Feline kidney disease can be considered a silent killer. By the time any signs or symptoms of distress surface, considerable damage already has been done. If your cat has been diagnosed with kidney disease, talk with your vet to set up a treatment plan. With the help of diet and drug therapy, you may be able to stabilize the disease and extend your cat's life.
Things You'll Need
- Potassium and vitamin B supplements
- Science diet cat food
- Prescription medications
- Blood and urine tests
Instructions
Recognize symptoms. What makes treating feline kidney disease difficult is that symptoms usually don't appear until most of the damage has been incurred. Check to see if your cat is drinking more; urinating more in places other than the litter box and experiencing pain or difficulty doing so; has lost interest in grooming; is not eating and has lost weight; suffers from halitosis and mouth ulcers; has an inflamed stomach; appears lethargic; and/or is throwing up.
Get a diagnosis. Testing your cat's blood and urine are the primary diagnostic methods. The vet will look for blood in the urine, any indication of infection, an inability to concentrate the urine and protein loss. He also will determine if the level of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine are high and check your cat's red blood cell count.
Make diet changes. Diets with reduced levels of protein, sodium and phosphorus are recommended to help treat feline kidney disease. Building up your cat's potassium and vitamin B levels with supplements also is suggested. To stimulate appetite feed your cat baby food and/or the juices from tuna fish or cat food pouches. Always have fresh water available.
Consider fluid therapy. Used in more advanced cases, fluids can be given through a needle injected under the skin. Similar to dialysis, this form of treatment eliminates waste products via the kidneys and rehydrates the cat. The procedure may require a hospital stay or can be administered as an out-patient or at home.
Notify the vet. Contact your vet if you notice any symptoms of kidney disease or changes in your cat's condition.