8 Signs Your Cat Has Kidney Disease

[@johnyankanich]

1. Excessive urination 2. Excessive thirst 3. Picky eating 4. Weight loss 5. Muscle loss 6. Loss of energy 7. Vomiting 8. Severe dehydration and shock

[@georgeanngash9896]

Thanks

[@rosek.9797]

Thank you

[@stacieharris]

Thank-mew! It is agonizing to have to slowly wait for all the signs over a 7 minute time frame. You have brought great relief to many ❤🐈

[@SummaGirl1347]

I lost the sweetest kitty in the world to Thyroid/Kidney disease two years ago. Of course, looking back, I should have realized she was ill a lot sooner. I recently rescued an 8-week-old kitten and am determined not to make the same mistakes with her that I made with my angel, Mary. The guilt and grief is just terrible once you know. Thank you for your dedication to educating us on what we need to know to give our kitties longer, healthier lives.

[@KellyC12070]

My cat was given less than 30 days(end stage renal failure) in 2022. He ended up living 11 months with daily Subcutaneous Fluids and Wet Food(Fancy Feast and Royal Canin). The last week of his life, he went downhill very fast. The only thing he enjoyed eating the last few days were those Delectables treats 😢. I miss him everyday.

[@lisad8388]

I kept taking my cat to the vet, who told me my cat had IBS, then lymphoma. Kidney disease was never mentioned. I told her all the symptoms, which were all listed above. She got worse and worse to the point I had to say goodbye. The day I was to take her for her final vet visit, she peed on my bed which was covered in a white sheet...her urine was brown. To this day I know it was kidney disease. Get a vet who cares. I wish I would have.

[@bluewave7120]

I feel for you..Yes vets just like human physicians make many mistakes! To make up for this demand, a complete CBC blood test which will show kidney function levels for a correct diagnosis Prayers for your loss I have gone through the same thing 🙏

[@hollyw9566]

My condolences on the loss of your kitty. It's problematic to find vets who really care about cats. Most concentrate on dogs, as dogs are, frankly, bigger money-makers. More people have purebred dogs than cat owners have purebreds, and they've already made a substantial investment in the dog so they'll a) have the money, & b) be willing to spend it. Not saying most vets are just after the money, but they gotta eat too, and pay off student loans, as it were. We have been really lucky recently in going to a clinic that has several vets, and there are a couple there who are REALLY good with cats. This has been a great benefit to us because one of the non-caring vets found out our cat had virtually NO white cells, likely has cancer, and said, take her home and enjoy her, bye. (After charging us a fortune for the lab work.) We took her in again and got lucky that time. Her current doc has her on a regime of Gabapentin, and steroid and antibiotic shots as needed. We're not rich people, and are running up debt doing this, but this doc has helped us by making most of the visits vet tech visits, so we only pay for the shots. (Bad enough, but the test that caught the white cell issue was insanely expensive.) Now our issue is trying to decide at what point her quality of life makes it us just keeping her alive because we'll miss her desperately. It's hard. It's hard to find vets who are good with cats, but if you live in or near a larger city you'll likely have better luck. I fear most rural communities still have a tendency to see cats as barn cats or alley cats and even the pets are indoor/outdoor and have short life spans. It's worthwhile to look and ask around. I'd like to see more vets specialize in cats but I know it's unlikely to happen anytime soon. Our vet clinic does have a groomer who does both cats and dogs, and we have one groomer in the hood who only does cats, which is MILES ahead of most places I've lived. Next door to impossible to find cat groomers in many places.

[@jerzcnate]

Dr. Wooten, our cat Miss Becca who we adopted at 3 years of age. Miss Becca, had kidney disease when we adopted her the shelter knew if this but didn't disclose this to us. That being said Miss Becca lived with us for 10 years giving her meds special food. Sadly in 23 we and Doc didn't want her to suffer anymore we had to do the unthinkable. I am truly Blessed to gave Miss Becca a great life outside of that shelter. I spoiled Miss Becca as I would carry her like a baby. What an amazing and wonderful cat was Miss Becca truly missed.

[@stefcat5331]

I've had two older cats die from this crap. It's awful. Here's to Mamu and Max! I miss you both very much.

[@LSorr3]

me too

[@rosemarieburns7572]

Me too. 😢😢😢

[@AngelaZsiga]

Same here.😿😿

[@francaromano4821]

Me too. I didn't know he was sick until he was at stage 4! I miss my Charlie.

[@aprilzek]

It would be really helpful if you did a video/s on feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome and/or hypo- and hyperthyroidism. Thanks for the great content consistently!

