Chronic Renal (Kidney) Failure in Dogs

Chronic Renal (Kidney) Failure in Dogs

By: Dr. Debra Primovic

Section: Information In-depth

Other medical problems can lead to symptoms similar to those encountered in CRF. Laboratory testing (blood work and urinalysis testing) will often diagnose CRF. Further diagnostic testing may be needed to determine the underlying cause.

Diseases that can appear similar to those with CRF include:

  • Acromegaly (abnormal enlargement of of the extremities of the skeleton due to overgrowth of connective tissue)

  • Acute renal failure (sudden onset of kidney failure)

  • Diabetes insipidus (a metabolic disorder, which results in a deficient quantity of the hormone ADH being released or produced, resulting in failure of reabsorption of water in the kidney)

  • Diabetes mellitus (malfunction of the pancreas, whose function is the production and release of insulin)

  • Drugs (diuretics, corticosteroids)

  • Excessive parenteral fluid administration

  • Hyperadrenocorti
    cism (Cushing's disease)

  • Hypercalcemia (high blood calcium)

  • Hypoadrenocorticism (Addison's disease)

  • Hypokalemia (low blood potassium)

  • Liver disease

  • Multiple myeloma (cancer)

  • Partial urinary tract obstruction

  • Polycythemia (an increase in the circulating red blood cell mass)

  • Post-obstructive diuresis (an increased excretion of the urine due to the diuretic effect of urea and electrolytes retained during the period of obstruction)

  • Primary hyperparathyroidism (abnormally increased activity of the parathyroid gland)

  • Psychogenic polydipsia (excessive drinking caused by psychological causes, such as boredom)

  • Pyelonephritis (inflammation of the kidney and renal pelvis)

  • Pyometra (uterine infection of intact dogs)

  • Renal glucosuria (the presence of sugar in the urine)

    Causes

  • Chronic interstitial nephritis (inflammation of the kidney) of unknown cause (most common)

  • Amyloidosis (when the protein amyloid is deposited in various tissues tissues become waxy and nonfunctioning)

  • Chronic glomerulonephritis (a variety of nephritis)

  • Chronic obstructive uropathy (any disease in the urinary tract)

  • Chronic pyelonephritis (inflammation of the kidney and renal pelvis)

  • Familial renal disease (disease pets can be born with such as in cocker spaniel, Lhasa apso, shih tzu, Norwegian elkhound, Samoyed, Doberman pinscher, soft-coated wheaten terrier, bull terrier, golden retriever, and others)

  • From acute renal failure

  • Hypercalcemic nephropathy (caused by high blood calcium)

  • Leptospirosis (an infectious disease of all species)

  • Cancer of the kidney

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