kidney pathologies. Kidney failure can develop as a complication of diabetes mellitus, pneumonia, vasculitis, leptospirosis, etc.

It is not uncommon for a cat's genitourinary system to suffer from poisoning with toxic substances, which occurs, for example, as a result of long-term medication. The load on the kidneys increases, as they try to fulfill their direct duty as soon as possible - to remove the poison from the body. This can lead to serious consequences, up to the destruction of the organ.

Finally, a factor that provokes kidney failure may be the genetic predisposition of your furry to certain diseases, for example, polycystic disease, glomerulonephritis.

Kidney failure is characterized by two forms of the course of the disease - acute and chronic.

Acute insufficiency is the most dangerous, as in most cases it ends in death. It proceeds rapidly and has a pronounced clinical picture. OPN, in turn, also occurs in three forms: prerenal, renal, postrenal.

Veterinarians say that the most serious form is renal. With regard to prerenal and postrenal prognosis, rather favorable.

In chronic renal failure, the kidneys gradually cease to perform excretory functions. For a long time, CRF may not manifest itself at all. This is why she is dangerous. Kidney cells die off gradually, the load is redistributed between healthy cells, but then they die.

Damaged tissues are scarred, as a result of which the kidneys decrease in size and no longer cope with their duties. As a rule, chronic renal failure is diagnosed in older cats.

CRF has four stages: latent, initial, conservative, terminal.

The latent form has the greatest chance of a favorable outcome, but timely diagnosis occurs in the rarest cases. With the terminal, unfortunately, it is no longer possible to help the animal, so the only way to end the pet's suffering is euthanasia.

Which breeds are most susceptible

Renal failure can occur in any cat. More often than others, the pathology is diagnosed in representatives of certain breeds predisposed to amyloidosis, polycystic disease, and infantile polycystic disease. At risk are Abyssinian, Persian cats, as well as Persian mestizos.

Symptoms

If we are not talking about an acute form of renal failure, then for a long period the pathology proceeds in a latent form. Gradually, the cells die, but the kidneys continue to work. Characteristic signs of renal failure appear when the volume of damaged tissues is more than 70%.

A cheerful and active pet becomes lethargic, drowsy, gets tired quickly and lies most of the time. His appetite disappears, thirst, on the contrary, increases. Despite the large amount of water drunk, the cat rarely goes to the toilet. Even if he manages to pee, the amount of urine is negligible. The owner notices that the fluffy is constantly licking the genitals.

The appearance of a sharp unpleasant odor from the body and the mouth of a four-legged pet is characteristic.

In severe cases, the animal experiences epileptic seizures, convulsions, fever, hypertension, which results in rupture of blood vessels in the eyeball and loss of vision. Intoxication of the body is growing, the cat's condition is rapidly deteriorating. The kidneys fail, causing the pet to fall into a coma and die.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of renal failure is associated with certain difficulties. It is possible to conduct it qualitatively only in a hospital, using instrumental and laboratory methods.

First of all, blood biochemistry is carried out. The study allows you to find out the level of phosphorus, potassium, creatinine, urea.

A lot of information can be obtained from a laboratory analysis of urine, in particular, it indicates a change in the composition of the biological fluid, determines the level of leukocytes, the presence of bacteria and the renal epithelium. The urine of a sick cat is dark or, conversely, too light, has a low density. The content of erythrocytes and protein is increased.

An ultrasound of the kidneys is required. It shows the structure of the organ, its location and shape, the presence of cysts.

To determine the area of kidney damage, radiography with a contrast agent is performed.

The most accurate information is given by the method of computed tomography of the kidneys. But due to the high cost, it is used in rare cases.

Treatment

Kidney failure is one of the incurable pathologies. However, with the help of a well-designed treatment regimen, it is possible to maintain the quality of life of the animal and achieve some improvement in kidney function.

The cat will be under the supervision of a veterinarian for life and undergo regular examinations, including the delivery of urine and blood tests. In addition, the animal will have to follow a therapeutic diet and take certain medications all his life.

Treatment depends on the form of renal failure, the general condition and age of the animal.

The acute form is treated according to a scheme that includes:

elimination of the factor that provoked insufficiency;
restoration of water balance;
hemodialysis (artificial blood purification);
removal of intoxication;
lowering blood pressure;
special health food.

In chronic insufficiency, therapeutic measures are aimed at restoring the acid-base, water-salt balance, and stabilizing blood pressure. Elimination of signs of anemia. It is necessary to carry out hemodialysis, use a strict but nutritious and balanced diet.

To increase immunity, it is advisable to use vitamin-mineral complexes.

What to do at home

The owner must strictly follow the instructions of the veterinarian. Self-treatment, replacement of traditional methods of conservative treatment lead to disastrous consequences.

A sick pet needs to be provided with quality care and healthy nutrition. The diet continues for at least six months. Salt, sea fish, fatty meats, offal, cereals, and dairy products are completely excluded from the cat's menu at this time. Flour products and fish oil are prohibited.

The diet consists of poultry meat (chicken, turkey), broth, vegetables (cabbage, carrots). There are few acceptable products, so veterinarians recommend giving preference to special therapeutic dry food.

The product from Royal Canin - Renal food, developed for cats with renal insufficiency, deserved high marks from specialists. It includes all the vitamins and nutrients a cat needs during intensive care.

