Feline kidney disease - What you need to know
The signs of feline kidney disease won't always be obvious - with COSIPETS, you can rest easy knowing you're doing everything you can to protect your four-legged friend.
Understanding feline kidney disease
What is cat kidney disease?
Your cat's kidneys help keep her healthy by managing blood pressure, stimulating red blood cell production, removing waste products from the blood and producing important hormones. Kidney disease impairs these important functions and can have a negative impact on your cat's well-being. Kidney disease in cats manifests itself in two distinct ways:
How to spot kidney disease in cats 
Kidney failure, particularly CDK, which develops slowly over time, is not always immediately detectable. But paying attention to warning signs can help you assess your cat's health along the way.
Some warning signs include:
- Frequent urination or urinating where you shouldn't
- Dehydration and/or excessive water consumption
- weight loss
- Vomiting, diarrhea or bloody urine
- Cloudy urine
- Bad breath, mouth ulcers or unhealthy brown tongue
- Weakness or lethargy
What causes kidney disease in cats?
Acute and chronic versions of kidney disease have radically different causes, but both are the end result of damage and dysfunction of the nephrons, the tiny tubes that make up the kidney's filtering system.
In acute renal failure, damage to the nephron occurs very rapidly as a result of ingestion of a poison or chemical, heart failure, bacterial infection, etc. The remaining healthy nephrons are unable to compensate for the sudden loss of function, precipitating total renal failure. The remaining healthy nephrons are unable to compensate for the sudden loss of function, precipitating total renal failure. On the other hand,
in the case of chronic renal failure, damage accumulates slowly, until too many nephrons stop working and the kidneys lose their function altogether. This is often the result of slowly developing conditions, such as an autoimmune disease in which a cat's body attacks its own healthy organs, or kidney cysts that slowly develop to destroy tissue.
How can kidney disease be prevented in cats?
There are ways to slow down or mitigate the potential onset of this disease and keep your cat as healthy as possible throughout its nine lives:
Good nutrition
Give your cat healthy, balanced, moisture-rich meals.
Hydration
Provide your cat with a constant flow of fresh drinking water.
Healthy lifestyle
Help your cat maintain a healthy weight to avoid obesity and diabetes, which can be linked to kidney failure.
Standard check-ups
Take your cat to the vet twice a year.
Stay vigilant
Frequently asked questions
How long can a cat live with kidney disease?
How quickly can kidney disease progress in cats?
How do I care for a cat with kidney disease?
What can I feed my cat with kidney disease?
Is kidney disease curable in cats?
Which cats are prone to kidney disease?
Discover the signs of kidney disease earlier with COSIPETS
When it comes to kidney disease in cats, early detection is paramount. That's why we created COSIPETS in the first place. Our intelligent, color-changing technology alerts you to potential health problems, including the early symptoms of kidney failure.
Your fur baby deserves every advantage in the world - it starts with COSIPETS.
