07 Aug Everything About Kidney Disease in Dogs (part 2)

In the first part, we explained kidney disease in dogs. The kidney is one of the essential organs in the dog’s body, which consists of a network of blood vessels and plays a vital role in the dog’s survival. This essential organ has various and critical functions. Kidney disease in dogs is divided into acute or chronic failure. In the previous section, we described these two kidney problems and the symptoms of each separately. We said that some breeds are more susceptible to this disease than others. In this part, we will explain how to prevent and treat this critical disease.

Diagnosing kidney disease

In chronic kidney failure, symptoms usually don’t appear until 80% of kidney function is lost. Therefore, it’s necessary always to take your dog for pre-veterinary examinations and follow your veterinarian’s advice to perform the required tests. If your dog is sick, you should treat him in time. If you see the first signs of kidney disease in a dog; Take him to the vet. After the necessary physical examinations, your veterinarian will probably recommend a series of tests to make an accurate diagnosis:

1. Complete blood cell count (CBC) test to detect anaemia, infection, etc.
2. Blood Chemical Panel Test: To measure blood urea and creatinine
3. Blood Electrolyte Test: Measuring the number of electrolytes in the blood such as sodium, potassium and phosphorus
4. Urine chemical breakdown test: urine concentration, amount of protein in the urine, signs of infection, etc

After a diagnosis of kidney disease, your veterinarian may order more tests to assess the progress of the disease. These tests usually include an x-ray or ultrasound of the abdomen and kidneys.

Treatment

After a definitive diagnosis of dog kidney disease and its progression, the veterinarian begins their treatment program. After starting treatment, your dog should do various tests to assess the extent of disease changes. The vet test dogs with acute kidney failure need once or more a day and dogs with chronic kidney failure every few weeks. Further treatment is usually based on the results of these tests.

The primary treatment for kidney disease in dogs is the injection of an intravenous solution (therapeutic serum) to increase the amount of urine in the dog. The vet treat dogs with kidney disease for several days and hospitalise them. But he usually cures dogs with chronic illnesses at home, and the dog owner injects a subcutaneous solution into them.

Diet therapy is one of the treatment methods to control chronic disease. Adjusting the level of certain compounds in the diet can reduce the amount of pressure on the kidneys. This diet is usually low in protein, phosphorus, calcium and sodium.

Prescribing various medications and supplements is another method of treating various kidney diseases in dogs. Supplements such as phosphates reduce the pressure on the kidneys and purify the blood. Antacids reduce the acid produced in the stomach (Stomach acid is produced when the kidneys can’t regulate blood pH). Antiviral drugs reduce nausea and vomiting or increase appetite, and inhibitors such as ACE can help flush protein out of the kidneys and regulate blood pressure.

Your veterinarian may also prescribe some vitamins and supplements based on your dog’s needs. For example, one of the most common treatments for canine kidney disease is vitamin D to prevent further kidney damage and osteoporosis. Treatment with medicinal herbs also can be effective. Of course, you must do it under the supervision of a veterinarian. Freshly crushed alfalfa and parsley pills are helpful herbs in the treatment of canine kidney disease.  

Dialysis is a costly treatment used in specialised hospitals for dogs with acute renal failure. Kidney transplantation is another treatment method that’s very expensive and has many risks. Fluid therapy is one of the most common treatments for kidney disease in dogs.

Dog kidney disease can be caused by other illnesses such as canine cancer, kidney or bacterial infections, congenital conditions and immune system disorders, or by factors such as poisoning. This failure has two categories of acute and chronic failure. Chronic failure occurs when the kidneys gradually lose their function over several months or years, but acute failure occurs within hours or days. The fact is that you can treat acute failure with timely treatment, but the vet can only control chronic failure. MishkaGrooming’s specialised team accompanies you in all stages of health, grooming, training and cleaning of your dear dogs so that you can enjoy being with them more than before.