This post is sponsored by Pet Health Network® and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated for helping create awareness for the importance of the IDEXX SDMA™ kidney screening test for pets, but I only share information I feel is relevant to my readers. Neither Pet Health Network® or IDEXX is responsible for the content of this article.

We love our pets, right? I think that, for most of us, they’re more than just furry roommates. They’re essential members of our family. Our best friends, our closest companions. They motivate us to get out of bed in the morning, snuggle with us when we’re feeling down. When we’ve watched one too many scary movies late at night, they’re our source of comfort. After all, we know that as long as our pets aren’t growling there are no scary monsters in the house. Right? Right????

The point is, we love our pets, and we want them to be with us as long as possible. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to spend many years with my fur kids. While I did lose two of my dogs this year, they were both nearly 15.  I have a 14 and a 12-year-old cat, and my other dog turns 10 in December. I also have one very special ancient lady!  My cat, Mally, just turned 20 years old! She’s officially been with me for half my life. In fact, I just came across this old picture from our early days together. Weren’t we adorable? My mom actually woke me from a nap to show me what she did to my cat. Oh, Mally, what a good sport you are!

While I’ve always kept up with her health, as she gets older I’m even more cautious (some may call me neurotic, but I don’t think you can be too careful when you have an older pet).

Startling Facts Kidney Disease In Older Cats

Why am I so cautious? For one thing, she’s 20! I think that says a lot. Another reason: I learned SO much about kidney disease in cats when I wrote about the new IDEXX SDMA™ screening test the first time back in May (check that out here if you missed it). At first, I was mostly concerned about my cat Prue. She’s always struggled with medical issues.  Our vet finally figured out that she has kidney disease. She’s not alone. One in 3 cats will develop kidney disease over their lifetime.

When I learned just how much that number jumps for older cats, though, my concern quickly shifted to Mally. More than half of cats over age 15 are afflicted. More than half! We humans have heart disease as our leading cause of suffering and death. Cats have kidney disease. Just like we need regular screenings to check on the status of our cardiovascular health (aka our tickers), our pets should be screened every year for chronic kidney disease.

Our cats can’t tell us when they’re not feeling well. In fact, they’ll often go out of their way to hide it. Mally doesn’t exactly say to me “hey, I don’t feel so great, let’s go get my kidneys checked.” While she does meow very loudly if the water in her bowl is more than five minutes old, or if her dinner is more than 30 seconds late, she hasn’t mastered the art of communicated her physical ailments to me, so it’s up to me to make sure I stay on top of things and be proactive.

Stay proactive with your cat’s kidney health

Being proactive with your cat’s kidney health is easier than ever with the IDEXX SDMA kidney screening test. It’s a breakthrough test that can actually detect the disease months to years earlier, while you can still do something about it.  I recommend checking out my first post for a more in-depth look at the science and medicine behind it, but basically, the old method of screening was unable to detect kidney disease until much later. IDEXX SDMA gives you a chance to catch it before it gets out of control and come up with a management plan with your vet to keep it in check while your cat’s kidney function is still intact.

Photo courtesy of IDEXX.

IDEXX SDMA is available to all veterinarians, so make sure you ask your vet about it during your next routine visit. If you suspect that your cat may already be dealing with kidney problems, don’t wait for the annual checkup. Make the appointment now.

Learn more about kidney disease in pets  then take your pet to the vet for the IDEXX SDMA kidney screening test. Visit Pet Health Network on Facebook for even more valuable information, fun pet facts and to keep up with the latest news.

Have you ever dealt with kidney disease in one of your pets? Have you ever talked to your vet about IDEXX SDMA?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of IDEXX. The opinions and text are all mine.