kidney disease dogs throwing up

Kidney Disease in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment

Your dogs kidneys are essential organs that filter waste products from the bloodstream. When the kidneys are weakened, either by acute or chronic kidney disease, your dogs health could suffer. Because kidney disease progresses over time, its important to learn the common symptoms so tha you can recognize them. If you catch kidney disease in dogs early on, treatment can slow down the progression and allow your dog to live longer.

What Is Kidney Disease in Dogs?

Kidney disease in dogs is sometimes called renal or kidney insufficiency because it occurs when a dogs kidneys stop doing their job as efficiently as they should. The main job of the kidneys is to help clear and excrete waste products from the blood and convert them to urine, says Dr. Jerry Klein, Chief Veterinary Officer for the AKC. If the kidneys are not working properly, these waste products can build up in the blood, causing detrimental effects.

Dogs can get either acute kidney disease, which develops suddenly, or chronic kidney disease (CKD), which develops slowly and worsens over an extended period. Both involve loss of kidney function, but they result from different circumstances. Acute kidney disease is a sudden attack or injury to the kidney, whereas chronic kidney disease is a slow, degenerative loss of kidney function, Dr. Klein explains.

What Causes Kidney Disease in Dogs?

Dr. Klein warns that kidney disease could be caused by a lot of things, including infection (such as with the bacteria that causes leptospirosis), trauma, genetics, drugs, toxins, cancer, mechanical obstructions (like kidney stones), and degenerative diseases (where the job and form of the affected body part get worse over time). Anything that decreases blood flow to the kidneys, such as dehydration or heatstroke, can cause the kidneys to fail.

Acute kidney disease in dogs can be caused by exposure to hazardous materials, including toxic plants such as lilies, certain drugs, harmful foods such as grapes or raisins, or antifreeze. Puppy-proofing your home and yard can keep your dog away from potentially harmful items or foods that could be toxic.

Chronic kidney disease in dogs is also associated with growing older. Because kidney tissue cant regenerate once its damaged, the kidneys can wear out over time. As small-breed dogs often live longer than large-breed dogs, they tend to show early signs of kidney disease at an older age10 years old or more, compared to as young as 7 for the large breeds.

What Are the Symptoms of Kidney Disease in Dogs?

The earliest signs of kidney disease in dogs are increased urination and therefore increased thirst. Other symptoms dont usually become apparent until about two-thirds of the kidney tissue is destroyed. So, in the case of CKD, the damage may have begun months or even years before the owner notices. Because of this, its common for the signs of kidney disease in dogs to seem like they came out of the blue when in fact, the kidneys have been struggling for a long time.

Other signs of chronic kidney disease in dogs to watch for include:

Dr. Klein says there are some rarer symptoms of kidney disease in dogs to be aware of, as well. On occasion, there can be abdominal painurinary obstructions or stonesand in certain instances, one can see ulcers in the oral or gastric cavity. In extreme cases, little or no urine is produced at all.

What Are the Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease in Dogs?

Kidney disease in dogs is measured in stages. Many veterinarians use the IRIS scale, which has four stages. Blood work measurements like creatinine and SDMA (biomarkers for kidney function) allow your vet to assign your dog to a particular stage which will determine the exact treatment.

Dr. Klein explains, The stages determine how well the kidneys can filter waste and extra fluid from the blood. As the stages go up, the kidney function worsens. In the early stages of CKD, the kidneys are still able to filter out waste from the blood. In the latter stages, the kidneys must work harder to filter the blood and in late stages may stop working altogether.

How Is Kidney Disease in Dogs Treated?

Dialysis (a medical procedure that removes waste products and extra fluid from the blood) is far more common in humans than in dogs, although peritoneal (kidney) dialysis can be performed in some cases. On rare occasions, surgical kidney transplant is possible in dogs.

But Dr. Klein specifies that depending on the type and stage of kidney disease, the main treatments for CKD are diet changes and administration of fluids, either directly into the veins (intravenous) or under the skin (subcutaneous). The balancing and correction of electrolytes are extremely important in the management of kidney patients, he explains.

Proper nutrition is needed, and there are many available diets formulated for cats and dogs with kidney issues, some by prescription only. Your veterinarian can help guide you to the most appropriate diet for your pet.

Because kidney disease, particularly in the late stages, can cause a dog to lose their appetite, it can be difficult to encourage your dog to eat enough. Dr. Klein advises, There are medications used as appetite stimulators available, such as the prescription drug mirtazapine. Capromorelin has recently been FDA-approved for dogs to address appetite in chronic kidney disease.

When Do You Need to Call Your Vet?

The prognosis and expected life span for a dog with kidney disease depend on the type of disease, the speed of progression, and underlying conditions present in the dog. However, the more serious the disease, the poorer the outcome. Thats why its so crucial to catch the illness early on.

According to Dr. Klein, In chronic kidney disease, there are methods, such as diets and medications, that can be used to lessen the burden of work the kidneys need to do and may help slow down the progression from one stage to the next. In acute kidney disease, there is less time and fewer choices available to prevent further damage to the kidneys and to try to jump-start the kidneys to get them to function normally.

