Kidney failure in cats: symptoms, treatment, causes, prognosis

Kidney failure in cats is one of the severe pathologies, the cause of which is insufficiently good functioning of the kidneys, which causes a disruption in their excretory function.

With this disease, salt, acid-base, and osmotic imbalance occurs; the kidneys accumulate substances, including harmful ones, intended for elimination from the body, which subsequently entails dysfunction of other major organs.

Kidney failure usually occurs as a consequence of diseases of the genitourinary system or previous infections or injuries.

Causes of kidney failure and its types

Renal failure is a pathological condition in which the kidneys perform their excretory function poorly or stop performing it altogether. Due to disturbances in the functioning of the excretory system, the balances in the body are disturbed: acid-base, water-salt and osmotic. It is these disorders that eventually lead to problems in the condition of other internal organs.

Renal failure in its course and external manifestations can be:

• acute (API);
• chronic (CRF).

The disease is considered completely incurable, and in some cases can lead to the death of the cat. But timely prescribed therapy allows you to slow down its development and progression, prolonging the relatively normal life of your pet.

The most important reason for the development of renal failure is diseases accompanied by direct damage to the kidneys. Once clinical signs appear, it is almost impossible to identify the exact cause of its appearance. Any additional studies after making a clinical diagnosis reveal damage or degeneration of renal tissue, which is characteristic of almost all existing kidney pathologies.

The most common causes of kidney pathologies:

• frequent inflammation of the kidneys, as well as improper or incomplete healing;
• toxic or mechanical damage to the kidneys;
• glomerulonephritis (damage to the zona glomerulosa);
• congenital pathologies;
• infectious diseases and bacterial lesions (pyelonephritis);
• tumor processes (both benign and malignant) that impair the excretory function of the kidneys;
• renal polycystic disease (a genetic disease common to many exotic cat breeds, accompanied by the formation of cavities in the kidneys filled with fluid);
• autoimmune glomerulonephritis (genetic predisposition);
• unilateral hypoplasia (when one kidney significantly lags behind the other in development, and in old age the organ affected by the pathology simply fails - occurs only in cats).

There are breeds of cats that are predisposed to kidney failure:

• 
  Persian cats and kittens often suffer from polycystic kidney disease (even from a very young age). The animal does not live long, because... the pathology is incurable.

• Abessinian cats often suffer from amyloidosis, a disorder of protein metabolism in the body. Incurable.
• Infantile polycystic disease is a disease that affects cats of the Persian breed. Obviously manifests itself in old age.

Kidney failure in a cat as a pathology, its classification

This is a serious disease that occurs more often in older cats. They treat the disease by eliminating its causes, supporting kidney function, and cleansing the body of accumulated toxins. As a rule, it is possible to ensure the animal’s normal life activities with the help of medications and timely contact with a veterinarian.

Kidney failure is rarely detected in the initial stages of development, and this, in turn, is fraught with severe infectious diseases and death of the pet. The disease progresses if the water-salt balance is disturbed and disruptions occur in the urinary system. It cannot occur on its own; a number of factors predispose it.

Symptoms become noticeable only when 80% of the kidneys are affected. The urine becomes discolored, which indicates that toxins are not being eliminated from the body.

Classic symptoms

The symptoms of acute and chronic kidney failure are different. Moreover, the diagnosis of chronic renal failure can only be made by laboratory tests of blood and urine. However, there are a number of signs by which the cat owner can clearly understand that the pet has health problems due to impaired kidney function.

The main symptoms of kidney dysfunction:

Kidney problems almost always begin in cats after 8 years of age. Usually the owner notices:

• decreased activity, but chalks it all up to old age, so doesn’t pay much attention to it;
• when a cat breathes, you can smell an ammonia smell from the cat’s mouth, and drooling almost constantly;
• The animal noticeably drinks a lot and at the same time urinates frequently and a lot. Normally, a cat goes to the toilet a maximum of 3 times a day; with renal pathology, the frequency can reach up to 8-10 times (on average, 5 times is no longer the norm). Excess urine excretion is determined by the excessively wet perineum, because During urination, she manages to get very wet. Because of this, the perineum is constantly licked;
• the appetite disappears, and the cat loses a lot of weight - the ribs begin to be visible or palpable, the abdomen in the iliac region collapses;
• pink mucous membranes become clearly pale;
• swelling appears, starting from the lower parts of the paws, gradually spreading upward to the body (the paws increase in volume, become excessively soft, then soft swelling appears in the chest and abdominal cavities);
• The temperature begins to jump, both upward and downward.

