Feline Kidney Transplantation
The Only Curative Treatment for Chronic Renal Failure in Cats
Kidney disease is the main cause of death in older cats. When the pet's kidney(s) are unable to filter and cleanse the blood, this is the standard definition of renal failure. Renal failure can be acute or chronic. Acute kidney failure is the result of a sudden onset such as ingesting a poison. Chronic renal failure is the progressive failure of the kidneys leading to increased toxicity in the body and more common in older cats. Kidney transplantation is available only for cats diagnosed with chronic renal failure.
Success of Transplant Surgery
A survival rate of six years or more post-surgery has been reported with an 80 per cent success ratio with an improved quality of life for the transplant recipient. Transplant patients do require lifelong medication after surgery to prevent rejection of the new kidney.
The success of the transplant is reduced considerably if the cat owner waits too long to decide on the surgery. A suitable candidate is an otherwise healthy cat with no evidence of cancer, active infection or other systemic disease. An extensive veterinary workup including blood typing with the donor cat for compatibility is done prior to surgery. The workup includes complete blood workup, x-rays, cardiac evaluation, thyroid panel, dental evaluation and thyroid panel.
Weight loss which is unresponsive to intensive dietary management is the signal that a transplant should be considered. If kidney transplantation is being considered, it should be performed as the veterinarian determines progressive weight loss is reaching 20 percent of the normal body weight of the cat.
Following the transplantation, prevention of rejection of the transplant is achieved by use of immunosuppressive drugs. Sometimes long term survivors have experienced chronic rejection which was unresponsive to these drugs and in some cats, the transplanted kidney stops functioning after three years.
The Donor Cat
Most feline kidney transplants involve a young and healthy cat who provides the donor kidney. The veterinary facility can assist with location of a donor cat if needed. The donor cat is adopted by the recipient's family and assumes legal responsibility for the donor prior to transplantation. The donor cat undergoes an extensive veterinary workup to make sure there is compatibility with the recipient cat. Donor cats are hospitalized for two to four days and the recipient cat stays two to three weeks.
Costs Involved in Feline Kidney Transplantation
The average cost of this surgery is $12,000.00, in addition to regular veterinary evaluations of $1,000 plus yearly for the recipient cat.
Feline Kidney Transplant Facilities
Chronic renal failure is progressive in cats
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Feline kidney transplantation costs $12,000 plus
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