Support for Kidney Failure in Dogs
Your older dog urinates more often, always seems thirsty and looks like he is losing weight. Upon examination, your veterinarian diagnoses kidney failure and recommends a series of medications and fluid therapy to relieve some of the symptoms and keep your dog feeling normal. Learning all you can about canine renal failure will allow you to make wise medical decisions for the well-being and life of your pet.
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Veterinary Treatment
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In "Common Diseases of Companion Animals," Dr. Alleice Summers writes that veterinary treatment "should be aimed at supportive care and correction of imbalances (dehydration, electrolytes, metabolic acidosis, gastrointestinal symptoms)."
Veterinarians typically recommend that affected animals receive intravenous or subcutaneous fluids to correct the dehydration associated with the disease. They will often suggest anti-nausea medications for kidney patients with gastrointestinal distress and oral potassium supplements to correct hypokalemia (excess calcium in the blood). In animals where systemic high blood pressure compromises kidney function, vets usually give a diuretic, such as furosemide, or an ace-inhibitor, such as enalapril, to lower body fluids and blood pressure and increase organ function. Because kidney failure causes some animals to become anemic, the administration of epoetin (a synthetic hormone) may increase red blood cell production in the kidneys.
At-Home Treatment
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Pet owners must continue veterinary support for dogs undergoing kidney failure at home to help slow the progression of the disease and relieve some of the symptoms.
Veterinarians typically teach their patients' owners how to administer subcutaneous fluids to the sick animal on a daily basis to maintain hydration and improve kidney function. They will need to administer all prescribed oral medications and possibly monitor fluid intake and output by measuring how much the dog drinks and urinates. While at home, the kidney patient typically eats a prescribed veterinary diet.
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Prescribed Diet
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Kidney failure dogs normally eat a prescribed diet lower in protein, sodium and phosphorus to reduce kidney workload by avoiding excessive by-products excreted through the urinary system. These foods counteract the tendency for gastrointestinal upset by introducing an intestinal buffer into the dog's system. The prescribed diet contains higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, increases blood flow to the kidneys and reduces systemic and renal hypertension (high blood pressure), says Hill's Key to Clinical Nutrition. Veterinarians urge owners to maintain their pet on this diet without resorting to treats or table scraps, which would further impair the animal's kidneys.
Considerations
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Dogs with kidney failure maintain their health for a significant amount of time after diagnosis with proper at-home treatment and veterinary monitoring, say the vets at California's Long Beach Animal Hospital. They recommend a physical examination for every animal with renal disease every three to six months and that owners allow veterinarians to perform both total urinalysis and full blood panel testing on the animal to follow the progression of the disorder.
Warning
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According to the veterinarians at VetInfo.com, canine kidney failure carries a poor prognosis, as no cure exists for the disease. While dialysis represents a possibility for some kidney patients, the cost of the treatment can become prohibitive to some owners. Most veterinarians recognize the inevitability of death for their canine patients and will counsel dog owners regarding euthanasia when medical treatment no longer works.
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References
Resources
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