My Pet World: New test may be able to help diagnose your cat with kidney disease
Q: I've had three cats in my life that have died at an older age of complications due to kidney disease. This is the fourth cat now I've had diagnosed with kidney disease with some new test, and she's only 7 years old. Why do so many cats die of kidney disease? -- B. S. C., Tacoma, WA
A: "We don't know why so many older cats develop chronic kidney disease (CKD), but we're trying to find out," says Dr. Vicki Thayer, executive director of the nonprofit Winn Feline Foundation, which funds cat health studies. "The good news is that an early diagnosis may add to your cat's lifespan, as well as to enhance quality of life."
A new test, which is presumably the test you mention, can provide an earlier diagnosis of kidney than veterinarians ever could; the test is called Symmetric dimethylarginine or SDMA. The test is offered with the IDEXX regular blood chemistry panel.
Before SDMA, and likely with your previous cats, by the time kidney disease was discovered, 75 percent of kidney function was likely gone. Using SDMA testing, kidney disease is typically diagnosed far earlier, while the loss of function doesn't yet affect quality of life.
SDMA is a game changer; up to 85 percent of older cats are potentially afflicted with CKD. Still there is no magic cure for CKD. "We fund studies to better understand kidney disease in cats, and ultimately to find a treatment," Thayer says. "Recently, we supported research for stem cell therapy. There seems to be some moderate benefit -- but we need further studies." Learn more at www.winnfelinefoundation.org.
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Q: I recently rescued a 3-year-old Yorkshire/Shitzu-mix, and the dog has issues when I leave him. He's fine in the crate, but not when I leave him behind a gate in the kitchen because he keeps barking. Also, he's afraid of men. How can I help him? -- L. D., Las Vegas
A: Congratulations on rescuing the pup.
Not all dogs with separation anxiety should be crated. Some dogs panic when home alone, and in desperate attempts to escape, injure themselves. And the anxiety actually worsens.
While some dogs with separation anxiety panic in the crate, others seem to appreciate the confinement, and apparently feel more secure. If your dog is content in the crate, why not just keep him there when you're not at home? Perhaps, crating your dog is your hang-up, and not your dogs'.
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