CRF in Cats

Signs & Treatment Tips

CRF refers to Chronic Renal Disease or Chronic Renal Failure (CRF). You can encounter this CRF mostly in aging cats. This disease results in slow reduction in the routine function of the kidneys in the cats. The kidney plays a vital role in the body as it makes the urine and squander the waste food, and controls the electrolytes such as the phosphorous and potassium.

The main problem of this disease is once the kidney fails to perform its job it becomes difficult to reverse it and eventually this affects the other vital organs of the body.

Signs of CRF

• Accretion of protein collapse products (includes urea, cretonnes)
• Increase in blood bitterness
• Abnormalities in the electrolyte
• Increase in the blood pressure
• Non-specific signs
• Loss in weight and constipation
• Sickness and poor appetite
• Depression and vomiting
• Increase in the thirst
• Identification of 'sugar diabetes'
• Changes in vision and hearing

Treatment Tips

Managing cats with CRF includes a wide range of treatments:

Diet for cats with kidney problems: Phosphate level has been restricted as it limits the protein breakdown in the body of cats. Diets having large amount of potassium and vitamin B is weak for them to loose through urine and increased amount of the calories helps the diseased cats, as it helps to continue with its normal weight.

Home made foods and veterinary recipes: Veterinary recipes and homemade foods are also available for the cats having CRF because cats with CRF have a poor digestive system. You can solve this problem by giving good protein diets. Appetite stimulants do play a vital role as it stimulates sufficient appetite.

Dehydration treatment: Wet diets are preferable for the cats with CRF as it reduces the risk of high blood pressure. Nevertheless, cats with CRF usually prefer waterless kidney diets and therefore, it becomes difficult to encourage wet diets. UK people do not usually follow this treatment, but it is successfully practiced in USA, as they are discovering it as a simple technique.

Electrolyte imbalance: Electrolytes are required for normal functions carried out in the cells. Cats with CRF usually loose potassium through urine that ultimately reduces the potassium level in the blood. It is recommended to feed renal diets to cats, as these diets contain a good amount of potassium in it.

Other treatments:

Erythropoietin: Decrease in erythropoietin causes Anemia in cats. The treatment for this is quite expensive and does not have the lasting effect. The treatment has to be properly monitored otherwise it can result in some other side effects.

Supplementation of iron: Cats with CRF usually have iron deficiency so in this case, iron supplementation becomes useful. Iron supplementation plays a vital role in producing the hemoglobin, which carries oxygen molecule.

Anti-sickness pills: Anti-sickness pills include anti-vomiting drugs. These drugs make the cats to feel much better.

Therapy of vitamin D: Vitamin D therapy is beneficial for maintaining normal level of phosphate in the bloods. However, you can apply this treatment only in selective CRF patients.

Antibiotics: Antibiotics play a vital role for the cats with CRF. Cats with CRF are more prone to urinary infections but sometimes it does not even show any symptoms. The course of an antibiotic does successfully eliminate the urinary infections.