Therapies for feline chronic kidney disease: What is the evidence?

Practical relevanceSuccessful treatment and prevention of kidney disease in pet animals requires a multidimensional approach to identify and eliminate causes or exacerbating factors, provide professional examination and care on a regular basis, and plan and implement a comprehensive treatment program when necessary.Evidence baseOver the years, many therapeutic and preventive interventions have been developed or advocated for chronic kidney disease (CKD), but evidence of efficacy or effectiveness is often lacking or highly variable. Accordingly, the main objective of this systematic review was to identify and critically appraise the evidence supporting various approaches to managine feline CKD; namely, fluid therapy, calcitriol therapy, antihypertensive therapy, ACE inhibitor therapy, erythropoietic hormone replacement therapy, potassium supplementation, antioxidant supplementation, alkalinization therapy, dietary phosphorus restriction and intestinal phosphate binders, therapeutic renal foods, assisted feeding, dialysis and renal transplantation.