My cat has early PKD. Can we manage or treat their kidney disease?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear about your little girl! When it comes to palliative care, it is all about comforting them as much as possible. There are really no medications perse that will likely improve her illness depending on how affected she is. You could consult with your veterinarian if the administration of subcutaneous fluids at home could be an option for her which will depend on how advanced her disease is. Otherwise, I would encourage you to feed her all her favorite foods and things like that to make the best out of those last moments. If her appetite is poor, you can check with your veterinarian to see if they can prescribe an appetite stimulant such as mirtazapine. I hope she feels better!

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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Paanti. The diet choice for her depends on her current blood work values. Kidney disease has four stages. Depending on where she falls, dictates if she requires protein restriction. If she has very early disease, I would consider a prescription diet such as Purina ProPlan Veterinary Diets Early Care Renal. You could also ask your veterinarian for a prescription for a very high potency fatty acid supplement as this can help in cases of renal disease. I hope this information helps!

Hi and thanks for posting! The time each cat has when first diagnosed with chronic kidney disease does vary on the age of the cat and stage of the kidney disease. Cats that have this can do very well with great supportive and supplemental care. Kidney disease can be managed with prescription diets, certain kidney friendly vitamins, SQ fluid administration, and blood pressure medication if needed. While kidney failure is not typically painful, other secondary issues they can acquire may be, such as urinary or lung infections. Sometimes kidney disease can cause nausea which can be uncomfortable but not necessarily painful. Nausea is often treated in these patients with anti vomiting medications. Kidney failure patients may pass in their sleep, but not always. They can develop serious complications from compromised kidney function which can lead some owners to humanely euthanize them towards the end due to decreased quality of life. I hope this helps you and I thanks again for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I'm so sorry to hear of Charmin's diagnosis. Poor kitty! There are several things you can do to keep Charmin more comfortable and to help with his kidney disease. You should speak with your veterinarian about learning how to administer subcutaneous fluids. These fluids can be administered at your veterinary hospital or by you at home a few times a week. These fluids can help keep Charmin hydrated and reduce the BUN and creatinine values. Vitamin B12 injections from your veterinarian may also be helpful. Medications such as famotidine (Pepcid AC) and Cerenia can be helpful for managing the GI problems we see with kidney disease. Please discuss these options with your veterinarian to decide if they are appropriate for Charmin. You may also want to talk to your veterinarian about special prescription kidney diets. If Charmin will readily eat these then they can be helpful in managing kidney disease. It looks like Charmin may have infection on his skin. It would be a good idea to have those areas clipped free of hair by your veterinarian so they can be more easily cleaned. Charmin may also need to be prescribed an antibiotic. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best wishes to you and Charmin!

Hello. This actually sounds pretty darn good! The only thing to add is to make sure Tony takes in as much fluids as possible & make sure you stay on top of those kidney rechecks. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Unfortunately kidney values can not be interpreted without a urinalysis and specific gravity. Elevated BUN is not always CKD but this would be more likely in the face of poorly concentrated urine ( pred will also effect this). CKD is staged via what is called IRIS. This takes in to account creatinine, protein in the urine, and blood prressure. SDMA is newer and thought to be an earlier indicator then BUN/creatinine as these as insensitive markers of kidney function. This has now been incorporated in to the new IRIS scheme. What i would recommend for your kitty is a urinalysis and blood pressure to better stage. For early stage CKD kitties a renal diet is recommended. It is also important to treat any high blood preesure or significant protein in the urine as these can worsen kidney function. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!