Senior Cat Health Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the lab values and medical terms in your senior cat's bloodwork and urine tests: SDMA, creatinine, BUN, azotemia, USG, proteinuria, and sarcopenia.
SDMA in Cats: What the Kidney Test Means
SDMA is an early kidney marker that rises before creatinine. Normal is 14 ug/dL or less. Learn what a high SDMA means for a senior cat.
Read guide →Creatinine and BUN in Cats Explained
Creatinine and BUN are waste products the kidneys clear. See normal ranges and what elevated values reveal about kidney function in older cats.
Read guide →Azotemia in Cats: What It Means
Azotemia is a buildup of nitrogen waste in the blood. Understand pre-renal, renal, and post-renal causes and why hydration matters.
Read guide →Urine Specific Gravity in Cats (USG)
USG measures how well the kidneys concentrate urine. Learn normal ranges, what isosthenuria means, and its role in diagnosing CKD.
Read guide →Proteinuria in Cats: Protein in the Urine
Proteinuria is protein leaking into urine, measured by the UPC ratio. See why it matters and how it factors into IRIS CKD substaging.
Read guide →Sarcopenia: Muscle Loss in Senior Cats
Sarcopenia is age-related muscle loss in senior cats. Learn how it differs from cachexia and how muscle condition score is graded.
Read guide →