A vet has urged all cat owners to be aware of a common deadly disease that could affect their pets.
All animals are prone to certain illnesses, so it is important for pet owners to know how to take care of their animals if they ever become unwell. Dr Amir Anwary is a veterinarian based in South Africa who regularly shares pet tips, tricks and advice on social media.
After having to put two cats to sleep, he shared a video on TikTok on Wednesday (April 16) encouraging cat lovers to be aware of how kidney disease could affect their pets. He claimed this is a very common condition these animals can suffer from.
Dr Anwary said: “I had to euthanise two cats today and I sent a third one to the hospital and I think it is also going to be euthanised. And it’s just baffling to me, because this is an issue I see so often with cats and cat owners.
“You need to listen when I say this, like you need to hear me, because your cats will not survive if you don’t treat them in the correct way or if you do not listen to this advice.
“Kidney disease is so common in cats and it is an issue that gets worse and worse if you don’t address it, so with every symptom of kidney disease it makes itself worse and worse and worse. It’s a cycle that gets so bad that by the time you come to the vet clinic, when you think your cat is now at the point where, ok, now I should take them into the vet clinic, it’s almost too late.”
He added cats are often in “such a bad place” there’s nothing that can be done for them by the time they come into the vet. “When your cats get older their kidneys may start to give up. This is very, very common in cats,” he said. He then shared some early warning signs of the disease.
Drinking more water
He added that you will notice your cats will start drinking a lot more water which is the “first sign” of kidney disease.
Dr Anwary added that if you notice that an older cat is starting to drink a lot more and urinate a lot more, you should take it to the vet clinic to get a kidney evaluation. The animal expert said that he has had several cases where cat owners have noticed this change in their pet, but didn’t do anything about it.
Weight loss
Next, cats may start to lose weight, according to Dr Anwary.
He explained that pets may go from being a “nice, big chunky cat” to one that is losing “more and more weight”. The vet claimed that in this situation, cat owners will assume their pet is losing weight due to getting older and he acknowledged that a “little bit of weight loss as they get older is normal.” However, a significant change in weight is not normal and is a reason to get your cat checked out.
Appetite changes and being sick
Dr Anwary continued: “Then finally, your cat is going to start not wanting to eat. They’re going to start vomiting, they’re going to start acting like they’re sick.
“This is because your kidneys are not filtering out those harmful toxins so these toxins are building up in your cat’s body and this whole time our cat is getting more dehydrated, these toxic substances are filling up in the body. It’s literally a self-perpetuating cycle.”
The vet added that as cats get more dehydrated and stop eating correctly, the kidneys become more damaged more and the body “starts to react to this dehydration and the reaction of the body to the dehydration damages the kidneys more.”
Cat Protection, a leading UK cat welfare charity, confirms on its website that kidney disease is one of the most common illnesses faced by middle-aged and older cats and points out that although there is no cure, early detection is key. It adds that most cats do not show any symptoms of chronic kidney disease until their kidneys have already been severely damaged, but the most common signs include increased thirst, passing more urine, poor appetite, weight loss, vomiting, poor coat condition, lethargy, depression and bad breath.
Dr Anwary pleaded for cat owners to take their pets to the vet clinic for a check up if they are experiencing any signs of kidney disease, highlighting that it gets “worse and worse” without treatment. He gave some advice for what to do if you notice your cat has any of these symptoms such as getting it a water fountain to add water to its diet and use a good quality omega-3 supplement which is “so beneficial for the kidneys” for its anti-inflammatory properties.
In the caption of his TikTok video, Dr Anwary wrote: “By the second euthanasia I almost wanted to cry. Seeing this issue so often and owners not being aware of how deadly it is has made me feel the need to post this video.”
