What is polycystic kidney disease? What are symptoms/signs?
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is caused by multiple fluid filled cysts that form within the kidney. It may affect one, or both kidneys. Symptoms include: loss of appetite, vomiting, constipation, lethargy, excessive thirst, and urination. Signs that a kitten, or cat is affected can include enlarged kidney, and fever. Severe cases in kittens may result in death from renal failure by the age of 8 weeks, or it could result in stillbirths. However, commonly renal failure does not appear until around 7 years of age in most cats affected by PKD. How is it diagnosed and how is it treated?
Genetic tests are available to identify polycystic kidney disease in cats, and is effective method for testing kittens under 4 months of age. Other methods of diagnosing this disease are done by abdominal palpation, ultrasonography, or radiographs. Cysts are best visualized using ultrasonography rather than radiographs. Using palpation of the abdomen one can feel if one, or both kidneys are enlarged. Many kittens are diagnosed by 6-8 weeks old, but some may not develop it until later in life. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial …show more content…
This mutated PKD1 allele causes a defect in kidney cell development. Affected cats should not be used for breeding purposes. Since the mutation is dominant, when two homozygous dominant, or heterozygous and homozygous dominant parent cats are bred all offspring will be affected. If two heterozygous cats are bred ¾ offspring would be affected, and if a heterozygous and recessive unaffected cats are bred ½ of offspring would be affected. Therefore, the only way to prevent offspring from obtaining PKD is to breed recessive unaffected individuals. If cats with polycystic kidney disease are bred then the kittens should have periodic tests to catch the disease early when it presents itself, as this may take months to years in many
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is caused by multiple fluid filled cysts that form within the kidney. It may affect one, or both kidneys. Symptoms include: loss of appetite, vomiting, constipation, lethargy, excessive thirst, and urination. Signs that a kitten, or cat is affected can include enlarged kidney, and fever. Severe cases in kittens may result in death from renal failure by the age of 8 weeks, or it could result in stillbirths. However, commonly renal failure does not appear until around 7 years of age in most cats affected by PKD. How is it diagnosed and how is it treated?
Genetic tests are available to identify polycystic kidney disease in cats, and is effective method for testing kittens under 4 months of age. Other methods of diagnosing this disease are done by abdominal palpation, ultrasonography, or radiographs. Cysts are best visualized using ultrasonography rather than radiographs. Using palpation of the abdomen one can feel if one, or both kidneys are enlarged. Many kittens are diagnosed by 6-8 weeks old, but some may not develop it until later in life. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial …show more content…
This mutated PKD1 allele causes a defect in kidney cell development. Affected cats should not be used for breeding purposes. Since the mutation is dominant, when two homozygous dominant, or heterozygous and homozygous dominant parent cats are bred all offspring will be affected. If two heterozygous cats are bred ¾ offspring would be affected, and if a heterozygous and recessive unaffected cats are bred ½ of offspring would be affected. Therefore, the only way to prevent offspring from obtaining PKD is to breed recessive unaffected individuals. If cats with polycystic kidney disease are bred then the kittens should have periodic tests to catch the disease early when it presents itself, as this may take months to years in many