The International Renal Interest Society (IRIS), a leading authority in veterinary nephrology, provides evidence-based guidelines to assist veterinarians in diagnosing, treating, and managing kidney disease in animals. A crucial aspect of this guidance is the IRIS staging system for chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is vital for tailoring treatment plans to individual feline patients. This staging system is designed to interpret diagnostic information effectively, ensuring the best possible care for cats with CKD.
The latest IRIS CKD Staging Guidelines incorporate serum creatinine and SDMA (symmetric dimethylarginine) values to enhance the early diagnosis of CKD and personalize treatment strategies. The IRIS Board emphasizes the complementary nature of these two markers in evaluating renal excretory function. Recently, IRIS has refined the staging criteria, notably expanding Stage 2 for dogs and consequently reducing Stage 3. This adjustment aims to address the wide range of clinical presentations and treatment requirements previously observed within the broad Stage 3 category in canine patients, which indirectly informs a more nuanced understanding of feline CKD as well.
Following a CKD diagnosis in cats, IRIS staging is essential for guiding appropriate treatment and ongoing monitoring. Initial staging relies on fasting blood creatinine levels, assessed in a stable patient on at least two separate occasions. Subsequently, substaging further refines the assessment based on proteinuria and systemic blood pressure measurements.
These staging categories provide a framework for making practical recommendations regarding logical treatment approaches for cats with CKD. Furthermore, clinical experience allows for informed predictions about a patient’s likely response to specific treatments based on their IRIS stage and substage.
For detailed information, refer to the official IRIS resources:
