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Kidney Transplant
Kidney transplantation is available for cats (since mid-1980s) and dogs (less successfully) at specialized facilities. It requires lifelong immunosuppressive medication and adoption of the donor cat.
Key Facts
- Cats: 59% alive at 6 months, 41% at 3 years post-transplant
- Dogs: ~40% success rate; less established than feline programs
- Feline donors: specific pathogen-free research cats or owner-provided young adults; blood type matched
- Owner must adopt the donor cat ("enter with one cat, leave with two")
- Lifelong cyclosporine (immunosuppressant) required; typically twice daily
- Prednisolone also used initially
- Best candidates: acute kidney failure, creatinine >4.0 mg/dl, poor response to medical management
- Screening: blood panel, thyroid, FeLV/FIV, heart ultrasound, toxoplasmosis, blood typing, UPC ratio
- Disqualifying conditions: cancer, amyloidosis, active pyelonephritis, heart disease
- Complications: rejection, infection (toxoplasmosis reactivation), ureteral stricture (21% in cats), 14% cancer risk from cyclosporine
- 5x increased risk of diabetes-mellitus after transplant
- Species: cats (primarily); dogs (limited)