Feline Renal Failure

Prevention Worth More Than the Pound of Cure

Feline renal problems are heartbreaking.

Except for some acute forms, that may even be reversible, there is no feline treatment that will cure feline renal failure.

Prevention is always better than trying to cure, but to date there is no definitive conclusion as to the cause of Chronic Renal Failure, (CRF) although poor nutrition, and especially a diet of  low-quality commercial foods fed to a cat over the years, is increasingly suspect. **

On the upside, depending on the disease progression and the form of feline renal disease – acute or chronic renal failure –   there is management potential and opportunity to enjoy the company of your feline companion for months to years more after diagnosis.  On the downside, too often, by the time symptoms are noticeable, the disease has progressed to a serious stage, time is short, and the inevitable conclusion of this feline renal illness comes far too swiftly.

As a rescue home, where diseased and desperate creatures come seeking refuge from human abuse and abandonment and  from the dangers and battles of the streets, this circumstance has played out more frequently than desired in the sanctuary here.  Many tears  have been shed in good-byes after some months of loving feline renal treatment for our beloved furry friends.

This dysfunction of the kidney can hide without symptoms within your beloved cat  for years. Often, symptoms appear suddenly, seemingly from nowhere.  In the chronic form of this renal disease, especially, by the time symptoms become noticeable, usually significant portions of the kidneys have deteriorated.  Before a cat shows any  tell-tale symptoms, an entire kidney PLUS one-third of the second one can be out of operation. This chronic renal failure is usually progressive and not reversible.

Feline renal failure is common in older cats and can also occur as a result of ingestion of a toxic substance by a cat, as well as events such as trauma, urethral obstruction or afflictions concerning the kidneys. Incurable feline diseases such as FeLv, FIP and FIV can also predispose a cat to feline renal failure.

Since a cat may deftly  hide the symptoms of renal failure until it has become advanced, knowing what to look for can help you detect signs of feline renal problems earlier and proceed with feline renal treatment that can help prolong your relationship.

These Signs and Symptoms of Feline Renal Disease are addressed in another post: “Symptoms of Feline Renal Failure“. 

** While the cause for Chronic Feline Renal Failure (CRF) is still not completely understood,  various prominent animal care experts attribute poor nutrition as a leading contributing factor for contraction of this disease.

Common practice is to feed our felines  a diet of dry, commercial  kibble foods.  Experts suspect that over time,  fed consistently, our cats are set up for certain kidney failure, since many commercial foods contain byproducts, low-quality protein  and are literally stuffed with carbohydrate fillers, along with preservatives that many consider toxic.  Some ingredients that are touted as ‘nutrients’  are  increasingly considered ill-suited for felines as well. Low quality protein canned foods are equally suspect.

Cats are carnivores, requiring  quality meat to thrive and survive — and more so than a canine. Subsisting on high-carb, dry foods is not a natural diet for them, nor is low quality protein, high additive soft food.  

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