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Section: Information In-depth
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a slowly progressive, irreversible, inherited kidney disorder in Persian and Persian-related cats. Although reported in the veterinary literature for approximately 30 years, the disease and its genetic mode of inheritance has only been clearly understood in the last 10 years. The disorder is present at birth. Multiple small cysts slowly grow in size, causing the kidney to enlarge dramatically. The cysts replace the normal kidney tissue, while kidney function continuously declines. The cysts can vary in size, from less than one millimeter to greater than one centimeter. The older an affected cat gets, the larger and more numerous are the cysts. PKD often progresses to cause clinical signs of kidney failure late in the cat's life, with the average age being around seven years, although the slowly progressive nature of the disorder results in some cats not developing clinical kidney disease and death.
Chronic kidney failure is a common problem in all cat breeds. When the kidneys fail, they are no longer able to remove waste products, and toxins build up in the blood producing clinical signs of kidney...
Polydipsia is the term used to describe excessive thirst. Polyuria is the termed used to describe what results from excessive thirst, increase urine production. Polydipsia and polyuria are early signs...
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