When an elderly cat is diagnosed with renal failure many owners feel overwhelmed or hopeless, but if caught early enough supportive care can increase both the lifespan and quality of life for the patient. Our pet of the month, Pooka, is a great example of this.
Pooka is a 17-year-old male cat who came to our clinic in July of 2020 with his owner
for weight loss. He was eating well but vomiting often. Bloodwork showed an increase in several of the values we associate with kidney function, including the BUN/UREA, creatinine, and SDMA. The increased concentration of these values in the blood shows the kidneys are not properly filtering to secrete them in the urine. Pooka was diagnosed with renal failure.
Our first line of defense included placing Pooka on a specially formulated diet for animals with kidney failure. Hills Science Diet, Purina, and Royal Canin have variations of kidney diets that can be prescribed by a veterinarian. Pooka tried several different kidney diets, but unfortunately was uninterested in the food. His owner had trouble getting him to eat and he continued to drop weight. While renal diets are ideal for cats with kidney disease, it is more important that the cat continue eating, so the decision to feed Pooka anything he would eat was approved by his consulting veterinarian.
In June of 2021 it was found that Pooka’s blood values had worsened from the year before and he now had a low potassium and phosphorus concentration. His weight had dropped from almost 9 pounds to just over 6.5 pounds. The owner reported he was excessively drinking water and not interested in eating. Pooka was placed on a potassium gluconate supplement to increase his potassium concentration and a phosphorus binder called aluminum hydroxide to decrease his phosphorus concentration. He also started subcutaneous fluids daily at home. Subcutaneous fluids are administered by inserting a needle between the skin and muscle then allowing sterile fluid packed with electrolytes to fill the space, forming a bubble under the skin that is absorbed by the body over several hours. This provides the pet with additional hydration as the poor filtration by the kidneys causes dehydration, further worsening their condition.
By July, Pooka’s blood values had improved exponentially, but he continued to lose weight, dropping to just above 5.5 pounds. In August of 2021 he was brought to the clinic after several days of refusing to eat. His blood work showed the kidney values had increased again and he was admitted for hospitalization. While hospitalized, Pooka was given fluids via an intravenous catheter and provided with supportive medications as needed. Once his energy returned and he began eating again, he was able to return home where he continued to improve. As of January of 2022, Pooka not only has gained back three pounds, but his blood work shows the potassium and phosphate levels have returned to the normal range. He continues to be closely monitored by his owner and our veterinarians as kidney disease is a chronic condition that often requires ongoing care to increase the quality of life.
Written by Ashten