[@psuzanne2794]

Yes, please❤. I have cats that are siblings. Sammy was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, Minnie’s bloodwork was not as bad as his, but they both drink a huge amount of water, & a Lot of urinating 😢

[@mdevorah6833]

My 15 yr old cat was not eating well. We knew she had severe kidney disease. So I would carry her bowl to wherever she was. Even if it was only nibbling. I put it on my bed, couch. Wherever she was. At night I kept a bowl next to my bed. If she woke and seemed hungry I would giver her the bowl then in my bed. Sadly, she has passed and crossed the rainbow Bridge. I have another cat with kidney disease and one thats the youngest with crystal issues . I can just about afford the special foods and the extra cat liter.

[@efuass]

Also, drinking a lot is a sign of diabetes as well as I had this issue from feeding my cat dry food for 7 yrs. To avoid this always feed cats wet food. They should never have carbs which dry food has a ton of these. Plus wet food is beneficial to hydration.

[@TinyStar-oz3bo]

Price if wet food is skyrocketing making it impossible for many to feed wet food except as a treat.

[@trishathomas7588]

My cat eventually experienced all but the last sign. She was diagnosed at Stage 2 because of weight loss that was noticed by her vet. In our experience the signs were much more subtle. I noticed she enjoyed drinking water, but she never drained a water bowl dry as Dr. Wooten is suggesting. Excessive urination was maybe an extra clump in the litter box. A better plan is to take your cat to the vet annually. The vet will do blood work to catch kidney disease before you have signs like these.

[@hollyw9566]

Pricey for most people to have labs every year. My yearly visits usually consist of jabs and weigh-ins. But yes, if you can afford an extra $100+ it's a really good idea.

[@thatwolfyouknow8598]

Found out my cat has a large, misshapen kidney with stones. She's just over one year old and I panicked when her energy took a dive and she stopped eating. In 24 hours she went through basically this whole list except the excessive drinking. Luckily the vet got her rehydrated and we have her on food to control stones. It's still early days, but 🤞🏻

[@hollyw9566]

The best of luck to you and your precious kitty. Best to!

[@sun200199]

Having a diabetic cat some of these signs can be the same such as excessive thirst and urination. Like she said see your vet right away.

[@cinnysangel]

My Fluffy never showed signs like any of these and I wonder what could have happened to him. We are talking 24 years ago here with him. He was fine and in good weight wasn’t showing signs with food or drinking. The only thing I noticed that said he had a problem which I thought was maybe a bad tooth or abscess, was his breath stank. We realized quickly it wasn’t his breath it was his whole body. I called the vet and he went in and she told me he is in kidney failure and there was nothing we could do for him other than let him go. I didn’t delay his care he rapidly declined. But only with the smell. She did tell me it was good we took him in right away because he was about to crash. It’s alway made me wonder what happened to him to make his kidneys just quit. I expected a cat his size to really look sick, stop eating, get skinny and show these signs before it was so bad he had to be put down. I’ll note he was an indoor cat well loved well taken care of. I wondered if he got poisoned somehow and searched for any source that but didn’t find any. We had three other cats at the time and none of them had any issues. I’m hyper aware of how fragile they can be after we lost Fluffy my Moochie as we called him.

[@mariansue709]

I’m worried about my 4year old cat who is very stinky breath. He eats table food but now I switch to royal canin indoor.

[@hollyw9566]

@@mariansue709 It's likely to be dental. Have the vet check his teeth. As in humans, rotten teeth can be a killer.

[@hollyw9566]

Several years ago, I was living with friends, with my cats, and one of them had mopped and just left a bucket with Pinesol in it out. Curious, my precious Hugo leaned on it to see what was in it and tipped it over. I found him wet and licking himself. It took him only one weekend to get desperately ill, and he had to be put down. I don't think he could have been saved, but if I had it to do over again I'd sure try. The thing is, I think he may have had some issues before that, because he smelled like a ferret. Not that intense but almost. I still miss that cat so much and wish I'd had more money at that time so that I could have gotten him to the vet much earlier. I use dish soap and water to mop my floors. It's safer. For everyone, and works just as well as Lysol or Pinesol.

[@mariansue709]

@@hollyw9566 I agree, it might be the cleaning products that we used in the house that can be very toxic to our pets. But no matter how I take care of my cat, some member in the house are not aware of those things. It’s very hard. I wish i can supervise my cat everyday but I’m always away due to work. My poor baby.

