what could cause kidney disease in a cat?

Question

my brothers cat found a bump in his skin and brought him to the vet. the vet said it was fat buildup and they would call him back when the blood tests were done. well they called and said our cat might have kidney disease. the cat is 8 years old going on 9 and has had an experience with fleas last year. what could have caused this? i have another cat who lives with this cat, the other cat is only 4 but should i get him checked out too?

Answer 1

Chronic renal failure occurs where there is long-standing, irreversible damage to the kidneys that impairs their ability to Alter and remove waste products from the blood. In most cases where chronic renal failure is diagnosed, the exact cause of the disease is unknown. Samples taken from the affected kidney (biopsies) often show considerable amounts of fibrous tissue replacing the normal kidney tissue, often with some inflammation (so called ‘chronic interstitial nephritis'). These changes are common to a number of diseases. There are, however, some well-recognised causes of chronic renal failure, and these include

• Polycystic kidney disease (an inherited condition seen mainly in Persian and Exotic cats where normal kidney tissue is gradually replaced by multiple fluid filled cysts that develop within the kidneys).



• Kidney tumours – for example lymphoma (a solid tumour of white blood cells) can affect the kidneys and cause renal failure.


• Infections – bacterial infection of the kidneys (‘pyelonephritis') may occur as an extension of bladder infections and can lead to sufficient damage of the kidneys to cause renal failure.

• Other causes - eg, damage to the kidneys by toxins, defects in the development of the kidneys at birth, persistent inflammation such as glomerulonephritis.

In most cases a specific cause cannot be found for renal failure, and treatment is aimed at management of the disease. Where an underlying cause can be diagnosed, and if this is treatable, there may be the potential to halt progression of the disease.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

Kidney disease can have many causes - a virus, a congenital predisposition, diet, trauma. Going on 9 is at least middle aged for a cat, unfortunately this disease is not that uncommon.

Your vet is the best person to tell you about possible causes for this, and of course treatment options. Kidney disease is not contagious, your other cat won't 'catch' it from him. Also the fleas will not have anything to do with it.

Have a good long discussion with your vet, they're the best to answer your questions and advise you.

Chalice

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Fleas are not the cause of kidney disease. At his age, I would really be concerned about the food he's been eating. Ask the vet to do a urinalysis and check for crystals; he may be suffering from poisoned food from the pet food recall. I would get the other cat checked, too. If it has signs of kidney disease, it's highly suspect of some sort of poison. Antifreeze damages kidneys also.

Answer 7

The answer from Mysticat is VERY good. I would also, in my opinion, stop feeding the cat a food with any grain in it. It's not good for the cat, can make them fat, cause disease, and lately, many foods have been contaminated with the melamine, which can cause kidney disease, renal failure and death. ME? I switched all three cats to EVO NO GRAIN. There are other similar brands and they are all a bit of money, but that cats are worth it. The other brands are very good too, but my friend suggested this particular one. Also, play with the kitties a lot, it helps to maintain proper weight and muscle tone for good health and fitness.

Answer 8

I don't know about fleas but some cats immune systems just aren't that strong. Kidney disease could have come from diet or getting into something that would poison him.
It's odd that you mention this because I just found a golf ball sized lump on my 5 year old cat- on his side. Taking kitty to Dr. is a good idea.

Answer 9

my cat that passed away last month died of kidney disease, but your cats are young compared to mine...she was 20+ ...kidney disease is something that they can live with as long as they are given the proper food and they need to drink plenty of water to keep them from getting dehydrated...also i would have the other one checked just to be safe

Answer 10

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