None — The kidneys in a cat are a pair of smaller sized versions of those in humans. The organs contain tiny filtering units (called nephrons). As blood passes through the kidneys, the nephrons pull out waste products, which are concentrated in urine and passed out of the body. The kidneys also regulate electrolytes and produce some of the hormones needed for a cat to stay healthy.
Kidney failure occurs when about 70 percent of the nephrons are damaged or destroyed, causing toxic waste products to build in the blood. The condition can also cause a drop in electrolytes and certain hormones, leading to other complications, like high blood pressure and anemia.
Kidney failure can be classified as acute or chronic. Acute kidney failure is a sudden loss of kidney function, typically from a urinary obstruction, trauma, poisoning or infection. If the animal is treated, some kidney function can usually be preserved.
Chronic kidney failure is a slowly progressive and generally irreversible loss of kidney function. The characteristic signs of chronic kidney failure are increased thirst and excessive urination. Some other signs are nausea, vomiting, drooling, stomach irritation, constipation, appetite loss, weight loss, bad breath and tiredness. According to the Feline CRF Information Center, it's one of the leading causes of illness and death among older cats.
Treating Chronic Kidney Disease in Cats
The current treatment for chronic kidney failure in cats is dietary modification (to reduce the amount of waste that must be processed by the kidneys), medications and encouraging the animal to drink lots of water. When these treatments are no longer effective, owners must weigh quality-of-life against euthanasia.
Many pet owners love their cats as if they were children and will go to great lengths to save them from disease or illness. For cats with chronic kidney failure, one possible option is a kidney transplant.
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The University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Medicine in Philadelphia is one of three veterinary centers in the country to offer kidney transplants for cats. A donor cat, usually from a shelter, is selected, then tested for compatibility. Unlike humans, cats are not as genetically diverse. So it isn't too difficult to find a match. Surgeon and Renal Transplant Program Founder, Lillian Aronson, V.M.D., says young, male donors are preferred because they tend to be healthy enough to live with one kidney and have larger blood vessels, making it a little easier to connect the blood vessels during the transplant. The donor cat gets a thorough screening to make sure he is healthy enough to withstand the transplant and doesn't have any underlying disease that can be passed on to the recipient.
Aronson says a kidney donation has little effect on the donor cat because the remaining kidney will increase its own function. The procedure is more risky for the recipient animal. Research shows cats who have received a kidney transplant are at higher risk for developing diabetes, congestive heart failure, infection, high blood pressure and certain types of cancer. There is a risk of organ rejection, so recipient cats will be required to take immunosuppressive medication for the rest of their lives.
The transplant procedure is a win-win for both the recipient cat and the donor. Aronson explains that owners of the recipient must be willing to adopt and care for the donor cat. Aronson cautions that it's a very expensive treatment. Surgery and veterinary hospital care run about $12,000 to $15,000. Beyond that, first-year follow up visits can cost several thousand dollars. There's also the annual cost of immunosuppressive drugs and other medications for the recipient cat. However, for cat lovers, kidney transplants may buy both extra time and improved quality of life for a beloved pet. Researchers estimate, in otherwise healthy cats, kidney transplants are about 80 to 90 percent successful and may add several years to a cat's life.
For information about feline kidney disease: American Animal Hospital Association