Can my cat live a normal, healthy life with only one kidney?

Hello. A known congenital defect is probably an indication to avoid this kitten. She will require very regular checks of her remaining kidney function to make sure any issues are addressed early on. If the breeder is willing to present this kitten to you free of charge, you must make it your business to factor in at least some additional care for the life of this kitten. She may do quite well, but without a more definitive diagnosis of what the abnormal kidney is, it is impossible to say how she may do. BUT, people & animals can certainly live long healthy lives with just one kidney. You will just need to be more proactive with her lifelong health care if you decide to take her. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

Unfortunately there is no way for us to know how long it will be before a pet starts having issues with 1 kidney. Problems may never arise. So you will have to just see how she does. Hopefully she doesn't have any problems and she can get on insurance to cover most of her needs going forward. Best of luck and take care. : )

Hello sorry to hear about Ashton but I am glad he is recovering well from his surgery. Polycystic kidney disease is typically one which affects both kidneys, however, because his other kidney is working well there are some things you can do to help promote that kidney's health. You should feed Ashton wet food and allow him free access to water. You should check his kidney values atleast every 3-6 months with bloodwork. A kidney diet may be considered if there is evidence that his other kidney may have increased values. Finally, ensure that the rest of his health is also good. I hope this helps and best of luck.

Sorry to hear about your kitty. It sounds like he is in the advanced stages of kidney failure. Unfortunately kidney damage can not be reversed once it occurs - only managed. Once cats get to this stage of kidney disease, most treatments are focused on trying to make cats feel as good as possible for as long as possible. Sometimes treatments that are prescribed include SQ fluids (water given as an injection under the skin to increase hydration), anti-nausea medications, blood pressure medications, antacids, and other therapies to manage complications associated with kidney failure. It is hard to give a prognosis without knowing the specific details of your cat's bloodwork and history, but if he is not eating or drinking, he may be suffering and can quickly decline. If you are concerned about your kitty's quality of life, have a discussion with your veterinarian.

Hello. The presence of only 1 kidney is a birth defect that can occur. If that kidney is fully functioning, as demonstrated by normal blood kidney values, & a normal urinalysis, then there is no reason that anesthesia will be any more of a concern then for a cat with 2 kidneys. I am not sure what you mean by an indifferent colon, other than if there is one congenital birth defect, other defects are possible. We had a case of a puppy born with a deformed hind leg, & when he was old enough for neutering, also found a completely abnormal reproductive tract as well as a deformed kidney. This dog is now 13 years old & going strong. Your kitty may require periodic blood work to make sure the kidney stays healthy, & possibly some type of special diet depending on how the colon actually affects the kitten's overall well being. But, accidents in nature happen. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

Hello, sorry to hear about Randi. Its unlikely that the kidney is dead as this could be very severe and cause life threatening risks. If an organ is truly dead, then it needs to be removed as you are right, these toxins can be several dangerous. Whats more likely to be going on is that Randi likely has a non-functional kidney. The cells are still alive, just not doing their job sufficiently enough. If this is the case, there is no reason to remove the kidney as it is not causing any more harm by leaving it in there. In fact, if your cat has severe kidney disease, then removing a kidney could make its kidney disease worse. Finally, a nephrectomy (kidney removal surgery) is complicated and not benign by any means. There are greater potential for complications with bleeding and pain. You should clarify with your veterinarian wether the kidney is indeed dead or if it is just not functioning adequately. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hello. I would not recommend removing the kidney until you are absolutely sure it is the cause of all the problems. I assume all blood work & a urinalysis show the kidney problems & I assume at least an ultrasound was performed on the kidneys. I would suggest that you consider having an excretory urogram or nuclear scintigraphy performed to assess the functionality of both kidneys before putting Randi through surgery only to have the good kidney fail. A needle biopsy can also be done to see if the "dead" kidney truly needs to be removed.

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! To be safe, I would recommend blood testing the second cat. If she's not in failure, it would give a good baseline for future blood testing. It will not hurt both cats to be on the special diet. They are safe for all pets and could help stave off renal changes. Good luck and kisses to both kitties!

There are a number of causes of weight loss in cats. I'm assuming that the information of 1 kidney being larger than the other was something that the vet noted when the belly was palpated on exam. That finding, in and of itself, doesn't necessarily mean the kidneys are the issue. I see that Neko is only 3 years old. Weight loss in a younger cat could be due to kidney failure, though its much more common in senior cats. Working only off of the information that Neko is a young cat who losing weight and has 1 kidney larger than the other, with no other history given, it is hard for us to get any impression for what may be wrong. Again, if she were a senior cat I would suspect kidney failure, and I would then recommend a canned prescription kidney diet, lots of water, TLC, and know that time is limited -- with the understanding that we don't KNOW its the kidneys without blood work. However, since Neko is young, its harder to jump to this sort of advice. It could be her kidneys,

It can be quite variable and depends a little on the stage of disease (which takes in to account creatinine value, any protein in the urine, and blood pressure), and how affected the cat is when it is detected. There are also other disease processes that can exacerbate kidney blood value elevation (creatinone) so these should be ruled out if not already (such as a kidney infection, high blood pressure). Some cats were early stage kidney disease can live years potentially. A diet change may be recommended to slow progression and if hydration is an issue an owner can learn how to give fluids at home. I hope this helps and thank you for using Boop by Petco!