Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects approximately 30-40% of cats over 10 years old. Modern management focusing on nutrition, hydration, and quality of life monitoring can significantly extend comfortable survival.
Managing CKD in cats requires balancing life extension with quality of life - prolonging life without ensuring comfort is not a welfare success. The most important welfare decisions involve managing nausea, maintaining adequate nutrition and hydration, and controlling concurrent conditions like hypertension and anemia that significantly affect wellbeing. Many owners master home fluid administration, which transforms the condition from terminal to manageable for months to years. The relationship between owner, pet, and veterinarian in CKD management exemplifies the best of companion animal care - regular monitoring, responsive adjustment of treatment, and honest assessment of quality of life. Validated quality of life tools help owners and veterinarians make decisions about treatment intensity and timing of euthanasia.