One of the most amazing characteristics of felines is their great flexibility and agility, hence the popular saying that gives these pets 7 lives, although nothing could be further from the truth, the cat is a animal highly susceptible to numerous diseases and many of them, such as polycystic kidney disease, can also be seen in humans.
This disease can be asymptomatic until it has advanced enough to pose a significant risk to the life of the animal, so it is of great importance that owners know more about this pathological situation, to so that it can be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.
In this AnimalWised article we talk about the symptoms and treatment of polycystic kidney in cats.
What is polycystic kidney?
Polycystic kidney disease or polycystic kidney is a hereditary disease very common in Persian and exotic shorthair cats.
The main characteristic of this disorder is that the kidney produces fluid-filled cysts, these are present from birth, but as As the kitten grows, the cysts also increase in size, and can even damage the kidney to the point of causing kidney failure.
When the cat is small and the cysts are very small, the animal does not show any signs of illness, and it is usual for the manifestations of the pathology to arrive when a has already occurredSignificant kidney damage , this disease is usually diagnosed between 7 and 8 years of age.
What causes polycystic kidney disease in cats?
This disease is hereditary, therefore, it has a genetic origin, it is the anomaly suffered by a autosomal dominant gene and any cat that has this gene in its abnormal form will also have polycystic kidney disease.
However, this gene cannot mutate in all cats, but this disease especially affects Persian and exotic cats and lines created from these breeds, such as British shorthairs.
In other breeds of cats it is not impossible for polycystic kidney to occur, but it is very rare.
When an affected cat reproduces, the puppy inherits the abnormality of the gene and the disease, however, if both parents are affected by this gene, the puppy dies before birth due to a pathology much more serious.
To reduce the percentage of cats affected by polycystic kidney disease it is essential to control reproduction, however, as we mentioned initially, this disease it does not give symptoms until very advanced stages, and sometimes when reproducing a cat it is not known that it is sick.
Symptoms of polycystic kidney disease in cats
Sometimes polycystic kidney disease evolves very quickly and is harmful in small kittens, generally having a fatal outcome, however, as we have already warned, it is usually a disease that produces symptoms already in the stage adult.
These symptoms are typical of kidney failure
- Loss of appetite
- Weightloss
- Weakness
- Depression
- High water intake
- Increased frequency of urination
When detecting any of these symptoms it is essential to go to the vet, firstly to assess the function of the kidneys, and in the case that this is diminished, establish what the underlying cause is.
Diagnosis of polycystic kidney in cats
If you have a Persian or exotic cat, even if it does not show symptoms of the disease, it is important that during the first year you go to the vetto study the structure of the kidneys and establish whether they are he althy or not.
Both early and when the cat has already shown symptoms of kidney failure, the diagnosis is made by imaging through ultrasound. In a sick cat, ultrasound shows the presence of cysts.
Obviously, the sooner the diagnosis is made, the more favorable the evolution of the disease will be.
Treatment of polycystic kidney disease in cats
Unfortunately, this disease does not have a curative treatment, but it is mainly intended to stop the evolution as much as possible of the pathology.
The pharmacological treatment will be aimed at reducing the work of the kidneys affected by insufficiency and preventing all the organic complications that may arise from this situation.
This treatment, along with a diet low in phosphorus and sodium, while it will not change the presence of kidney cysts, it may improve the cat's quality of life.
