Renal failure in cats is one of the most common diseases. It is formed in case of violations in the work of the kidneys or in complete renal failure. The kidneys remove harmful substances from the body that appear in the normal life of the animal or enter the cat from the outside. With poor performance, the kidneys are not able to produce enough urine and intoxication of the body, violation of water-salt and acid-base metabolism, which affect other organs and disrupt their normal functioning.
It is difficult to notice this serious illness, since cats have a high pain threshold and easily suffer discomfort. Therefore, you need to carefully look at the behavior of your pet and at the slightest change in behavior to find out their cause.
Causes of kidney failure in cats
The disease of acute renal failure in cats occurs quickly, and depending on the causes of its occurrence, there are several types:
- Prerenal, pre-infected, appears due to a sharp change in pressure and poor blood circulation in the kidneys. This happens after a heat stroke, with heart disease, poisoning or bleeding.
- Causes of renal or renal insufficiency in cats are poisoning with poisons, toxins, drugs or sepsis, as they damage kidney tissues. Also, some pathological process, for example, pyelonephritis or glomerulonephritis, can damage them.
- Post-anesthetic, post-cured insufficiency develops when the urinary canals are blocked or squeezed. In most cases, due to urolithiasis or malignant tumors.
- Chronic renal failure in cats occurs with old and irreversible pathologies in the kidneys. Tumors, diabetes mellitus, polycystosis, amyloidosis and other pathologies, can lead to a decrease in kidney cells - nephrons. With a decrease in nephrons, the kidneys can no longer perform their functions effectively and various diseases are formed.
Signs of kidney failure in cats
Signs of kidney failure in cats are:
- general weakness;
- decreased appetite;
- a decrease in the excretion of urine or its complete absence;
- vomiting;
- dehydration;
- the smell of urine from the mouth;
- diarrhea;
- lowering of body temperature;
- increased heart rate.
Since these symptoms are similar to other common diseases in cats, it is quite difficult to detect kidney failure in cats.
In cats with chronic renal failure, these stages of the disease are distinguished:
- Compensation - with her illness is not manifested.
- Subkopensatsiya - there are initial symptoms of the disease, thirst and abundant allocation of urine.
- Decompensation - disease and pathology progress.
- The terminal stage - with it, the animal is no longer effective. There may be accompanying symptoms: trembling of the paws, cramps, prolonged sleep and coma.
An accurate diagnosis can be made only by a veterinarian, after a blood and urine test, as well as ultrasound. It is highly recommended not to treat your pet yourself.
Treatment of renal failure in cats
Complete recovery of cats for chronic disease is impossible, but it is possible to maintain the condition of the pet and not to give the disease progress. This should be done only with the regular supervision of a veterinarian. With renal failure in cats, you must follow a diet and introduce a variety of solutions.
Nutrition in renal failure in cats should be chosen very carefully, give your pet a feed with a low content of phosphorus and protein or give food containing a large number of these trace elements in smaller quantities. In addition to dieting, regular intravenous administration of solutions facilitating the regulation of metabolism is necessary.