[@purerachet7715]

Most people do not know this, but for humans and animals the kidneys are directly affected by the mouth. So absolutely bad teeth will impact kidney health and can cause failure. I am so sorry for your loss. And I am aware teeth cleaning is pricey and not always an option in older cats. My cat is 17 and thank goodness I got his teeth cleaned in 2016 and he doesn't need it now. He has stage 4 kidney disease and we are managing it well. If you choose to get another cat, my recommendation is putting them on a raw food diet (Primal Nuggets) and they will live forever-ish.

[@carlagraca6022]

My senior 13 year old cat has stabilized, if I may say so, kidney disease. It was found when he was 8 years old because I decided that since he was now a senior he should go for a check-up. They found one of the kidney's had some parameters a bit off and he immediately started with early renal food. Since then, every 3 months he goes for a check-up and fortunately the disease has not gained ground. If you're reading this and you're cat is now a senior, if you haven't already done so, please start doing some 6 month to yearly check-ups on your furry friend and don't wait for signs to appear. Much like with people, caughting diseases early before they manifest, can be life changing.

[@marciamartins1992]

My biggest mistake was assuming her symptoms were signs of age she was almost 14. The end was terrible for both of us. I miss my baby so much.

[@francaromano4821]

@@marciamartins1992 Me too. All of Charlie's symptoms were subtle! and he was 16! I had no idea he was sick 4. His daily routine was impeccable. One weekend he ate very little and then barely anything! I took him to the vet on the Monday and received the results on Tuesday - stage 4 chronic kidney disease.

[@francaromano4821]

@@marciamartins1992 sorry for your loss.

[@evamussio7533]

One of my ginger and white brothers has stage 2 kidney disease 😢... now we are going to our vets once a month also to give Aslan a special injection for arthritis (solensia) and we'll check blood pressure and other values every few months 😊❤

[@lisadieter-burns]

Very important information. Sadly, kidney disease affects a majority of kitties in their senior years. Catch it early to help sustain a longer life. Thank you Dr Wooten. 🐱

[@hollyw9566]

Certain breeds are particularly vulnerable, Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest Cats among them. (My favorite breeds, although all my cats are rescue mutts. 😺)

[@AngelaZsiga]

Oh no. I have a 5year old Maine coon.

[@EllieGomez-o6o]

I lost my dog to ESRD in 2021 and now I have kittens and it terrifies me that someday I’ll be going through that again. My dog was diagnosed and began treatment 5 months before she died, but between senior arthritis, hip dysplasia, and eventually all these signs I could tell it was too painful for her. I’m glad cats with kidney disease tend to live longer fuller lives (at least 3 people have told me their cat lived to be 18, with 3-5y after diagnosis) but it’s still worrying to think my little girls may one day feel so ill, struggle to eat, and waste away like that. Things I wish I’d done differently and do now: monitoring potty habits, fresh running water, WET food! My dog ate the same kibble every day until she had to go on a prescription diet. Both the disease and the inexperience with wet/variety food gradually made her so picky she would barely eat. After trying so many Rx kibbles, cans, boiled chicken and rice, green beans, anything, she needed constant SQ fluids and lost so much muscle she could barely stand. After some hiccups with kitten constipation, I gradually got my twin cats off their kibble addiction and on a meal routine of rotating flavors and textures. One’s still difficult about finishing her food during mealtime, and they don’t drink water in front of me anymore, but overall I feel reassured I’m giving them the best care.

[@Dogsnark]

Thank you for this heads-up about kidney disease. My 17 y.o. male cat has become quite fussy about his food, though, eventually, he still consumes most of it. He is drinking more than he used to, but not hugely. I don’t think he’s lost weight, but I think he’s been peeing more lately. I’m contacting my veterinarian Monday for an appointment, just in case.

[@jeanmorell1947]

Have to wait for their Banfield appointment they just had that. Regular vet charges to much. They are doing well 15 years old had dental work 😢not worried

[@jamiefrst53]

This is very good information to be on the lookout for. It helps when this is caught early than later.

[@stephenshelton4267]

I think kidneys are the weak link in the body of a cat. In the wild I'd suspect a cat would only live about 5-7 years even in a world without cars and then there's really nothing that can be done other than injecting saline under the cat's skin. I had to do that with 2 different cats, and they hated it and it was really hard to do.

[@fathvma7745]

Thank you for this info

[@dexterfurman9118]

Thank you for this great information.

[@TheChefmike66]

I'm 58 years old. Ever since I can remember, I have had quite a few cats in my family, around me. Most of my precious cats died from one of two things: car strikes , including trains because we live next to the train track, and kidney failure That's why I started making their food myself, as per dr. Lisa pierson"s recipe. Check it out. Cheaper than buying wet food, and cats shouldn't be eating carbohydrates. They need ZERO carbs in their diet, they're obligate carnivores. jmho

[@SeanBZA]

My sister had a cat that had kidney disease, not helped either by him also being a bleeder. A while after he died I got a kitten via the CDS that looks a lot like him as well, though my one is still healthy, and also a one person cat as well.

