This is a sponsored guest post by Carolina Gonzales, R&D Coordinator at Basepaws*
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major feline health issue affecting approximately one in 30 cats. It often goes undiagnosed until the illness reaches a more advanced stage. The set of signs and symptoms of CKD are caused by a progressive degeneration of functional kidney tissue. Although we do not know the exact cause of CKD, the disease progression can be slowed down with proper care and your cat can live a happy life. The challenges associated with CKD diagnosis and timely management make clear the urgent need to provide accessible and affordable testing options that screen for CKD in cats and can help early diagnosis of the disease.
Research to detect diseases earlier
Basepaws, a leading innovator in pet biotechnology, is committed to research and discovering new knowledge that will help veterinary professionals provide better care for their patients. We are developing a unique category of screening tools that combines genomic, microbiome and health history data to identify pre-clinical indicators associated with health-related outcomes. Our goal is to help detect diseases earlier, when more and better treatment options are available.
A current Basepaws research project is focused on finding CKD-specific signals in the feline oral microbiome and identifying potential genetic markers associated with CKD predisposition. Basepaws is breaking new feline health research ground through its analyses of both host genetics and the oral microbiome. The identification of CKD-specific genetic markers will further our understanding of how genes contribute to the disease.
How you and your cat can contribute to CKD research
If you are a cat parent who would like to contribute to this important effort, we welcome you to participate in Basepaws CKD research filling out this survey. Please note, you will be asked to provide the cat’s medical records confirming a CKD diagnosis as part of your application. You can obtain those from your veterinarian. Cats diagnosed before the age of five are of particular interest to us.
Parents of qualifying cats will be sent an oral swab kit and required to collect a DNA sample from their cat. They will then ship the sample back to the Basepaws lab using prepaid shipping. All qualifying participants who are not current Basepaws customers will receive the company’s signature cat DNA report free of charge as a complimentary thank you for their contribution.
You can also review and participate in other citizen science research initiatives of the company here.
If you have any questions about this or other research projects of the company, you can contact us at science@basepaws.com.
*FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, which means that I was compensated to feature this content. The Conscious Cat is an affiliate partner of Basepaws. This means that if you decide to purchase through any of our links, we get a small commission. Regardless of payment received, you will only see products or services featured on this site that we’ve either used or would use ourselves.