In more complex cases:

• there is general lethargy;
• signs of severe dehydration (dull coat, skin does not straighten after pinching, dry mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes);
• the cat stops urinating completely (the animal never walks “smallly” once during the day);
• sudden and unexplained vomiting becomes more frequent, and blood may be present in the vomit;
• stool changes - the cat is either constipated or has bloody diarrhea;
• The nervous system is affected - convulsions or tics (single muscle twitches) may appear.

Disease prevention

No specialist can predict whether a cat will develop kidney failure or not. Heredity often influences the onset of the disease.

1. In order to maximally protect a small family member from a dangerous disease, you need to monitor his diet from a very young age. Using good quality feed significantly reduces the risk of disease.
2. Drinking high-quality water for your four-legged friend is also considered a positive aspect in disease prevention.
3. It is extremely important to prevent cats from being injured.
4. It is very important to vaccinate your pet on a schedule to exclude serious infectious diseases.
5. Regular examinations by a veterinarian will allow you to notice the occurrence of pathology in time.
6. An annual full examination of the cat can help to notice the onset of the disease in time and promptly provide assistance to the cat in order to prevent irreversible changes in the pet’s health.

Acute renal failure

Depending on the stage at which the dysfunction occurred, acute pathology is classified into the following types:

Prerenal insufficiency

It is associated with a decrease in the volume of circulating blood through the kidneys, and not with their direct damage. The condition is often preceded by any shock conditions, which are necessarily accompanied by a sharp drop in blood pressure. This is the very first (initial) stage of acute renal failure.

Main causes:

• acute cardiovascular failure;
• sun or heat stroke;
• hemorrhagic shock due to sudden massive bleeding;
• traumatic shock after extensive and severe injuries;
• hypovolemic shock due to severe dehydration of the cat;
• severe infections;
• intoxication.

Renal failure

It occurs when kidney tissues and structures are damaged.

Main provoking reasons

• bacterial or viral kidney damage (glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, interstitial nephritis);
• drug intoxication (use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or aminoglycosides);
• poisoning by snake venoms;
• severe infections involving the kidneys (viral immunodeficiencies or, for example, leptospirosis);
• DIC syndrome (increased blood clotting) in severe sepsis, toxoplasmosis or intoxication with hemolytic poisons, when massive destruction of red blood cells is observed, and the renal tubules are clogged with free hemoglobin (a rare and life-threatening condition for the animal);
• kidney damage from aniline, ethylene glycol or salts of some heavy metals.

Postrenal failure

also does not lead to direct breakdown of kidney tissue, but is caused by mechanical blockage or compression of the urinary parts of the urinary system (bladder, ureter, urethra).

Causes:

• injuries to the internal organs of the pelvis;
• urolithiasis with blockage of the urinary tract with stones;
• tumors.

A favorable prognosis can be made in the first and third cases, in the second - from cautious to unfavorable.

How does it manifest?

Symptoms are distinguished by their suddenness, as well as the speed of development over a short period of time.

What owners see:

• the cat suddenly becomes lethargic and inactive;
• strong thirst appears;
• appetite completely disappears, zero reaction even to treats;
• frequent vomiting, which does not make the cat feel better;
• urine turns pink with blood;
• if the excretory tract is blocked, the cat will go to the toilet, but when trying to go to the toilet there will be no urine or it will be released in drops;
• fluctuations in the volume of urine excreted, both up and down;
• convulsions and tics (single muscle twitches) may occur;
• the cat may fall into a coma - for 2-3 days the animal supposedly sleeps, but the body is somewhat colder than usual. The condition differs from death by weak respiratory activity and no rigor mortis.

What does the vet see?

