Chronic kidney disease in cats

Imagine you had a cat named Fuzz. Fuzz is independent, playful, heartbreakingly sweet when you’re having a tough day – and an absolute nightmare when you take him to the vet. He can’t cope with the strange surroundings, the sights, the smells, and it always takes a while to regain his trust after you’ve put him through that. So to protect him from his anxiety, you only take him to check-ups if you notice something is off. Fuzz is thriving, after all, even as he gets older. Until someday, he isn’t.

The first visible signs 

You start to notice changes. Fuzz loses his appetite and gets thinner. Because he urinates so much, he also drinks more. His shiny tabby coat gets dull. So, you take him to the vet. There, you discover that Fuzz not only has hypertension – which can lead to organ damage affecting kidneys, heart, brain, and eyes – he is already in a late stage of chronic kidney disease.  

For months, maybe even years, the ability of Fuzz’s kidneys to filter his blood and remove waste products has been decreasing in a steady, irreversible process. By now, his kidney function is only at a third of what it should be, and the toxins are building up inside his body. You’re in shock, but there’s a silver lining: Fuzz is not yet past the point of receiving treatment. You develop a treatment plan with your vet that could look something like this. 

Managing chronic kidney disease and hypertension in cats 

Back home, you jump into action mode. Following your vet’s recommendation, you make sure that Fuzz gets enough water – either through his food or by giving him access to plenty of opportunities to drink. You also switch his diet and put him on the treatment plan and medication prescribed by his vet. You will need to follow this plan and continue the treatment for the rest of Fuzz’s life, which feels overwhelming at first. But then a few days pass by, Fuzz calms down after the vet visit. Once the new routine begins to take, you observe something beautiful: bit by bit, Fuzz is starting to become his old self again.  

One of the most common conditions in senior cats 

What happened to Fuzz is not unusual; many cats suffer from chronic kidney disease in combination with high blood pressure. However, far too many cats still only get diagnosed when the disease has progressed to an advanced stage. Here are some basics that every cat owner should know about chronic kidney disease: 

Why regular veterinary check-ups matter 

Regular check-ups can be a pain, but they enable your vet to gather data about your cat’s health, which can be important to identify the early symptoms of CKD and other conditions. Fuzz was already very sick when major symptoms broke out, but cats that have early-onset CKD will have barely noticeable symptoms. Examples are gradual weight loss, an increased need to sleep, weakness, and others, which could also point to different diseases.  

Just like you, vets may not be able to detect early-onset CKD with the naked eye, but they can regularly track your cat’s blood pressure and other relevant health data, notice trends, and then conduct a few simple tests to see if CKD is at play. That’s why it’s important for you to take your cat to the vet regularly. And if, together with your vet, you catch CKD, hypertension, or other conditions early enough and adhere to the treatment plan, there’s no reason why your cat shouldn’t live a long, full, and happy life – just like any other cat would.