subject: Cat Kidney Infection – Signs, Symptoms, Treatment, and Recovery [print this page] Cat Kidney Infection Signs, Symptoms, Treatment, and Recovery
The kidneys are important organs that perform many different functions including keeping our pets blood free from toxins and regulating fluid and acid base balance. When a cat kidney infection strikes kidney function can be impacted dramatically, thus impacting overall health both on a short and long term basis.
A cat kidney infection starts with bacteria gaining access either to the blood or the urinary tract. If the cause is blood borne chances are your pet ingested something that was filled with bacteria. If the bacterial gained access through the urinary tract, it was picked up through the urethra, then moved upwards to the bladder, and finally made its way to the kidneys. The most likely source of the bacteria was likely feces coming from a dirty litter box.
Since the condition generally gains access through the urethra female cats are much more likely to have this type of infection. Especially aging female cats whose immune system is weakening, or cat's that may have some type of age related bladder incontinence or thickening.
What are the signs
*Acute cat kidney infection: You likely will begin to notice your pets behavior changing. For me at least, the most obvious initial sign was extreme fatigue. All of the sudden my cat didn't want to sit in my lap while watching television. She no longer would come running when a can of food was opened. The conventional signs are fever, vomiting, and pain in the lower back. An odd stiff legged walk with a hunched over posture are other classic signs. Blood in the urine is not uncommon as well.
*Chronic cat kidney infection: Whether it is people or pets the word chronic should send a chill down your spine. This is indeed the case with chronic cat kidney infection. This is a terrible disease that could take half a year or more to eliminate possibly causing kidney damage in the meantime. It may or may not be curable depending on the type of bacteria, the extent of the infection, and your cats age and overall health. The classic signs are noticeable weight loss along with a myriad of symptoms normally associated with cat kidney failure; increased urination, increased fluid intake, urinating outside the litter box, dry coat and fur, loss of appetite, and discoloration on the surface of the tongue.
Treating cat kidney infection
If you start to notice your cat exhibiting signs of cat kidney infection call your veterinarian immediately to either confirm your suspicions or rule them out. The conventional form of treatment is antibiotics formulated to concentrate in the urine along with dietary adjustments. Intravenous fluid may also be required to keep your cat hydrated and flush the urinary tract.
On the road to recovery
Once the cat kidney infection has been eradicated there are a number of steps that can be taken to restore overall urinary system health and prevent this from happening again. A few idea that have worked well for me and my cat are adding cranberry juice or blueberry juice to her water to keep bacterial from attaching itself to the lining of the urinary tract, 5 minutes of daily play time, eliminating any excess stress, feeding her primarily wet food to protect against dehydration, cleaning the litter box at least twice a day, and implementing a natural urinary tract reconditioning supplement in an attempt to repair any damage incurred during the long fight to eliminate the cat kidney infection.
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