Uncategorized
How To Help A Cat With Kidney Disease
There are many things that you can do at home to help your cat live a happy and healthy life if he has been diagnosed with Feline Kidney Disease.
TLC
Strive to maintain a calming and stress-free environment for both you and your cat, by spending lots of quality time with your cat. Remember that, whilst they will still love to play with you and be held by you, cats with kidney disease often tire easily and often feel nauseous too. Watch out for increased, labored or rapid breathing.
Learn how to properly groom your cat as cats with kidney disease usually do not have enough strength to do it themselves. Cats should be brushed daily and their nails trimmed frequently too.
Keep your cat safe from extreme temperatures and dangerous situations by keeping him indoors. Buy a few cat beds or use small blankets bundled up and placed around the house for your cat to snuggle in.
Water
All cats require fresh water daily, but cats with kidney disease should be able to have access to fresh water on a constant basis. The easiest way to ensure this is to place at least two water bowls in different parts of your house.
Another option is to purchase an automated waterer that will provide your cat with continual fresh water that is also filtered as this will entice your cat to drink more water than it would from a normal water bowl. Cats prefer to have fresh flowing water as opposed to water that has been standing still getting warm and gather dust particles.
If you don’t have an automated waterer for your cat, it is best to give them bottled spring water as an alternative to tap water than can be full of harsh chemicals that will upset your cat’s delicate stomach.
Food
Cats with kidney disease should be fed a diet that is low in protein, salt and phosphorus. Their food dish should be placed in a quiet area of your house and cleaned daily.
Although it may be hard, try to keep track of the amount of food that your cat eats. This will be helpful for your veterinarian to know.
If your cat’s food is stored in the refrigerator, be sure to warm his food to room temperature before you serve it to him.
Sometimes cats, especially older ones, have difficulty eating and chewing their food. In this situation, try to elevate your cat’s food dish slightly and break up the food into tiny pieces as well.
Supplement your cat’s diet with an all-natural, herbal remedy, such as Tripsy. Formulated by a leading naturopathic vet, Tripsy promotes proper kidney functioning by not only fighting kidney infections, but also by acting as an anti-inflammatory. Tripsy also reduces any discomfort that your cat may be experiencing due to any kidney stones present. The powerful combination of herbs in Tripsy will also help your cat by working to release urine regularly.
Chronic Renal Failure in Cats
Whilst Chronic Renal Failure can affect a cat at any age, it is most common amongst senior cats as the prevalence increases with age, with the average age being 9 years. Of all the different cat breeds, Abyssinians and Persians are believed to be the most susceptible.
Kidney Function
Chronic Renal Failure is a very serious condition that is evidenced by the gradual deterioration of a cat’s kidneys over a period of time.
Kidneys contain several thousand microscopic tubes that are shaped like funnels called nephrons. These funnels work to filter and then reabsorb all of the different fluids that help keep a cat’s body running smoothly. If one of these nephrons becomes damaged in any way, it stops functioning.
However, the kidneys can still function with only 25% of these nephrons working properly, because those that remain are capable of growing larger to accommodate for any nephron loss. But, when the remaining functioning nephrons drop below 25%, kidney failure is usually imminent.
If kidney failure does happen, it will create a ripple effect within the cat’s body; several bodily organs and functions will stop working as well. When a cat digests food, it produces waste products that are carried via the blood to the kidneys to be filtered and then eliminated from the body in the form of urine. But when the kidneys fail, they are not able to eradicate these excess waste products anymore. Eventually these toxins, such as urea and creatinine, will start to build up inside the cat’s blood, which is when the cat will usually start to show clinical signs of kidney disease.
Phosphorus, sodium and other components inside the cat’s blood may rise or fall rather abnormally. The cat’s urine may also be full of protein which the failing kidneys cannot handle. Other changes that occur as a direct result of Chronic Renal Failure are:
- Irregular filtration of the blood and retention of waste products
- Hormone and red blood cell production failure
- Disruption of fluids: electrolyte and acid-base balance
Causes
Nephron damage, and therefore eventually loss of kidney function, can occur as a result of antibiotics and prescription drugs, such as Metacam. Injury to the nephrons can even happen during surgery, or through infections, ingested toxins, decreased cardiac productivity which then results in decreased blood flow to the kidneys. It is also assumed to be part of the natural aging process of cats.
Treatment
Treatment for Chronic Renal Failure in cats varies according to the root cause of the problem. However, its progression heavily depends on how long the kidneys have had to overwork themselves to compensate for any damage to the nephrons; even working with 25%, a kidney can still function for quite a few years.
No matter which treatment option your veterinarian prefers, you can always compliment it by using a Tripsy. An all-natural herbal supplement that was developed by a naturopathic veterinarian, Tripsy can help fight kidney infections and is a great supplement for aging cats as well.
Acute Renal Failure in Cats with Kidney Disease
A type of kidney disease, Acute Renal Failure is most often characterized by complete kidney failure. Simply put, a cat’s kidneys just stop working. Sadly, this can happen quite suddenly and at almost any age.
A Cat’s Kidneys
Each kidney inside a cat contains nephrons which are basically small filtering units that filter the blood which is passed through the kidneys. The nephrons reabsorb what is needed from the blood and the waste is then excreted in the cat’s urine. Such wastes actually originate from the normal breakdown of active muscle from the food which the cat eats. A cat’s body will use the food for both energy and to replenish itself. Once the body has taken what it needs from the food, the leftover waste is then sent through the blood to the kidneys, where they are eventually eliminated through the urine.
The kidneys also control the quantity and composition of body fluids, such as mineral concentrations and acid base balance. They also create hormones to stimulate the production of red blood cells, as well as regulating calcium balance. Even if the kidneys experience a loss of some of the nephrons, those remaining are still able to compensate for the loss.
Kidney disease in cats becomes apparent when more than 70% of kidney function has been lost. This usually happens as a result of the kidneys not being able to remove the waste from the cat’s body. The waste will then start to build up within the cat’s body, causing poisoning.
Causes
Whilst Acute Renal Failure can be caused by some type of toxic injury to a cat’s kidneys, it can also be caused by a decrease in the blood flow and oxygen that is delivered to the kidneys. Infections and obstructions of the kidneys can also cause Acute Renal Failure, as can a ruptured bladder which would prevent any elimination of urine.
Oddly enough, cases of Acute Renal Failure in cats are usually increased during the fall and winter months. This is because most people use anti-freeze in their cars, which is sometimes spilled on the ground. Anti-freeze contains ethylene glycol a toxin that is fatal to cats and can cause Acute Renal Failure.
Treatment
Unfortunately, Acute Renal Failure is almost always fatal. However, if it is treated quickly and aggressively, the kidneys can regain their function and your cat will live a happy, normal life. It is therefore, vitally important for you to seek medical help as soon as you notice that your cat is sick or that she has ingested a toxin such as anti-freeze.
No matter what your vet recommends, you should always consider holistic treatments as these compliment the treatments given by your vet. A great, all-natural, treatment to try is Tripsy, which is an effective combination of powerful herbal extracts. Tripsy promotes healthy kidney functioning whilst also fighting kidney infections and improving urinary flow and reducing your cat’s pain and discomfort of kidney stones with the leading naturopathic veterinarian formulated Tripsy.
