Complete Care for Your Aging Cat - Amy Shojai [109]
A month following the radioactive iodine treatment, Blanche’s thyroid levels were tested. “She was perfect,” says Karen.
Today Blanche is fully recovered. “She has been active, and obviously happier,” says Karen. “She still is quite thin, and went from 13 to about 9 pounds. She’s gotten comfortable with the lesser weight and doesn’t seem to be putting too much back on.”
Blanche and Stanley love their new home in Las Vegas, especially the 18-foot-high ceilings with tall platforms over the tops of closets and shelves halfway up the walls, all just made for feline climbing. “That’s definitely a cat arrangement, not a person arrangement,” says Karen. “Stanley keeps Blanche very active by chasing her around.”
The lost weight seems to have increased her agility and triggered a new trick. “This is a cat that never hopped onto anything except my bed, and that was a big struggle,” says Karen. Ever since coming home from the treatment, Blanche hops into the bathroom double sink every night for an evening drink of water before she goes to sleep. “It’s become a ritual,” says Karen.
Paying attention to the feline details is more than a ritual for Karen; it’s a kind of health insurance. “Cats don’t ever tell you when they’re sick. You just have to figure it out for yourself.”
KIDNEY FAILURE
The cat’s kidneys have several functions, including the manufacture of hormones such as ethrytopoien which controls the production of red blood cells and blood pressure. In addition, kidneys regulate the nutrients carried in the bloodstream and the fluid content of the body, and they also screen toxins and waste from the bloodstream and eliminate them in the urine.
Renal, or kidney, failure is not necessarily caused by age, but it is extremely common in aging cats, says Dan Carey, DVM, a veterinarian with the Iams Company. A recent survey by the veterinary teaching hospital at the University of Minnesota indicates that kidney disease is one of the top six reasons cats begin veterinary treatment. When the kidneys fail to screen out toxins the way they’re supposed to, the poisons build up in the blood—a condition called uremia. “That’s what causes the animal to feel bad,” says Dr. Carey.
Senior Symptoms
Typical signs of kidney failure begin gradually, and increase with the progression of the disease.
Increased urination, missing the litter box
Increased thirst
Lethargy
Loss of appetite, weight loss
Dehydration
Vomiting, diarrhea or constipation
Mouth sores, foul ammonia breath
Yowling
The acute form of the disease happens suddenly, often as a result of ingesting a poison such as antifreeze. In old cats, though, kidneys fail a little at a time, perhaps from simple wear and tear over the years. Chronic disease creeps up on the cat. “Kidney disease is either the number one or number two cause of death in cats and dogs in every study that’s been done,” says Debbie Davenport, DVM, an internist with Hill’s Pet Nutrition. “About 30 percent of cats in the senior population have renal disease and the owners may or may not be aware of it.” That’s because the cat’s kidneys are able to compensate and work well even when a large percentage of their function is gone.
Individual structures inside the kidneys, called nephrons, form the urine. As kidneys age, nephrons die and are not replaced, and when enough are lost, the cat begins showing signs of kidney failure. “Typically when 75 percent or more of the nephrons are lost, that’s when we begin to see the real critical problems,” says Dr. Hawley.
Symptoms are similar to other diseases, such as diabetes. Blood and urine tests are necessary to diagnose kidney disease. By checking blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels, and comparing them to specific urine gravity, veterinarians can get a good idea about kidney function. “You begin to see an inability for the animal to concentrate its urine,” says Dr. Hawley. “And you may see a persistent low urine specific gravity.” Further screening of the kidneys by X-rays