• detects the smell of acetone or ammonia from the cat’s mouth;
• notes a decrease in blood pressure (with prerenal type);
• Body temperature when measured is usually below normal, but during infections it is often elevated;
• when palpating the lumbar region, enlarged kidneys and severe pain are detected (the cat meows and tries to avoid examination);
• a bladder enlarged from urine overflow is detected, as well as free fluid in the abdominal cavity or subcutaneous tissue due to rupture of the urinary organs.

What the tests show:

• blood biochemistry: increase in creatinine, glucose and phosphates;
• urine: high protein, low specific gravity, presence of red blood cells and glucose, sediment from blood cells (neutrophils, casts, epithelial cells, lymphocytes).

Diagnostic methods

Diagnosing pathology in a pet includes an ultrasound examination.
The prognosis depends on how early the cat's kidney failure is diagnosed. Injections, medications and other therapeutic measures are selected after determining the cause, type and severity of the disease. To do this, the pet is prescribed the following manipulations:

• general examination and blood biochemistry;
• urine analysis;
• ultrasound diagnostics of the kidneys;
• x-rays of the internal organ;
• blood pressure measurement;
• bacterial culture of urine.

Chronic renal failure

Impaired kidney function in this form of the course develops for a very long time and is due to the fact that this organ is gradually deprived of its excretory functions. Nephrons (structural kidney units) are replaced by connective tissue, scars form, the kidney shrinks and loses its working abilities. Often found in older animals.

Veterinarians practically distinguish the following main stages of renal failure:

• Latent (hidden). This is a period when the functioning of the kidneys is already impaired, but the pathology does not manifest itself in any way. It is possible to identify some deviations in the analyzes, but they are rarely done, because there is no clear indication for this.
• Initial. This period lasts up to several months and is accompanied by vague symptoms that are usually not attributed to the kidneys. Blood counts indicate obvious pathology.
• Conservative. Most often, the diagnosis of chronic renal failure is made precisely during this period - the history of the disease and life, direct examination and indicators of nitrogen and creatinine in the blood give every reason for this.
• Terminal. Deviations in the functioning of some other organs begin to appear, the levels of creatinine and urea in the blood go off scale. The animal will die without hemodialysis or surgery.

At stages 3 and 4, the diagnosis is easiest to make, however, this is already a reason for a cautious and unfavorable prognosis. Symptoms of chronic renal failure begin to appear when the kidneys are damaged to at least 65-70% (sometimes up to 80%).

Probable Causes

• metabolic pathologies (diabetes mellitus, amyloidosis - a disorder of protein metabolism in the body);
• tumor process in the kidneys;
• conversion from acute renal failure;
• against the background of chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas);
• urolithiasis of the kidneys;
• any chronic kidney disease associated with viruses or bacteria (pyelonephritis);
• congenitally underdeveloped kidneys and their structures;
• renal polycystic disease (limited cavities with fluid form throughout the “body” of the kidney. Persian cats are most often affected).

With all the variety of causes that provoke chronic renal failure, it is practically impossible to find out exactly due to the profound degeneration of the renal structures at the time of diagnosis

How does it manifest?

The degree of manifestation of symptoms directly depends on the degree of kidney damage at the time of detection of abnormalities.

What owners see:

• the cat stopped eating completely;
• depressed and lethargic, sleeping most of the time;
• the animal is clearly losing weight, the costal arches begin to appear and the stomach begins to fall in;
• almost constant drooling, nausea (manifested by constant licking of the lips and nose), periodic vomiting not associated with food or water intake;
• perversion of taste preferences - the cat may begin to eat inedible objects (for example, toilet filler granules);
• the animal often begins to go to the toilet (up to 6-8 times a day), and the amount of urine may increase or decrease;
• increased nervous excitability, inadequate reactions to loud sounds (the cat gets scared even when called loudly - it twitches, presses itself to the floor or runs away);
• constipation appears, bowel movements are observed every few days;
• at the terminal stage, confusion, twitching of individual parts of the body or paws (tics), convulsions, and coma may be noted.

What does the vet see?

