Details:

- My 2 year old neutered male cat, Jamie, has three kidneys - possibly supernumerary. There is one left kidney and two fully formed (although smaller and misshapen) right kidneys, but the right kidneys share a common blood supply and the ureters eventually join together.
- His left kidney seems to be enlarged as it may be taking on more work.
- There is mild hydronephrosis, but it was not progressive between the 1st CT scan and the 2nd taken 4 months apart.
- Fortunately, this was found incidentally (he ate a hair tie!) and he is stable. It was determined that this is congenital.
- Radiologist Report - June 2026

I don't believe that surgery is required (at this time at least), but I want to plan what to do and have a relationship with a surgeon should he need it eventually because this is such a rare case. I will be taking him to his vet for a physical exam and blood/urine testing every 4 months.

I fostered 4 of Jamie's siblings when they were just a few days old. Jamie and another male kitten went to another foster. None made it past 4 weeks except for Jamie. I knew I had to adopt this poor guy and give him the best life given his rough start! He's the biggest sweetheart and still suckles haha

I have several questions below and any help at all is appreciated even if you only answer one of them 😊 Thanks in advance!

MY QUESTIONS:

Quantitative Renal Function Testing

1. The internal medicine vet and radiologist discussed GFR testing...would dynamic renal scintigraphy be better?

2. Since it seems like getting this done will definitely require some long distance travel, I was thinking it would probably be a good idea to get a baseline done while he is stable rather than trying to take him if he gets ill or not being able to make the trip at all if he gets really sick. Is it worth it to do it now for a baseline or wait until he needs surgery?

3. Does anyone know where I can get this done?? The research hospitals that the vet thought could do this actually don't have the capabilities. I tried UC Davis, but they won't even tell me if they can do it because I'm not a vet. I don't want to make my cat's vet call around to a bunch of hospitals without knowing if they can do it wasting hours of his time when he should be focusing on patients. I just want to find a location that can perform the testing and then give him the info to call for a consult.

Surgical Recommendations

4. Does anyone know of any surgeons (or even vets that can help guide his future treatment) that have dealt with anything like this or have experience with complex kidney issues? I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, but would be willing to travel. I would like to have 2-3 that I make contact with so there is a back-up as well as someone local in the event of an emergency.

5. Does anyone have any idea how much surgery and any associated testing and/or emergency care might cost (maximum)? I have insurance, but want to put aside money in case I need to pay up front and be reimbursed. Even an estimated range would be great to know.

Diet

Jamie is a big guy - currently 15 lbs, down from 18 lbs. His motto is "food is life" 😆 I also foster failed a female cat at the same time I got Jamie. He was eating her food so she was pretty small. I got Petlibro RFID feeders to stop that and portion his food. They each get half a cup of Royal Canin Indoor Adult dry food and share a Choolips before bed everyday plus treats every now and then. Unfortunately, neither have ever liked wet food no matter how many different kinds that I've tried.

6. Any recommendations on a kidney healthy diet I should be giving him? Does he need it?

7. How much water should he be drinking daily? I have an RFID water fountain too and can track it. I also supplement his diet with a daily pouch of Purina Hydra Care.