Chronic Kidney Disease Information

Hi there, and welcome to our series on understanding and caring for cats with kidney disease. Let's begin with a few terms that you will be hearing throughout the series and most likely at your veterinarian's clinic.

The specific kidney disease that we will be discussing is referred to as chronic kidney disease, CKD for short, or chronic renal failure, sometimes referred to as CRF. Chronic means a process that is continuing over time and renal is a medical term referring to the kidney. Therefore, the name, chronic kidney disease or chronic renal failure, refers to a progressive disease process that affects the kidneys over a period of time. Another term that will be important to understand is quality of life. The quality of life in a cat refers to the overall well-being and comfort of your pet, encompassing various physical, emotional, and behavioral aspects. It's an assessment of how your cat is feeling and functioning, based on factors like activity level, appetite, weight, social interaction, alertness, and comfort.

A few other terms you may hear refer to the amount of water your cat drinks or the frequency of their urination.

Now let's talk about the kidneys. Cats have two kidneys, and they have several vital jobs in keeping your cat healthy. Some of the primary jobs include filtering waste from the blood, maintaining proper hydration, regulating electrolytes, and helping the body produce red blood cells.

When a cat develops chronic kidney disease, or CKD for short, the kidneys lose their ability to perform these tasks efficiently. The first signs that are typically seen include <mark name="8655c7e6-90fe-473f-89d3-83aecd80c6fb"/>drinking more water again, known as polydipsia and urinating more frequently also known as (polyuria).

Once the kidneys can no longer efficiently filter the blood, waste builds up in the bloodstream, causing symptoms like lethargy, vomiting, decreased appetite, and weight loss. The kidneys are also responsible for helping stimulate the creation of new red blood cells by releasing a hormone that stimulates the bone marrow, where red blood cells are created in adult animals. As CKD progresses, we can see a decrease in red blood cells, which is called anemia. Anemia is typically identified from blood work and is something your veterinarian will be monitoring long term.

CKD is progressive, which means it worsens over time. However, with the right care, many cats can be managed well and still have a good quality of life. Our goal is to help you recognize the signs early and give you the tools to manage the condition effectively over time.

If your beloved cat has been diagnosed with CKD you're not alone—it's one of the most common conditions affecting older cats. We are here to help you understand what's going on and, more importantly, what you can do to support your furry loved one.

In the next module, we'll talk about how veterinarians diagnose CKD and what those test results mean. Together, we'll take this one step at a time.