• extensive swelling starting from the paws and moving to the chest and abdomen;
• slow heart rate (bradycardia);
• blood pressure jumps up (hypertension);
• the coat is dull, brittle, cannot be laid evenly, with areas of alopecia;
• noticeable softening of the facial bones when palpated (due to a lack of calcium and excess phosphorus);
• pallor of the mucous membranes in the mouth;
• stomatitis with ulcerations on the tip of the cat's tongue (an important clinical sign);
• the kidneys can be easily felt and a change in their size in any direction (enlargement or shrinkage) is detected.

What do the tests show?

• obvious anemia;
• the level of creatinine and glucose in the blood rises;
• Sugar and protein are detected in the urine, and its specific gravity decreases.
• Ultrasound: changes in the contours of the kidneys (often becoming uneven when wrinkled);
• change in size (usually decrease, but can also increase).

Symptoms of kidney problems

The owner's observation of the pet's behavior will help recognize kidney disease in the early stages. However, veterinarians note that many try to help the cat on their own, thereby wasting precious time. Therefore, they come to see a doctor already with chronic forms of diseases. If you find the following symptoms of kidney disease in cats in your animal, immediately contact the clinic:

1. Loss of appetite, weight loss, as well as occasional vomiting and bad breath. Because the organ cannot perform its functions fully, the cat’s body is exposed to intoxication by protein breakdown products.
2. The amount of urine increases with kidney disease, but it has no smell or color, and the cat drinks a lot. Diseased kidneys are unable to filter the water entering the body, and it directly leaves the body, causing dehydration. Although the animal begins to drink a lot in an attempt to compensate for the loss, this cannot solve the problem.
3. The nose and gums become pale. If kidney function is impaired, there is a decrease in red blood cells, the level of hemoglobin drops, which causes anemia and pallor of the mucous membranes.
4. Ulcerative wounds appear in the oral cavity, and damage to tooth enamel is observed. Protein breakdown products cannot leave the body normally and enter the blood and then saliva. Under the influence of oral flora, they turn into ammonia, which not only causes a specific smell from the animal’s mouth, but also creates factors that irritate the oral mucosa.
5. Hemorrhages in the eyes. One of the functions of the kidneys is the production of a special enzyme, chymosin, which regulates blood pressure. The disease prevents them from producing it in sufficient quantities, as a result of which the pressure increases, causing hemorrhages in the eyes. This pressure again negatively affects the functioning of the kidneys, forcing them to work harder, which leads to the death of nephrons. The disease begins to progress at high speed.

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Diagnostic features

A condition in which there are disturbances in the functioning of the excretory system is rarely determined by external signs - the symptoms can suggest or suspect the disease. This is also explained by the fact that the symptoms are “masked” as other diseases, which are excluded only with the help of additional research methods.

An accurate diagnosis of renal failure is made only based on the results of a comprehensive examination with the obligatory implementation of:

• examination and collection of a detailed medical history (medical history and lifestyle);
• laboratory tests of urine and blood;
• Ultrasound of the kidneys and abdominal organs;
• fluoroscopy of the kidneys.

The diagnosis of chronic renal failure is made ONLY after laboratory tests of blood and urine.

When analyzing urine it is noted:

• increased protein levels (proteinuria);
• the presence of leukocytes and erythrocytes;
• presence of sediment;
• decrease in its density (isosthenuria);
• pH shift to the acidic side.

Blood chemistry:

• increased urea;
• increase in creatinine level;
• fluctuations in the amount of protein in either direction;
• decreased potassium levels;
• increase in the level of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus (with chronic renal failure);
• increased sodium levels.

General blood analysis:

• decrease in hematocrit values;
• decreased hemoglobin levels;
• increase in the number of leukocytes;
• drop in platelet and lymphocyte levels.

Differentiation of acute renal failure and chronic renal failure:

• in case of acute renal failure, anemia does not have time to develop due to the transience of movement, in case of chronic renal failure it is clearly expressed;
• CRF begins smoothly and lasts a long time; at the time of diagnosis, the prognosis is most often unfavorable; AKI manifests suddenly with a lightning-fast course, the prognosis is favorable with timely diagnosis and proper treatment;
• when palpating the kidneys in chronic renal failure, they are almost always painless, while in acute renal failure the pain syndrome is clearly expressed;
• in case of acute renal failure the clinic is bright, in case of chronic renal failure it is not or is very blurred.

