Kidney Transplants in Cats

Feline Kidney Transplants at the University of Pennsylvania

               Chronic kidney failure is a common illness in senior cats.  Once patients display symptoms such as loss of appetite, weight loss, increased drinking and other changes, 75% of the kidney function has already been lost.  Progression of kidney disease can sometimes be slowed, and symptoms of the disease can be managed, but it cannot be cured. 

               Though not widely performed, some cats in the United States do receive kidney transplants.  In fact, there are only three veterinarians in the U.S. who perform this specialized surgery at veterinary schools associated with University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Georgia and our own University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.  The procedure was actually pioneered at University of California, Davis veterinary school in the mid-1980s. 

               Dr. Lillian Aaronson is the renal transplant surgeon at University of Pennsylvania.  According to a February 2016 article by Jen Reeder in Trends magazine, Dr. “Aaronson has performed over 150 transplants with a 93% success rate” and an average survival rate of three years post-transplant.  Dogs rarely receive transplants due to problems with organ rejection and the fact that they often have a certain type of kidney disease that causes protein loss and can lead to problems that damage the new kidney.  The high cost and poor success rate make kidney transplants in dogs less practical than in cats.  

                              Cats must undergo extensive testing prior to being considered for a kidney transplant.  The potential recipient must have a complete blood count, chemistry screen, urinalysis, radiographs, abdominal ultrasound, feline leukemia /FIV testing, thyroid test, echocardiogram of the heart, toxoplasmosis screening, blood typing and a host of other tests.  Patients who have significant heart disease, recurrent urinary tract infections, other major medical problems or cancer or those who are extremely aggressive are not usually good candidates for transplant.  The transplant recipient must also remain on daily immune-suppressing drugs to prevent organ rejection for the rest of his life. 

               Donor cats in Penn’s transplant program come from local animal shelters including a partnership with our own York County SPCA.  Potential donors are rigorously screened and blood-typed before joining the kidney donor program.  One stipulation of having a cat receive a kidney transplant is that the donor cat must be adopted by the recipient’s family, so no donor cats are ever euthanized. 

               The recipient does not have her kidneys removed, but, instead has one kidney transplanted thus she will have three kidneys and the donor remains with one.  Surgery lasts about four hours.  The donor cat can usually go home within two days, but the recipient is often hospitalized for two to three weeks.  Renal transplants are not inexpensive:  the cost of the initial screening, surgery and hospital fees can cost over $15,000, and anti-rejection drugs cost about $50 per month for the life of the cat.  Clearly we can see that it is a big, long term emotional and financial commitment to have a cat undergo a kidney transplant, and it is not right for everyone. 

             Kidney transplants are probably not practical for most people, but, the science and success behind the program is interesting.  Even if your cat has kidney disease and cannot have a kidney transplant, do not despair as there are plenty of things that can be done to extend his quality of life. 

This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities. 

Resources:

 http://www.vet.upenn.edu/veterinary-hospitals/ryan-veterinary-hospital/services/comprehensive-urology-care/renal-transplantation

Trends Magazine February 2016