My friends over at the Winn Feline Foundation do a lot of research that benefits cats. In their latest blog post, they shared some exciting news about what “could be a novel treatment for cats with CKD (chronic kidney disease.)”
I’m excited about this news because so many of my feline friends suffer from chronic kidney disease. It’s such a common disease, especially in older cats. In fact, chronic kidney disease is one of the most commonly diagnosed diseases in senior cats.
The treatment in question is a drug called pimobendan. You might also know it by its brand name, Vetmedin. It’s a drug that is currently being used to treat heart failure in cats. Okay, it’s used in dogs too but we’re focusing on the supreme species here!
The Winn Feline Foundation thinks that pimobendan could do more than just treat heart failure. They think it may help cats with kidney disease too!
Granted, there’s still work to be done to find out whether pimobendan really is a good treatment option for chronic kidney disease. And of course, we need to know whether it’s safe for my feline friends with kidney disease to take the drug, which is what Winn Feline Foundation is trying to find out right now.
Still, it’s exciting to think that we could soon have a new treatment for chronic kidney disease. I’m waiting with my paws crossed to see the results of Winn’s ongoing research work.
denise May 4, 2012 at 9:36 am
How are they finding out?
Catalyst Council May 6, 2012 at 7:33 am
Good question, Denise. There is more research being carried out.