Chronic
Kidney DIsease
in cats
Latest blog articles
Farewell Dear readers, For more than 5 years now, my website cat.life and the accompanying blog have been my own personal project. The focus has always been on the scientific aspects of the complexity of chronic kidney disease in cats. Driven by personal experiences with my own cat, I have always aimed to provide you […]
An american study now provides ambivalent insights into the use of kidney diets in combination with feed additives.
In chronic kidney disease in humans, uraemic toxinsToxic, nitrogen-containing urinary substances responsible for uraemiaA raised level in the blood of urea and other urinary substances, which in chronic kidney disease can no longer be adequately excreted due to impaired renal function (glomerular filtration rate). This leads to renal damage due to uraemic toxins, toxic urinary substances The symptoms... and kidney damage…. (U-Tox for short) play such an important role that a European research group is dedicated to this topic alone. This research group defines uraemic toxinsToxic, nitrogen-containing urinary substances responsible for uraemia and kidney damage.... as follows: blood and tissue levels of the toxin must be substantially elevated […]
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE IN CATS
What are Nephrons?
Mammals have paired kidneys. In cats, each is composed of about 200,000 filtration units called nephrons. Individual nephrons can be subdivided into four …
CKD and kidney function
The kidneys regulate water and electrolyte/mineral loss and thus balance the volume of water in the body. Excess electrolytes…
Renal failure
Loss of the ability to reabsorb water and loss of regulation of salt and other electrolytes in the body…
Four vicious cycles
The progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is influenced by various mechanisms, all of which lead to further nephron loss…
Cats as Carnivores
It has been said that cats are just “little dogs”, but that’s not really the case. Cats, unlike dogs, are …
Clinical symptoms
The clinical symptoms of CKD are as diverse and numerous as the functions of the kidney. In addition, each cat has its own individual…
Diagnosis
Blood Tests
The usual tests to diagnose CKD measure the levels of creatinine in the serum. In chronic kidney disease (CKD), both values are elevated…
Urine Analysis
Urine analysis alone is highly indicative for kidney disease. Analysis reveals the presence of cells and bacteria in the urine, which…
Further blood tests
Calcium is a mineral that plays an important role in muscle movements (muscle contraction), in blood clotting and also in nerve function…
Radiological tests
Healthy kidneys are unremarkable in X-ray scans. In general, X-ray scans of the kidneys can provide information about changes in size, growths, calcium deposits in the kidney…
BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
Monitoring a CKD cat’s blood pressure is extremely useful. This is done with the help of special blood pressure cuffs (usually around the cat’s tail, but also around a foreleg) and a blood pressure monitor…
ABOUT THIS Blog
“More than three years ago, I came out of the vet’s office with my cat Paws and started weeping uncontrollably in my car. The vet had diagnosed him with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and it felt like our much-loved, cuddly and daring kitty had been handed down an imminent death sentence. All the reassuring words I had heard in the treatment room just seemed to bounce off me; I was rigid with shock and couldn’t begin to ask any questions. “Your cat may die of CKD”, were the words I heard in an endless, cruel loop.
It was only a few days later that my professionally trained curiosity kicked in…