Meowllo evewypawdy, we hope you had a wunnewful Easter weekend. Mommy took most of da day off yesfurday to spend wiff Lexi and me. Weez even got a little supwise fur ya’ later on. Now ifin yous member weez joined up wiff da Bloggin’ A to Z challenge fur this mumff and we left off wiff da letter D fur me. So dat means today is E’s day. And we told ya’ we wuld be writin’ ‘bout da test dat da doctow used to diagnose sis Lexi’s kidney disease. Ifin yous missed ow udder posties on Kidney disease yous can wead them here at The 3 A’s and B is fur…. So wiffout further adieu let’s get this show, or post on da road as they say. 

Heska E.R.D. – Health Screen Feline Urine Test is a tool that can be used to help diagnose Kidney disease in not only cats, but there are also tests for canines and humans. It is a rapid immunoassay that detects low levels of albumin in the urine. It is specific and easy to use, and only takes about 5 – 10 minutes and requires only a small amount of urine. It is intended to be done in house for quick results. It is said to be able to detect the lowest levels of microalbuminuria in the urine, thus resulting in diagnosing at approximately 25 % of kidney function loss. Early detection, means longer life possibility and more management opportunities.

Kidney Disease is the number 2 cause of death in pet cats. And in the past it’s detection went undiagnosed until symptoms started appearing. A few of those symptoms are prolific drinking, and therefore an increase in urination, weight loss, reduction of appetite and bad breath. By the time symptoms appear typically kidney function has been decreased by 65 % in canines and 75 % in felines. At which point the assumption is the condition can’t be reversed, only managed as it progresses. So early detection could mean reversal and prolonged life for your cat or dog. 

While the Heska E.R.D. is a wonderful tool used in the early detection of albumin in the urine, it is important to remember that there are other causes for those results and further testing should be done to confirm the proper diagnosis. Again you can read our previous posts by clicking the links above for more information on the importance of other testing and types. It is important to know that the method of urine collection can have an effect on the outcome of results. Urine can become contaminated very easily therefore the preferred method of collection is through Cystocentesis. This is where a doctor inserts a small needle through the skin and into the bladder to withdraw the sample. As horrible as it sounds there is little to no pain associated with this method and can be done quickly without anesthesia.

So Lexi has now had a general urinalysis that led to the E.R.D. where she was diagnosed with Kidney disease. We believe the fact that she was 15 led our VET make that diagnosis without further testing. And altho’ he was correct, we do think it was a bit unprofessional because the presence of albumin in the urine can also be caused by inflammatory, infectious or metabolic diseases. Further testing is and was required to properly diagnose and formulate a plan of treatment.  So early detection of albumin in the urine is a great step in feline medicine and a great tool for early detection of a deadly disease. Just remember further testing is always a good idea. If there are underlying problems such as diabetes, IBD, dental disease, etc., the E.R.D. should be repeated 4 weeks after treatment to determine if albumin is still present.  

Well we hope we shed a little mowe light on da scawy subject of Kidney disease. And now fur da supwise we purromissed. And we hope you enjoyed da fotos featurin’ sissy today. Ain’t she just bootyful? While playin’ yesfurday mommy wuz able to get a little video of sis Lexi havin’ a good time. She’s fixin’ to be 16 years old da 29ff of this mumff, and meez gotta tell ya’, meez sissy…she’s still got it. Fanks fur all yous luv and supppowt and purrayers. Kidney disease or no, meez sissy is da bestest!!!

Ifin you can’t see da video, purrlease click here.

Till da next time……………………………………..Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses 

Dezi and Lexi

http://www.drugs.com/vet/heska-e-r-d-healthscreen-feline-urine-test.html

http://www.heska.com/Documents/RenalHealthScreen/erd_datacat.aspx

http://www.manhattancats.com/Articles/erd_heska.html