CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE IN THE CAT

CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE IN THE CAT

“Chronic Kidney Failure” is the term given to the condition wherein the kidneys begin to fail to remove the body’s waste products from the blood. Kidney failure does not necessarily mean urine excretion ceases. Kidney failure takes two clinical forms:

1. Urine production is continued, but does not contain the filtered waste products. Often urine production is actually increased.

2. Urine production is decreased or is totally absent.

Kidney failure may occur from exposure to various chemicals or infectious agents, but the primary cause of CHRONIC kidney failure is the process of aging. The kidneys just wear out! For most cats, the early signs of impending kidney failure occur at 10-14 years of age.

Early signs of chronic kidney failure include increased water consumption and increased urine production. When aging decreases the ability of the kidneys to filter the blood efficiently and effectively, the cat’s body responds by increasing blood flow to the kidneys. More blood flow means more potential exposure of the blood to the kidneys for filtration. This results in the production of more urine, but not necessarily filled with any more waste products. Thirst usually increases as the body’s way of replacing the additional urine being drained from the body. As the kidneys become more ineffective at removing the waste products from the body, clinical signs of decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and bad breath become evident. In the late stages, mouth ulcers are commonly present.

DIAGNOSIS OF CHRONIC KIDNEY FAILURE is accomplished by several tests. The first evidence of chronic kidney failure will be changes in the composition of the urine. Chemical analysis, measurement of specific gravity, and urine sediment examination are important in the evaluation of the urine. As the disease progresses, blood tests to measure the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and blood creatinine become important diagnostic tools.

SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT REQUIRES EARLY DETECTION. The earlier signs of kidney failure are noted, the better chance for prolonging the cat’s quality life. The best treatment would be a kidney transplant! However, since that is not yet practical, treatment is directed at helping the kidneys “catch up” with its function of filtering the blood for the body. This is accomplished through the administration of large quantities of intravenous fluids to “flush out” the blood, by running a lot more fluid through the kidney filtration system.

The body can still function adequately with only 10% active functioning kidney tissue. If the kidneys can be helped to “catch up,” hopefully they can then maintain adequate filtration with the help of medications. This initial treatment may result in long-term kidney function, short-term functioning before problems return again, or no improvement at all. Unfortunately, there is no test to determine which cat will or will not respond to treatment.

If initial treatment is successful, recommendations will be made to keep the kidneys functioning as long as possible. The recommendations may include:

1. High quality, low protein diets.

2. Potassium supplementation.

3. Phosphate binders.

4. Additional oral or parental fluids.

5. Drugs to stimulate bone marrow production.

Aggressive treatment can add up to 3-4 years to the life of a cat.

For more information contact your local animal clinic or veterinarian. 

www.missionvet.com

http://www.missionvet.com/Feline%20Conditions/Cat%20kidney.htm

CAT SCRATCH DISEASE

CAT SCRATCH DISEASE

Cat Scratch Disease is also called “Cat Scratch Fever.” It is a disease affecting humans, not cats. The cause is a bacteria-like organism called Bartonella henselea. Most cases are diagnosed in the colder months—fall and winter. The reasoning for this is unknown.

Surveys have shown that about 5% of the U.S. population have antibodies in the blood against this disease, but have no history of clinical illness.

This human disease is usually very mild. Common signs are very mild and mimic influenza, including fever, chills, and lethargy that lasts only for a few days.

The more severe form of the disease causes a high fever, anorexia, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes, especially in the arm pits and groin. In rare cases, the affected lymph nodes may spontaneously rupture or require surgical drainage to establish drainage and relieve the pain.

The disease runs its course in a period of several days to several weeks. It is treated quite successfully with antibiotics since the specific causative agent has been identified.

Most cases seem to follow a cat scratch wound on the person. The following facts are the only knowledge currently available:

1. Adult cats are rarely involved. It is almost always a scratch from a kitten.

2. The cat appears to be contagious for only a short period of time, 2-3 weeks.

3. The bacteria-like organism lives in the cat’s mouth and is spread to the claws by the normal cat grooming (licking) process. Bite wounds do not appear to spread the disease. Therefore declawing the kitten at an early age is helpful to prevent potential infections.

4. The cat can be tested for the organism with a blood test. Positive cats can be treated with antibiotics. However, reinfection can occur.

Banning cats from the household is not warranted!! It has been shown that less than 10% of family members scratched by the same cat develop the disease. There also is no record of a person having the disease more than once even though the cat is kept in the household.

For more information contact your local animal clinic or veterinarian. 

www.missionvet.com

http://www.missionvet.com/Feline%20Conditions/Catscratch.htm

Acne in Cats

ACNE IN CATS

Feline Acne is a skin disease affecting the chin of cats. Although fungal infections and allergies may be a cause of this condition, it is thought to be primarily the result of the inability or lack of desire of some cats to clean their own chin. Most cats groom themselves on a daily basis and clean their chins by licking their front feet and then utilizing the moist foot to clean the underside of the chin. Cats that are ill or just too lazy to thoroughly groom themselves are prone to the “blackheads.” Blackheads are nothing more than blood and infection that have accumulated in the hair follicle. The condition can sometimes be very severe and painful. In severe cases, it can result in open sores on the chin.

Recurrence of the problem after treatment is common because of the ongoing lack of cleaning the chin by the cat.

For more information contact your local animal clinic or veterinarian. 

www.missionvet.com
http://www.missionvet.com/Feline%20Conditions/cat%20acne.htm