Maintenance and care

After the doctor’s pet’s condition is normalized, she will be discharged to home care in compliance with all the doctor’s recommendations. The basis of home care for this disease is strict adherence to the recommended diet. The diet can consist of both specialized feed and natural products. The cat should eat warm food.

The use of dry food is not recommended. It is very important for your pet to follow the drinking regime. The owner will have to monitor how much water the pet consumes and, if it is not enough, give the cat additional water, because this will significantly slow down the progression of the disease.

The owner of a purring cat must be aware that a minimum portion of a product prohibited for a cat, violation or non-compliance with the doctor’s recommendations can cause a new round of the disease, and the relapse can occur in a more severe form with possible death. Treatment for a cat with this disease lasts a lifetime.

Are there preventive measures?

Although most diseases can be prevented, kidney failure can only be detected at an early stage of development with regular annual medical examinations, and in older cats - with blood and urine tests every six months. If these procedures are not performed on the animal, then the disease will be detected in a state where there is a high risk of not curing it.

Regular examinations should be supplemented by proper and balanced nutrition (ideally, commercially produced “wet” food). There is nothing more that owners can do to prevent kidney failure in cats.

Causes of kidney diseases

Chronic kidney disease in cats is common in older animals.

Causes of diseases in pets:

• nephritis;
• fibrosis of renal tissue;
• toxic effect of drugs;
• oxygen starvation;
• glomerulonephritis;
• pyelonephritis;
• viral diseases.

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Often a cat’s kidneys fail because he has the following diseases:

• amyloidosis;
• polycystic kidney disease;
• benign tumor;
• nephropathy;
• congenital pathology.

Diseases and injuries of the urinary organs often lead to the development of chronic renal failure in cats.

Treatment

It should be repeated that this pathology is not completely eliminated. The kidneys return to a state of maximum functionality, to the extent possible for a particular degree of damage. You will have to monitor your kidney function for life, at regular intervals determined by your doctor, taking the necessary tests. Treatment will directly depend on the course - acute or chronic.

Procedure for treating acute renal failure

1. Identifying and eliminating the root cause.
2. Removing the animal from a state of dehydration.
3. Elimination of hemolysis.
4. Removing intoxication.
5. Hemodialysis (in especially severe cases).
6. Recovery diet.

Treatment procedure for chronic renal failure

1. Maintenance diet and appetite stimulation.
2. Normalization of blood pressure and compensation of heart failure.
3. Restoration of water-salt balance, acid-base and mineral.
4. Elimination of signs of anemia.
5. Fortification.
6. Hemodialysis.

List of medications used

Below is a list of the most commonly used medications for kidney failure. Only a veterinarian can combine medications and draw up therapeutic treatment regimens from them! It is strictly forbidden to try to self-medicate your pet!

Antibiotics

To eliminate the primary factors of kidney failure (pyelonephritis), fluoroquinolone antibiotics are prescribed, which do not put additional stress on the kidneys:

• enrofloxacin: intramuscularly 5 mg/kg cat body weight for 5 days. In rare cases, you can extend the course to 7-10 days;
• ciprofloxacin: 5-15 mg/kg body weight for up to 5 days.

Hormonal drugs

The use of glucocorticoids helps suppress immune reactions that provoke glomerulonephritis, increase diuresis (while suppressing antidiuretic hormone), relieve swelling directly in the renal tissues, and also increase appetite in cats.

• In the acute course of the disease, it is best to start with: dexamethasone: 0.2 mg/kg intramuscularly or intravenously until the general condition stabilizes and the water balance is normalized.

Diuretics

They are prescribed in any case: furosemide (considered best for renal failure): 0.1 ml/kg twice daily into the muscle. Monitor the effect. In its absence, the permissible increase in dosage is 2-3-4 times.

Potassium-containing drugs

The loss of potassium is replenished with special potassium-containing drugs, but always under laboratory control of its content in the blood: panangin (asparkam). Application: orally, 1 tablet/10 kg of weight up to 3 times a day until the condition stabilizes.

