KIDNEY DISEASE FACTS AND THE STEPS TO TAKE
AGE
The sad fact is that the older your dog gets the greater the chances of getting kidney disease is. With most dogs it’s after the age of seven that kidney disease can start to develop.
FOOD
Always remember that if there is at least one thing you can do to prevent kidney disease it’s controlling the food your dog eats. Studies have shown that adjusting the diet and pairing it with medical treatment can improve chances of survival. Poor nutrition will affect your dog’s overall health, and dehydration is one cause for kidney inflammation; the wrong diet can make your dog dehydrated or overstimulate the kidneys.
Inflamed or injured kidneys is usually a clear sign that your dog is heading toward kidney failure. It can help to minimize the risk substantially by switching to low protein dog food brands, particularly those with high moisture content, to help boost his kidney’s healing and function.
TRY THESE 6 KINDS OF DIET FOR KIDNEY DISEASE DOGS
- A balanced fresh food diet
- Be sure there is sufficient calcium and dark, leafy greens in the diet to keep phosphorus levels down
- Support the kidneys with products to help cleanse the body of toxic waste
- Avoid dry foods which will rob the body of water and lead to dehydration
- Avoid processed kibbles and canned foods, which will add to the toxin load
- Add a glandular product (desiccated kidney) to your dog’s diet. Feeding kidney will support kidney health and boost the immune system
BREEDS
While you can’t control the breed of your dog, knowing which breeds have a predisposition to this disease can help you monitor your dog throughout his life.
THESE BREEDS HAVE THE HIGHEST MORTALITY AS A RESULT OF KIDNEY FAILURE
- Bernese mountain dog
- Flat-coated retriever
- Boxer
One thing most people don’t know about is DNA testing your dog, which can expose the canine’s history. Certain DNA testing services even offer further investigation in you dog’s breed related health problems and potential hereditary conditions. Embark DNA does this service.
ENVIRONMENT
The environment has been shown to be a factor in human kidney problems and so it is with dogs. Toxins present in your dog’s environment can cause irreparable kidney damage over time. This can be from home cleaning products, pesticides or fertilizers if you live in rural areas, all of which can be poisonous and cause the kidney failure.
POISONING
There are several foods that are dangerous to dogs and result in health problems and even death. Some of these are specifically associated with kidney problems and have led to kidney failure in dogs. Most of us know that chocolate is poisonous to dogs but so are grapes and raisins which have be associated with renal failure in dogs. Education is the best defense.
SOME OTHER COMMON POISONS FOUND TO CAUSE KIDNEY FAILURE IN DOGS
- bug spray
- rodent poison
- flea and tick treatments
- ibuprofen
- house cleaners
- fertilizers and pesticides
- avocado
- xylitol ( which is found in human toothpaste and some peanut butters )
- alcohol
- house and garden plants ( including crocus, azaleas, daffodils, tulips, sago palms )
URINARY BLOCKAGE
UTI’s, bladder stones and pancreatitis in dogs can adversely affect the entire renal system. The pressure build up of urine causes a backup all the way to the kidneys which can cause inflammation. If this continues for a long time, irreversible damage can occur.
MEDICATIONS
Always to alert for side effects to prescribed medications by your veterinarian and cease administration immediately when spotting them. Medications can be just as dangerous as poisons for you dog. Some NSAIDs ( including improper use of NSAIDs rather than specific medications ) have been found to be directly responsible for and seen as causes of kidney failure in dogs.
Kidney toxicity in dogs is a potential side effect of many conventional veterinary drugs and can cause severe symptoms, including:
- loss of appetite
- halitosis
- dehydration
- blood in the urine
- vomiting
- lethargy
- side pain
CANCER
Though not a common condition, bladder cancer can cause inflammation and a blockage of the renal system. Eventually, it will disrupt kidney function and can cause significant damage of a period of time. Cancer treatment and inflammation medications can go a long way towards protecting the kidneys.
HERE ARE 4 HOME TREATMENTS FOR YOUR DOGS KIDNEY FAILURE
Since there is little medical care available for dogs suffering from kidney disease and renal failure, lifestyle and treatment management at home is all that much more important, with some especially important areas of focus. There have been some studies that show dietary changes along with drug treatment are the mos effective ways of managing a dogs failing kidneys. Here’s a look at what has been shown to provide some good results.
MOISTURE AND HYDRATION
Dehydration has been shown to worsen kidney disease, meaning it’s important to immediately take your dog off of certain dry foods and it may be a good idea to place him on a high moisture diet.
LOW PROTEIN
For healthy dogs a high protein diet is best because it won’t harm the kidneys, while dogs with kidney disease are much better off on low protein and low phosphorus diets because they don’t work the kidneys as hard to digest the proteins.
