Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the most common age-related health condition in cats, affecting the majority of elderly cats and requiring proactive management to maintain quality of life.
CKD in cats is a welfare problem of enormous scale — it affects the majority of elderly cats and causes nausea, reduced appetite, weight loss, dehydration and eventually uraemic toxicity if unmanaged. The welfare gap between unmanaged and well-managed CKD is enormous: a cat on appropriate renal diet with regular fluids and monitoring can live comfortably for years after diagnosis; an unmanaged cat deteriorates progressively through nausea, weakness and dehydration. Early detection through routine blood testing from age 7 is the highest-leverage welfare intervention available to veterinary practices.