[@bluewave7120]

What also needs to be mentioned is that when kidney function is low it affects a cats sense of smell And since they smell food and water before consuming Cats can be very picky about water as well and quite often a cat with a kidney issue will only want to drink from odd sources such as a kitchen faucet Or only if you add ice cubes to their bowl of water

[@AngelaZsiga]

This is so very true. Most veterinarians don't mention this. My cat suddenly went off of drinking from the water fountain and only wants to drink from the faucet since he's been diagnosed with kidney disease.

[@bluewave7120]

@AngelaZsiga After talking to 4 different vets at the hospital recently about my cat Not one of them seemed to be aware of this phenomenon

[@lisamontalvo1930]

I have been through this 2 times with Siamese cats. My 1st one lasted 15 years. My last one was 9.5 years. He went too fast.

[@rosemarieburns7572]

Going through this now with my 17 year old sweetheart. 😢😢😢

[@fluffykitten992]

My cat has kidney disease which the vet said was probably caused by gingivitis and food with too much protein as older cats don’t need as much changed her food and we got her teeth cleaned and on a powered medication so much better now 😊

[@mariansue709]

Hi glad your cat is doing well now. May I know the diet of your cat? I have my 4y/o cat and I suspected that he has gingivitis also. Maybe If i had a extra budget I will get his teeth cleaned and change his diet also but I don’t have idea of what kind of food I will be going to give. Now he is eating mixed of royal canin indoor and table food like boiled chicken and fish, sometimes pork and beef as well.

[@dourqueemotive4441]

My cat did not show any signs except for the vomiting which was mainly hairballs. Then some noticable water drinking. She went downhill being mostly asymptomatic. She was lively until the day she just completely stopped being herself which was almost overnight. 😢

[@initiate22000]

what is the treatment for kidney disease?

[@kimmorton-diehl3179]

As an X Veterinary ER, Reg, Exotic, Cert. Dental Technician and lifelong rescuer, personal losses 📉, I agree with every word you say. I just lost a 22 yr. Old Soulmate , now have another one for years, my dog, too. Senior Hospice Special needs. They also will have Grand Mall Seizures !!! That's ER TRIP ASAP. So heartbreaking 💔.

[@kimmorton-diehl3179]

Sorry, several dogs also.

[@theresecampbell6380]

Thank you

[@adorableadornments1101]

I think the main reason cats get kidney disease is because they need to be eating a true carnivore diet. Kibble is killing our cats, the carbs in them are just not natural for cats. The problem is that cats get addicted to carbs and it is almost impossible to switch them to a carnivore diet.

[@marciamartins1992]

I feed mine fancy feast and a little bit of ground beef fat renderd no salt. I read something abouit it having phosphates and that's bad for kidneys....who knows. I had to put her down after trying to save her for 3 months. It was a terrible experience for both of us.

[@janistp]

I had totally weaned my kitty to only meat for three months and I had a period where she wouldn’t eat and I was desperate so I gave her some of the leftover dry food that I had and she ate that like crazy and now she’s back addicted to it and I can’t get her to switch to meat. I hate it the way they pet food companies put the addictive powder on the food to get them hooked and I really wish Vet would be more forthcoming. About the true cause of diabetes and kidney disease and it’s dry food. Of course they are not taught that because their schooling is done by thepet food company and big Pharma. sad situation.

[@madelainebellini7447]

Kibble is not the best but the true carnivore diet is just a marketing crap. Actually a lot of kidney issues can stem from too much protein

[@lexseec6124]

so what to do when you can't have any tests run on your cat because they won't allow ANYONE to do ANYTHING to them that they don't want to have done? They tell me Gabapentin before the visit, but I can't even get her to take that....I can't even clip her nails let alone have someone get blood .....???

[@seedymcfly5013]

Purina One kibble OR Kirkland dry food? Which is better? In addition to wet food.

[@davidmeraz5263]

Also my cat had bad breath and dullness of his fur....

[@juliannearlene7244]

I have 2 geriatric 19 year old cats who see the vet 2 times per year and have bloodwork done each time. They have early stage chronic kidney disease, take the phosphorous binder Epakitin and are fed no grain, no organ meat food. One is skinny the other is not. I feel like i am doing all i can for them. Reality is - no cat is going to live a whole lot longer unfortunately.

