Tanya

 

TANYA'S

COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO

FELINE CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

24 July 2000 - 24 July 2020

Twenty years online!

(Not tax deductible since I am a private individual)

 

 

    

 

 

WHAT HAPPENS IN CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

 

ON THIS PAGE:


Main Functions of the Kidneys


How the Kidneys Work


What Happens in CKD


Why CKD Occurs


Why CKD Cannot Normally Be Detected At An Early Stage


Links


 

 

HOME


Site Overview


Just Diagnosed? What You Need to Know First


Search This Site


 

WHAT IS CKD?


What Happens in CKD


Causes of CKD


How Bad is It?


Is There Any Hope?


Acute Kidney Injury


 

KEY ISSUES: PROLONGING LIFE


Phosphorus Control


Hypertension

(High Blood Pressure)


Proteinuria


Anaemia


Potassium Imbalances


Pyelonephritis (Kidney Infections) and Urinary Tract Infections NEW


Metabolic Acidosis


Kidney Stones


 

KEY ISSUES: HELPING YOUR CAT FEEL BETTER


Nausea, Vomiting, Appetite Loss and Excess Stomach Acid


Maintaining Hydration


The B Vitamins (Including Methylcobalamin)


Constipation


 

CAT FOOD DATA


Ways of Assessing Food Content, Including What is Dry Matter Analysis


How to Use the Food Data Tables


USA Canned Food Data


USA Dry Food Data


USA Cat Food Brands: Helpfulness Ratings


USA Cat Food Brands: Contact Details


USA Food Data Book


 

SUPPORT


Coping with CKD


Tanya's Support Group


Success Stories


 

SYMPTOMS


Important: Crashing


Alphabetical List of Symptoms and Treatments


Fluid and Urinary  Imbalances (Dehydration, Overhydration and Urinary Issues)


Waste Product Regulation Imbalances (Vomiting, Appetite Loss, Excess Stomach Acid, Gastro-intestinal Problems, Mouth Ulcers Etc.)


Phosphorus and Calcium Imbalances


Miscellaneous Symptoms (Pain, Hiding Etc.)


 

DIAGNOSIS: WHAT DO ALL THE TEST RESULTS MEAN?


Early Detection


Blood Chemistry: Kidney Function, Potassium, Other Tests (ALT, Amylase, (Cholesterol, Etc.)


Calcium, Phosphorus, Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) and Secondary Hyperparathyroidism


Complete Blood Count (CBC): Red and White Blood Cells: Anaemia and Infection


Urinalysis (Urine Tests)


Other Tests: Ultrasound, Biopsy, X-rays etc.


Renomegaly (Enlarged Kidneys)


Which Tests to Have and Frequency of Testing


Factors that Affect Test Results


Normal Ranges


International and US Measuring Systems


 

TREATMENTS


Which Treatments are Essential


Fluid and Urinary Issues (Fluid Retention, Infections, Incontinence, Proteinuria)


Waste Product Regulation (Mouth Ulcers, GI Bleeding, Antioxidants, Adsorbents, Azodyl, Astro's CRF Oil)


Phosphorus, Calcium and Secondary Hyperparathyroidism (Calcitriol)


Phosphorus Binders


Steroids, Stem Cell Transplants and Kidney Transplants


Antibiotics and Painkillers


Holistic Treatments (Including Slippery Elm Bark)


ESAs (Aranesp, Epogen etc.) for Severe Anaemia


General Health Issues in a CKD Cat: Fleas, Arthritis, Dementia, Vaccinations


Tips on Medicating Your Cat


Obtaining Supplies Cheaply in the UK, USA and Canada


Working with Your Vet and Recordkeeping


 

DIET & NUTRITION


Nutritional Requirements of CKD Cats


The B Vitamins (Including Methylcobalamin)


What to Feed (and What to Avoid)


Persuading Your Cat to Eat


2007 Food Recall USA


 

FLUID THERAPY


Oral Fluids


Intravenous Fluids


Subcutaneous Fluids


Tips on Giving Subcutaneous Fluids


How to Give Subcutaneous Fluids with a Giving Set


How to Give Subcutaneous Fluids with a Syringe


Subcutaneous Fluids - Winning Your Vet's Support


Dialysis


 

RELATED DISEASES


Heart Problems


Hyperthyroidism


Diabetes


Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)


Pancreatitis


Dental Problems


Anaesthesia


 

OBTAINING SUPPLIES CHEAPLY


UK


USA Online


USA Local (Fluids)


Canada


 

SAYING GOODBYE


The Final Hours


Other People's Losses


Coping with Your Loss


 

MISCELLANEOUS


Prevention


Feline CKD Research, Including Participation Opportunities


CKD Research in Other Species


Share This Site: A Notice for Your Vet's Bulletin Board or Your Local Pet Shop


Canine Kidney Disease


Other Illnesses (Cancer, Liver) and Behavioural Problems


Diese Webseite auf Deutsch


 

SITEOWNER (HELEN)


My Three CKD Cats: Tanya, Thomas and Ollie


Find Me on Facebook


Follow Me on Twitter


Contact Me


Home > What is CKD > What Happens in Chronic Kidney Disease

 


Overview


  • This page explains more about the various functions of the kidneys.

