Is Spaying or Neutering Harmful to the PKD Positive Cat?
I’m not aware of any evidence that spaying or neutering would put a PKD positive cat at any more risk than any other cat, unless the cat was already in kidney failure. However, since certain anesthesia agents can be nephrotoxic, in my opinion it would be best not to use these agents in any cat with known kidney problems, including PKD. According to Dr. Susan Little, Bytown Cat Hospital, Ottawa, Canada: “I cannot see how spaying would have any effect, positive or negative, on the progression of PKD. If a cat is already in early kidney failure, the stress of anesthesia and surgery could certainly precipitate a crisis, however. This is true of kidney failure due to any cause.” Susan Little DVM, DABVP (Feline) (as posted to the PKD List by Marie Thiers, 11/1/98) In our Columbus, Ohio PKD Clinic, Dr. Biller did mention that PKD in cats seems to progress in spurts, but that so far, we had not been able to identify what causes these spurts to start/accelerate or stop/decelerate. If stress tur