Laxatives

Laxatives for stool retention and prolonged constipation:

• lactulose (Duphalac), lactusan: orally 0.5 ml/kg until stool normalization. Can be taken until the end of the entire treatment therapy, because is not addictive;
• bifidum 791 BAG - live bacteria that improve intestinal digestion and speed up bowel movements: 1 dose per 1 cat orally with a small amount of chilled boiled water throughout the entire course of treatment.

Rehydration and nutrient solutions

Intravenous or subcutaneous drips with rehydrating and nutrient solutions that restore salt and mineral metabolism, as well as eliminate dehydration:

• Ringer-Locke solution + glucose 40%: 500 ml + 50 ml;
• trisol: calculated 7% of total body weight once;
• rehydration mixture of glucose solution 40% + vitamin C 5% + saline: 15-55 ml/kg by slow dropper, depending on the severity of dehydration.

Antiemetic therapy

• metoclopramide: 0.5-0.7 mg/10 kg body weight subcutaneously or intramuscularly as vomiting occurs, but not longer than 5 days;
• ondansetron: 0.5 mg/kg into muscle symptomatically.

Reduced pressure

Reducing blood pressure is achieved with ACE inhibitors:

• enalapril: the dosage is selected individually for each sick animal. The target (maximum) effective dose is 0.5 mg/kg of the cat’s body weight – you cannot give it all at once, so as not to provoke a sharp drop in blood pressure and collapse. You need to start with 1/8-1/9 of the target dose to give the body time to get used to the hypotensive effect. Increase the dose gradually until the condition normalizes. Maintenance dose: ½ part of the target dose;
• Ramipril (inactive prodrug): 0.125 mg/kg body weight once daily.

For the cardiovascular system

Cardiogenic drugs to support the state of the cardiovascular system:

• cocarboxylase: 1-1.5 ml per cat (5 mg/kg) once or twice a day intramuscularly (sometimes done subcutaneously or intravenously);
• Riboxin: 0.1-0.2 g/10 kg intramuscularly or intravenously;
• sulfocamphocaine: 0.1 ml/kg body weight subcutaneously until the condition normalizes.

Detoxification products

• enterosgel: 20 g/10 kg of pet’s weight once a day;
• liarsine: 0.5-2 ml per animal 1-2 times a day for 10-14 days;
• plasmapheresis (removal of toxins from the bloodstream by purifying blood plasma using protein-saline solutions);
• sirepar: 1.5-3 ml every day until signs of intoxication subside;
• Lespenefril (to remove nitrogenous substances from the blood): ½ tsp. per animal with a small amount of water inside 1 time/day for a month.

To eliminate anemia

Maintaining the hematopoietic process to eliminate anemia is achieved with hematopoietic drugs:

• Recormon: 25-50 IU/kg 1-3 times a week until the hematocrit level reaches 30%. The drug is taken continuously if it is not possible to achieve the desired level;
• ursoferran: once in a dose of up to 0.5 ml per animal into the muscle or subcutaneously;
• hemobalance: for a cat weighing up to 5 kg - 0.25 ml, over 5 kg - 0.5 ml intravenously or intramuscularly 1-3 times a week for a course of 7-10 injections.

Hemostatic drugs

In acute renal failure, it is necessary to use hemostatic agents to prevent gastrointestinal bleeding;

• dicinone: 0.5 ml up to two times a day for 5-7 days;
• Vikasol: 1-2 mg/kg once a day. Average course: 3-5 days.
• aminocaproic acid: 8-10 mg/kg orally (by mouth).

With complete lack of appetite

A nutrient mixture is prepared, which is given hourly in 5 ml doses using a syringe without a needle or a small rubber bulb. Mixture composition: 100 ml milk and water, 1 tsp. starch, 2 tsp. sugar - bring to a boil. Then a whole raw chicken egg and 1 crushed mezim tablet are added to the cooled solution. As appetite appears, the time interval decreases and the amount of mixture increases.