[@debbiemolnar5250]

This is very timely, my cat was just diagnostic with kidney problems. Does anyone have any helpful hints in managing a cat with kidney issues? He is eating the prescription diet but what else can I do for him?

[@KellyC12070]

I went thru this with my previous cat. I was told(by the vet) that Fancy Feast wasn’t too bad for an OTC cat food(compared to others). Also, if you need meds or medical supplies, Chewy is awesome and prices are much better than the vet. (the vet charges $33+/one bag of SubQ fluid versus Chewy-$10. That’s just one example. My advice is ditch the dry food(as much as possible) and wet food/add water to it for increased hydration. Good Luck!!

[@paulsander5433]

@@KellyC12070 All of the vets I know, and research on the Internet, concur that Fancy Feast is perhaps the best of the low quality foods. The vets call it "Kitty Crack" and don't recommend it at all. Purina Pro Plan and Hill's Science Diet seem to be much better. I'm currently on my third (indoor only) cat who has kidney disease. The first two were detected too late to do much, and I eventually took them to be euthanized when they were clearly suffering and refusing food. The oldest one is currently in stage 2 and also has an unhealthy ileum. He has been getting a prescription diet plus medication and subcutaneous fluids for a few years. One of the medications is gabapentin which sedates the cat and seems to mask lethargy. The diet is Royal Canin Multi-Purpose hydrolyzed protein with renal support, 2/3 cup daily. I quarantine him from my other cats during the day because this diet is not good for healthy, younger cats. The symptom that alerted me to possible kidney disease in all three cats was a desire to drink directly from the tap, even when their bowls were recently filled with fresh water. It's as if no water is fresh enough to satisfy them. I've also noticed that my cats get cold and clingy as the disease progresses. I used to feed my cats dry food exclusively, but changed that after I learned about kidney disease. My two younger, healthier cats get a 6 oz can of either Purina Pro Plan or Hill's Science Diet, with neither boasting vegetables on its label, plus a half cup of Hill's Science Diet Oral Care, daily. The latter is a dry food, and they like it, but they don't eat it exclusively. I don't free feed them per se, but there are always leftovers at the end of the day. The vets express appreciation for this combination. I end the quarantine at night so that they can all socialize. I take up the non-prescription food and sweep up the crumbs (which are bad for the older cat), and let them share the leftover prescription food. The older cat still snacks at night, and the amount consumed by the younger cats is small compared to the rest of their diet.

[@deebee4817]

Could you please make a video or share information on food for cats who have kidney disease or are on the boarderline to having kidney disease? Is a high protien diet suddenly bad for them? I get confused because high protien wet food is suppose to be healthier than a lot of carb filled food but does that really need to change with this disease? Thank you.

[@mercyrahma9501]

What about a cat born With only one kidney ? My cat has this

[@BubblesTheCat1]

Also, be very careful of the 'budget' brands of supermarket cat food. It gave my kitty Tidbits kidney failure, and the vet treatment over a course of three years cost me ten times as much as a good quality cat food would have. I now feed my 'new' (7 year old) kitty only Feline Cuisine brand cat food. Her name is Bubbles 💕🐈‍⬛, and she has her own tiny little KZbin channel. I ❤ her very much😿

[@glampergirl4495]

It’s from all the crappy food being sold today.

[@madelainebellini7447]

Is it possible for a kitten to have it? My 8 month old is drinking a ton, he pee a big amount and his back seems to be arched. But I do not think he lost any weight

[@myri4888]

Hey so this is not about the video but I need advice my baby got a tail pull injury at the base of her tail and the vet suggested that she should be put down but I want to be hopeful that maybe once the swelling goes downshe will be able to pee on her own but the vet said that it was not likely I just don't want to give up on my baby

[@Bilqispets]

👍👍

[@janistp]

I noticed that it’s kind of a scare video, but no treatment mentioned except take them to the vet and I don’t trust the vets anymore. I don’t have the money to put them on any medicine or any prescription food. The vet would sell me.

[@notAsoccerMom]

But how to prevent it?

[@leepfrog7405]

So you give lots of signs but nothing that could contribute to the disease? These videos have become essentially fluff, no real subatance. 👎 You made an almost identical video last year, this one could have been one that gave more info, instead you're just recycling.

[@UnknownTomorrow]

What is the best food to feed the cat when they start developing kidney disease to help keep it from getting worse? What food best prevents it?

[@fluffykitten992]

Good quality food like raw brand cat food 3 ingredient only food , tiki cat brand good also ,

[@glasslinger]

On your face use SPF 100 sun protection. The damage will not show up until you are older.

[@BadreddinKhl-x5x]

أخي الذكي 02

[@sharonh988]

Thank You