Pouncerstone

Education & Resources - Our Objective

Here we share some very basic educational information on kidney disease and offer some resources to help further your understanding on this topic.  Many of  the Web sites referenced on this page contain materials developed by medical professionals. Pouncerstone encourages you to review those sites and read far beyond what is provided in our site. Your veterinarian can, of course, be most helpful in explaining how the kidneys works, methods of diagnosis and treatment options. Additionally, we strongly suggest that you discuss the reading of professional medical literature with your veterinarian to help ensure proper interpretation.

Our Suggested Reading page recommends published books that we have found to be helpful.

• The Role Of The Kidneys - The kidneys have the important responsibility of filtering and eliminating toxins from the body's blood. The nephrons (thus the term nephritis in referring to kidney disease) are the filters of the kidney used in this process. The kidneys are also involved in regulating blood pressure, salt and water balance, and the production of the hormone erythropoetin. This hormone stimulates bone marrow to produce new red blood cells.

When the kidneys aren't functioning properly, there may be elevated blood-urea-nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels in the blood. These are two indicators of how well the kidneys are doing. Your vet may do blood tests regularly which include checking the BUN and creatinine levels, among other things such as the calcium, potassium and total protein levels

A good explanation of the meaning behind common small animal blood tests is provided in Animal Haven Veterinary Center's Bloodwork Explanation document.

Another test often used in assessing kidney function is the urinalysis. Urine is analyzed to identify protein, blood, sediment, etc. that may be present. The concentration of urine is also typically checked. When the kidneys aren't functioning well, the urine may be more dilute.

• Anemia - Another consequence of the kidney's not functioning properly may be that erythropoetin is lacking. This results in anemia and when the red blood cell count (you may hear the terms hematocrit or PCV for Packed Cell Volume) gets dangerously low, the drug Epogen is needed. Typical over-the-counter iron supplements, such as ferrous gloconate, may not help renal anemia. If a patient's PCV gets too low, he may end up needing a transfusion, which is a risky procedure.

• High Blood Pressure - As mentioned in the discussion of Pouncer's case, the kidneys play a role in regulating blood pressure. When kidney problems are present on an ongoing basis, high blood pressure (hypertension) may result. See our Kidney Disease page for more on this.

• Other Consequences of Kidney Disease - There are numerous other consequences that may occur in conjunction with kidney disease. Some typical consequences include potassium deficiency or higher than normal calcium and/or phosphorus levels in the blood. Chronic kidney disease for some cats may or may not eventually result in kidney failure. We will not attempt to delve into such topics on this site. We again encourage you to explore and discuss them with a vet that is knowledgeable and experienced in managing kidney disease cases and through reading on your own.

  Don't be discouraged when you read information stating approximately 70 to 75% of kidney functioning ability is typically gone before kidney problems are diagnosed. At one time it was thought that Pouncer had only 15% of his kidney functioning ability. That percentage estimate was revised in 1998 to 30% to 40% and Pouncer's kidneys were doing fine up through the end of his life with us on earth. And remember, humans and animals who have only one kidney certainly have no more than 50% and they can do quite well with that.

  Here's a list of other sites you may find helpful in furthering your education on kidney disease:

• Slowing Progressive Renal Damage - Topics discussed in this article include the possible benefits which ACE inhibitors may have on managing early stage kidney disease.

• HDCN - We signed up at this site for the weekly updates, which let's us access information in their "Free Zone". This site often cites studies, etc. on the value of ACE inhibitors in treating kidney disease in humans.

• Effect of ACE Inhibitors on the Progression of Nondiabetic Renal Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials - There's a lot to read here with respect to results of human studies, but the overview alone may be of interest.

• Long Beach Animal Hospital - This site nicely presents terminology, information on diagnosis, symptoms and treatment in a manner particularly helpful to those new to dealing with kidney disease.

• Feline Advisory Bureau - Select Information Sheet #24 to read a concise summary of some of the different types of kidney disease.

• Nadia's Feline CRF Page - This award-winning site offers a wealth of information and links not only on the topic of feline Chronic Renal Failure (CRF), but also on general cat health topics. Includes a lot of information on feline diets and medications that can be very helpful.

• The Feline CRF Information Center - This site's focus is providing information and resources on the topic of feline Chronic Renal Failure (CRF). It contains a wealth of information which can be helpful in understanding and managing CRF. If you haven't stopped by this site before, it's very well worth spending some time reviewing all they have to offer.

  Below is the URL for Cornell University's Feline Telephone Consultation And Diagnostic Services, as mentioned in our Disease Management and Home pages:

• Cornell Feline Health Center - Cornell University's Feline Health offers telephone consultative services with their veterinarians on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during certain hours. We have used this service and found them to be excellent and very concerned about the health of our pets. If you are interested in using this service, we suggest you gather up and organize your test results, etc. and compile a list of questions for the doctor before calling. Your vet can also arrange a vet-to-vet consultation with them, which is addressed on their Questions & Comments page. Please be aware this is a fee-based service.

  Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine also has an excellent newlettter, CatWatch, to which you can subscribe on a monthly basis. This newsletter is very education-oriented and addresses topics of great importance in easy-to-understand language. We find this subscription to be of much more value than most subscriptions to pet magazines. Cornell also offers the DogWatch publication for dog owners.

D I S C L A I M E R: This information is offered for informational purposes only. No information or materials posted herein are intended to constitute medical advice. Materials in this WEB site were not developed by a licensed medical professional. This site is not intended to be either: medical advice, medical opinion or a substitute for obtaining professional medical advice from a licensed veterinarian. This site assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of materials found in other WEB sites referenced herein. This site assumes no liability for the use or interpretation of information contained herein.

Copyright © 1999 - 2004 S.M. Kieta