Blood
Chemistry Panel
This is the
most common type of test run on CKD cats.
This group of checks examines kidney function. It also looks for any
other abnormalities associated with poorly functioning kidneys such as
electrolyte imbalances, metabolic acidosis and phosphorus/calcium
imbalances. It usually includes other tests such as albumin, glucose and
cholesterol. There is more detailed information about all these tests
here.
Kidney Function
Blood Urea
Nitrogen (BUN) or urea
Creatinine (Crea)
SDMA
Electrolyte Imbalances
Potassium (K+)
Many vets do not seem to check this routinely, but it is often low in CKD
cats
Sodium (Na+)
Phosphorus/Calcium
Imbalances
Phosphorus (P or
Pi)
Calcium (Ca)
Metabolic Acidosis
TCO2 (or
CO2), a test for metabolic acidosis (if possible - not every laboratory
can do this test)
anion gap
Complete Blood
Count
This is also
a blood test, and is often run on CKD cats. CKD cats often have anaemia,
so this test checks for that, and also looks for infections.
Red Blood Cells: Anaemia
Packed cell volume
(PCV) or Haematocrit (HCT)
Helps to
determine if the cat is anaemic and how severe it it.
White Blood Cells: Infection or Inflammation
White blood cells
Can help
determine the presence of infection or inflammation.
Urinalysis
As the name suggests, this examines the cat's urine. The following tests
can all be run from one urine sample.
Urine Concentrating Ability
Urine specific
gravity
CKD cats
struggle to concentrate their urine so the USG test can help to confirm the CKD diagnosis, though a
low USG may also be caused by other health issues).
Protein in the Urine
Proteinuria
Urinalysis also shows if protein is present in the cat's urine. This is important to know, because they may make the CKD progress faster.
Pyelonephritis or Urinary Tract
Infections
Infection
Blood Pressure
Many CKD cats
have high blood pressure (hypertension) which can cause blindness among
other problems, so it is really important to check for this. There is a
page devoted to
hypertension, which is diagnosed via a blood pressure monitor.
If your vet does not check your CKD cat's blood pressure, ask for it to
be done.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound
This is not
routinely performed on CKD cats, but may be offered if your vet suspects a
kidney infection,
kidney stones or a genetic condition called
Polycystic
Kidney Disease (PKD).
Specialised Blood Tests
These tests are
not always necessary, but may be appropriate for some CKD cats.
These tests can
usually only be run at specialist laboratories or vet
schools, and can take 1-3 days to come back.
Hyperthyroidism (an Overactive Thyroid)
T4
Pancreatitis
spec fPL
Parathyroid
hormone and ionised calcium levels
PTH
Ionised calcium
Frequency of Testing
I am quite surprised how many vets seem to diagnose CKD at one visit, then
say they do not need to see the cat again for 3-6 months. This may be
possible for cats with very early CKD and few abnormalities in their test
results. However, in most cases I think your cat will probably need to
visit the vet pretty frequently, at least until any imbalances are under control
and your cat is stable.
You should then be able to reduce the frequency of your visits, though of
course you should always go to the vet if your cat seems sick or in pain.
Try to
balance the need to run tests in order to monitor and control disease
progression with the need to not increase your cat's stress levels
unnecessarily, and bear in mind that taking blood too frequently can
worsen anaemia.
First
1-8 weeks
Your vet will
probably want to monitor your cat's kidneys values. It is also important
to monitor the following:
You may not
necessarily need to see the vet every week, how often will depend upon
which issues you are dealing with. If you are trying to control a
particular problem, it is
reasonable to test these every couple of weeks until you have got things
under control. Some tests, such as checking blood pressure, can be
performed by a vet tech or vet nurse, which should be cheaper.
Once your cat
seems stable, I would recommend checking bloodwork, urine and blood
pressure at the vet as follows:
Every 1-3
Months
If your cat's creatinine level is in IRIS Stage 2 or above
(creatinine above 1.6 mg/dl USA, 140 µmol/L international), I would ask for
tests every 1-3 months. All the above tests (under 1-8 weeks) should be
performed as appropriate, along with dental checks.
