does my cat have kidney failure?

Question

In the last 2 days my cat has started to squat as if she is going to have a wee but only a couple of spots come out and sometimes a little blood. She is using her litter tray to wee in but is squatting loads. Someone my b/f works with says there cat done that and it turned out to be kidney failure. I am taking her to the vets tonight but i am now worried. Do you think it could be just a infection?

She is nearly 4 year old.

Answer 1

Hi there...perhaps your kitty just has an urinary tract infection (UTI)/bladder infection. Kidney failure symptoms usually is seen in senior kitties and will lose a bit of weight, drink a lot of water, urinate a lot (not a little), loss of appetite. Your vet will be able to test for infection and treat respectively with antibiotics if she tests positive for a UTI.

Here's an article about Feline UTI which talks about blood in urine as well: http://editorials.arrivenet.com/education/article.php/6088.html

Causes of UTI: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_feline_lower_urinary_tract_dis.html

Answer 2

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Answer 3

It is thought that cats with kidney failure are not necessarily in pain, but feel more like having a bad hangover. You can keep your cat relatively healthy for several more years if proper treatment is given. If you neglect treatment, his kidneys probably will shut down and the cat will go into seizures. If your vet is not very proactive or doesn't know a whole lot about the treatment of crf, go to another vet. Many cats with crf are dehydrated and need fluids. This is best done at home with sub-q administration. Many of these cats also need B vitamin supplements. Most vets will prescribe a low protein food, but recently, this approach is being questioned. Nearly all cats hate the low protein food and lose even more weight, which can cause more problems, so it is better that your cat eats what it likes, rather than not eating enough.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Make sure you keep her in a crate without a littlerbox or a towel for at least couple of hours before you take her in. We can't walk cats on a leash and get them to urinate in the yard in order to can get a specimen for urinalysis. We have to either collect it in a specially-setup litterbox when she decides to go, or get it from her bladder directly. If her bladder is empty when you take her in, she'll likely have to spend the night so they can get a sample. Hopefully, the receptionist went over this with you when you called to make the appointment (well-trained ones do.)

The symptoms you describe are very typical for FLUTD (formerly known as FUS....the name was changed quite a few years ago), but not kidney failure. Kidney failure causes excessive urination amounts and excessive thirst....she'd be flooding her litterbox, not just squatting a lot and producing only a few drops each time. Have you ever had a bladder infection? It causes a burning sensation that makes it FEEL like you have to go all the time, even though your bladder is empty. (Note to all the geniuses answering.....MALE cats often do block and die from FLUTD, but because of anatomical differences in the length and diameter of the urethra between the 2 genders, it is almost impossible for a female cat to block. I've only seen ONE in 27 years....and I see a lot of cats.)

More than likely, your kitty will just need a simple course of antibiotics to clear things up. They might also talk to you about changing her diet, IF that's determined to be a contributing factor. (Not all UTI's are caused by crystals, dietary composition, etc.) A simple blood test can indicate how her kidneys themselves are working. Good for you to recognize that something's wrong, and being a concerned-enough kitty mom to make that appointment. :-)


Mad Professor: There is no CURE for kidney failure (well, actually there is....a kidney transplant will cure it....but most people don't do that), but there IS a treatment for kidney failure. If caught early enough, following the proper treatment protocol can often add 2-5 good-quality years to a cat's life. Please take your cat in ASAP. If you were told there is no treatment available, you were told wrong. Please seek a second opinion.

Answer 6

Yes, probably just an infection. If she had kidney disease, she'd be vomitting and becoming very skinny and eventually not eating. Kidney disease also makes the cat drink water excessively, pee a lot, and her breath would smell badly.
I suppose it could be a kidney disorder, and am glad you are taking her to the vet. In early stages, your cat can be treated and will recover.
It sounds more like a urinary tract infection - cystitis or FUS (Feline Urological Syndrome). This can lead to kidney disease in the future if left untreated, especially in neutered males. Bladder stones have similar symptoms to FUS, but are more common in unspayed females ...
Try not to worry too much and taking her to the vet is the best thing you can do for now. Good Luck! I hope she is fine!

Answer 7

She could have crystals in her urine and needs vet help as soon as you can. If she is blocked from urinating for much more than 24 hours if can be fatal.

The vet can determine with blood work how the kidneys are funtioning. Older cats frequently die from kidney failure and I have a 22 yr old cat whose kidney number (BUN and creatinine) have been elevated for four years now. If there is an infection the vet will give some antibiotic to clear that. Cats can lose kidney function from hyperthyroidism, past infections and other reasons. He will probably give your cat some fluids to help the kidneys have a good flush and may give you a special food for her to correct the pH balance of her urine.

You don't mention her age so I can't speculate how things will go. If she has a diet of dry food only you should start her on some canned food which has more moisture to help her kidneys function better. Some people give fluids on a regular basis at home to their cats. I have never done that with my Cameo.

Answer 8

Sounds like what happened to my cat. She probably has a urinary tract infection. If that's the case then you deffinately need to take her to the vet. I let my cat go for a few days and he almost died! Male cats have a problem with crystals building up from the food they eat which prevents them from urinating! It can happen with females too...but not as likely! Most likely they can give her antibiotics and special food. But if it's really bad then she might need surgey (my cat did...cost about $300.) Now he has to eat a certain type of food for the rest of his life. Which I can only get from the vet. I would deffinately take her to get checked out! Especially if you can tell that she's not "going" like normal! Plus, be sure to change the litter as often as possible. A dirty litter box is horrible for cats and has alot of bacteria! This may not be the problem...but it can't hurt to get the cat checked out! Good luck!

Answer 9

Probably not kidney failure, more likely just a urinary tract infection. The symptoms of kidney failure would be worse; lack of appetite, not drinking, losing weight, not taking care of the hair coat things of that nature.

Answer 10

Kidney problems are fairly common in cats, especially older ones.

Drinking a lot can be another sign. Sadly there isn't really anything that can be done if it is kidney failure. Sorry.

One of my cats is 16, and I think he might be starting kidney problems too. He has been to the vet, but there is no treatment.