cat losing weight-- kidney infection
cat losing weight-- kidney infection
My eight year old neutered male cat, Bacio, has been losing weight recently, so we made a trip to the vet. He has lost 3 1/2 lbs. since his last visit 10 months ago, quite noticeable within the past few weeks. He is eating, and his energy level is not significantly lower. His blood work came back normal (they did a CBC), urinalysis showed a slight kidney infection. I scoop the litter box daily, and did not notice any excesive urination, although the vet said his urine was well concentrated, so he may not have been going excessively. The urinalysis showed the kidneys were passing a bit of protein and he had some waxy casts (buildups). He is now taking Baytril for this. Although the blood tests show his kidneys are functioning normally, I am concerned about the possibility of early kidney problems. The vet said we could do an ultrasound to check his kidneys further, although she does not seem too concerned. Could this infection be the cause of the weight loss? Do you think an ultrasound is necessary? Has anyone experienced this?
Re: cat losing weight-- kidney infection
did your vet seem to think the kidneys were enlarged? or is this what the ultrasound is for?
the wieght loss makes me think more along the lines of kidney failure/disease, perhaps i am jumping the gun a bit (others feel free to correct).
the blood work done, just a cbc? from what i know, a cbc is not exhaustive. a full blood chemistry needs to be performed to check levels for Albumin, Amylase, Blood Urea Nitrogen, Calcium, Creatinine, Phosphorus, Sodium and Potassium. your vet will know what levels are appropiate and which indicate potential kidney (or other organ) problems.
i dont want to paint a bad picture for you, but prognosis for many kidney issues are quite variable. keep us updated, staying on top of this is important.
the wieght loss makes me think more along the lines of kidney failure/disease, perhaps i am jumping the gun a bit (others feel free to correct).
the blood work done, just a cbc? from what i know, a cbc is not exhaustive. a full blood chemistry needs to be performed to check levels for Albumin, Amylase, Blood Urea Nitrogen, Calcium, Creatinine, Phosphorus, Sodium and Potassium. your vet will know what levels are appropiate and which indicate potential kidney (or other organ) problems.
i dont want to paint a bad picture for you, but prognosis for many kidney issues are quite variable. keep us updated, staying on top of this is important.
They did the full blood chemistry...
Sorry, they did do the full blood panel. This was the second vet we had seen, the first only did the CBC, sorry for the mistake. The full blood panel levels were normal as well, that's how the vet came to the conclusion that his kidneys were functioning normally at this point. There were no other signs of any other organ problems either.
The ultrasound would show enlarged kidneys, we have not done that yet.
I suppose I may be worrying too much, but I would rather catch something early than too late. It seems like something must be going on besides a minor infection.
The ultrasound would show enlarged kidneys, we have not done that yet.
I suppose I may be worrying too much, but I would rather catch something early than too late. It seems like something must be going on besides a minor infection.
Re: They did the full blood chemistry...
from the recap of facts you have provided, i would agree....but my experience is quite limited so i may be worrying too much along with you.Kristin wrote:It seems like something must be going on besides a minor infection.
im sure the authority on this board (Traci) will be able to ask/point/nudge you in a more clear direction when she sees this post, perhaps others as well.
Re: cat losing weight-- kidney infection
Jason has been thorough in his post.....I would only suggest that the ultrasound is probably not necessary at this point, the vet can feel the size of the kidneys upon palpation and x-rays if necessary. (unless there is a potential concern for kidney stones, in which an x-ray may not detect them)...
Finish the baytril and get a recheck on the urinalysis, bun and creatinine (may opt for another CBC then if dehydration is a concern)...I would also suggest asking your vet what the liver enzyme levels were at...the weight loss could be due to loss of kidney function, but liver disease might also be a concern. Another important diagnostic sometimes overlooked is thyroid function testing, so if your vet never offered that to you, get it done immediately, your kitty could have hyperthyroidism, often accompanied by renal disease.
Was there also high protein levels in the bloodwork (not urinalysis)...if so, you might want to take a closer look at the diet you're feeding him....
Finish the baytril and get a recheck on the urinalysis, bun and creatinine (may opt for another CBC then if dehydration is a concern)...I would also suggest asking your vet what the liver enzyme levels were at...the weight loss could be due to loss of kidney function, but liver disease might also be a concern. Another important diagnostic sometimes overlooked is thyroid function testing, so if your vet never offered that to you, get it done immediately, your kitty could have hyperthyroidism, often accompanied by renal disease.
Was there also high protein levels in the bloodwork (not urinalysis)...if so, you might want to take a closer look at the diet you're feeding him....
..........Traci
Re: cat losing weight-- kidney infection
Thanks for your opinion, Tracy. His thyroid and liver enzyme levels were well within the normal range, according to the blood panels. No x-rays were done, only palpation. The only problem they could find was the minor kidney infection.
I know I am probably being extra cautious about the ultrasound, maybe I should just wait until this infection is cleared up, and see how he does after the follow-up urinalysis. If all looks fine with that, I will probably wait on subsequent testing for now. I just want to be as proactive as I can be in finding any early signs of something serious so it can be addressd sooner rather than later if possible.
