What causes elevated kidney levels in cats?
A large number of medical problems can cause kidney disease in cats. The most common causes are the resulting damages from toxins, infectious diseases and diseases that impair kidney blood flow. Common toxins to be aware of are ethylene glycol (antifreeze), lily flowers, plants and vitamin D.
What are high kidney levels in cats?
A creatinine number over 2.4 signals kidney trouble for a cat, yet actual kidney failure for a cat doesn’t start until that number reaches 5.0 or 5.5 mg/dl, Dr. Norsworthy said. Poor word choice can come into play when a veterinarian gets blood test results back with a creatinine value over 2.4 for a cat, he said.
How Long Can cats live with early kidney disease?
Cats that were diagnosed early (classed as stage two) lived up to 8.5 years from diagnosis (median of 3.15 years or 1151 days). Cats classified as stage three at diagnosis survived for an average of 1.86 years (679 days) but with some surviving up to 5.75 years.
What does elevated kidney enzymes mean in cats?
An increased level is called azotemia and can be caused by kidney, liver and heart disease as well as urethral obstruction, shock or dehydration.
How are kidney values used in veterinary medicine?
There is now a newer and more sensitive test on the market called SDMA that can reveal kidney disease a bit earlier than the BUN and creatinine. Vets use these blood values together with urinalysis to determine kidney function. One of our goals in veterinary medicine is to catch diseases early.
What does it mean when your cat’s kidneys are elevated?
Elevated Kidney Values. When your veterinarian runs blood work on your cat, she is looking at the levels of compounds released into the blood that are specific for certain organs. When an organ is not functioning properly, levels of these compounds will be elevated in the blood stream.
Can a cat have an elective surgery with elevated kidneys?
Your veterinarian can customize the anesthesia protocol for your cat based on his blood work results or may decide to postpone an elective procedure if the risk of anesthesia is too high for your cat. It is possible for your cat to have mildly elevated kidney values and still have normal functioning kidneys.
What are the risks of kidney disease in cats?
Kidney disease increases risks associated with anesthesia in cats. Some of the medications used during anesthesia need to be removed from the body by the kidneys, so a cat with poor kidney function may require a lower dose of the medication. Kidney disease also may increase blood pressure in cats, and can cause changes in their electrolytes.
There is now a newer and more sensitive test on the market called SDMA that can reveal kidney disease a bit earlier than the BUN and creatinine. Vets use these blood values together with urinalysis to determine kidney function. One of our goals in veterinary medicine is to catch diseases early.
When are kidney values are increased in cats?
When Kidney Values are Increased in Cats. When these values are increased we know there is something going on in the kidneys. Sometimes it is simply a matter of dehydration causing elevations in the BUN and creatinine. The BUN is more likely to increase in dehydration than is the creatinine, but both can and will rise.
What does it mean when a cat has chronic kidney disease?
Chronic means that CKD is an ongoing disease. This is good news, because it means that in many cases it can be managed. For this reason, some vets prefer to use the word “insufficiency” for early stage cases instead. Whatever expression your vet uses, try to focus on the chronic aspect of CKD.
What should I do if my cat has acute renal failure?
Nutritional support may be required in cats with persistent or uncontrollable vomiting. Your veterinarian will recommend an aggressive treatment plan to give your cat the best chance of recovering from ARF. What is the prognosis for a cat diagnosed with acute renal failure? “Acute renal failure is a serious and life-threatening condition.”