Today, we shall talk about kidney failure or disease. There are currently 4 stages to kidney disease but due to its nature, it is often very hard to catch the initial symptoms. Many times, the dog could be just drinking more (a sign of abnormal thirst) or peeing urine that seems more diluted than usual when the kidneys start to fail. The more telling symptoms such as loss of appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy only become more apparent when in Stage 3 of the disease, which could be too late.
Kidney disease is most common in senior dogs
The causes of kidney failure vary as well, from prior serious injury, ingestion of toxic stuff, hereditary etc. As dogs cannot survive without their kidneys, hence if left untreated, dogs with kidney failure will usually die within a short span of time.
Considering the above, one may then wonder how best a concerned dog owner can try to detect possible kidney issues as early as possible? One way to do this is via regular blood tests. We have previously talked about the merits of having blood tests and ultrasounds done regularly especially if you have a senior dog. Through the blood tests, the vet will be able to advise you if the kidney indicators (BUN, creatinine, phosphorus etc) are within normal levels. It will be good to also specifically request for SDMA reading to be taken as well as the SDMA rises earlier than creatinine and can often give early warning of potential kidney issues.
Chloe getting subcutaneous fluids at the vet
Even though kidney failure is not curable and often progressive in nature, dogs diagnosed early can still continue to live a quality life through proper management of diet (low sodium, low phosphorus and protein), subcutaneous fluids and regular check-ups and blood tests. So go ahead and book that appointment for the blood test for your furkid.
Sources:
https://toegrips.com/kidney-disease-in-dogs-stages/
https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/urinary/c_multi_renal_failure_chronic
