Chronic Renal Failure
What is chronic renal failure?
Chronic renal failure is a progressive, irreversible deterioration of kidney function. More common in middle aged to older cats, it can be caused by a number of factors including polycystic kidney disease, cancer, infections and toxic poisoning.
Symptoms
Symptoms include excessive urination, increased thirst, vomiting, drooling, dehydration, weight loss, halitosis, depression, mouth ulcers and stomach irritation. Cats do not always develop all the symptoms.
Treatment
If the cause of chronic renal failure is diagnosed as a bacterial infection, treatment may be possible. In most cases, treatment is management of the disease. Diet management is very important in cats suffering from chronic renal failure. It's advisable to keep cats hydrated, feed moist foods and have plenty of water available to encourage drinking. Feeding a low protein and phosphate diet will reduce toxins in the bloodstream and ease the kidneys' workload.
