Kidney Failure in Dogs

Under conditions of kidney failure in dogs, the kidneys become unable to collect urine and eliminate waste from the body. It is a progressive and irreversible canine kidney disease that goes on aggravating with age and lack of precautionary measures. Older dogs are at a higher risk of suffering from kidney failure. In medicine, kidney failure is also referred to as renal failure. It is of two types, acute and chronic. Acute kidney failure occurs due to toxicity and is marked by sudden, severe symptoms. On the other hand, chronic kidney failure in dogs develops slowly with fairly unspecific signs and symptoms. In both the cases, the dog needs medical attention and your love and care.

Symptoms of Kidney Failure in Dogs

• Loss of appetite
• Frequent urination
• Voiding urine during night (nocturia)
• Bad breath
• Leakage of urine
• Hematuria (blood in urea)
• Excessive drinking of water
• Vomiting
• Ulcers in the mouth
• Weight loss
• Lethargy
• Anorexia
• Diarrhea
• Presence of significant amount of protein in the urine
• Elevation in the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine
• Dilute urine with little color or smell
• Poor hair coat
• Reluctance to move and hunched over posture

Causes of Kidney Failure in Dogs

• Age
• Microbial infection
• Kidney tumors
• Deposition of a certain type of protein in the body, called amyloidosis
• Trauma
• Chronic glomerulonephritis
• Chronic pyelonephritis
• Toxic reaction to chemicals or medications
• Prolonged exposure to toxins
• Polycystic kidney disease
• Congenital and inherited disorders
• Inflammatory diseases such as chronic interstitial nephritis

Medical Treatments for Kidney Failure in Dogs

The medical treatment for kidney failure in dogs takes place in two stages. The first stage aims at restarting the kidney. Large quantities of intravenous fluids are given to clean the kidney. This helps in flushing out toxins, and hence kidney gets rid of deposited chemicals and pathogens. This process of flushing is called diuresis. In majority of the cases, the kidney cells start to function normally again.

The second stage focuses on keeping the kidney in functioning state for as long as possible. A special diet or dog food, that is low in proteins, phosphorus and acids is given to the dog. It reduces the workload on kidney. Impaired kidney cannot filter out phosphorus from the body. It accumulates in the blood and leads to lethargy and loss of appetite. A phosphorus binder is given to the dog. It binds to excess of phosphorus in the intestinal tract, leaving less or little phosphorus in the blood. When the kidney begins to start functioning once again, fluids are injected subcutaneously. The frequency of such injection depends upon the severity of kidney condition. The purpose is to stimulate the kidney to function well whenever a failure is noticed. Medicines are given to the dog to regulate the activity of parathyroid gland. This helps the gland in maintaining blood calcium and phosphorus in the ratio of 2:1. Under normal conditions, kidney produces erythropoietin, a substance that stimulates the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. With diseased kidney, there is not sufficient formation of red blood cells in the body. This eventually leads to anemia. A drug called epogen, which is a synthetic form of erythropoietin, is given to the dog so as to bring anemia under control. However, epogen may give rise some sort of canine autoimmune disease in many cases.

Kidney failure in dogs is irreversible and cannot be treated completely. It can only be controlled. The postponement of its adverse effects on dog's health is the only available option. Therefore, it is very important to monitor your canine friend for the signs of kidney failure given in the article. In case you find the presence of a few, you should consult a veterinarian for appropriate action.