Feline Kidney Disease
Classic Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Renal Failure in Cats
The following list contains signs and symptoms of chronic renal failure in felines: Diarrhea, vomiting,
occasional mouth ulcers or sores due to increased stomach acid and vomiting, very bad breath, increased trips
to the litter box and/or excessive urine output during each visit to the litterbox, foul smelling urine,
loss of appetite, rapid weight loss, lethargy, hiding or sleeping a lot, and dehydration resulting in a
dull dry coat, dry skin, constipation and excessive thirst and water consumption in the body's attempt
to help the kidneys filter out / excrete waste accumulated in the blood. As the cat's kidney function declines,
excessive waste builds up in the blood causing a toxic condition known as uremia (or) your cat becomes uremic.
Your cat will also develop anemia or become anemic. See "Anemia" for more information on this very serious condition.
There are many possible causes of kidney disease in cats. Each cat's environment, eating habits,
and genetic make up is different therefore the cause is different for each cat. Potassium deficiency
has been directly correlated to the disease in cats. Many cats become deficient as they age due to being
fed a brand of cat food designed to lower their ph level. This is supposed to be effective in preventing
or reducing the occurence of frequent urinary tract infections also known as cystitis. Unfortunately,
lowering the cat's urinary ph level, also involves raising the acidity of the urine.
The food itself, is acidic. See "Acidosis".
This causes the kidneys to work harder to clean the blood of the waste caused by this acidic, ph lowering food.
When the kidneys work harder, this involves frequent urination in order to
excrete the build up of waste in the blood. The more the cat urinates, the more potassium is lost through the urine.
Kidney stones and the infections they cause, can also lead to kidney damage/disease over time. This happens by bacteria hiding in the crevices
of the stones. The bacteria causes a mild to serious kidney and possibly, urinary tract infection. The infection
can be very mild or "low grade" and linger for years with little or no apparent symptoms other than frequent
urination, all the while causing irreversable damage to the kidneys, which will inevitably reduce their ability to
function optimally.
If it becomes a bad infection however, there will be apparent symptoms and there are herbs you can try using to combat it. Click on this link for more information: kidney infections and stones.
When in doubt, always ask your regular vet, holistic vet, or a certified herbalist at a vitamin /nutrition store.
Good luck!