Unfortunately, kidney failure is a very common disorder, especially in older cats. This insufficiency, which consists of the failure of the function of one or both kidneys, can occur in a chronic or acute In both cases it will require veterinary management, with treatments, food specially formulated to treat this problem and regular check-ups.
When we receive the diagnosis that our cat suffers from this pathology, the first question we usually ask ourselves is: How long does a cat with kidney failure live?In this article on our site we are going to give the keys to be able to answer this question.
Kidney failure in cats
Broadly speaking, kidney failure consists of a malfunctioning of the kidneys, and only one or both may be affected. The main problem is that kidney damage takes a long time to manifest itself because the body activates compensation mechanisms with which it endures.
When we begin to appreciate symptomatology, the kidneys may already be severely damaged. Kidney failure can occur acutely, suddenly, with symptoms that will include vomiting, anorexia, dehydration or more than evident prostration. If left untreated, the cat will die. Other times kidney failure occurs chronically. We will be able to observe that our cat loses weight, is a little dehydrated, vomits, drinks a lot, etc. It also requires veterinary treatment but the situation would not yet be one of imminent death.
A blood test can tell us about the state of the kidneys and it is also possible to carry out a urine test and an ultrasound. With all these data, the veterinarian will classify the stage of the disease in which our cat is, since the treatment to be followed will depend on it.
In acute renal failure, the main thing is to recover the animal and it will be once stabilized when the resulting damage and the most appropriate treatment will be assessed. Kidney failure is not curablebut we can offer quality of life to our cat as long as he stays with us. Treatment is oriented to this, since kidney damage not only affects the kidneys but also has progressive consequences throughout the body and it is this deterioration that ends up causing death.
Given that the symptoms can appear when the disease is already very advanced, it is essential that we subject our cat to check-ups every 6-12 monthsfrom approximately 7 years of age. With a simple blood test we can detect kidney damage (and other diseases) in the early stages. The sooner we start treatment, the longer the life expectancy. But how long does a cat with kidney failure live? We see what to take into account in the next section.
Factors to take into account in kidney failure
We must begin by stating that it is impossible to determine exactly how long a cat with kidney failure lives. We are then going to point out some relevant aspects that can predict a longer or shorter life for the cat suffering from this disorder.
Factors that influence the life expectancy of a cat with kidney failure:
- Acute or chronic renal failure: an acute presentation can become fatal in a matter of hours, however, if what our cat suffers from chronic insufficiency can maintain a good quality of life for years.
- The stage of the disease: veterinarians classify the stage of failure a cat is in based on various factors, such as symptoms or phosphorus levels. Depending on these indicators, the disease will be more or less serious and this, logically, will affect life expectancy. Therefore, cats in less severe stages will, a priori, have a longer life expectancy and vice versa.
- The treatment: this will consist of a specific diet for kidney patients and more or less medication, depending on the severity of the frame. Find out which are the best feeds for cats with kidney failure on the market, as well as the steps to follow if you want to offer homemade food for cats with kidney failure.
- Animal handling: If the cat refuses to eat the prescribed food or there is no way to administer the medication, the hope of life of him will decrease. At this point it is important to assess whether we want to force our cat to follow the treatment, which will cause stress that will not help maintain its quality of life, or whether we decide to leave it, even if that means it will live less time. It is a circumstance that can occur and we will have to assess.
Life expectancy
Since we cannot give an exact figure on how long a cat with kidney failure lives, since there are multiple and unpredictable factors to have Taking this into account, we can point out the pattern of life expectancy that usually occurs in cats suffering from insufficiency. It would be the following:
- For cases of acute renal failure the first 24-48 hours are crucial since, if there is improvement, that is, they remit symptoms, the animal begins to eat and we can withdraw fluid therapy and intravenous medication, we can say that the cat has recovered, but generally it tends to become chronically ill, requiring veterinary care for life.
- In chronic insufficiency, life expectancy will depend a lot on the phase in which the cat is, being higher the milder the symptoms and vice versa. Generally, and taking this fact into account, cats with this type of insufficiency can live from several months to a few years
When the feline is in the terminal phase, with no chance of recovery, the vet may recommendeuthanasia in cats with kidney failure, to alleviate the pain and suffering they may suffer. These terminally ill cats may experience severe discomfort in the days following death, preventing them from carrying out basic day-to-day routines.
For this reason, as a last resort and to avoid serious suffering from this disease, some veterinarians may recommend euthanasia of the cat. If this is your case, think carefully about the decision and follow the advice and recommendations of the specialist. If you do not agree, go to a second professional to carry out a second evaluation to ensure the diagnosis or the recommendation of the first specialist you visited.
As a final note, it is important to point out and value the importance of quality of life, over time.