  • It is because the kidneys have so many functions that there are so many possible symptoms of CKD. The symptoms you might see depend upon which functions are affected.

  • This page also explains why CKD is so common in cats, and why CKD cannot normally be detected until two thirds of function has already been lost.


Main Functions of the Kidneys


 

The kidneys have five main functions:

  1. the regulation of fluid levels in the body

  2. the regulation, including filtering and disposal, of waste products in the body

  3. the regulation of electrolytes (salts in the body's cells which are necessary for survival) and minerals in the body

  4. stimulation of red blood cell production

  5. production of renin, which controls blood pressure

In cats with CKD, as the kidneys become more and more damaged and their ability to function declines, an imbalance can arise in any or all of these areas.  So, for example, a cat whose kidneys struggle with the production of red blood cells will develop anaemia.

 


How the Kidneys Work


 

in order to understand what happens in CKD, it helps to have a rough idea of how the kidneys work.

 

Nephrons


The main work of the kidneys is performed by units called nephrons. The nephrons filter the blood flowing into the kidneys via their glomeruli (see below). Healthy cats have about 170,000 - 190,000 nephrons, far more than they need, which is known as the renal reserve.

 

Khan Academy has a clear video showing how the nephrons work.

 

Glomeruli and Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)


Each nephron contains a glomerulus, a very fine blood vessel. The glomeruli perform the first stage in the process of filtering waste products to produce urine. GFR measures their filtering ability.

 

If the glomeruli are damaged, blood proteins, which would normally be recycled into the bloodstream, may leak out into the urine (proteinuria).

 

The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is an accurate measure of how effectively the glomeruli and nephrons are working, but unfortunately this is difficult to measure, so it is not checked very often.

 

Long Beach Animal Hospital clearly explains more about the way the kidneys work.

 

The Merck Manual explains kidney function (with diagrams).

 


What Happens in CKD


 

There are a number of different causes of kidney disease. Management and treatment of chronic kidney disease in cats (2016) Caney S In Practice Oct 2016 pp10-13 states "CKD is the end result of a wide range of primary disorders that cause irreversible damage to nephrons, eventually leading to reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR)."

 

Interstitial nephritis is the most commonly seen type of kidney problem in cats, so when a vet says a cat has CKD, s/he often means chronic interstitial nephritis.

 

Chronic interstitial nephritis is not a disease as such. Renal fibrosis in feline chronic kidney disease: known mediators and mechanisms of injury (2015) Lawson J, Elliott J, Wheeler-Jones C, Syme H & Jepson R The Veterinary Journal 203(1) pp 18-26 says "In most cases the underlying aetiology is unknown, but the most frequently reported pathological diagnosis is renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Renal fibrosis, characterised by extensive accumulation of extra-cellular matrix within the interstitium, is thought to be the final common pathway for all kidney diseases and is the pathological lesion best correlated with function in both humans and cats."

 

Renal diseases in cats (2015) DiBartola SP Presentation to the Idexx Finland Congress says "Chronic interstitial nephritis is a common morphologic diagnosis and may represent the end result of several different renal diseases including chronic glomerulonephritis and chronic pyelonephritis. In most patients, however, the inciting cause of the progressive renal disease cannot be determined."

 

If you're not a vet, you are probably none the wiser after reading the above. Essentially, whatever the initial cause of the CKD, inflammation and fibrosis (the formation of excess fibrous connective tissue) occur and the end result is a cycle of kidney damage. Cats with chronic interstitial nephritis have small, shrivelled kidneys with scar tissue, and this is what is seen in most CKD cats. Feline chronic kidney disease (2015) Grauer GF Today's Veterinary Practice 5(2) pp36-41 says "the end point of irreversible glomerular or tubular damage is the same: fibrous scar tissue replacement of nephrons."

 

Renal dysfunction in small animals (2016) Brown SA Merck Veterinary Manual has some information on interstitial nephritis and CKD.

 


Why CKD Occurs


 

There are a number of reasons why CKD occurs in cats, see Causes of CKD and immediately above. However, in most cases there is little you could have done to prevent it because one of the main factors in the development of CKD in cats is aging. Studies indicate that around 10% of cats over the age of ten will develop CKD. Older cats are at even greater risk: Chronic Renal Disease in Cats (1989) Current Veterinary Therapy X, Krawiec DR & Gelberg HB, Ed. Kirk RW, WB Saunders Company p. 1170-1173 found that 30% of cats over the age of 15 had the disease.

