This is Suzie, a very sweet older lady, who is 18 years old! Suzie came to see us as her owner noticed she had been losing weight as well as drinking and urinating a lot more than usual. We took a blood sample and tested her kidneys, liver and thyroid gland, as well as getting a urine sample. The urine test showed that Suzie was not able to concentrate her urine very well, and she was also losing protein in her urine. The blood tests showed an increase in her kidney parameters and Suzie was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is one of the most common conditions affecting older cats. Sadly, this is a disease that progresses, so there will be a slow decline and worsening of her kidneys over time. Suzie was started on a new protein restricted diet to help her kidneys as well as some medication which will help support blood flow through her kidneys, lower her blood pressure and most importantly reduce the protein loss through her kidneys. The loss of protein through the kidneys in a cat with CKD is a risk factor for the progression of the disease, and it is thought that reducing the protein loss can slow down the rate of decline and improve the survival time in some cats with CKD. It is estimated that around 20-50% of cats over 15 years of age will have some degree of CKD present. If you notice your older cat is drinking and urinating a lot more than usual, please do call us and book an appointment. Suzie will need regular check ups with us to make sure she is doing ok and that we treat any complications that can arise – we look forward to seeing her again in a few weeks!
Posted on: Sat, 15 Nov 2014 16:30:00 +0000
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