What Can Be Done For A Cat With Kidney Disease?
Having a cat be diagnosed with kidney disease can be terrifying, especially after you learn that the condition is incurable. While it's an unfortunate truth that most cats who develop kidney disease will die to it, it doesn't mean that they have to live short or miserable lives. With the right techniques and the help of a skilled veterinarian, you can extend your cat's life and help them to live their best life.
IV Fluids
Getting occasional IV fluids at the vet's office is one way to help your cat. The reasons for this are a combination of how your cat's kidneys work and what they're failing to do.
When fluid is added to the bloodstream, the kidneys utilize it to process the blood supply. This is why the kidneys produce urine, a combination of byproducts ejected from the blood and water.
Fluids help your cat by providing them with more water than they could possibly drink alone. When the kidneys aren't working the right way, they need more water in order to function, so this can help their condition to improve for the short-term.
Fluid Boluses
Fluid boluses are something similar to IV fluids that you can give to your cat at home. However, instead of being injected into a vein or artery, these fluids are given to a cat under the skin.
Fluid boluses are administered at the back of the neck, under a flap of skin. This creates a sort of water pouch for your cat's body to gradually absorb water from. While it takes more time to work than IV fluids, fluid boluses are an effective tool to get a similar effect as IV fluids without having to bring your cat into the vet's office.
Most pet owners can administer their own boluses to their cats. The vet can train you on how to do it so that you can easily do it at home without frightening your kitty or yourself.
Diet
Lastly, a change in diet can make a big difference for a cat with kidney disease. Changing the diet to a kidney-safe formula means eating food with less protein in it. While protein is needed by the body, when too much of it is eaten, it's broken down by the kidneys. If the kidneys aren't working well, this just means more work for them.
Reducing the amount of protein that your cat eats can help to keep the kidneys working at their best for as long as possible. Your vet will likely recommend the variety of food that's best for your cat.
For more information, visit an animal hospital in your area like Center-Sinai Animal Hospital.