The kidneys perform one of the most important functions in the body - cleaning the blood. Due to their small intake of water, cats are more burdened than other animals and therefore suffer quite often from kidney problems the older they get.
As I already wrote, a friend of mine operates a feline shelter, so I have witnessed various different fates of cats. It struck me how many cats have kidney problems in old age. I have a cat at home, so I started to become a little more involved in this issue.
Because the gradual deterioration of kidney function and urinary organs is an inevitable part of aging and concerns permanent damage, we should therefore focus on making sure feline kidneys are not needlessly overworked.
Avoiding poor quality food can be one way of prevention. They contain high amounts of indigestible substances and food contaminants that worsen the condition of the kidneys and urinary tract. The next step is to choose a type of food that supports kidney function. We can therefore delay or slow the onset of urinary tract disorders. It is also important to check that the cat drinks enough. What worked for me was getting a drinking fountain even though it didn’t have a running tap :).
Poor quality granules, moreover, contain substances which increase the work of the kidney, plus they have a high content of indigestible substances. They do not contain nutrients in optimal amounts and balanced proportions. Perhaps the series Brit Care Cat is hypoallergenic (incidentally, food allergies can also cause urinary tract disorders), contains herbal antioxidants and other substances that support the kidneys and a properly working urinary tract. Especially granules for neutered cats, which maintain the correct pH of urine and lower the concentration of minerals by balancing their content. The risk of urinary tract disorders increases for neutered cats, the same for overweight cats and those living with restricted movement.
The most common diseases are of the lower urinary tract. For example, the formation of sand and stones in the urine, urethral blockage, infection, or narrowing of the urethra (which may occur just after neutering). In this case, the cat can start to urinate outside the box (often on laundry, but also in the bed, on the couch...), they can pee drop by drop, meow with pain and blood may appear in the urine. You’ll have to visit the veterinarian to get medicine and in some cases surgery will be required.
For cats over 7 years old, chronic renal failure is very common. Too many cells that filter blood and discharge waste into the urine die away and those remaining are unable to ensure proper function. But even younger cats can get into difficulties due to congenital defects, bacterial infections or viral illness. Sudden or acute renal failure may occur after poisoning.
How to tell if your cat suffers from kidney disease? They lose the ability to produce a concentrated dark urine, but will instead urinate a more dilute liquid. They will therefore become thirstier and urinate more frequently. Other symptoms will appear as the disease progresses. Their coat will become dull, they will lose weight, become apathetic, sad, and lose their appetite.
So it really pays to buy quality food with high contents of easily digestible protein and low in indigestible substances, so-called ash. We can also promote kidney function by adding salmon oil even though many cats don’t like it (mine absolutely loves it and can eat it alone).
As we noticed in the shelter, kidney disease mostly occurs between the ages of 5 and 7 years. It’s therefore no harm to perform a preventive blood test once a year starting at this age to detect any kidney deterioration early on.
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