Chronic kidney disease, which is also called chronic renal failure (CRF) is common in dogs, especially older dogs. How do you know if your dog has chronic kidney disease? Your dog will show you it is ill if you know what to look for.
Signs of kidney disease:
• increased water consumption or polydipsia
• increased urine production or polyuria
• loss of appetite
• lethargy and depression
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• very bad breath
• ulcers in the mouth
The signs of CRF are different from those of acute renal failure. Dogs with acute disease pass little or no urine and are severely ill. Dogs with CRF drink and pee excessively. Dogs with CRF develop increasingly worsening symptoms, but they may do so at such a subtle rate that we aren’t always aware of what’s happening until most of the kidney has been destroyed.
Confirm signs with blood and urine tests
When a pet has symptoms listed above, we want to confirm that it has CRF with blood and urine tests. Get these tests every 6 months if your pet is a senior because seniors are more at risk for kidney disease than are young dogs. For younger dogs, have blood and urine tests annually.
What's next?
In future Caring for Pet discussions, we'll cover what goes wrong with calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and the red blood cells in a pet with CRF, then we'll discuss which herbs, medications, and supplements will prolong life.
The more we understand CRF, the better care we can give our pets.
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