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Unfortunately, kidney failure is a very common disorder, especially in older cats. This insufficiency, which consists of the malfunction of one of the kidneys, can present itself in a chronic or acute. In both cases, you must rely on the management of a veterinarian, with treatments, food specially formulated to treat the problem and periodic inspections.
When we receive the diagnosis that our cat has this disease, the first question we usually ask is: How long does a cat with kidney failure live? In this Animal Expert article we will give you the keys to answering this question.
Kidney failure in cats
In general, renal failure consists of a kidney malfunction, and can affect only one of the two. The main problem is that kidney damage takes a long time to appear because the body activates compensation mechanisms with which it keeps functioning.
By the time we begin to understand the symptoms, the kidneys may already be quite damaged. Renal failure can present acutely, suddenly, with symptoms that will include vomiting, anorexia, dehydration, or more evident tiredness. If left untreated, the cat will die. Other times, kidney failure presents itself chronically. We can see if our cat is losing weight, is a little dehydrated, vomits, drinks a lot of water, etc. In this case, it also requires veterinary treatment but the situation would not yet be imminent.
One blood test it can tell us the state of the kidneys and it is also possible to have a urine test and an ultrasound. With all these data in hand, the veterinarian will classify the stage of the illness of our cat, since this factor will depend on the treatment to be followed.
In acute renal failure, the priority is for the animal to recover, as it will only be when it is stabilized that the damage caused by the disease will be assessed and the most appropriate treatment established. Kidney failure has no cure but we can provide our cat with quality of life for as long as it stays with us. This is the treatment guideline, since kidney damage does not only affect the kidneys, but has progressive consequences throughout the organism and it is this deterioration that usually causes the animal's death.
As the symptoms can appear when the disease is already very advanced, it is essential that our cat is submitted to reviews every 6-12 months from approximately 7 years of age. With a simple blood test, we can detect kidney damage, as well as 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? Let's see what we should take against in the next section.
Acute and chronic kidney failure - factors to consider
It is necessary to start this text by stating that it is impossible to accurately determine how long a cat with kidney failure lives. Let's then point out some relevant aspects that can provide a longer lifespan for the cat affected by this disorder.
Factors that influence life expectancy of a cat with kidney failure:
- Acute or chronic kidney failure: An acute presentation can be deadly in a matter of hours, however, if our cat suffers from a chronic insufficiency, it can manage to 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, the cat's phosphorus levels. Due to these indicators, the disease will be more or less severe, which will logically affect the animal's life expectancy. Therefore, facts in less severe states will have a longer life expectancy and vice versa.
- The treatment: will consist of a specific diet for kidney patients and more or less administration of medication, depending on the severity of the condition.
- animal handling: If the cat refuses to consume the prescribed food or is unable to administer the medication, its life expectancy will decrease. At this point, it is important to assess whether we want to force our cat to continue with the treatment, which will generate stress that will not contribute to the maintenance of his quality of life, or we decided to follow his will, even if it means that he lives less time. It is a situation that can happen and that we will have to evaluate.
Hope of life
Since we cannot estimate the exact figure for how long a cat with kidney failure lives, as they are multiple and unpredictable factors to be considered, we can calculate the average life expectancy of cats affected by failure. It would be as follows:
- In the case of acute kidney failure, the first 24-48 hours are crucial since, if there is improvement, that is, the symptoms disappear, and the animal starts to eat and the serum feeding and intravenous medication can be withdrawn, we can say that the cat has recovered but usually progresses to a chronic disease, and therefore, you should continue with veterinary care for life.
- In chronic insufficiency, life expectancy will depend a lot on the stage the cat is in, being higher as the symptoms are milder, and more severe when it is the other way around. Generally, and taking into account this data, cats with this type of insufficiency can live for as long as several months to a few years.
When the cat is in terminal phase, without any possibility of recovery, the veterinarian can recommend euthanasia, that in cats that have kidney failure, it would be a way to alleviate the pain and suffering they could suffer. These terminally ill cats can experience severe malaise during the days leading up to their death, which prevents them from carrying out basic day-to-day routines.
For this reason, as a last resort and to avoid serious suffering from the disease, some veterinarians may recommend euthanizing the cat. If this is your case, think carefully before making your decision and follow the expert's advice and recommendations. If you do not agree, find a second professional to carry out a second assessment to ensure the diagnosis or recommendations of the first veterinarian you have visited.
And finally, we emphasize the importance of valuing the quality of life to the detriment of the remaining lifetime.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.