When Your Dogs Suffered Kidney Failure

Kidney disease in the dog is a common and difficult disorder to manage. Chronic kidney failure, CIN, is the most common form of kidney disease in dogs and among the most common causes of death in older dogs.

Unfortunately, chronic disease progresses over a period of years and often goes unnoticed by even the most vigilant owners. When signs finally appear, the disease is often well-advanced. But, with proper treatment and monitoring, some dogs with chronic kidney failure live comfortably for years after diagnosis.

Kidney failure has it origins in a wide variety of causes. For example, some animals are born with poorly constructed or functioning kidneys and never reach totally optimum health. Eventually, these individuals usually fall into kidney failure at an early age.

Dogs and cats affected by chronic kidney failure will drink more than usual. Because they are unable to concentrate their urine, they will lose weight, eat less and be more lethargic, possibly suffering muscle weakness due to increased potassium loss.

They may develop pale gums due to anaemia and smelly, ammonia-like breath. In the later stages of the disease, animals will commonly start to vomit. If your dog or cat has started vomiting, cimetidine or ranitidine, may be helpful.

Treatment occurs in two phases. The first phase is to restart the kidneys. Large quantities of intravenous fluids are given to flush out the kidneys. This flushing process, called diuresis, helps to stimulate the kidney cells to function again. If enough functional kidney cells remain, they may be able to adequately meet the body’s needs for waste removal.

Fluid therapy includes replacement of various electrolytes, especially potassium. Other important aspects of initial treatment include proper nutrition and drugs to control vomiting and diarrhea.

The second phase of treatment is to keep the kidneys functioning as long as possible. This is accomplished with one or more of the following, depending on the situation: A special diet; a phosphate binder; Fluids given at home; a drug to regulate the parathyroid gland and calcium levels; a drug to stimulate the bone marrow to produce new red blood cells.

There has been much progress and activity in the last few years in kidney transplants in dogs. One major problem is that by the time most dogs show signs of renal failure, they are quite old and in these dogs, tissue repair and general vigor after surgery is not what it was when the animal was young.