Canine Renal Dysplasia

Golden retrievers among the dog breeds susceptible to canine renal dysplasia.

Canine renal dysplasia, also known as juvenile renal disease, affects young dogs. It's a chronic disease causing one or both kidneys in a dog to fail. The disease limits the ability of the dog's kidneys to eliminate harmful toxins from the body. Although the prognosis for a dog diagnosed with JRD in both kidneys isn't overly hopeful, a dog with JRD in just one kidney can live a normal life when the disease is carefully managed.

Breeds Affected

JRD is a genetic disease. This means it's passed from generation to generation, although not all puppies in a litter are impacted by the disease. Researchers and veterinarians document various strains of the disease in doberman pinchers, standard poodles and more recently in golden retrievers. Manifestations of canine renal dysplasia also appear in bulldogs, miniature schnauzers and Yorkshire terriers, among other breeds. The disease doesn't discriminate based on breed size, impacting large and small breeds of dogs equally.

Symptoms

Dogs with JRD drink lots of water and need to urinate frequently. It's not unusual for the urine to lack color or odor. Puppies may trickle urine uncontrollably. Later stage symptoms of canine renal dysplasia include nausea, weight loss, sluggishness and muscle weakness. It's also common to smell a chemical-like odor on the dog's breath--a sign the kidneys are malfunctioning.

Occurrence

Owners may begin to notice symptoms in puppies that are just a few weeks old. For other owners, their dog may not show any symptoms until he's full grown.
Furthermore, dogs may not exhibit symptoms of canine renal dysplasia until less than 25 percent of kidney function exists--when the disease is in its advanced stages.
The size of the lesions on the dog's kidneys, found at the time of diagnosis, may indicate the stage of the disease. The larger the lesion size, the more advanced stage of the disease. The opposite is also true.

Diagnosis

A veterinarian diagnoses JRD in dogs by taking a biopsy of the kidney. The biopsy can't be done until the dog is at least 2 months old or older to ensure the kidneys are fully mature. A trained pathologist reviews the biopsy and issues a diagnosis. For dog owners unwilling to put their dog through the biopsy procedure, a veterinarian develops a treatment plan with a diagnosis made on symptoms alone. With proper medical management, the dog can lead a longer, relatively good quality of life, even though the disease can't be completely cured.

Treatment

A medical management plan for a dog suffering from canine renal dysplasia includes a low-protein and phosphorous diet and IV fluids to lesson toxins metabolized in the kidneys. Prescription drugs are used to treat more advanced stages of the disease, such as anemia. Kidney dialysis is also offered at various veterinarian hospitals for dogs with more advanced stages.

References

• Vetprof.com: Juvenile Renal Disease
• DaneMist.com: About Canine Renal Disease