Kidney Disease

Normally, healthy kidneys can eliminate protein wastes, and balance body water, salts and acids to produce high-quality urine. Although kidney disease is more often seen in older dogs and cannot be reversed or cured, its progression and debilitation can be slowed as soon as it’s found and treated. The clinical signs of more advanced kidney failure include loss of appetite, depression, vomiting, diarrhoea, and very bad breath. Occasionally, ulcers will be found in the mouth.

If your dog has kidney disease, your vet will prescribe medications and kidney-friendly diets, but the best way to prevent it is by catching it early. Regular vet checkups and appointments keep your dog’s health on track. Vets can measure levels of creatinine in the blood and SDMA tests can be administered so irregularities can be more easily identified.

The SDMA test is available to all veterinarians in the U.S. and Canada and picks up kidney disease months or even years earlier than traditional tests and is not impacted by a pet’s muscle mass When disease or advanced age causes the filtration process to become inefficient and ineffective, blood flow to the kidneys is increased in an attempt to increase filtration.

The body must increase the amount of blood flowing through the kidneys since less and less of the toxins are being removed each time. This results in the production of more urine. To keep the dog from becoming dehydrated due to increased fluid loss in the urine, thirst and water consumption is increased.

Therefore, one of the earliest clinical signs of kidney failure is increased water consumption and urination and is called compensated renal failure. After approximately 2/3 of the kidney tissue is destroyed, there is a rapid rise in waste products in the bloodstream and an apparent sudden onset of severe disease.