Reduce the stress of increased urination
It can be distressing for a dog to have urinary accidents in the house due to increased thirst and increased urination. There are a few options that are good for reducing stress for your dog and making cleanup easier for you:
You can offer your dog a variety of kidney-safe diets (dry and/or canned) since his or her appetite varies from day to day and even moment to moment. And you may wish to try adding jarred baby foods to the top of the regular diet as a way to encourage appetite through variety.
If your pup is getting sores in the mouth, rinsing the mouth with green tea can be soothing. Alternatively, your vet may prescribe “magic mouthwash” if your dog allows you to apply it.
Please know that no one set of tools is going to be perfect for every canine patient. It can take some trial and error to find out what is most helpful long-term for your sweet pup.
When managing a dog with kidney disease at home, it is common to wonder “what’s next?” and “how long can we manage his or her disease?” The difficult thing about kidney disease is that there is no consistent and reliable “easy” answer to these questions.
Sometimes, dogs with kidney disease can be managed at home for years after the diagnosis. And the dog can live a very good quality of life in the process. Other times, dogs with kidney failure may progress quickly from mild disease to severe disease, and quality of life declines in a matter of weeks. So how do we evaluate the prognosis?
Well, as mentioned above, the severity of blood work changes can give us an idea of the stage of kidney disease the dog is currently in. This helps us understand how far the disease has progressed. But it still does not tell us how quickly he or she may move through the remaining stages of disease. It is emotionally difficult, but we often must take a bit of a “wait and see” type of approach.
However, sometimes we can get a good idea of a dog’s overall prognosis based on how he or she responds to therapy during the first few days and weeks after the initial diagnosis. As treatment progresses, positive prognostic indicators include:
What is renal failure in dogs?
Renal failure (also referred to as kidney failure) can be caused by many conditions that negatively affect the health and functioning of the kidneys and its related organs.
A healthy dog’s kidneys work to regulate hydration, release hormones required to produce red blood cells, remove toxins and maintain a normal balance of electrolytes. If a dog experiences kidney failure, the kidneys no longer perform these functions efficiently.
While kidney problems can be concerning for any pet owner, don’t lose hope if your veterinarian has diagnosed your pup with a kidney issue that may lead to kidney failure. Depending on the circumstances, there may be measures you and your veterinarian can take to prolong your pet’s life. Here’s what you should know.
There are two types of renal failure in dogs:
Most commonly associated with toxins or infections, acute renal failure causes kidney function to suddenly decline (in hours or days).
This type of kidney failure involves more gradual loss of kidney function (over weeks, months or years). Degeneration associated with geriatric decline is often to blame. While all kidneys have a natural lifespan, some dogs’ kidneys will, unfortunately, deteriorate more quickly than others.
Any disease that impacts the kidneys can cause kidney failure. These conditions include:
From abnormal development and cysts to agenesis (being born without one or both kidneys) there are a number of inherited conditions that can lead to abnormal kidney function.
These can be transmitted by swimming in or drinking contaminated water. This type of infection can cause the kidneys to become inflamed and renal cells to be destroyed.
Also referred to as kidney poisoning, toxicosis can damage the kidneys’ cells and happens when your dog ingests poisons (such as chocolate or antifreeze) or drugs (such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen). These are just some of the many common household items that should be kept out of the reach of your dog’s curious paws.
Any condition that causes the kidneys to stop functioning properly is referred to as kidney or renal disease in dogs, and may vary significantly in severity. While damage is in progress, there is still functional tissue left. Renal failure is far more serious, as the kidneys have stopped working altogether.
What can I expect from this first phase of treatment?
There are three possible outcomes from the first phase of treatment:
1. The kidneys will resume functioning and continue to function for a few weeks to a few years.
2. The kidneys will resume functioning during treatment but fail again as soon as treatment stops, usually within three to fourteen days.
3. Kidney function will not return.
Unfortunately, there are no reliable tests that will predict the outcome. Each case should be treated aggressively and monitored closely. Even dogs that have severe kidney failure may respond favorably to treatment and resume a normal quality of life after treatment.