Posts Tagged ‘kidney disease’

As cats get older, they become more suseptable to kidney failure – something to which they are already quite prone! Symtoms include a dull coat, weight loss, pain in the back, fever, vomiting and diarrhea; it’s quite obvious when something is wrong! Read the rest of this entry »

Pyelonephritis is an inflammation of the kidney, commonly caused by a urinary tract infection that has travelled up to the kidney. It is a serious disease that can lead to kidney failure, sepsis and death, but although acute infections can cause bloody urine, vomiting and fever, the signs can be so subtle that they can easily go unnoticed. There are more obvious signs of the disease, like hunched posture, listlessness and weight loss; but often these do not come about until kidney failure has already occurred.

For this reason, pyelonephritis must be diagnosed early to be successfully treated. Diagnosis normally takes the form of a through physical examination and complete history and description of clinical signs, as well as the following baseline tests: a urinalysis to detect the presence of protein, bacteria or white blood cells in the urine; a complete blood count to detect elevated numbers of white blood cells; biochemical profiling to detected elevations in kidney enzymes.

Treatment normally involves dietary modification, fluid therapy and courses of antibiotics over at least four to six weeks. Surgery is sometimes necessary when pyelonephritis is associated with urinary calculi, though this can be expensive for owners without pet insurance.

Signs of Pyelonephritis Include:

• Painful, bloody and malodorous urinationE
• Excessive drinking but loss of appetite
• Abdominal or back pain
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Lethargy