Chronic Kidney Disease is the progressive and permanent loss of kidney function. This disease occurs most frequently in cats, affecting about 1% to 3% of all cats, but about 80% of geriatric cats. In dogs, it is estimated to affect around 0.5% to 1% of the animals.

The function of the kidneys involves eliminating unnecessary substances from the animal’s body, so a decrease in their function can lead to various clinical signs that are often related to the accumulation of these substances.

Chronic Kidney Disease has several stages, depending on the severity of the disease and, therefore, in the early stages we may not have clinical signs. As the disease progresses, it becomes easier for owners to understand that something is wrong.

The first signs may be lethargy, decreased appetite and weight loss. More attentive owners may notice that their animals are drinking more water and also urinating more. While this may be easily noticeable in dogs, cat owners notice this situation when they have to clean the litter box more frequently. 

To make a diagnosis, blood, urine and abdominal ultrasound tests will be carried out.

The treatment of this disease depends on the stage of each animal and may involve changes in diet, medication and serum administration.

As it is a chronic and progressive disease, treatment only aims to delay the progression of the disease and not cure it, therefore, it is important to act at earlier stages of the disease. To achieve this, it is essential to do geriatric check-ups on all animals over 7 years of age, at least once a year, but the frequency must be defined depending on each animal. Furthermore, we must remain attentive to clinical signs and act as soon as they start to appear, because this way we can improve their quality of life.

If you have any questions, contact us, we are here to help!

Vet.Point – Oeiras Veterinary Clinic
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