What Is PKD in Felines?

PKD stands for Polycystic Kidney Disease. It is a genetic, progressive kidney disease that occurs in cats, dogs and even humans and effects both kidneys at once. Feline PKD occurs in many breeds of cats and both genders. As of early 2010, there are no clinically proven treatments or known cures for feline PKD.

  1. Diagnosis

    • Ultrasound is currently considered the best method for diagnosing PKD in living cats. Frozen sections of the kidney can be examined histopathologically with 100 percent accuracy, but this type of testing can not be done on living subjects.

    Considerations

    • False negative results do occur even when skilled sonographers are conducting the test. It may be necessary to test more than one time if you suspect your cat has PKD.

      False positives are more rare and are usually a result of errors in testing.

    Symptoms

    • Cats with PKD will typically only show symptoms once the disease has progressed enough to cause renal damage or failure. Those symptoms include vomiting, lack of energy or interest in food, increased thirst and increased urination.

    Treatment

    • Dialysis or a kidney transplant may prolong the life of a cat with PKD, but as of early 2010, there are no treatments that can change the genetic markers for PKD and cysts would eventually grow back even in healthy, transplanted kidneys.

    Expert Insight

    • In an article published by Le Bordo Persians, Dr. Susan Boyle states that spaying or neutering your cat will not effect PKD either positively or negatively; however certain anesthesias should be avoided as they can be toxic to the kidneys.