Kidney Disease Treatment

There is so much we can do for dogs & cats with kidney disease. The last few Caring for Pets entries have covered what the kidneys do, signs of kidney disease, what pets with kidney disease feel, what causes kidney disease, and the differences between acute and chronic disease. Then, we began discussing treatment, beginning with Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 FA can come from from fish or flax, or even hemp. Today, let’s cover Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula that benefit pets with acute or chronic kidney disease.

Unlike many Western treatments for kidney disease which have been developed in the last 10 or 20 years, Chinese herbal formulas have been perfected over two thousand years. They are more likely to do good and less likely to do harm than many of our newer medications for kidney disease.

Here are 8 examples of herbal formulas for our cats & dogs with kidney disease:
· Ba Wei Di Huang Wan,
· Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang,
· Er Xian Tang,
· Liu Wei Di Huang Wan,
· Wei Ling Tang,
· Xiao Chai Hu Tang,
· You Gui Wan, and
· Zhi Bai Di Huang.

Veterinarians trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), help guide clients toward using the formula that is best for their pet. Here are some of the questions I use when working with dogs & cats with kidney disease:
· How easily does your pet take medication? If the pet is picky, there is no point in recommending a formula with a markedly disagreeable taste.
· Does your pet seek out cool places to rest or warm places? Some herbal formulas are warming and some are cooling.
· Is your pet incontinent? Some formulas help pets hold their urine.
· How are the bones, and does your pet have problems with arthritis? Of the above-mentioned formula, 5 help with arthritis.
· Is your pet irritable? Some formulas help with restlessness and irritability.
· Does your pet have seizures or neurologic problems? One of the above formulas helps with seizures, and several formulas help with neurologic problems such as degenerative myelopathy.
· Does your pet have dry eye (KCS or keratoconjunctivitis sicca)? Three of the above formula help with KCS.
· Is your pet hyperthyroid? Two of the above formulas help treat hyperthyroidism in addition to kidney disease.
· Is your pet overweight or losing weight? Several formulas help thin pets gain weight and some help chubby pets lose weight.

Now, let’s have some examples of pets who use herbal formulas selected to treat both kidney disease and the pet's other significant health concerns:
· Meril has chronic kidney disease and arthritis; she benefits from Ba Wei Di Huang Wan.
· Rocky has problems with his kidneys and with itching, allergies, muscle twitching. He benefits from Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang.
· Gracie is hyperthyroid and has kidney disease. She benefits from Er Xian Tang.
· Sam had kidney disease, Cushing’s disease and cancer. Sam lived 5 years longer than predicted using Liu Wei Di Huang Wan.
· Chubby Megan has kidney disease. She benefits from Wei Ling Tang.
· Arnie has liver and kidney disease. He benefits from Xiao Chai Hu Tang—one of the very best formulas for pets with confusing symptoms.
· Nipper had leptospirosis causing an infection of the kidneys; he benefitted from Xiao Chai Hu Tang.
· Becky is incontinent, has hip dysplasia, and kidney disease. She benefits from You Gui Wan.
· Lucky is a thin, hyperthyroid cat who is always hot & thirsty. She benefits from Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan.

We’re only beginning to touch the surface of the benefit of these herbal formulas. For example, Xiao Chai Hu Tang also helps pets with Lyme’s disease, immune mediated hemolytic anemia, babesia and blood parasites.

To ensure you’re using the best TCM formula for your pet, have your veterinarian look at the whole picture. Usually it's best to have a vet trained in herbal medication Traditional Chinese Medicine.

In future Caring for Pet blog entries, we’ll cover more medications for pets with kidney disease.