Nephritis is a rapidly occurring inflammation of the kidneys of an infectious or allergenic nature. This disease is also found in cats. An animal with such a pathology first of all begins to experience problems with urination. Of course, with jade, as with any other disease, help should begin to be given to the pet immediately.
Varieties
Classify nephritis in cats in the first place by their flow rate. In this regard, the form of the disease is distinguished between acute and chronic. By localization, this disease can be focal or diffuse. According to the degree of tissue damage, they distinguish:
- glomerulonephritis, in which the renal glomeruli begin to collapse and gradually die;
- pyelonephritis - stage of purulent inflation of the renal pelvis;
- interstitial nephritis, in which the tubules become inflamed and urine infiltrates.
The last kind of pathology in cats is quite rare. Against the background of glomerulonephritis in an animal, among other things, a lipoid form of the disease can develop, accompanied by the replacement of kidney tissues with fat structures and their degeneration. This pathological process is very severe and is considered incurable.
Inherited form
Sometimes nephritis developed in a cat cannot be attributed to any of the known forms. The foci of lesion, and, accordingly, the symptoms in this case can be different and very different from each other. This jade is passed on to cats by inheritance from their parents. What are the causes of this genetic disease and why it develops in cats, scientists still unfortunately do not know.
How often is diagnosed and what are the causes
Jade can develop in cats:
- after a bacterial or viral infection;
- due to poisoning, including medication;
- due to poisoning by worms;
- after hypothermia;
- with leptospirosis;
- with allergies and urolithiasis;
- after injury, etc.
The disease is diagnosed in cats, unfortunately, quite often. This pathology accounts for about 0.8% of all non-communicable internal diseases. In old animals, this indicator can reach up to 2.5%.
Signs of the development of the disease
Of course, all lovers of these pets should be aware of what symptoms in cats with jade appear most often. The symptoms of this disease in acute form, in addition to problems with urination, are:
- decreased appetite and depression;
- pressure pain in the kidneys;
- swelling of the eyelids, paws, base of the ears;
- jaundice.
In a case of acute jade, a sick cat begins to walk very often. In this case, the amount of urine excreted in her decreases.
Chronic nephritis in cats can be pre-diagnosed with symptoms such as:
- frequent “trips” to the tray with a lot of urine;
- bad ammonia from the animal’s mouth;
- apathy;
- vomiting and persistent diarrhea.
The body temperature of a cat with a chronic form of the disease remains normal. The urine of cats with kidney jade is usually cloudy and has a brown or reddish color. When visiting the tray, sick animals may take unusual poses or make strange noises.
With nephrosis in cats, among other things, the immunity decreases sharply. And this, in turn, can lead to infection of the pet with fungi, viruses or bacteria. Quite often, with cat nephrosis, anemia is also diagnosed.
What you need to do first
In case of detection of such a disease, a pet, of course, can be prescribed including medication. And jade in cats, the symptoms of which were discussed above, and other diseases of the genitourinary system with the correct selection of drugs and when used according to the schedule prescribed by the doctor, pass quite quickly.
A cat with such a pathology, of course, should first be shown to a veterinarian. In any case, after detecting the symptoms of the pet, you should immediately put on a hungry diet. Also, the animal must be placed in heat.
It is often necessary to feed a sick pet. At the same time, foods containing a large amount of potassium, calcium and carbohydrates and poor in salt and protein should be included in the cat's diet. It will be very good to give a sick cat, for example:
- low-fat dairy products (kefir 1%);
- cereal and vegetable cereals;
- low concentrated meat broths.
In feline, salted, smoked and baked foods with acute jade in cats, pets should never be given to pets. Also, the owners of such an animal will have to abandon the purchase of industrial feed. With an acute form, a cat can try to help by replacing the water in its drinker with a decoction made from diuretic medicinal herbs.
How to make an accurate diagnosis
Unfortunately, the symptoms of jade in cats are very similar to the signs of many other diseases of the genitourinary system - cystitis, damage to the bladder, kidney stones, etc. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis in this case can only be made by a veterinarian.
In the clinic, a cat with suspected nephritis will first be done with laboratory tests of urine and blood. Also, the veterinarian is likely to prescribe an abdominal ultrasound to the animal. In addition, when diagnosing this disease, procedures such as electrophoresis and x-ray examination of organs can be performed.
When cats are suspected of nephritis, the urine of cats is checked primarily for changes in pH and specific gravity. Also, doctors in this case can conduct studies for an increased number of white blood cells and red blood cells, as well as a high concentration of salts. A blood test for suspected inflammation of the kidneys, veterinarians usually carry out both general and biochemical.
Treatment for jade in cats
When undergoing therapy, he is supposed to keep the sick pet warm. In any case, letting the animal go outside, and even more so in the winter season, is impossible. In the acute form of the disease, veterinarians primarily prescribed a 12-hour hunger strike to cats.
With jade, the animal usually suffers quite a lot of pain. Therefore, in most cases, such pets are prescribed analgesics and antispasmodics. Actually, the treatment of nephritis is carried out using broad-spectrum antibiotics, hormones and sulfonamides. Also, iron and calcium preparations, diuretics can be prescribed to the cat. In some cases, nephritis may even require surgery.
Folk remedies also help cats with kidney inflammation very well. For example, an animal can be offered a warm infusion of bearberry or lingonberry leaf.
Treatment duration
In the event that assistance to the pet is provided on time and according to all the rules, it will most likely pass the jade within 7-10 days. Otherwise, the disease will go into an advanced stage and it will be much more difficult or simply impossible to cure the cat.
Chronic nephritis can last for months at a pet. In addition, this disease belongs to the category of recurrent. Unfortunately, this form of pathology in cats is practically not treated. That is why, when symptoms of acute nephritis are detected, the animal should be treated immediately. In this case, the disease in cats is almost without consequences.
Disease prevention
Preventing jade in cats is pretty easy. To do this, you need:
- avoid overcooling the animal;
- timely deworming;
- the correct use of medications for various diseases;
- feed the animal only with high-quality purchased mixtures.
Of course, cat owners need to clean away household chemicals. Also, measures for the prevention of jade include physical activity for the animal (within reasonable limits). A cat should pay more attention, for example, playing with it.