Can a Ragdoll kitten with one kidney live a healthy life?

Yes, a single kidney is all that is needed for normal function - in order to see any signs of kidney disease you need to lose 60% of the function. With a single kidney there may be a higher likelihood of developing kidney disease later since it would take less overall kidney damage to result in decreased function.

Unfortunately there is no way for us to know how long it will be before a pet starts having issues with 1 kidney. Problems may never arise. So you will have to just see how she does. Hopefully she doesn't have any problems and she can get on insurance to cover most of her needs going forward. Best of luck and take care. : )

Hello. The presence of only 1 kidney is a birth defect that can occur. If that kidney is fully functioning, as demonstrated by normal blood kidney values, & a normal urinalysis, then there is no reason that anesthesia will be any more of a concern then for a cat with 2 kidneys. I am not sure what you mean by an indifferent colon, other than if there is one congenital birth defect, other defects are possible. We had a case of a puppy born with a deformed hind leg, & when he was old enough for neutering, also found a completely abnormal reproductive tract as well as a deformed kidney. This dog is now 13 years old & going strong. Your kitty may require periodic blood work to make sure the kidney stays healthy, & possibly some type of special diet depending on how the colon actually affects the kitten's overall well being. But, accidents in nature happen. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello sorry to hear about Ashton but I am glad he is recovering well from his surgery. Polycystic kidney disease is typically one which affects both kidneys, however, because his other kidney is working well there are some things you can do to help promote that kidney's health. You should feed Ashton wet food and allow him free access to water. You should check his kidney values atleast every 3-6 months with bloodwork. A kidney diet may be considered if there is evidence that his other kidney may have increased values. Finally, ensure that the rest of his health is also good. I hope this helps and best of luck.

Hello. Thank you for your question. I can understand your concern. It is possible that the issue was genetic so It would not hurt to have your kitten tested for any deficits. It could also be completely unrelated. The sibling could have had issues from birth that none of the other kittens had, or it could have injested something toxic. Symptoms to look for would be increased or severly decreased water consumption, lethargy, weight loss, decreased appetite, and bad breath. Your veterinarian will be able to run blood tests that will show if there is any decreased kidney function. I hope everything turns out ok! If you have any further questions you can always contact me directly through the consultaions option.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This is likely a genetic malformation during birth. The only thing I would watch out for is pain in the affected leg and any abrasions from the leg dragging on the ground. Otherwise, she should be able to adapt to her malformation. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello. I would not recommend removing the kidney until you are absolutely sure it is the cause of all the problems. I assume all blood work & a urinalysis show the kidney problems & I assume at least an ultrasound was performed on the kidneys. I would suggest that you consider having an excretory urogram or nuclear scintigraphy performed to assess the functionality of both kidneys before putting Randi through surgery only to have the good kidney fail. A needle biopsy can also be done to see if the "dead" kidney truly needs to be removed.