Creatinine is the final product of the creatinine-phosphate reaction. This substance is formed in the muscles, and then secreted into the blood. By determining its level in the blood of a pet, you can diagnose several of its pathological conditions. Elevated creatinine in a cat indicates primarily a violation of the excretory system.
Content Standards
This substance is formed in the body of an animal from creatine protein, which is a source of energy and nutrition for skeletal muscle. The normal level of its content in the blood can fluctuate depending on the weight of the cat and the speed of metabolic processes occurring in his body. In young and mobile animals, this indicator is usually higher than in old ones.
The norm of creatinine in the blood of domestic cats is 40-130 Ī¼mol / liter. This indicator, among other things, can depend on the sex of the animal and the development of its muscle mass.
In which cases the level rises
Most often, the presence of too much of this substance in the blood of an animal indicates renal failure or nephropathy. The creatinine-phosphate reaction occurs when the cat muscles contract. In this case, the compound breaks up into three components:
- water
- creatinine;
- phosphorus.
All three components are subsequently excreted from the body of the animal with urine. If the kidneys do not work well, creatinine is retained in the cat's body. Gradually, it begins to accumulate in the blood of the animal.
However, it is impossible to diagnose renal failure only by such a sign as increased creatinine in a cat. If such a pathology is suspected, the veterinarian conducts additional laboratory tests. In this case, the specialist determines the level of urea and urea nitrogen in the blood. In the presence of renal failure, these indicators will also be off scale.
Sometimes the cause of increased creatinine in the blood of a cat is also any liver problems. In addition, such an abnormality in an animal can occur during dehydration. In this case, the cat also increases the density of urine.
Actually, creatinine itself is not a toxic substance. The animal feels bad with its increased content precisely because of problems with internal organs.
Diagnosis of diseases: what should be considered?
The reasons for the increased creatinine in the blood of cats can be different. But the following factors can affect the level of this substance in the body of an animal, including:
- obesity;
- severe deficiency of energy substances in the body;
- low-calorie diet;
- mass deviations for a given specific breed;
- extreme marks of the age of the animal.
When diagnosing a catās health status and determining creatinine levels, all these factors must be taken into account.
Symptomatology
With an increase in the level of creatinine in the blood to 200 Ī¼mol / liter, the behavior of the animal, most likely, will not change in any way. The cat will begin to worsen after this indicator reaches 300 Ī¼mol / liter. With increased creatinine in a cat, the following symptoms may be observed in this case:
- lethargy and weakness;
- diarrhea and vomiting;
- pallor of mucous membranes;
- cessation of urination or a decrease in the amount of urine excreted;
- decreased appetite.
A cat with a high creatinine content smells unpleasantly from the mouth of urine.
The level of this substance in the blood of animals can be determined and not only in micromol / liter. Sometimes it happens, for example, that the owners are wondering if the cat has a chance with creatinine up to 1500 mg / dl. This level corresponds to 250-300 Ī¼mol / liter. Since creatinine is not a very accurate indicator, it is still premature to talk about the development of PN in this case. The cat's blood should first be checked for urea. Perhaps this indicator is associated with dehydration or liver disease.
The cat's creatinine prognosis of 1200 mg / dl may also not be too bad. This level indicates a relatively slight increase in this substance in the body. But a diagnosis of renal failure should definitely be done in this case.
What you need to know
Sometimes the creatinine level in the blood of a cat remains normal. But a disease such as kidney failure, the animal still develops. This usually happens when a cat, for example, picked up on the street, is too exhausted. With insufficient feeding in animals, muscle volume can sharply decrease. As a result, the content of creatinine in the blood also drops. With renal failure in such an animal, the indicators of the amount of this substance will be close to normal. But in fact, the creatinine content for this condition of the animal can in this case be considered increased.
How are the tests taken?
Veterinarians can determine the amount of creatinine by examining both whole blood and plasma or serum. The choice of analysis method depends primarily on what laboratory equipment is available in the clinic.
Blood sampling to determine the level of creatinine can be performed at any time of the day. The catās poor health is usually not an obstacle to this procedure either.
Diagnostic Disadvantages
Normally, the creatinine in the cat's blood should be equal, thus, 40-130 mmol / liter. But unfortunately, this indicator in such pets can actually fluctuate in very large limits. In addition to the weight and activity of the pet, it can be influenced by the nature of the diet, breed characteristics, etc. In addition, the very sensitivity of creatinine as an indicator of the state of the excretory system is considered not too high. Even with a 50% reduction in renal filtration due to pathology, the level of this substance in the blood can remain almost normal.
Urea
As already mentioned, with elevated creatinine in the cat and suspected renal failure, doctors often conduct additional laboratory tests. The urea level for cats is considered normal at 6-12 mmol / liter. With its increased content in the animal, the following symptoms will be observed, among other things,:
- lethargy and weakness;
- unsteady gait;
- ammonia breath;
- mouth ulcers;
- weight loss;
- refusal of feed.
What to do with high content
The level of creatinine in the blood of cats is determined, of course, only in a veterinary clinic. In accordance with the results obtained, the doctor gives the owner of the animal all the necessary recommendations and, if necessary, prescribes additional tests. It is necessary to do studies on the percentage of blood urea in case of high creatinine in a cat. Renal failure is a very serious illness. And to leave the animal without medical attention in the presence of such a pathology, of course, is not worth it.
