TANYA'S

 

FELINE CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE

INFORMATION CENTRE

DIALYSIS

 

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Introduction to CRF

 

What is CRF?

 

Causes of CRF

 

Just Diagnosed? What You Need To Know First

 

 

Diagnosis

 

What Do All Those Test Results Mean?

 

How Bad Is It?

 

Methods of

Early Detection

 

CRF Research

 

 

Symptoms

and

Treatments

 

Index of Symptoms and Treatments

 

Symptoms

 

Treatments

 

Holistic Treatments

 

 

Medications

and Supplies

 

Tips on Medicating Your Cat

 

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Dietary and Nutritional Issues

 

Food Composition & Nutritional Requirements

 

Which Foods to Feed

 

Persuading Your Cat To Eat

 

Tinned Food Data

 

Dry Food Data

 

Food Manufacturers' Contact Details

 

 

Fluid Therapy and Dialysis

 

Intravenous Fluids and Sub-Cutaneous Fluids

 

How to Give Sub-Cutaneous Fluids: Syringe Method

 

How to Give Sub-Cutaneous Fluids: Giving Set Method

 

Dialysis

 

 

Other CRF Issues

 

Anaemia 

 

Related Diseases

 

 

Coping with CRF

 

Coping with CRF

 

Tanya and Thomas: My Two CRF Cats

 

Success Stories

 

 

Saying Goodbye

 

Saying Goodbye

 

The Final Hours

 

Other People's Losses

 

 

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Haemodialysis

Peritoneal Dialysis

 

 

 

Introduction

The kidneys filter waste products from the blood, and discard them in urine. Unhealthy kidneys cannot perform this function properly, so waste products build up in the bloodstream and make the patient feel unwell. Dialysis is a method of filtering the blood to remove the waste products so the patient feels better. Normally dialysis has to be performed on an ongoing basis. Because of the cost and stress factor, dialysis is not normally performed on cats.

 

Haemodialysis

 

This is the type of dialysis which people usually think of when they hear the word "dialysis". It has recently become available for cats at a limited number of facilities in the USA, and as in human patients, the process lasts several hours and has to be performed several times a week. It can only be given in hospital and is extremely expensive, with the Animal Medical Center in New York estimating the cost at US$10-15,000 for the first 3-4 weeks.  

The Animal Medical Center in New York City has detailed information about the procedure.

University of California at Davis has a press release about their provision of this service in California.

Vetcentric has an article about the use of haemodialysis in cats.

Veterinary Partner has some information about haemodialysis for pets.

People and pets: common diseases - kidney disease is a video from University of California at Davis which provides an overview of what happens in CRF and shows a dog receiving dialysis. It also features a human CRF patient talking about how CRF feels.

Veterinary hemodialysis: advances in management and technology (2004) Fischer JR, Pantaleo V, Francey T, Cowgill LD The Veterinary Clinics of North American Small Animal Practice 34(4) pp935-967 vi-vii, predicts haemodialysis will gradually become more widely available and will be used for cats with advanced CRF which does not respond to more standard treatment methods (such as sub-Qs).

 

Peritoneal Dialysis

This involves using the peritoneal cavity as a means of dialysis. The peritoneum is semi-permeable, so urea/BUN, creatinine and phosphorus can pass through it. In peritoneal dialysis, a sterile dialysis solution is introduced into the peritoneal cavity, and this solution then collects waste products and excess electrolytes by means of diffusion. However, it is very hard to maintain sterility and avoid infection using this method, so it is highly unlikely that you will come across this form of treatment in practice; it tends to be reserved for cases of acute renal failure

Peritoneal dialysis in dogs and cats: 27 cases (1976-87) (1989) Crisp MS, Chew DJ, DiBartola SP & Birchard SJ Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 195(9) pp 1262-6 reports on the success rates of peritoneal dialysis in dogs and cats.

Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine has detailed information about peritoneal dialysis in cats.
University of Kansas - an explanation of peritoneal dialysis in humans.

 

 

 

 

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This page last updated: 26 March 2008

Links on this page last checked: 14 January 2008

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