My cat has CKD. Will she need lifelong injections? Any side effects?

I would not recommend re-using it. Once the ampule is broken, the contents are no longer considered sterile, so using them in an infection the next day, with an unsealed container, increases risk for an abscess (bacterial infection ) at the injection site). If the injections aren't helping much, talk to your vet about whether or not its worth it to continue doing them. Your vet may recommend rechecking bloodwork to see where those kidney values are at; there may be improvement that you can't appreciate on the outside, but the values may be better which would indicate that continuing the injections is wise. You can feed the royal canin indefinitely. It is safe long term. However it is ok to give some other food occasionally as well, especially if he's not wanting to eat the renal diet. Some cats prefer canned food so you may try the canned version if you haven't tried that yet. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi and thank you for your post on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! CKD when diagnosed early can absolutely be managed medically. Daily SQ fluid therapy, blood pressure medications, as well as supplemental vitamins and phosphorus binders (if the phosphorus is high) can be given. Also a Rx diet that is kidney friends can also be very helpful. A lot can be done when caught early! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope this has helped.

I think IV fluids and supportive care are a reasonable place to start. If your veterinarian is suspicious of acute kidney injury then Mimi could regain kidney function with aggressive supportive care, but some cats will worsen despite treatment. If your veterinarian is suspicious of chronic kidney disease then her kidney function may not improve but often cats can be managed with medication and diet changes with a good quality of life for months to years. The acute vs. chronic designation is usually based on the history and overall exam findings. I think an ultrasound and urinalysis are good next steps - you may also want to ask about culturing the urine (although she may currently be getting antibiotics which could change the results, I can’t quite read a couple of the injectable medications). A blood pressure might also be helpful, and checking phosphorous, calcium and electrolytes in a blood panel could help. The only lab finding that is a little odd is the increase in lymphocytes, although sometimes the machine will not differentiate between cell types well and this may not be significant. Good luck to Mimi!

Part of this decision should be based upon how Squeakers is doing clinically and how bad or not bad his values are. In general, if kidney disease is caught early on, it responds very well to treatment. Most of the time, treatment is simply a diet change to a kidney friendly, prescription diet. Pet’s where the disease is more advanced, may need to take a pill to decrease protein loss through the kidneys and they may need subcutaneous fluids on a daily or weekly basis. For cats with more advanced disease, they may need hospitalization and IV fluids to see if they will recover. Again it all depends on the blood values and how the pet is doing clinically. Most cats with kidney disease, if caught in time, will live an average of 2 to 3 years of quality life after diagnosis. This is variable though. Some pets progress quickly and others live longer than 3 years. You don’t know until you try. I hope this helps to guide your decision making. You can also find a fair amount of information about kidney disease on this website. Use the search feature. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello, I am sorry I misunderstood your question earlier. I hope this response helps you. In order to stage renal failure, we need to know the urine specific gravity, blood pressure, and urine protein to creatinine ratio. Based on the values you provided, she has chronic kidney disease but I cannot stage it without further information. If the free T4 was elevated that is consistent with hyperthyroidism which often masks underlying kidney disease. Therefore, her kidney disease could be worse than we suspect based on the info you provided above. Realistically, she has two diseases and fortunately both are treatable. Ultimately, the prognosis depends on response to therapy. It is not uncommon for some patients to do well for a few years with appropriate therapy and kidney diet. Prior to treating her hyperthyroidism, her kidney disease should be treated (at home) with subcutaneous fluid therapy, antibiotics to cover for an underlying kidney infection, and vitamin B12 supplementation. After she feels better and begins eating consistently, discuss treatment for hyperthyroidism.

There is no medication that specifically treats chronic kidney disease. Changing to a therapeutic diet and increasing water consumption can help, and treatment is focused mainly on alleviating clinical signs like nausea or decreased appetite. High blood pressure can occur secondary to kidney disease and if Percy had high blood pressure then a medication might be prescribed. Urinary tract infections are also pretty common in cats with kidney disease so your vet may want to check Percy’s urine periodically.

Don't apologize, I'm glad to answer your questions! Studies have shown that cats on a renal diet live on average of two years longer than cats who also have chronic kidney disease but aren't on a renal diet. So you are doing the right thing by feeding Smokey this diet. You can give him the vaccine, it will not effect his kidneys. Water intake should never be less. It's important for him to drink plenty of water so he does not dehydrate. I recommend getting a pet water fountain for him. It provides a continuous source of fresh water, and encourages pets to drink. I have one for my cats, and they love it. I hope this helps!