Cat blood test: transcript
On the level of creatinine in the blood of cats, veterinarians usually carry out studies in case of suspected kidney disease. If the cause of the animalās malaise is still unclear, a comprehensive analysis is performed in the clinic. Decoding it usually looks as follows:
- HCT - hematocrit. An excess of this substance may signal dehydration of the animalās body or, for example, the development of diabetes mellitus. The norm of this substance in the blood of a cat is 24-26%;
- HGB - hemoglobin. An elevated level indicates dehydration, a low level indicates anemia, damage to the blood-forming organs, and starvation. The normal level of hemoglobin in the blood of a cat is 80-150%.
- WBC - white blood cells. An increase in evidence may indicate leukemia, inflammation, oncology, a decrease in evidence of a viral disease, bone marrow disease, and radioactive damage. The normal level of leukocytes for cats is 5.5-18.0 Ć 109 / L.
- RGB - red blood cells. An elevated level may indicate dehydration, lack of oxygen and, in some cases, kidney and liver diseases. Reduced content indicates blood loss, anemia, inflammation. The normal level is 5.3-10 Ć 1012 / l.
- ESR - erythrocyte sedimentation rate. An increase in the level may indicate liver and kidney disease, heart attack, oncology, poisoning, and shock. Reduced ESR does not happen. Normally, this figure is 0-13 mm / h.
Also, when performing laboratory tests, the animalās blood can be checked, for example, for indicators such as eosinophils, neurophiles, monocytes, platelets, lymphocytes, etc. Poor blood tests in a cat are, of course, an occasion to diagnose the disease and prescribe appropriate treatment.
How to lower blood creatinine
This indicator is usually normalized with the help of drugs. For example, a veterinarian may prescribe treatment with Hofitol for high creatinine in a cat. The drug is human, and it is sold in ordinary pharmacies. Most often, these tablets give animals 2 times a day in half. But prescribe a medicine and choose a dosage should, of course, exclusively a veterinarian.
In chronic renal failure, treatment of the animal can only be symptomatic. The answer to the question of how to lower creatinine in a cat is various kinds of medications. They are usually prescribed by a veterinarian in conjunction with other means to improve the condition of the pet and prolong its life.
Causes of Renal Failure
Actually, PN itself is not essentially a disease. Renal failure is primarily a syndrome of impaired functionality of the excretory system. This problem can lead to:
- poisoning and intoxication;
- vasculitis, pyelonephritis in the kidneys;
- renal vascular stenosis;
- diabetes in old cats.
In animals, there may also be a hereditary predisposition to kidney failure. When buying an expensive cat, its pedigree is therefore worth asking.
The consequences of renal failure
This pathology should be treated necessarily, and immediately. Renal failure - the disease is very insidious. Creatinine itself is a safe substance. But toxic nitrogenous bases, the content of which also increases with PN in the blood of cats, destroy vitamins and many other useful substances. In an animal with renal failure, a serious violation of the water-salt balance and the acid-base state occurs .
In case of severe damage, the endocrine function of the adrenal gland of the pet suffers. In the cat's body, the synthesis of glucocorticoids stops. This over time leads to hypoklemia and a decrease in sensitivity to insulin, which, in turn, can cause the development of diabetes mellitus.
Symptoms of kidney failure
So, the cat has increased creatinine. What does this mean, we found out. Of course, such tests usually cause the owner to worry about the condition of the animalās kidneys. Only a veterinarian can diagnose a failure. But the owner of the animal with elevated creatinine, of course, needs to observe his own pet. Symptoms of kidney failure in particular are:
- constant unquenchable thirst;
- increased urination;
- urine clarification;
- periodic refusals of food intake.
Sometimes an animal with PN can have nausea and vomiting. By itself, this symptom does not speak of any disease. Cats specially eat grass and various inedible things to clean their stomach. But in combination with other symptoms, this symptom may also indicate the presence of PN.
In the late stage, symptoms of insufficiency may be:
- cat's inability to swallow food;
- anorexia and dystrophy;
- damage to the nervous system due to toxins;
- the appearance of protein and blood in the urine of the animal;
- itching
Very often in cats with renal failure in the later stages, blood pressure rises significantly. And this, in turn, can lead to blindness due to rupture of blood vessels in the eyeball.
Acute failure treatment
In this case, therapy is usually aimed at correcting the electrolyte balance and acid-base disturbances. The most common cause of acute renal failure is animal poisoning. Of course, in this case, measures are taken to remove toxins from the body of the pet.
Quite often, with acute renal failure, veterinarians carry out such a procedure as dialysis in cats. In this case, the abdominal cavity of the animal is cut and a tube with a special fluid is inserted into it. During the stay in the cat's body, toxins from his body pass into this solution. This procedure is prescribed only to animals with serious electrolyte imbalance in the body.
How to treat chronic failure
It is still possible to try to cure the acute form of PN. But most often, cats still have chronic renal failure. Unfortunately, the disease is incurable. It is most likely that he will have to give special foods and medications to an animal with such a pathology until the end of his life. There are no specific treatment regimens for such a disease. The approach to each animal should be individual in this case.
Treatment in the presence of chronic renal failure in animals is symptomatic. For anemia, for example, an erythropoietin may be administered to a cat; for acidosis, sodium bicarbonate is used, etc. For intoxication, medication is usually administered to pets through a dropper.
If the creatinine in the blood of the cat is elevated and he is diagnosed with PN, the owner will definitely have to keep the pet on a special diet prescribed by his pet veterinarian. Usually, in case of renal failure, doctors recommend that the owner of the four-legged pet buy ready-made professional feeds specially designed for animals with this disease.
It is almost impossible to cure chronic renal failure. But the owner of such a cat is quite capable of alleviating his suffering and improving the quality of his life by removing severe symptoms. In this case, you should not despair and give up on such a diagnosis. It is only necessary to strictly follow the recommendations of the veterinarian, and then the animal will delight the owners with its presence for many more years.