To support the gastrointestinal tract

With kidney failure, the production of gastrin (the hormone that activates digestion) is inhibited, which causes a lot of stomach acid to form in the stomach. In this case, urea in the stomach turns into ammonia, irritates the gastric mucosa and can provoke a peptic ulcer. To maintain the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and protect the gastric mucosa, the following is prescribed:

• ranitidine: 2 mg/kg by slow intravenous injection or 3.5 mg/kg orally twice daily at regular intervals;
• famotidine: 0.5-1 mg/kg intravenously or subcutaneously up to twice a day.

Treatment of kidney failure in cats at home

If the kidneys retain the ability to produce urine, then adequate therapy will lead to the cat’s recovery within one month.

The prognosis for survival with absent urine is poor. This means that the kidney tissue has degenerated into connective tissue and will not be able to form urine. Over time, toxins will accumulate in the body, blood pressure will drop, leading to death.

When treating acute renal failure, blood is filtered. To restore the flow of urine, a drip with saline solution is placed. To lower blood pressure and dilate the blood vessels of the kidneys, they give a tablet of Papaverine or No-shpa, but it is better to give injections.

The required medicine is the antibiotic Amoxicillin, as well as the analgesic Baralgin. If there is no effect from taking them or the cat has severe pain, use Novocain, and against vomiting - Cerucal.

Treatment of chronic renal failure:

1. Dietary nutrition and stimulation of interests in food, artificial increase in appetite.
2. Stabilization of blood pressure with constant monitoring.
3. Maintaining stable heart function with eliminating heart failure.
4. Restoration of mineral and alkaline balance.
5. Vitamin treatment.
6. Hemodialysis.

Diet

Diet plays a leading role in the treatment of any form of renal failure. Last for at least 6-9 months, it is prohibited to switch to regular cat food immediately after the symptoms pass!

You can't feed:

• dairy products;
• in excess of meat products;
• fish oil;
• foods containing excess vitamin A;
• add salt.

In cats, you can use ready-made industrially produced dietary food (with urea up to 20 mmol/l). In severe conditions, it is better to follow a strict protein-free diet (with urea from 30 mmol/l) with an increased amount of flour and sweet foods (“pancake” diet).

Food for cats with kidney failure should be limited not only in the amount of protein, but also in phosphorus. After eating, you can take almagel (1-2 ml for one cat), which will bind it and remove it.

The outcome of treatment for renal failure directly depends on how early the diagnosis was made and how quickly therapeutic and restorative therapy was started. Do not neglect preventive examinations of your pets and blood tests, because... sometimes these are the only ways to identify kidney pathologies.

Author:

Grinchuk Ekaterina Andreevna veterinarian

Effective medications and other treatments

Under no circumstances should you try to treat kidney failure in a cat at home and use any drug at your discretion. As a result of such actions, renal coma in cats and other life-threatening complications are possible. At the first alarming symptoms, you need to urgently contact a veterinary clinic, where your pet will be examined, diagnosed and suitable therapy selected. Since kidney failure in a cat disrupts the functioning of the organ and toxins accumulate in the body, dialysis is performed. In severe cases, surgical treatment is possible. To eliminate severe intoxication of the cat's body due to renal failure, the pet is prescribed subcutaneous drips with the introduction of Ringer's solution. In the early stages, the medications presented in the table are used.

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What diet is required?

In addition to the main treatment, it is necessary to adjust the animal’s diet and switch to feeding special food.
When renal crisis or nephropathy is detected in cats, therapy is supplemented with nutritional correction. The animal must be fed with special dry food or homemade food. The pet's body must receive the required amount of nutrients every day. The following products are prohibited:

• animal fats;
• milk;
• liver;
• fish fat;
• porridge;
• flour products;
• marine fish;
• any caviar.

Prognosis and prevention

With early diagnosis and treatment, cats live for several more years and their condition can be stabilized. If therapy is not carried out on time, the pathology develops rapidly, becomes more complicated, and the veterinarian states that in the end the cat’s kidneys failed and the animal died. Prevention of kidney failure involves proper nutrition of the pet and sufficient physical activity. It is important to regularly visit a veterinary clinic with your cat and get tested for early detection of pathology.