Prevention

Any disease can be prevented with the help of the simplest preventive measures known to every owner.

First of all, you need to understand that regular examinations at the veterinarian will help to avoid or identify infectious processes of the genitourinary system at the initial stage. Of great importance in prevention are proper nutrition with high-quality food, prevention of injuries, control over the weight of the pet.

Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a nightmare for many cat owners, especially thoroughbreds, because scientists have already established that this disease is hereditary. Even breeds are named, in whose representatives CRF is more common than in others. These are British, Persian cats and Maine Coons.

The only way to prevent the occurrence of pathology is to prevent sick cats from breeding. But not all breeders care about conducting a survey of producers, and therefore chronic renal failure continues to be a nightmare for owners. But forewarned is forearmed.

What is chronic renal failure?

So what is chronic kidney disease in cats? We will try to reveal the causes of this disease and the secrets of dealing with it.

Chronic renal failure is a pathology in which the kidneys cease to cope with their work. And we are not talking about a temporary breakdown, but about a "factory defect" - a kind of time bomb.

An explosion, that is, the beginning of the development of a disease, can occur at any time and for a variety of reasons. The inflammatory process in the body, malnutrition, hypothermia, infection, metabolic disorders - any of these factors can become a pebble that will bring down an avalanche.

Chronic renal failure in cats is incurable. All that can be done is to carry out maintenance therapy, strictly controlling the condition of the animal and using a special diet. If you manage to contain the onset of the disease, then the cat will be able to live for many years and even feel good, delighting the owners.

Stages of Renal Failure in Cats

But here is the main difficulty. Symptoms of chronic renal failure in the early stages in cats are not expressed in any way, so it is so rare to diagnose the disease in time that these cases can be counted on the fingers.

In the first and second stages, the disease does not manifest itself externally, and only a very attentive owner will notice that the cat has begun to drink more. But you must admit, how many of us will consider this a reason to immediately run to the doctor?

Meanwhile, checking the level of creatinine and ultrasound can give an answer quite quickly and accurately even in the case when there are still no obvious signs of kidney failure in cats.

The International Society for the Study of the Kidney (IRIS - The International Renal Interest Society) proposed four stages of renal failure in cats. See how the level of creatinine in the urine differs on each of them (the unit of measurement is µmol / l).

And now let's talk a little about what happens in the body of a cat suffering from chronic and, moreover, acute renal failure - the symptoms of this disease should become SOS signals for the owner of the animal.

Your pet's body produces a certain amount of toxins every day - the waste products of the muscles and internal organs. All these toxins enter the bloodstream and travel with the bloodstream until they reach the kidneys, which filter the blood and produce urine, with which substances that the body does not need leave it forever.

Signs of early renal failure in cats

Healthy kidneys can handle even a very large amount of toxins, increasing their concentration in the urine to significant limits. If the process of kidney failure has already begun, then the filtering ability of the kidneys is weakened, and in order to remove all the toxins, they have to produce more and more urine. And for this you need water - the cat begins to experience constant thirst and drink more.

This is one of the first signs of chronic renal failure of the initial stage. Cats at this time, mostly feel good. However, if the doctor does not intervene at this stage, the process will inexorably continue, and soon no volume of fluid will be able to compensate for the insufficiency of the kidneys.

It is like a clogged filter, through which no matter how much water is poured, only a thin trickle will come out.

Signs of advanced renal failure

At the next stage of the disease, the purr becomes lethargic, apathetic, loses appetite, loses weight and suffers from frequent vomiting - this is how the body tries to get rid of toxins accumulated in the blood.

In the last stage of kidney failure, the cat's hair falls out, and there is also a strong smell of acetone from the mouth.

Alas, very often sick animals come for examination already with many, if not all of these symptoms, when it is no longer possible to help the animal.

Therefore, if your cat is at risk, get tested by your veterinarian and check if your pet is at risk of chronic kidney failure - in cats, the last stage can come much faster than you think, so if in any doubt, do not delay the diagnosis .

As we have already said, if timely measures are taken, a cat with kidney failure can live a long life. It is only necessary to strictly follow the doctor's instructions and provide the animal with special nutrition. We will talk about how to feed a cat with kidney failure and the proper treatment of pets in the next article. Follow our publications.

We suggest leaving your comments below on the topic - the forum, unfortunately, is not provided within the framework of the article, but we will try to answer all your questions. We hope that the discussion of such a disaster as kidney failure in cats, the symptoms and prognosis of the disease will be useful to everyone.

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Renal failure in cats: symptoms, treatment of acute and chronic forms. Signs of kidney failure in a cat: symptoms and treatment, diet and food, stages, chronic insufficiency

Forms of the disease

Symptoms

stages

Causes

Diet

Protein

Water

Phosphates

Medical food

Care

Related videos

Causes of kidney failure in cats

Symptoms and signs of illness in cats

Diagnostics

Treatment with drugs for acute and chronic PN

Complications of the disease

Sick cat care

Diet for chronic renal failure

Prevention at home

Causes

Which breeds are most susceptible

Symptoms

Diagnostics

Treatment

What to do at home

Prevention

What is chronic renal failure?

Stages of Renal Failure in Cats

Signs of early renal failure in cats

Signs of advanced renal failure