What If My Human Had Found Sparkle’s Kidney Disease Sooner? #askyourvet

My human has had two cats with kidney disease, and one was the founder of this blog, Sparkle. Anyone whose cat has suffered from this awful illness knows how heartbreaking it is. My human struggled to get Sparkle to eat, and tried everything, from medicine prescribed at the vet to holistic remedies she found online. Few remedies did much, and Sparkle only got sicker. My human’s first cat with kidney failure needed fluids and she had to take him to the veterinary clinic to have it done, even though she really couldn’t afford it at the time. With Sparkle, she learned how to do it on her own, but the truth is, she was not very good at it.

Kidney disease is a leading cause of death in cats, and that is a big problem because until recently, it has only shown up in tests at its later stages, when most of the damage has been done. That’s awful when you see the statistics: one in three cats will suffer from kidney disease, and more than half of cats over the age of 15 are afflicted! Since Binga and Boodie are both over 15, my human is very concerned about them, even though they are healthy right now.

One in three cats are likely to develop kidney disease in their lifetime
Image courtesy of IDEXX

What if you were able to detect kidney disease at an earlier stage? When my human heard about the IDEXX SDMA™ Kidney Screening Test, she got very excited. It’s a breakthrough new test for chronic kidney disease in cats that can detect it months, or even years earlier than previously. The sooner kidney disease is discovered, the more that can be done for a cat while kidney function is still intact.

Kidney disease is a silent killer — we kitties don’t often tell you when we’re not feeling right and we are masters of hiding symptoms of illnesses. A cat may not reveal the presence of kidney disease until their kidneys have lost most of their function and it’s far too late. The IDEXX SDMA Kidney Screening Test could be your first clue that something is wrong with your cat’s kidneys. Your cat can have a long and healthy life, even with kidney disease, if it is discovered soon enough.

Next time you speak with your vet, or bring your cat in for a visit, ask about the IDEXX SDMA Kidney Screening Test.

To learn more about IDEXX SDMA, and to keep updated, follow the Pet Health Network on Facebook.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pet Health Network®. The opinions and text are all mine.

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