My cats drink & pee more with new water dish. Is it a kidney issue?

If your cat is drinking excessive amounts of water then this can be a sign of kidney disease. We can often see early kidney disease with hyperthyroidism as well. I would recommend having some bloodwork done on your kitty if he hasn't had any in the last few months to check his kidney values. This is recommended every 6 months in a cat his age.

Kidney disease in cats, in most cases, is caused simply by a loss of function overtime. I think we see this more in cats because they tend to live longer than dogs, sometimes on the upward end of 15 to 20 years. As the pet ages, so do the cells that make up the kidneys, and this results in a loss of function (kidney insufficiency). In theory, yes we can preserve kidney function by adding more water to their diet. But I think that at some point the kidneys will still lose function because that is what happens naturally as the pet ages. With all that said, I still encourage owners to feed their cats wet food and use kitty water fountains whenever possible, to preserve kidney function for as long as physically possible.

It is concerning that he is drinking and urinating excessively. Since he is so young, I am concerned he has a congential kidney disorder causing kidney failure. He should have an ultrasound of his kidneys to look for abnormalities. Call your vet and give him/her an update to let your vet know he is drinking and urinating excessively.

The only way to determine whether your cat has kidney disease is to have blood work done. Excessive drinking, weight loss, can also be signs of diabetes and hyperthyroidism. Please take Gino to a vet for some blood tests and then discuss the proper treatment and diet with your vet.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. With your history and knowing he is drinking and urinating quite a bit, I would be concerned about kidney disease or diabetes. I would recommend having a comprehensive blood panel run on pepper to rule these conditions out. I would also have his urine tested as part of a full workup. Blood work is a good place to start as it will help rule out many possible causes of the symptoms you are seeing. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

I forgot to mention that they will also require a urinalysis in addition to the blood test in order to confirm kidney malfunction exists, before proceeding with the recommended treatments that you mentioned.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Kiki. I recommend that she has a urine culture to see if she has a urinary tract infection. If so, it can spread to the kidneys causing damage resulting in an elevated SDMA. She will also need x-rays of her abdomen to check for bladder stones. If these tests are negative, idiopathic cystitis is common in cats. It is inflammation in the bladder that can lead to blood in the urine. If her veterinarian is concerned with kidney disease, then her blood pressure should be measured. Diet recommendations will be based on her final diagnosis. I hope this information helps!