kidney failure in dogs symptoms uk

Kidney Failure in Dogs

Kidneys are very busy organs that have lots of responsibilities to keep your dog healthy, from removing toxins to maintaining their blood pressure and helping to create new red blood cells. With so many jobs to do, it can be a scary time if you think your dogs kidneys are failing, so lets go through the common symptoms and possible treatment options for kidney failure in dogs with this guide.

Kidney disease in dogs can affect any breed at any stage in their life and sadly, theres no way of predicting which will develop it and which wont. Although theres nothing you can do to actually prevent your four-legged friend from developing kidney failure in dogs, feeding them a good quality diet throughout their life, and providing them with a constant supply of fresh, clean water will help support their kidneys and, if they do develop kidney failure, it could help to slow down its progress.

Weve created this guide to tell you the most common causes of canine kidney disease and renal failure. It is important for you to involve your vet early in its management.

Stages of kidney disease in dogs

In order to offer the help your dog requires, your vet will need to find out what stage of kidney disease they have reached. Theyll do this by running several blood and urine tests, as well as performing a thorough physical examination.

Here are the stages of kidney disease in dogs:

Stage 1

Healthy kidneys do a great job at removing toxins from a dogs body, but when theyre not in a good shape, they will begin allowing waste to build up in the blood.

However, Stage 1 is very early in the course of kidney disease and theres usually no build-up yet. Dogs with stage 1 kidney disease have low level changes like specific mildly elevated parameters on their bloods or physical kidney abnormalities. Most dogs will not show any outward signs during this stage.

Stage 2

This is the stage where waste starts accumulating in the blood, as a result of reduced renal function. Noticeable symptoms are usually mild or even absent in this stage, although your vet may recommend screening for high blood pressure and protein in your dogs urine.

Stage 3

At this stage, blood samples will contain a moderate amount of waste products and clinical signs are usually present. Many dogs will experience high blood pressure, so screening for this is recommended alongside checking for protein in the urine.

Its at this stage that most dog owners will notice that somethings definitely wrong. Dogs will typically show significant clinical signs, including excessive drinking and urination, tiredness, loss of weight, and potentially mouth ulcers and bad breath.

Stage 4

When dogs reach this very serious stage of the disease, their kidneys are no longer able to filter out waste effectively, and the risk of severe clinical signs and acute deterioration is high. At this point, you will need to work closely with your vet to identify the best treatment options for your dog and consider your dogs quality of life if they are very unwell.

Acute kidney failure in dogs

If your dog has acute kidney failure it means that their kidneys have suddenly stopped working properly. This can be caused by something such as an illness or infection, or because theyve eaten something they shouldnt, like antifreeze. Acute kidney failure in dogs may be able to be treated and reversed but could also be permanent, depending on what has caused it.

Chronic kidney failure in dogs

Chronic kidney failure is more gradual and can take months or even years to develop. It can be caused by a number of things including infections and tumours and unfortunately, by the time its diagnosed, its sometimes too late to reverse.

In the early stages of disease, the healthy areas of the kidney take on the extra work that the damaged areas cant do, meaning that healthy parts work even harder than usual. As the disease progresses, and the unhealthy areas start to outnumber the healthy, the workload simply becomes too much and your dog will show signs of kidney failure.

Chronic kidney failure in dogs is a progressive illness that your vet will need to keep an eye on, but it can usually be managed with a combination of medical treatments and a special diet.

Signs of kidney failure in dogs

There are a number of possible signs of kidney failure in dogs and each dog is different so theres no guarantee that theyll experience the illness in the same way, however, the most common symptoms are as follows:

• Urinating more often urine will usually be very diluted
• Increased drinking to replace lost fluids
• Nausea and vomitingdue to build-up of toxins
• Retching orgoing off their food
• Tiredness and lethargy
• Weight loss
• Pale gums
• Mouth ulcers
• Fragile, weak bones

Be careful about trying to diagnose kidney disease yourself, as the signs of kidney disease in dogs can also be a symptom of other illnesses. The sooner you see your vet for a proper diagnosis, the better. Although theres no cure for kidney disease, early treatment will help to relieve the discomfort caused by the symptoms and support your pets kidneys.

Diagnosing kidney disease in dogs

When diagnosing kidney disease in dogs, your vet will start by testing a sample of pee to see if your dogs urine is being concentrated, whether protein is being lost in their urine and if they have any other problems, like an underlying infection. They might also take a blood test to check for specific kidney function, to get an idea of your dogs overall health and to see if the build-up of toxins has affected any of their other organs.

Monitoring the condition

Your vet may ask you to collect a sample of your dogs urine as a part of monitoring their condition. The best time to collect your dogs urine sample is first thing in the morning, ideally in mid-flow. How you physically collect their pee will depend on whether you have a male or female dog but plastic lunchboxes or soup ladles can come in handy! Your vet will probably provide you with a sterile container to store your sample in or you can use a container such as a clean jam jar (any residue can affect the results, so do make sure the container is very clean).

The fresher the sample, the more accurate the tests will be, so try not to delay in getting the sample to your vet.

How long will a dog with kidney failure live?

The lifespan of a dog with kidney failure will vary greatly depending on the severity of the disease and the efficacy of the treatment theyre receiving. When kidney failure is spotted early and managed properly with the correct treatment, dogs can live several years after being diagnosed.

Dog kidney failure treatment

Depending on how severe the symptoms are, dog kidney failure treatment usually consists of a combination of medical and dietary interventions.

Medication

As kidney failure in dogs can impact so many different bodily functions and cause them to develop conditions such as high blood pressure or anaemia, your vet might recommend specific medications to help treat each symptom. Supplements may also be suggested to replace lost vitamins and help to improve some secondary effects caused by the disease. Its important to remember to only give supplements and medications at the recommendation of your vet.

Diets for dogs with kidney failure

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.