The cat kidney campaign
Kidney disease is one of the commonest causes of illness in olde
r cats. It leads to loss of appetite, increased thirst, weight loss, and sadly many will die of this condition.
Unfortunately
by the time you notice these signs, up to 80% of your cats kidney
function has already been lost. This is irreversible and the only thing
that we can do, is try to protect remaining 20%, which can be very
difficult.
The cat kidney campaign aims to pick up these cats
far earlier in their disease. This means earlier treatment, prolonging
your cats quality and length of life.
How do we do this?
I
f you have a cat over 7 years old we invite you to have a kidney health check at the practice. This involves an examination, weight check and blood sample which we run 'in house' in the practice lab. The tests will check out kidney function, and ideally give you peace of mind that your cat is free from this debilitating disease. In the event that abnormalities are detected, we can get started with a plan to protect your cat's health.
For just £40 +VAT (saving £12.50 from the normal charge) you will have a consultation with the vet of your choice. We will record your cat's weight, and take a blood sample. This will be analysed in the practice laboratory (results usually available the same day). If you can catch a urine sample we will test this as well!
If we suspect other problems on examination, upgrade package is
available to check for liver disease, diabetes and thyroid problems
including full blood count for £68.84 + VAT.
What happens next?
In the event that abnormalities are detected, we can get started with a plan to protect your cat's health. This involves using special diets, and some particular medicines and nutritional supplements. Cats identified as having problems may require monitoring for high blood pressure too.
In doing this, we could transform the lives of many cats with kidney disease that may previously have gone undetected.
Remember that there will be no outward signs that your cat is unwell until the disease is very advanced. The only way to be sure, is to blood test older animals regularly.
We would recommend a yearly blood test for kidney function in animals over 7 years old.
So don't delay – make an appointment and give your cat an early Christmas present, or contact us for further details!