Kidney failure in dogs
The kidneys play an integral and important role in your dog’s health and survival. The recent dog food recall due to kidney failure and death in dogs that have eaten contaminated dog food has raised awareness of this condition.
The kidneys function primarily to aid in the maintenance of blood chemicals and act as a filtering system for waste products through your dog’s urine. The kidney also helps in
maintain the balance of certain chemicals in your dog’s blood.
When your dog’s kidneys are not working properly, toxins will not be filtered out of the blood system through urine. The result is a buildup of toxins and waste, which can be very dangerous to your dog’s survival.
Kidney failure in dogs can be caused by toxins introduced into your dog’s system, infection, or hereditary reasons.
According to the World Association of Small Animal Veterinarians, acute renal or renal failure is “rapid onset of azotemia over hours to days (two weeks)…” Some of the consequences “…often life-threatening “.
Some of the symptoms commonly associated with kidney failure in dogs are:
o Dehydration, your dog may be drinking more water than normal
o More urine than normal
o Less urine than normal
or lack of urine
or blood in the urine
or loss of appetite
or vomiting
or lethargy
o Stiff gait when your dogs walk
Diarrhea
o Poor condition of your dog’s coat
What you should do if you see signs of kidney failure in your dog.
Contact your vet immediately. Kidney failure in dogs is a very serious and life-threatening disease. Your veterinarian will examine your dog and, if kidney failure is suspected, perform blood and urine tests to help make a proper diagnosis.
Your veterinarian may also recommend other tests to make a diagnosis of kidney failure in your dog, such as an X-ray or ultrasound.
Keep your dog hydrated. It is essential that your dog drinks as much water as possible if his kidneys are not working properly.
Once a diagnosis of kidney failure in your dog has been confirmed, your veterinarian will make additional recommendations regarding your dog’s diet and certain supplements and vitamins that may be appropriate to help treat your dog’s kidney failure.
In the case of advanced acute kidney injury in dogs, a stay in the veterinary hospital may be necessary so that your veterinarian can monitor your dog’s condition, ensure adequate hydration, administer prescribed veterinary medications, and make changes to your dog’s diet. dog as needed.
In the recent dog food recall, it was determined that toxins in the form of melamine, a plastic used in the manufacture of plastics, were added to wheat gluten, a protein common in many commercial dog foods. Additional problems have now been discovered in contaminated corn gluten and rice protein that also contribute to kidney failure in dogs.
As the number of illnesses and deaths increases, it has become imperative that dog owners take preventive and proactive steps to protect their dogs from being susceptible to kidney failure in dogs.
o First, make sure your dog is not being fed any of the dog foods on the FDA’s recall list. You can see a current list: at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/petfoodrecall/#Dog
o Second, find out what is in your dog’s food to determine if the brand you are using provides a healthy and nutritious diet for your dog by visiting http://www.dogs-4life.com/dog-food-that- kills.html
or Third. If your dog has eaten any dog food subject to recall or is showing any symptoms of kidney failure in dogs, contact your veterinarian immediately. Time is of the essence and the health and lives of your dogs are at stake.