Every 3-6
Months
Six months is
the maximum length of time I would go between vet visits. Personally I
would feel more comfortable with three monthly visits, but
every 3-6 months may be appropriate for cats in early stage CKD (creatinine below
1.6 mg/dl USA, 140 µmol/L international) who are stable.
All the above tests (under 1-8 weeks) should be performed, along with
dental checks.
ISFM consensus guidelines on the diagnosis and
management of feline chronic kidney disease (2016) Sparkes AH,
Caney S, Chalhoub S, Elliott J, Finch N, Gajanayake I, Langston C,
Lefebvre H, White J & Quimby J Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery
18(3) pp219-239 states Following diagnosis (and stabilisation, if
necessary), initial re-evaluations should typically be undertaken every 1-4
weeks, according to clinical needs. Full monitoring will not be necessary at
each visit (and not all evaluations are needed in all cats and at all times),
but should be performed sufficiently frequently to allow good patient
management. Even in cases of early and apparently stable CKD, initial monthly
revisits can be helpful in supporting the diagnosis, providing support to the
owner, and in monitoring progression and therapy. In the long term, even if
stable, cats should be re-evaluated at least every 3-6 months. Particular
attention should be paid to appropriate monitoring of the efficacy of
interventions to ensure that therapeutic targets are being met. In advanced
disease, care may be needed to avoid exacerbating anaemia by too frequent blood
collection."
Home Checks
In all
cases, do your own checks at home, e.g. regular weighing, monitoring of
food intake. if your cat seems to be deteriorating or you have any
concerns, you should seek your vet's advice regardless of whether tests
are due.
Thomas was tested
every week initially until his severe anaemia and high phosphorus levels were
under control. We then switched to three monthly, but as the disease progressed
we switched to every 1-2 months, then more frequently again as he worsened. In
retrospect, I think we should not have switched to three monthly, bearing in
mind how high his kidney values were at diagnosis.
If Your Cat Fights Blood Draws
Many cats find
having blood taken very stressful. There are some ways to minimise this
stress:
-
Stay with your
cat whilst the blood is drawn. Many vets like to take the cat "out the
back" to draw blood but this may frighten the cat, whereas a familiar face
(yours) can help keep the cat calm.
Catalyst Council
has a couple of videos about examining the cat with their guardian
present and tips on examining a fearful cat. However, as
Vetstreet explains, some cats may be
calmer away from their owner.
-
For cats who
fight blood draws like our Harpsie, it can be easier to take the blood
from a hind leg rather than from the jugular vein in the neck. Our vet
used to place a towel over Harpsie's head and draw blood from the leg. You
would probably expect a towel over the head to make a cat freak out more
but many cats find it calming. Taking blood this way takes longer than
taking it from the jugular but overall it still worked better for Harpsie.
-
Cats hate the
smell of alcohol, so it is better not to dampen down their fur with
alcohol before a blood draw because it increases their stress levels. It
is unnecessary anyway
unless your cat has a particularly weak immune system, e.g. s/he also has
cancer.
Critical Care DVM
says "It is not necessary to “sterilize” the skin with alcohol prior to
inserting the needle. In reality, wiping a little alcohol on the skin does not
sterilize it, and the odor and feel of alcohol may aggravate your pet."
International Cat Care
is promoting cat friendly clinics to try to reduce stress for cats
during vet visits.
Keeping
Records
Not every vet routinely offers copies of test results to clients, but if
yours doesn't, ask for them. They will probably be meaningless
gobbledegook to you at first but don't worry, you will soon learn which
are the important readings and what they mean.
Keep your own records of your cat's symptoms and bloodwork results, so
you can monitor trends and have records you can take with you if you
have to take your cat to the ER or to see a specialist. See
Working With
Your Vet for more information.
