Inconsistent blood test results - CKD

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MonkeyMan2013
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Inconsistent blood test results - CKD

Post by MonkeyMan2013 »

Hello! New member here, looking for some advice from someone with experience understanding blood tests!
My cat, Monkey, now 9 years old, was diagnosed in April 2021 with kidney disease (CKD). He had no symptoms and it was discovered by a blood test pre dental surgery.

I immediately put him on a prescribed kidney diet, and also “kcMega3” capsules daily.
He has had regular blood tests (including SDMA) since the initial diagnosis, and the results have baffled his vet. Also, may I note the vet found his urine to be good. I will list the results below, it would be amazing if someone could shed some light on what could be going on with him, and what I should expect at his next test!

April 2021 - CRE: 1.8 (normal range 0.3-1.6)
July 2021 - CRE: 1.9
August 2021 - CRE: 2.0 / SDMA: 18.5 (normal range 0-14)
December 2021 - CRE: 1.3 / SDMA: 7.6
May 2022 - CRE: 1.8 / SDMA: 12.3

BUN was consistently within acceptable range.

I’d be happy to share full test results. Thanks in advance for any responses.

Greetings from Malta :)
Last edited by MonkeyMan2013 on Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mollycat
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Re: Inconsistent blood test results - CKD

Post by Mollycat »

Did the results also have, usually in brackets after each result, the reference range or normal range? Numbers benefit from context. That said, I believe numbers aren't really all that important in the early stages with no symptoms.

Did your vet give you an IRIS stage (1-4)? In stage 1 and sometimes stage 2 a renal diet is not necessarily right, though there are now pre-renal diets for very early stages.

9 years old is young for a CKD diagnosis but that said my first CKD girl was diagnosed aged 8 and went on to live another 8 very happy healthy years on Hills k/d and plenty of real meat and yoghurt treats. She taught me that we don't need to panic. My current girl is 15 and still in IRIS stage 1 3 years after first diagnosis and aside from one blip when I foolishly listened to the wrong vet she is on part renal part normal diet.

Some tests are more reliable than others, because they may be affected by anything from hydration status to how recently the cat has eaten. SDMA is supposedly more reliable so I can understand your vet being baffled.

This website http://www.felinecrf.org/index.htm is a very good guide and support for CKD cat owners, and the explanation of why test results can by unreliable is excellent and should reassure you that getting too hung up on blood results may not be helpful.
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Mollycat
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Re: Inconsistent blood test results - CKD

Post by Mollycat »

(Thanks for adding the reference ranges, these can be different at different labs hence being always important.)

Good morning, I have been reading up a bit more on SDMA and it seems that too can be affected by factors such as hydration status, which could explain the ups and downs. I was under the impression it was more reliable partly because it didn't fluctuate but I was wrong.

Has your vet asked for urine tests at all?
MonkeyMan2013
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Re: Inconsistent blood test results - CKD

Post by MonkeyMan2013 »

Thanks so much for the tips and your continued interest. You are successfully dampening my panic.
I will certainly check out the link you sent.

Regarding urine tests, he's had 2 or 3, and the vet was satisfied with what he was producing (concentration/filtration?).

I believe it was after his first SDMA assessment (last August) that the vet declared he was early Stage 2.
But since then with his ever changing results I'm not sure what to believe.
Either way, the vet said he's not getting worse so what we're doing (capsules and prescription diet - to his dismay) is working.
But still I worry.

Good day
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