I was just concerned about the cause of the weight loss. He is an indoor cat who only gets supervised visits into the fenced backyard--he's not active enough to have lost the weight on his own! Do you know if a kidney infection could have caused this?
No high protein levels in the bloodwork--nothing unusual or alarming at all in the blood panel (I have a copy of it as well and have gone over it thoroughly). The vet explained that the kidneys usually will not pass protein, but the infection may be allowing some to escape, which is why it showed up in the urinalysis.
I know I am probably being extra cautious about the ultrasound, maybe I should just wait until this infection is cleared up, and see how he does after the follow-up urinalysis. If all looks fine with that, I will probably wait on subsequent testing for now. I just want to be as proactive as I can be in finding any early signs of something serious so it can be addressd sooner rather than later if possible.
I was just concerned about the cause of the weight loss. He is an indoor cat who only gets supervised visits into the fenced backyard--he's not active enough to have lost the weight on his own! Do you know if a kidney infection could have caused this?
No high protein levels in the bloodwork--nothing unusual or alarming at all in the blood panel (I have a copy of it as well and have gone over it thoroughly). The vet explained that the kidneys usually will not pass protein, but the infection may be allowing some to escape, which is why it showed up in the urinalysis.
Re: cat losing weight-- kidney infection
Do you know if the urine specific gravity was high or low?
Protein is usually found in the urogenital tract, but chronic infection can indeed allow protein to occur from the renal tubules (absorption) before it reaches the urinary tract... (bladder expression and cytocentesis can also release protein into the sample)
This might only be a transient infection due to stress or other environmental factor. But, the weight loss is concerning, and I'm not sure it is attributable to an infection only. Did your vet give you any other explaination of the weight loss? What are you feeding your kitty? Has he endured any undue stresses of late?
Protein is usually found in the urogenital tract, but chronic infection can indeed allow protein to occur from the renal tubules (absorption) before it reaches the urinary tract... (bladder expression and cytocentesis can also release protein into the sample)
This might only be a transient infection due to stress or other environmental factor. But, the weight loss is concerning, and I'm not sure it is attributable to an infection only. Did your vet give you any other explaination of the weight loss? What are you feeding your kitty? Has he endured any undue stresses of late?
..........Traci
Re: cat losing weight-- kidney infection
The USG was higher, showing that his kidneys are functioning normally.
That's the frustrating thing--she did not give any other explanation for the weight loss, I suppose becasue the tests did not show anything abnormal. I have only noticed it recently. I have also noticed that his coat seems a bit oiler than previously and pointed this out to the vet. I did mention before in my post that this was our second opinion. The first vet just did a CBC, not the full blood panel, and offered even less of an explanation for the weight loss.
He has not been under any stress that I can tell. He has always been a very happy-go-lucky, laid-back kitty. We haven't changed anything in his environment at all in several years.
He has been on Sensible Choice dry cat food, plus 1/2 can canned cat food once a day (because he likes it) for several years and has been doing well on it. He has always loved his food and still looks forward to feeding time, although he seems to want to eat less now that he is on the Baytril. He has gone from 14 lbs. last October to 10 1/2 lbs. as of this week.
That's the frustrating thing--she did not give any other explanation for the weight loss, I suppose becasue the tests did not show anything abnormal. I have only noticed it recently. I have also noticed that his coat seems a bit oiler than previously and pointed this out to the vet. I did mention before in my post that this was our second opinion. The first vet just did a CBC, not the full blood panel, and offered even less of an explanation for the weight loss.
He has not been under any stress that I can tell. He has always been a very happy-go-lucky, laid-back kitty. We haven't changed anything in his environment at all in several years.
He has been on Sensible Choice dry cat food, plus 1/2 can canned cat food once a day (because he likes it) for several years and has been doing well on it. He has always loved his food and still looks forward to feeding time, although he seems to want to eat less now that he is on the Baytril. He has gone from 14 lbs. last October to 10 1/2 lbs. as of this week.
Re: cat losing weight-- kidney infection
Well, I would strongly suggest retesting the thyroid function in another month or so, or sooner, maybe when you recheck the urinalysis, you can ask the second vet about that option.
Other rule-outs would include diabetes or heart conditions.
Other rule-outs would include diabetes or heart conditions.
..........Traci
Re: cat losing weight-- kidney infection
Good plan, thank you.
Wouldn't the full blood panel sugar levels indicate diabetes if it was present? Do you still think an ultrasound is premature at this point? His kidneys were palpated, and the vet did not think they felt abnormal. Everything indicates they are fine, BUT...
It is so difficult when there is no diagnosis!
Wouldn't the full blood panel sugar levels indicate diabetes if it was present? Do you still think an ultrasound is premature at this point? His kidneys were palpated, and the vet did not think they felt abnormal. Everything indicates they are fine, BUT...
It is so difficult when there is no diagnosis!