Treating Cat Kidney Disease

by David
(Great Britain)

Around five weeks ago I noticed my cat had a clear watery discharge from one eye.This spread to both after about 3 days, so she went off to the vet, she was given a tube of cream to run 5mm onto the lids. This didn't seem to work, so back she went a week later and started a one-week course of antibiotics, this didn't work either.

So the vet said let's do a blood test, which came back with high liver enzyme levels. An X-ray and ultrasound showed and enlarged liver. In the meantime my cat has been ever increasingly off her food and has lost weight. It is now difficult to get her to eat and she is drinking lots.

I'm very worried as she has not eaten well for 2-3 days now. Prawns work if you catch her mood just right. Any advice/thoughts are welcome I'm afraid I might be loosing her.


Veterinarian Suggestion Cat Kidney Disease

Hello David,

Based on your description, I am also worried about your cat. When a cat stops eating for any reason, the body responds by mobilizing its fat reserves and sending them to the liver where they can be broken down and utilized for energy.

When large amounts of fat are mobilized too quickly, the liver becomes overwhelmed, fat is deposited in the liver, and the organ stops functioning normally, which leads to an increase in liver enzyme levels in the blood. I am concerned that this laboratory finding may be an effect of an as of yet undiagnosed, underlying disease.

Even if liver disease is your cat’s primary problem, it can be difficult to diagnose and treat without a thorough work-up, including liver biopsies. If your veterinarian cannot continue her work-up, it may be in your cat’s best interests to be referred to a specialty practice or veterinary school.

Ask your veterinarian if he or she thinks referral is appropriate. Self-referral is also an option, though you should make sure you take along copies of all your records to avoid unnecessary test duplication.


Best of luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM