What is chronic kidney disease?
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Quick answer
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a slow, lasting loss of kidney function, common in older cats and also seen in older dogs. Early on there are often no signs; later a pet drinks and urinates more, eats less and loses weight. It cannot be cured, but a kidney diet, water and regular checks can slow it.
Also called CKD, kidney failure, chronic renal failure, renal disease, kidney disease in cats, kidney disease in dogs.
Key facts
- CKD affects up to 40% of cats over 10 and 80% of cats over 15, according to Cornell. Cornell Feline Health Center
- From age 5 to 6, kidney disease becomes more common in dogs, affecting up to 10% of elderly dogs. Merck Veterinary Manual
- Creatinine usually rises only after about 75% of kidney function is lost; SDMA rises at about 40%. Cornell Feline Health Center
- Cats with CKD eating a prescription kidney diet lived 2 to 3 times longer in some studies. Cornell Feline Health Center
- Dogs with kidney disease should see the vet every 3 to 6 months, or more often if there are problems. Merck Veterinary Manual
What are the signs of kidney disease in a cat or dog?
Early CKD often shows nothing, which is why senior blood and urine tests matter.
- Drinking more water and urinating more: usually the earliest signs. Merck Veterinary Manual
- Loss of appetite, and over time weight loss. Cornell Feline Health Center
- Lethargy and low energy. Cornell Feline Health Center
- Pale gums from anaemia. Cornell Feline Health Center
- Sudden vision changes, which can come from high blood pressure linked to CKD. Cornell Feline Health Center
How is chronic kidney disease diagnosed and staged?
No single test gives the whole picture. Vets combine blood tests (creatinine, urea and SDMA), a urine test for concentration and protein, a blood pressure reading and often an ultrasound. Results are best confirmed on repeat samples from a pet that is well hydrated and stable, because dehydration can make kidney values look worse than they are.
Vets then grade the disease using the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) system, which places a cat or dog in one of four stages and adds substages for protein in the urine and blood pressure. The Merck Veterinary Manual describes the same four stages in dogs. Cornell reports that cats diagnosed at stage 2 often live two to three years on average, and those diagnosed at stage 4 under six months.
How is CKD managed?
CKD is progressive and has no cure, so the goal is to slow it and keep the pet comfortable. A therapeutic kidney diet, lower in phosphorus, sodium and protein, is usually the first step; switch slowly, because a cat that refuses its new food is worse off than one eating its old diet. Water matters just as much: wet food, several water bowls and fountains help, and some pets need fluids under the skin, given at home as the vet shows you.
Your vet may treat high blood pressure, protein loss and anaemia, and will set how often to recheck blood and urine. Never give a pet with CKD a painkiller or supplement without asking the vet.
Why does CKD matter during an Indian summer or a stay away?
Cornell calls good hydration essential for cats with CKD, and a pet that drinks and urinates more depends on water always being there. Heat, a power cut that turns off the fan, a missed water bowl refill or a few days of eating less while the owner is away can tip it into dehydration. Fresh water in several places, the kidney diet exactly as prescribed and a written medicine plan for whoever cares for the pet keep things steady.
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Questions owners ask
How long can a cat live with chronic kidney disease?
- It depends on the stage at diagnosis and how fast the disease moves. Cornell reports that cats diagnosed at IRIS stage 2 often live two to three years on average, while cats diagnosed at stage 4 average under six months. Regular monitoring shows how quickly an individual cat's disease is progressing.
What are the first signs of kidney disease in dogs?
- The Merck Veterinary Manual says the earliest signs are usually drinking and urinating much more than normal. Many dogs show nothing until the disease is advanced, and blood tests can sometimes find it earlier. Kidney disease becomes more common from about 5 to 6 years of age.
Can kidney damage in pets be reversed?
- Chronic damage cannot be undone. Vets can only slow further damage once it has started, with a kidney diet, good hydration and treatment of related problems such as high blood pressure. Finding it early, through senior blood and urine tests, gives the most time.
Is SDMA better than creatinine for kidney disease?
- SDMA picks up kidney disease earlier. Cornell notes creatinine usually rises only after about 75% of kidney function is lost, while SDMA rises at about 40%. Creatinine is also affected by muscle mass and dehydration. Vets usually look at both, with a urine test.
Keep reading
Related terms
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- Cat fluCat flu is the everyday name for an upper respiratory infection in cats. More than 90% of cases are caused by feline herpesvirus, feline calicivirus or both. Cats sneeze, have runny eyes and nose and may stop eating. Most recovered cats remain carriers, and stress can bring the virus back. Vaccination usually prevents severe disease.
- Cherry eyeCherry eye is when the tear gland inside a dog's third eyelid slips out of place and shows as a smooth, red, cherry-like lump in the inner corner of the eye. It is common in young Bulldogs, Beagles, Shih Tzus and Pugs, and needs a vet, usually for surgery to put the gland back.
- DehydrationDehydration means a pet's body has lost more water than it has taken in, through heat, panting, vomiting, diarrhoea or illness. Early on the gums turn sticky; then the skin loses its spring and the eyes sink. A mildly dehydrated pet needs water and a watchful eye; a weak, vomiting or collapsing one needs a vet now.
- Dental diseaseDental disease in pets is mostly periodontal disease: plaque bacteria inflame the gums (gingivitis) and then destroy the tissue and bone holding the teeth (periodontitis). It is the most common disorder vets diagnose in dogs, and very common in cats. Bad breath, tartar and red gums are the early signs. Daily brushing prevents most of it.
- Diabetes in petsDiabetes mellitus is a lifelong condition in which a dog or cat cannot make or use enough insulin, so sugar builds up in the blood. Signs are drinking and peeing more, hunger and weight loss. Most diabetic pets live well on insulin injections given at set times with meals, and some cats go into remission.
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Sources
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