How Long Can Cat Live With Kidney/Renal Failure? Types & Care



Has your cat been recently diagnosed with some type of kidney disease?

This article might help you understand your cat’s condition better!

Kidney disease and renal failure are very common illnesses amongst cats. It is a serious disease as kidneys have many different functions. They help to remove waste products from the bloodstream, regulate the levels of certain essential minerals, conserve water as well as produce urine. In this article, you can find out more about the symptoms, treatments as well as life expectancy with this illness.

cat sleeping

How Long Do Cats Live With Kidney Failure?

Chronic Renal Failure Vs Kidney Disease

When it comes to kidneys, at least two-thirds of the kidneys have to be dysfunctional before any clinical signs are seen. In most cases, this damage occurs for a few months before the failure happened. Chronic renal failure (CRF), or chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a very common problem amongst older cats.

What Are Some Signs Of Kidney Failure or Disease?

Usually, the early signs of this disease are weight loss and poor coat quality which can often be confused to signs of your cat getting older. It is also common for cats to produce larger amounts of dilute urine. Therefore, your cat will usually drink more to compensate for this fluid loss. If you notice any of these signs, take your cat to the vet where they can do further testing and diagnosing. If any kind of kidney disease is not treated it can lead to kidney failure and eventually death.

What Treatments Are Available?

Some treatments include supplements and diet changes, while more severe cases will require antibiotics, anti-emetics, blood-pressure-lowering drugs, etc. The treatment is determined by your veterinarian depending on the factors such as the progression of the illness, your cat’s age, genetics, other health factors, etc.

veterinarian

How Long Can Cat Live With Kidney Failure?

The answer to the question of how long can a cat live with kidney disease isn’t the same for every cat. The cat breed also has the influence on the lifespan. There is difference between the lifespans of, for examples, American Shorthair cat, Bengal cat breed and so on. But usually, when kidneys have been damaged, there is a very limited ability for them to recover. The more damaged they are ( stages I and II), it is less likely for them to recover. However, with proper treatment, the progression of the illness will be very slow and your cat may have several years of good quality life ahead.

How Long Can A Cat Live With Stage 3 Kidney Disease?

The predicted life expectancy for cats that were diagnosed with stage III kidney disease is around one to two years. If your cat has bee diagnosed with stage IV kidney disease it has the worst prognoses out of all stages and its survival rate is only about one month.

How Long Can A Cat Live With Hyperthyroidism And Kidney Disease?

Recent research has shown that intreated hyperthyroidism in cats can contribute to the development or progression of chronic kidney disease. In this case, the expected life span is no longer than a few months to a year if both of these illnesses aren’t properly treated. Other kind of illnesses such as cat diabetes or arthritis desease in cats also influence on the life of the cat with kidney desease.

How Long Do Cats Live With Polycystic Kidney Disease?

Polycystic kidney disease is a type of kidney disease where cats have cysts in their kidneys, but their number and the rate at which they grow bigger varies from cat to cat. In most cases, this disease will not show any signs, until your cats get to an older age, typically around seven. This illness needs to be treated and with the proper treatment, your cat can have many months and years of high-quality life ahead.

To Sum Up

Kidney disease is very common amongst cats and there are different types of this disease. Even though any kind of kidney disease in cats can only be slowed down by proper treatments, it can still offer your cats a few more years of happy and active life. The earlier the illness is diagnosed, the earlier you can start to treat it and the longer your cat will live. Therefore, if you notice any of the symptoms we mentioned in this article, please contact your vet! If you want to read an article all about the best home camera for pets that lets you check up on your sick pet, even when you are not home, click the link. To treat your cat when they did something good, you need to get one of these cat cameras to treat dispensers!



Joana
Joana has graduated in Linguistics in 2014. and began her work experience as a journalist and freelance writer. Her professional writing experience, as well as experience with pets, brought her to Petovly where she’s an editor. Working on the site, she collaborates with vets and animal shelter workers she has met when she was volunteering as a student. This experience made her an expert in pets’ care, breeds, and diseases.