Kidney Disease in Pets
It is important to remember that once long-standing kidney disease is diagnosed, it cannot be reversed, but keeping the remaining kidney function happy for as long as possible is the priority.
The role of the kidneys is to:
- Remove waste products. Kidneys filter the blood to keep the good things we need in the blood and dump the bad things we don’t need into the urine
- Produce hormones that controls red cell production and calcium absorption
- Maintain hydration by controlling water absorption from the urine
- Assist with blood pressure control
The good news is, the kidneys have a large amount of spare capacity to perform these functions, so at least 70% of the kidneys need to be dysfunctional before kidney disease will occur. In many cases this means that the damage has been occurring over a number of months or years (chronic) before we are aware there is a problem. This means senior pets are more likely to be at risk.
The bad news is, kidney disease is often irreversible by the time it is diagnosed. This is due to a lot of the signs of kidney disease such as lethargy (reduced activity), weight loss and poor coat being often mistaken as old age. This results in the disease not being diagnosed until it is too late.
Other signs of kidney disease are
- Increased thirst and urination,
- Decreased appetite,
- Bad breath,
- Vomiting,
- Diarrhoea and
- In cats, sudden blindness can occur.
There are many causes of kidney disease and the list includes:
- Toxins such as lily and anti-freeze ingestion
- Vascular damage – blood clots that lodge in the kidneys
- Inflammatory diseases that lead to scarring in the kidneys
- Cancer
- Infection – most commonly bacterial or viral
- Drugs – most commonly those that effect blood flow through the kidneys (It may surprise you that a lot of the common anti-arthritic medication we use for old pets can over time lead to kidney damage so regular monitoring is important).
Kidney Disease Diagnosis
A diagnosis of kidney disease is based on a blood test that shows increase in blood urea, creatinine and SDMA (waste products produced by the kidney) in conjunction with dilute urine.
It is important to remember that once long-standing kidney disease is diagnosed, it cannot be reversed, but keeping the remaining kidney function happy for as long as possible is the priority.
Reducing the stress on the kidneys
We achieve this by reducing the stress on the kidneys by:
Lowering dietary products that are excreted by the kidneys and cause them to work harder ie protein and phosphorus.
Adding dietary products that are lost in the urine with kidneys disease ie potassium and water-soluble vitamins such as B & C. These diets are available as ready-made dry and canned foods. In those dogs and cats that prove fussy, there are homemade recipes available.
Monitoring blood pressure. Increased blood pressure puts more force through the kidney’s filtering sieve which causes further kidney damage. By reducing blood pressure with medication this will not only help the kidneys but also help prevent damage in other areas of the body such as the eyes, heart and brain. Blood pressure is routinely monitored while on medication, to ensure we are happy with the dosage.