New Screening Gives Cats and Dogs Best Chance Against Kidney Disease

Here at North Central Animal Hospital, we see a lot of pets impacted by kidney disease, and we're not alone.  In their lifetime, over 1 in 3 cats⁽¹⁾  and 1 in 10 dogs⁽²⁾ will get kidney disease. Worse, they typically show no signs of illness until their kidneys have lost most of their function permanently. As pets age, the likelihood pets will develop kidney disease worsens. In fact, more than half of cats over age 15 are afflicted. ⁽³⁾ 

Now the IDEXX SDMA™  test, a breakthrough new kidney disease screening test available at North Central Animal Hospital changes that. With the IDEXX SDMA kidney screening test, we can detect this serious disease month to years earlier, when there is still time to do something about it. This is fantastic news, especially for our long-suffering feline friends, as the IDEXX SDMA test can detect kidney disease when much of a pet's kidney function is still intact. This gives us the chance to take action and give your pet the best shot for a healthy, happy, long life, even with kidney disease.

Without the IDEXX SDMA test, cats and dogs typically show no signs of illness until the disease has progressed to the latest stage. Cats, who suffer the most from kidney disease, actually hide disease as a natural defense against predators. While this serves them in the wild, it makes it very difficult for you to even know they are sick.

Because we are committed to providing the highest standard of care to all patients who come to North Central Animal Hospital we immediately adopted SDMA screening as part of our routine wellness checks and for kidney disease monitoring. Don't forget to ask us about it at your pet's next checkup.

Learn more about kidney disease in cats and dogs:

* Signs and common causes of kidney disease in cats

* Chronic kidney disease in cats 101

* Signs and common causes of kidney disease in dogs

* Chronic kidney disease in dogs 101

References:

1. Lulich JP, Osborne CA, O’Brien TD, Polzin DJ. Feline renal failure: questions, answers, questions. Compend Contin Educ Pract Vet. 1992;14(2):127–153.

2. Brown SA. Renal dysfunction in small animals. The Merck Veterinary Manual website. www.merckmanuals.com/vet/urinary_system/noninfectious_diseases_of_the_urinary_system_in_small_animals/renal_dysfunction_in_small_animals.html. Updated October 2013. Accessed January 26, 2015.

3. Marino CL, Lascelles BD, Vaden SL, Gruen ME, Marks SL. The prevalence and classification of chronic kidney disease in cats randomly selected from four age groups and in cats recruited for degenerative joint disease studies. J Feline Med Surg. 2014;16(6):465–472.