Finding out that your cat has kidney disease isn't something that anyone wants to go through. While this disease currently doesn't have a cure, there are ways to help protect your cat's health while they go through it. If you notice that your cat is showing signs of any of these three problems, you must contact a veterinarian immediately. Doing so can help to prevent your cat from getting worse.
Poor Vision
Cats who have kidney disease can become blind or suffer damage to their vision. This is because when the kidneys are sick, they develop scar tissue on the inside. This can impede the blood flow entering and exiting the kidneys, so the body has to work harder to circulate blood. In other words, your cat's blood pressure goes up.
When a cat's blood pressure is too high for any reason, it can damage their vision. Noticing symptoms like your cat hesitating before jumping, staring, or bumping into things, and getting medical treatment to lower their blood pressure can mean the difference between your cat having mild vision loss and becoming completely blind.
Vomiting
Vomiting is fairly common in cats with kidney disease. When the kidneys don't filter the body's blood adequately, toxins and other byproducts build up that can make a cat feel nauseous. This means that if your cat is throwing up, there's a good chance that their blood values are in poor shape.
Visiting your veterinarian can help with this symptom by not only providing medicine to reduce their nausea but by using IV fluids to help flush toxins from their blood and to rehydrate them. It's important to do this before your cat loses weight, as that can put further strain on their entire body.
Lack of Appetite
Lastly, for the same reasons as above, a cat with poor kidney values may lose their appetite. This is an extreme problem because your cat needs the vitamins and minerals found in their food. They not only can't live without them in the long-term, but without them in the short-term, your cat's blood values will become even more imbalanced.
To make matters even worse, if your cat goes for too long without eating, they could develop fatty liver disease. This disease is more controllable than kidney disease, but simply keeping an eye on your cat and its interest in food will help to prevent it from happening in the first place.
If your cat has kidney disease, they will eventually develop symptoms like these that indicate a worsening of the disease. Getting medical help from a vet as soon as possible can help to prevent your cat's health from severely declining. For more details, contact a veterinarian like Healthy Paws Veterinary Hospital & Housecalls.
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