Kidney failure in dogs: symptoms, stages, treatment and prognosis

Every person is responsible for those whom he has tamed. Therefore, if you have a pet, then you need not only to enjoy it, iron it and caress it, play with it and do other things that bring you pleasure. You also need to take care of your pet, because he himself is not able to do it. Especially when it comes to health - everything is absolutely in your hands. Many people ask the question: "And what can go wrong?", And an answer to this question can be briefly and clearly - almost everything. Animals can suffer from a wide variety of diseases, and your task is to prevent their occurrence or cure if the disease has already manifested itself. This article will consider one of the most well-known problems - kidney failure in a dog. This disease occurs quite often, and the saddest thing is that most often it is manifested due to the inattention of the owners. So if you want to save your pet from anguish, you should learn absolutely everything about what constitutes a kidney failure in a dog.

What it is?

Renal failure in a dog is a disease that often develops closer to old age. What is it? Throughout the life of a dog, its kidneys function at full capacity to filter out all harmful substances that enter the body. Under this load, the internal organ wears out gradually, and cells begin to fail. Accordingly, they can not perform their functions, as a result of which toxins enter the body, spread over it, slowly killing the dog. Renal failure is diagnosed when the number of dead cells exceeds half. It is then that the corresponding symptoms begin to be felt. Why so late? Kidney failure in a dog has one feature that you should know about, if you do not want to let that disease show up in your pet.

Cell Work

Like any other disease, kidney failure develops gradually. It does not come suddenly, at one time, so you should think about how to prevent it. However, it is not easy to do this. The point is precisely in the particular feature discussed above - it is precisely because of it that the kidney failure in dogs can not be determined with the naked eye. The stages of the development of the disease go unnoticed from one to the other, since the kidney cells that remain after dying take on the functions of those who can no longer perform them. Accordingly, they simply redistribute the load, as long as they can do so without harm to the body. And when they start to notice health problems? Just after it refuses fifty percent of the cells, which was said earlier. That's why you need to pay special attention to such a disease as kidney failure in dogs. Symptoms and treatment of this disease you can learn from this article.

Stages of the disease

It is briefly necessary to talk about the issue that has already been touched upon. What are the stages of a disease such as kidney failure in dogs? Symptoms and treatment vary for each of them, so it is important to know at which stage the disease is located. So, the first is the initial one, which is almost imperceptible. You will have to try to notice it, as there will not be any obvious symptoms in your pet. The clinical stage will be described in this article in as much detail as it is on it that all the main symptoms become noticeable, and also practically all the treatment courses are prescribed for it. As for the final stage, you should never allow its onset. The fact is that it comes when more than seventy percent of the kidney cells are destroyed, after which the organ is almost impossible to restore, and your dog is waiting for a disappointing future. However, just in order that you do not allow the onset of the final stage, and there is this article that will provide you with all the necessary information.

Symptoms

You have to learn absolutely everything about the disease, such as kidney failure in dogs: treatment, predictions, and most importantly, the symptoms by which you can determine what is wrong with your pet. So, the main and most important of them is the strong thirst that the dog experiences. She can drink huge amounts of water, will try to find her around the house and beyond. But this symptom is not unique - you should also pay attention to increased urination, decreased appetite and subsequent loss of weight to animals, as well as signs of loss of strength, such as lethargy, constant fatigue, lack of mobility. Thus, if your cheerful and joyful pet suddenly refuses to eat and get up from one place, and all that he wants is water, then you have a serious problem with which you should definitely turn to the veterinarian. Simply put, this is kidney failure in dogs. To predict the course of the disease immediately does not make sense - this pathology is not a verdict to the animal. You need to consult a doctor to find out at what stage the disease is located, and after that you will be able to learn both the course of treatment, and forecasts and recommendations for further caring for the animal.

Symptoms of a critical condition

Of course, I do not want to talk about it - I would like to hope that all dog owners will be attentive to their pets, in order to notice the first manifestations of the disease in time. But nevertheless it is worthwhile to know also about what symptoms this disease has at first, and at the last stages. Critical acute renal failure in dogs is manifested by far more unpleasant symptoms. First, a dog in the jaws on the mucous membrane can begin to appear numerous ulcers - the result of exposure to toxins on the body. Secondly, the dog can begin to lose balance in a flat place, and also it can have cramps and trembling. And thirdly, the dog can start vomiting, in which you can notice the remnants of undigested food. Also, this vomiting will be accompanied by foam from the mouth. Naturally, you should not bring your pet to such a critical state, you should not joke with a disease like kidney failure. You already know the symptoms of this disease, but there is one more thing that you should pay attention to, and if you do it right, you probably will never see any signs of illness.

