Cat health: a guide to kidney disease

Despite their reputation for having nine lives, cats are susceptible to many ailments and illnesses just like other pets.

With this in mind, we've filmed a series of short videos (available on our YouTube Channel) about pets' health with Petplan's Vet of the Year 2008, Brian Faulkner, to help you spot the signs of common illnesses, what to do if your pet is showing symptoms, and what to expect if your pet is diagnosed.

In this video, we meet 13-year-old Cinnamon, who suffers from kidney disease; a long-term condition caused by the degeneration of the kidney function as cats get older.

Brian explains that Cinnamon's symptoms include weight loss, a duller coat than normal, and problems eating. Treatment largely revolves around managing the condition and increasing the quality of life for the diagnosed cat, mainly with certain foods and medication. Generally cats do very well - there's a lot vets can do to help our feline friends who suffer from this.

If you are concerned your cat may have kidney disease, take him or her to see your vet. Remember that you can also receive free veterinary advice from Brian Faulkner during Petplan's live clinics on our Facebook page. All you have to do is 'like' the page, find the picture of Brian posted on our wall on specific live clinic days, and post your question as a comment underneath the picture. Brian will be next answering your questions between 12-2pm on Friday 6 September, so if you have any pet concerns, make sure you visit our Facebook page then.

Why not watch our video with Brian to find out more, and keep an eye out for more blogs about our health videos for cats, dogs and rabbits.