WATER INTAKE
You do want to increase the moisture of your dogs food and try to get him to increase his water consumption by trying a few of these options. Always consult your veterinarian first but if you need to hydrate your dog quickly, it is sometimes possible to give Pedialyte diluted with equal parts of water.
Putting a few blueberries into his water bowl can get him to drink more, plus, it’s they contain antioxidants that have been shown to be extremely beneficial to dogs. DON’T USE GRAPES!
Many dogs like to drink from a hose or water fountain, so you can buy pet water fountains that have been specifically designed to encourage your dog to drink more. Careful too much water an be deadly. Try different types of water bowls around the house because your dog probably will develop a favorite. During hot days put some ice cubes in the water.
WEIGH YOUR DOG
Weigh your dog weekly because losing weight can be a bad sign. You can weigh him at home simply by holding him while standing on a scale and subtracting your weight.
Kidney failure can and often does come without warning and losing your dog to this disease can be devastating. Because of this there is more research than ever being conducted in this area which will be reported on this site as they develop.
THE HORROR OF TREMORS AND SHAKING IN DOGS WITH KIDNEY FAILURE
The common symptoms of kidney disease in dogs have been well covered but there are less known symptoms that are also very disturbing. These include, muscle twitching, seizure, and tremors. During kidney failure the reason for these symptoms can be understandably confused. The importance of distinguishing the difference between them can lead to the correct treatments because they can vary. The correct early treatment can prevent some problems from deteriorating rapidly into much more serious and painful conditions.
THE MISDIAGNOSIS OF MUSCLE SPASMS
In dogs with kidney disease spasmodic muscle twitching is commonly seen. There may also be associated signs of stiffness and weakness in the legs. Be aware that sometimes vets can wrongly diagnose this as age-related arthritis or joint inflammation, particularly if the kidney disease has not so far been identified. This misdiagnoses can have harmful effects on kidney disease, making if much worse and potentially adversely affecting the liver as well. Make sure your vet does the proper testing to rule out kidney disease.
WATCH THOSE CALCIUM LEVELS
Muscle spasms are most often caused by calcium deficiency in dogs with kidney disease. This condition is commonly called hypocalcemia but it is not recommended giving the dog a calcium supplement just because you have observed this symptom. The arbitrary use of a calcium supplement can lead to hypercalcemia and bladder stones being produced, as well as hypertension, constipation, depression and, in severe cases, coma. Please note that excessive calcium in the blood ( hypercalcemia ) can also occur through excessive Vitamin D intake.
REDUCE PHOSPHORUS CONSUMPTION
While phosphorus is the next most abundant mineral after calcium found in the canine body and helps in a variety of essential functions you must guard against too high a level of phosphorus. Phosphorus can help maintain a healthy pH balance, transporting oxygen around the body, producing vital hormones and transforming protein and fat into useful energy. Phosphorous and calcium together help create and support bones and teeth. Healthy kidneys regulate these two minerals and keep a correct balance of them in the blood. The kidneys also turn vitamin D into an active hormone ( calcitriol ), which helps increase calcium absorption for the intestines into the blood.
So what’s the problem? High levels of phosphorous cause low blood calcium ( the results of which are calcium being forcibly extracted from the bones ), heart problems, hardening of tissues in the heart, arteries, skin, joints and lungs, and an over-production of PTH ( the parathyroid hormone ). The latter can lead to a condition known as renel osteodystrophy, where bones become weak and break easily.
Make sure you maintain the proper levels of phosphorous in the diet because excessive amounts can’t be excreted from the dog’s body due to the kidneys not functioning properly. High levels of phosphorous prevent calcium being absorbed, which leads to abnormal nerve functioning. Muscle spasms are a symptom of this nerve function defect.
KIDNEY FAILURE LEADS TO SEIZURES
Seizures can be confused with muscle spasms, but are more serious and more likely to occure late into kidney failure. Seizures can be mild, where there is a general trembling of the body or the onset of a sudden ‘trance-like’ state lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes; or they might be more extreme, with dogs suffering full-blown epileptic-like convulsions.
Later into the degenerative nature of kidney disease, the build-up of toxins, including parathormone, and this further complicates calcium absorption.
Uremic encephalopathy is an orgainic brain disorder and causes fatigue and weakness and, in severe cases, seizures and coma. It comes when kidney function falls below a critical level and when toxin concentrations start to have a severe effect on a dog’s neurological system.
This is what we all dread, when the seizures become aggressive and increase in frequency, despite us doing all we can do in treating the kidney disease it may be the time to consider euthanasia. This type of seizure cannot be prevented late into stage 4 kidney failure and they are likely to further deteriorate and become associated with more painful conditions in the ensuing days or weeks.
