Viewpoint
Monitoring cats with polycystic kidney disease.
THE Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) is committed to furthering the improved welfare of cats. As part of this commitment, you may be aware of the FAB Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Screening Scheme. This has proved to be very successful in detecting cats that are affected with PKD, and allowing informed choices to be made when choosing cats for breeding.
In conjunction with FAB, the Feline Centre at Bristol University has established a project to investigate PKD in more detail. The project is supported by the RCVS Trust and has been running for the past 12 months. One of the aims of the project is to find out more about the effect that PKD has on kidney function, and the rate at which the disease progresses in affected cats. No study of this nature has been performed before and thus no information is available as to the progression of this disease, a question commonly asked by owners and breeders. It is our hope that the second part of the study will give us valuable information about this disease which we will then be able to share with you all.
We are trying to recruit up to 50 cats into this study and would greatly appreciate any help from owners or breeders that have PKD positive cats. The study would involve visiting the Feline Centre at Bristol University once each year for five years. At each visit, an ultrasound scan of the kidneys will be performed together with urine and blood sample analysis and blood pressure measurement, all of which will be done free of charge. Cats involved in this study will have the benefit of close monitoring of their renal function as well as contributing invaluable information as to the progression of this disease.
If anyone is interested in participating in this study or would like to know more about it then please contact either the FAB Office (01747 871872) or myself at s.j.wills@bristol.ac.uk
For further information about the FAB PKD Screening Scheme, and the new gene test for identification of PKD, contact the FAB Office or visit the website - www.fabcats.org
Sheila Wills, FAB Senior Resident in Feline Medicine, University of Bristol Veterinary School
