This new year brings us some very good news for our older cats re CKD

[tencats]

IDEXX Labs. Announces Renal Biomarker SDMA For Diagnosis In Cats, Dogs
1/19/2015 9:27 AM ET

IDEXX Laboratories Inc. (IDXX: Quote) announced an upcoming kidney test, called SDMA, promising to transform the way veterinarians diagnose and treat kidney disease in cats and dogs.

The company said the new renal biomarker identifies the onset of kidney disease months or even years earlier than traditional methods, greatly expanding treatment options.

Chronic kidney disease or CKD is a progressive, permanent loss of kidney function over time, and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cats and dogs. Veterinarians appreciate the relevance of kidney disease because in time, one in three cats and one in ten dogs will develop some form of the disease, the company noted.
Current diagnostic methods to detect and diagnose CKD, including standard chemistry tests, typically fail to detect the disease until 75% of kidney function has been irreparably lost, limiting treatment options and presenting a poor prognosis for the pet and to the pet owner.
According to the company, the new IDEXX SDMA test has been shown to detect kidney disease when only 40 percent function has been lost, on average, and in some cases even earlier -- results that have been validated in third party peer reviewed studies. Earlier detection allows veterinarians to provide more effective intervention, including prescription of therapeutic diets, renal protective drugs, and avoidance of renal toxic drugs. A treatment plan might add months or even years to pet lives.
IDEXX said it plans to include the SDMA kidney test in all routine reference lab chemistry profiles at no additional cost to the customer.

by RTT Staff Writer
http://www.rttnews.com/2443224/idexx-labs-announces-renal-biomarker-sdma-for-diagnosis-in-cats-dogs.aspx

Read more about SDMA a Better Method for Diagnosing Kidney Disease in Pets
http://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/ken-tudor/2015/january/kidney-disease-pets-better-method-quicker-diagnosis-32385
Chronic kidney disease and failure is common in older pets; it is a leading cause of death in geriatric cats. Although eventually fatal, the progression of the disease can be slowed by dietary and medical management. An earlier diagnosis has the potential for extending the life of these patients.
A newly identified chemical in the blood can detect impending kidney failure 17 months earlier than traditional blood tests. This may have a significant impact on the length and quality of the life of pets stricken with kidney disease and failure.

Source
Veterinary Journal, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.10.021
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023314004341

[TuxedoKat]

1. Welcome news

Since I have lost three cats to CKD. Thanks for posting.

[brer cat]

2. You don't see this often:

"IDEXX said it plans to include the SDMA kidney test in all routine reference lab chemistry profiles at no additional cost to the customer." emphasis added

Good news, tencats. Thanks for posting.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. That really is incredible.

My first thought on reading this was that the cost would probably be prohibitive for most of us. I guess that I was wrong. Good. I like to be wrong in this kind of situation.

[Number9Dream]

4. We've been giving our Siamese infusions for 3.5 years

Last edited Thu Jan 22, 2015, 04:33 PM - Edit history (1)

Thanks for this - very interesting.

We initially discovered his CRF/CKD from a blood creatinine test.

I posted about CRF/CKD back in June, if anyone's interested:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018631002