 

A more recent study, Disease surveillance and referral bias in the veterinary medical database (2010) Bartlett PC, Van Buren JW, Neterer M & Zhou C Preventive Veterinary Medicine 94(3-4) pp264–271, found that 28% of the cats over the age of 12 who were examined at four US veterinary hospitals had CKD. Therefore, if you have a cat aged 12-15 or over, s/he has a one in three chance of developing CKD.

 

Younger cats may also develop CKD but it is less likely. If they are very young (less than two years old), they may have a congenital problem. Other possible causes include kidney infections, blockages or exposure to toxins (though cats with these problems may have acute kidney injury).

 

The Cat Doctor mentions that CKD occurs twice as often in Siamese, Maine Coon, Abyssinian, Russian Blue and Burmese cats.

 


Why CKD Cannot Normally Be Detected at an Early Stage


 

I often hear from people who are kicking themselves for not realising sooner that their cat was sick. But it is actually normal for CKD not to be diagnosed until as much as 66% of function has been lost, if not more.

 

The 170,000 - 190,000 nephrons found in a cat's kidneys are many more nephrons than are needed for normal function; plus nephrons can increase their individual function to some extent when other nephrons die. This is why people can donate a kidney and still manage perfectly well with one kidney. In the case of a kidney transplant, if you remove one kidney from the donor, the donor's glomerular filtration rate (GFR, a measure of kidney function) will immediately fall to half of what it was, but will then gradually improve as the remaining nephrons increase their function to compensate for the loss of one kidney. Eventually the nephrons in the remaining kidney will reach almost the same level of function as two kidneys.

 

It works in a similar way in a cat with kidney disease, i.e. as damaged nephrons die (they are often described as "scar tissue"), other nephrons take over their work. Eventually, however, all the remaining nephrons will be working fulltime (i.e. there will be no renal reserve left). It is at this point, when around 66-75% of function has gone, that you will probably start to see symptoms in your cat, as the remaining nephrons start finding it harder to cope with the workload.

 

Feline chronic kidney disease (2015) Grauer GF Today's Veterinary Practice 5(2) pp36-41 states "Progressive diseases that slowly destroy nephrons allow intact nephrons to undergo compensatory hypertrophy, which can delay onset of renal failure. Therefore, when renal failure occurs (< 25% of the original nephrons functional), nephron hypertrophy can no longer maintain adequate renal function."

 

So please do not feel guilty for not noticing sooner — there was probably nothing for you to notice, plus cats are very good at hiding signs of illness. CKD is not normally painful, so this makes it easier for the cat to hide what is happening.

 

There are a number of possible methods of Early Detection, but some of these are quite specialised, and most people wouldn't know about them; in fact, not all vets are familiar with all of them, although there is a new test (introduced in 2015) called the SDMA test. This is a simple blood test available through IDEXX Laboratories which may help detect CKD sooner, but even then it can only detect CKD when 40% of function has gone.

 

Don't waste your energy beating yourself up. What you need to focus on is the fact that cats with CKD can often manage quite well on limited kidney function. For some cats, things only become critical when they have lost as much as 90% of function, and there are some cats who cope astonishingly well with even less function. So the goal is not to worry about the function that has already been lost, but to try to retain the remaining function for as long as possible, and keep your cat feeling as well as possible. This site aims to help you with both goals.

 


Links to More Information


 

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine has a helpful video overview of feline kidney disease. Click on Part V first, Understanding kidney disease.

 

Kidney disease (2007) Syme H Royal Veterinary College is a 22 minute long podcast which you can download. Scroll down to RVC10 if necessary.

 

Back to Page Index

 

This page last updated: 30 June 2020

 

Links on this page last checked: 30 June 2020

 

   

*****

 

TREATING YOUR CAT WITHOUT VETERINARY ADVICE CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

 

I have tried very hard to ensure that the information provided in this website is accurate, but I am NOT a vet, just an ordinary person who has lived through CKD with three cats. This website is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to be used to diagnose or treat any cat. Before trying any of the treatments described herein, you MUST consult a qualified veterinarian and obtain professional advice on the correct regimen for your cat and his or her particular requirements; and you should only use any treatments described here with the full knowledge and approval of your vet. No responsibility can be accepted.

 

If your cat appears to be in pain or distress, do not waste time on the internet, contact your vet immediately.

 

*****

Copyright © Tanya's Feline CKD Website 2000-2020. All rights reserved.

 

This site was created using Microsoft software, and therefore it is best viewed in Internet Explorer. I know it doesn't always display too well in other browsers, but I'm not an IT expert so I'm afraid I don't know how to change that. I would love it to display perfectly everywhere, but my focus is on making the information available. When I get time, I'll try to improve how it displays in other browsers.

 

This site is a labour of love, from which I do not make a penny. Please do not steal from me by taking credit for my work.

If you wish to link to this site, please feel free to do so. Please make it clear that this is a link and not your own work. I would appreciate being informed of your link.