SDMA kidney disease possible marker?

movinintime

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Anyone know the reality for how this plays out in cats? Our feral was found in Dec. to have this via bld test. I wonder how this really affects him down the rd & if it is a guarantee he'll have kidney probs or just a maybe. TY everyone to let me know more re this marker/test. :)
 

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Hi! The SDMA test appears to have been around for about 4-5 years now. So, there are probably some stats out there in terms of longer terms results/studies. But, did you by chance check out Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Chronic Kidney Disease to see if there is additional information that might help you? It's worth a shot to look the info over, while you wait for other members to come along and offer their input.
Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - The Early Detection of CKD
 
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movinintime

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TY Feeby!

He has a 16 on his SDMA test on a 0-14 scale, so a bit high. So mildly increased chance of CKD. Now I'm no vet but his creatinine is 1.9. So looking on Tanya's site I find this being a stage 2 possible CKD? But he has an ongoing (over a yr or 2 or so) eye infection due to unable to heal as he is FiV pos.

Thus, this also from what I gather reading the info, can be why he has elevated numbers? So he needs a Urine Specific Gravity test too, so as to determine if he has dilute urine another telltale re kidney dis. Ok, wow, I'm learning but get confused w/ all this medical info.
 

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Ok, wow, I'm learning but get confused w/ all this medical info.
True!! But, the more you know, the more questions you know to ask your vet! I hope your vet is as helpful as mine, because I usually send him an email and ask specific questions (to let him absorb them), and he calls me back every time with his opinion. So, your starting point would be to ask about the FIV+ status and how, if at all, that plays into the SDMA reading. And, if the 1.9 creatinine reading is an issue for your vet. Next, would be to ask what preventative treatments/action can you take to help keep his levels in check.

It is mind boggling the amount of information there is to absorb!!!!
 
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movinintime

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TY & he does eat raw food & it is high protein diet, mostly. So I hope this is why the numbers are higher. TY if that is true, I'm relieved for him already as I can't diagnose reading all this info -- & assure I'm even close to accurate. Ha, if I could do it all over again, I'd be a vet. It would be very rewarding indeed.
 

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SDMA can test high when the cat is dehydrated. SDMA alone shouldn’t determine if he has CKD. But it can be a helpful first indicator. Except when it’s false positive for dehydration. Ask about other kidney function tests in this case or address dehydration first and then retest in a couple weeks.
 

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TY & he does eat raw food & it is high protein diet, mostly. So I hope this is why the numbers are higher. TY if that is true, I'm relieved for him already as I can't diagnose reading all this info -- & assure I'm even close to accurate. Ha, if I could do it all over again, I'd be a vet. It would be very rewarding indeed.
Then no I don't think this is cause for panic and you don't need to switch him to prescription or anything. My raw fed cat had / has similar numbers! His creatinine has always been in the 2.1-2.3 range. His SDMA was either 15 or 16 initially. My vet at the time was trying to push me to feed him prescription (still does) but I just was not comfortable with it. So I consulted with a well known cat vet (dr. Pierson from catinfo.org). And she basically told me to monitor his numbers but that I should not consider him to be a kidney cat. She did warn me about commercial raw food though. Commercial raw food usually contains too much bone which means more phosphorus which can make a kidney compromised cat go downhill more quickly. And all cats become kidney compromised with age. She recommended that I feed all my cats 300mg of combined epa and dha everyday. These can be found in omega 3 fish oil capsules. She told me that kidney disease is inflammatory and fish oil is anti-inflammatory.

I have since started to make homemade raw, if that's not an option for your cat you have to find something with lower phosphorus content.

The lesson is, numbers slightly high aren't really a worry. You should keep track of your cats numbers on an excel spreadsheet (or something else).
 
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movinintime

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Ty Kitty, I will do so. He is feral & outdoors yet til we move this spring. Then he'll meet our indoor girl cat of 12-13 yrs. haha, that ought to be something.

I feed Stella & Chewy Selects w/ no bone. The raw S&C rabbit tho has bone. Only Selects, I've found commercially, compares w/ RadCat & our indoor does not really even like it much. The feral, he loves it. So he eats most of it. I tried Answers + & their chick & turk & she is mildly interested. But she loved RadCat & her fav was venison (deer), til RadCat was closed up.:(

Is fish oil then ok or if it is inflammatory won't it make it worse? Confused there. Also, can you recommend what brand you use if you would?

TY again tho for all your help;)
 

kittyluv387

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Ty Kitty, I will do so. He is feral & outdoors yet til we move this spring. Then he'll meet our indoor girl cat of 12-13 yrs. haha, that ought to be something.

I feed Stella & Chewy Selects w/ no bone. The raw S&C rabbit tho has bone. Only Selects, I've found commercially, compares w/ RadCat & our indoor does not really even like it much. The feral, he loves it. So he eats most of it. I tried Answers + & their chick & turk & she is mildly interested. But she loved RadCat & her fav was venison (deer), til RadCat was closed up.:(

Is fish oil then ok or if it is inflammatory won't it make it worse? Confused there. Also, can you recommend what brand you use if you would?

TY again tho for all your help;)
Corrected! Fish oil is anti-inflammatory of course lol. You are a kind person for helping this feral! I started making my own food once radcat closed down. I was sick of the raw food supply problems! I think it would be hard to find commercial rabbit without bone because it's a very expensive meat. I recommend you feed your indoor girl some fish oil as well, due to her age. It's natural for kidney functions to decline once they become seniors. I've attached a picture of what I use. It's what's available at costco, so extremely affordable. I use one capsule per cat per day since that contains 300mg of epa and dha. For me, I plan on increasing that to 2 capsules per cat per day once they become seniors. Also, keep in mind that if a cat eats a water rich diet such as yours, their urine will be dilute! So don't be alarmed if that is the case. All these tests and ranges are based off of the average dehydrated cat eating mostly dry food.
 

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movinintime

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Ordered it! He needs all help he can get:)

He eats his 4 VetriScience Lysine chews daily too, for his FiV to boost immunity, as he's got an eye infect & drainage but clear not colored green or yellow.

Hopefully will get rubbed on eye ointment at vet & another Covenia long-acting antibiotic shot next wk too, as he's due in to vet for completion of neuter surg. on Wed. morn, so long as I can retrap him & he falls for same game. ;)

Also his fur looks good tho & unsure if raw diet has helped, but it must as mostly eats the raw diet for over 2.5yrs now. He uses his Kitty Tube alot at nite, & in s. AZ its not lower than high 40s at nite--maybe near 40-ish but not 30s. I hope it warms for him soon & Feb gets warmer not colder.

Ok, just update today; eats well. Looks ok. May be calling for females again tho, as 5am this morn made a gutteral yowl & ma-ow, ma-ow, ma-ow 3x call & this is mating or mates call he makes. Other than this, never talks or makes sounds other than vet said he growled & hissed when taken from trap for his failed neuter attempt in Dec.
 
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movinintime

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He went in on a Fri. morn to our vet. But she hadn't time til 5pm to get to him. At 5;15 they called me & said he's complex, as one testicle is hard to find & may need surgery to open abs to find it. Thus, they snipped one visible one off, yet other remains in him. All this due to closing 6pm & not wanting to stay late, I guess:(

So, I'm talking to a new vet & advised of his situation & he's due in there next wk so long as he falls for trapping #2. Stay tuned. :)
 
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