Regular veterinary exams, including bloodwork, are an excellent way to spot kidney problems before the outward symptoms become apparent. And if you notice any of the above signs, dont hesitate to get your dog to the vet for further testing. It can make a huge difference in preserving kidney function and your dogs well-being for as long as possible.

Dog Vomiting: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

If youre like me, then the sight of your dog vomiting is a cause for immediate concern. I want to know why my dog is vomiting, and what I should do about it. The problem with trying to figure that out, of course, is that vomiting is listed as a possible symptom for a huge range of canine conditions, and sorting through pages and pages of Google articles is almost as bad as using WebMDs symptom checkerI end up convinced that the worst case scenario is the most likely.

Sorting through all of that information is tricky, which is why we came up with this list of possible causes for dog vomiting, along with the steps you need to take to get your dog help.

When Is Dog Vomiting Normal?

Before we get to the causes of vomiting, we need to distinguish between vomiting and regurgitation. When a dog vomits, they are forcefully the contents of their stomach and upper small intestine, while regurgitation is a passive motion that expels undigested food and fluids, often preceded by difficulty breathing and coughing.

Long-term dog owners know that vomiting is not uncommon. Occasionally, healthy dogs will get sick for no apparent reason and then continue with their day as if nothing happened. Your dog could have eaten too quickly, swallowed something disagreeable, or merely snacked on too much grass. This type of vomiting is usually nothing to worry about. So how do you tell when vomiting is a cause for concern?

Your dog is most likely fine if they vomit once without any other symptoms, according to veterinarians. If your dogs vomiting can be described as any of the following, then it is time to start getting concerned:

• Continuous vomiting
• Chronic vomiting
• Vomiting a lot at one time
• Vomiting with other symptoms, like fever, weight loss, lethargy, anemia, etc.
• Vomiting blood
• Vomiting with nothing coming up
• Bloody diarrhea
• Suspected foreign body ingestion
• Seizures

It never hurts to play it safe when it comes to dog health. The best way to find out if your dogs vomiting is normal or not is to call your vet.

What Causes Acute Vomiting in Dogs?

Acute vomiting, which can be defined as sudden or severe bouts of vomiting, is a serious symptom of quite a few diseases, disorders, and complications, including:

It is up to owners to help veterinarians narrow down the cause. For instance, if your dog vomits after being outside in the hot sun for a while or is trapped in a hot car, then heatstroke is a prime suspect. If your trash can displays evidence of canine exploration, then garbage, toxins, or a foreign body are more likely.

You know your dogs behavior best, which is why it is up to you to fill your veterinarian in on anything that could have contributed to your dogs condition, like access to human medications, toxins, a change in diet, and other possible causes.

If your dog is vomiting with diarrhea or vomiting with a poor appetite, call your veterinarian.

Chronic Dog Vomiting

Chronic, frequent, or long-term vomiting is also a cause for concern, especially if it is accompanied by the following symptoms:

As with acute vomiting, there are a number of conditions that can cause frequent or chronic vomiting:

• Intestinal obstruction
• Cancer
• Parvovirus
• Colitis
• Constipation
• Liver disease
• Kidney or liver failure
• Systemic illness
• Intestinal inflammation
• Pancreatitis
• Uterine infection

Most of these conditions are very treatable, especially if they are addressed as soon as possible. The majority of the issues caused by chronic or frequent vomiting will not go away on their own and require the intervention of a veterinarian.

Vomiting in Puppies

A dogs vomiting is potentially serious, but a puppy vomiting should always be treated as a potential emergency. After six weeks, puppies lose the immunity given to them by their mothers. Since young puppies only just begin receiving vaccinations, they are at an increased risk of contracting serious diseases like parvovirus or parasites. If your puppy is vomiting, dont wait to see if it resolves on its own. Call your vet.

Diagnosing Vomiting in Dogs

Determining the cause of a dogs vomiting usually requires several steps. Your vet will ask you questions about your dogs access to garbage, poisons, and toxins, about any recent dietary changes, and if your dog is exhibiting any other symptoms.

The vet will then perform a physical examination. If your vet feels it is necessary, they will run any additional tests, such as blood work, ultrasounds, X-rays, endoscopic evaluations, biopsies, and urine tests.

Treating Vomiting in Dogs

Once your vet determines the cause of your dogs vomiting, they will tailor a treatment plan based on the cause and your dogs condition. Vomiting itself can create issues like dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and acid-based disorders. Your vet will address these problems by treating the symptoms and in some cases prescribing anti-nausea medications.

When Should You Call a Vet About a Vomiting Dog?

As humans, most of us dont call the doctor over an isolated bout of vomiting. If your dog vomits once and then resumes their normal activities and eats and poops regularly, chances are it was a minor incident, although it never hurts to play it safe.

If your dog vomits more than once or has recurring bouts of vomiting, you need to call your vet immediately. Vomiting is a symptom of many serious diseases, illnesses, and complications, and as owners, we owe it to our dogs to take it seriously. Ignoring your dogs vomiting could have serious (or even fatal) consequences.