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My cat has kidney failure and swollen kidneys. What treatment options?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Bombay | Female | spayed | 3 years and 7 months old | 5.07 lbs

Mimi has renal failure. That's her last blood report & latest prescription. The cyproheptadine & anti-nausea didn't suit her so I've taken her off these meds. We're doing simple IV with added dextrose twice a day & sub cutaneous once a day. Just got benazepril hydrochloride & ipakitine from abroad today at my vets recommendation. Wanted some suggestions on this course of treatment. Will do urine analysis & ultrasound today as her kidneys are also now swollen. Please advise.

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2 Answers

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Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 31st, 2018

I think IV fluids and supportive care are a reasonable place to start. If your veterinarian is suspicious of acute kidney injury then Mimi could regain kidney function with aggressive supportive care, but some cats will worsen despite treatment. If your veterinarian is suspicious of chronic kidney disease then her kidney function may not improve but often cats can be managed with medication and diet changes with a good quality of life for months to years. The acute vs. chronic designation is usually based on the history and overall exam findings. I think an ultrasound and urinalysis are good next steps - you may also want to ask about culturing the urine (although she may currently be getting antibiotics which could change the results, I can’t quite read a couple of the injectable medications). A blood pressure might also be helpful, and checking phosphorous, calcium and electrolytes in a blood panel could help. The only lab finding that is a little odd is the increase in lymphocytes, although sometimes the machine will not differentiate between cell types well and this may not be significant. Good luck to Mimi!

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on November 21st, 2018

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I do not have her labwork and test results to know for a fact that this is accurate but I would have to think so. Acute renal failure can be diagnosed incidentally when working up something else. How likely she is to improve depends on what is causing the renal failure. There are several possible causes such as an infection, toxicity, among other possibilities. I would recommend diagnostics such as abdominal ultrasound and urine culture which may help clarify what may be causing this. Treatment can then be more targeted at what seems to be affecting her. Good luck!

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