What are the clinical signs and complications of chronic renal failure?
In most cases chronic renal failure is a progressive disease with a slow, insidious onset, although occasionally the signs may appear to develop quite suddenly. Many of the clinical signs are quite vague and non-specific – arising at least in part simply from the accumulation of toxins in the blood that would normally be excreted in the urine. The most common signs seen in affected cats are a poor appetite, weight loss, dehydration, lethargy and depression. There is often an increased thirst along with increased volumes of urine being produced (due to an inability to concentrate the urine in many affected cats). Other signs may include a poor coat, vomiting, bad-smelling breath, ulceration in the mouth and weakness. As chronic renal failure is a progressive disease (despite treatment) these signs tend to get worse over time. With the diverse functions of the kidneys, a wide variety of complications can arise in affected cats. These include electrolyte abnormalities (eg, low blood potas