Lab tests

If you have even the slightest suspicion that your dog develops kidney failure, you should definitely visit a veterinarian and conduct some laboratory tests. The fact is that the effectiveness of the kidneys can be easily verified by a blood test for urea and creatinine. As it was said above, at the initial stages the disease can not be detected, as the living cells distribute the functions of the deceased, so the level of urea and creatinine in the blood will be normal. And this is the norm you should constantly check. For a dog, the presence of one or two milligrams of creatinine and 10-25 milligrams of urea per hundred milliliters of blood is normal.

What indicators should cause concern?

Always focus on the upper threshold - if the indicators begin to approach it, then you already have reasons for concern. Why try so hard and strain? The bottom line is that, as with most diseases, the sooner kidney failure is diagnosed, the easier it will be to cure and the better for the dog's predictions.

Treatment of the disease

It's time to tell about the most important moment concerning such a disease as kidney failure in dogs - treatment. There is only one solution, and fortunately, it is quite effective. Your pet will need infusion detoxification therapy. What does it mean? This means that a special solution will be introduced into the body in the form of a liquid that will purify your dog's body of those toxins that pass through the kidneys that refuse gradually. This therapy will allow attacking the disease immediately from all directions.

How does therapy work?

First, it quenches the thirst of the pet, secondly, it relieves the animal's body of toxins, and thirdly, it reduces the burden on the kidneys, which already work at the limit of their capabilities. Accordingly, depending on the severity of the disease, this therapy will have its own periodicity. If the disease was diagnosed already in the clinical stage, then therapy sessions will have to be performed daily, if it was detected in the critical stage, then the sessions will have to be conducted more often. So, the earlier you can notice the problem of your pet, the less you and it will have problems. In addition to infusion therapy, any medications that can facilitate the course of the disease and contribute to the effectiveness of treatment can also be prescribed.

Further therapy

And, of course, chronic kidney failure in dogs is a disease that will not go anywhere, since the cells of this internal organ do not recover. You can only normalize the state of the body and then maintain it in a working condition yourself. To do this, you will either need to visit the veterinarian periodically for intravenous therapy, or if the disease is not in a critical stage, you can conduct this therapy subcutaneously at home. Either way, you need to constantly consult a veterinarian to determine the effectiveness of treatment and the frequency of further sessions.

Food

Well, the last moment, which is worth concentrating on is nutrition. When the worst is left behind, you will need to think about what to do next. How to maintain your pet in a normal state? To do this, you will need to think as much as possible in detail about his diet. Fortunately, nowadays there are a wide variety of dietary feeds for pets available in the public domain, and among them there are special options for dogs with kidney failure.

Than to feed a dog?

One of the brightest examples is the Hills Prescription Diet Canine, which is available in two variations. One is for dogs that are sick with kidney failure, while the other is designed for those animals that suffer from the severe stage of the disease. How is this food different from usual? It has a completely different composition, which contains much less protein, phosphorus and sodium, that is, those elements that have a greater burden on the kidneys and can contribute to the accumulation of toxins in the body. Instead, in such foods, there are more soluble fibers and vitamins, as well as omega-3 fatty acids. Depending on how much the disease affected the animal's body, the diet can be either permanent, that is, lasting to the end of the life of the pet, or temporary. Food for dogs with kidney failure is something that you should pay special attention to, do not try to save on it. If the doctor tells you to buy a special medical feed - it's better to spend it on it.

Treatment with medicinal herbs

Many dog owners believe that they can cope with the disease on their own, are looking for information that it can be influenced by certain medicinal herbs, such as dandelion, nettle or alfalfa, so they decide that they do not need specialist help. However, this is a very big mistake - it is impossible to argue with the fact that such herbs, with the right approach, can be of great help in fighting the disease, but it is impossible to cure them only by them. So do not torture your animal with attempts at home treatment - always consult a specialist.