Chronic Renal (Kidney) Failure in Dogs

Digg

Del.icio.us

Stumble

Chronic Renal (Kidney) Failure in Dogs

By: Dr. Debra Primovic

Pages 1 2 3 4

Section: Veterinary Care In-depth

Treatment In-depth

Treatment of chronic renal failure must be individualized based on the severity of the condition, the cause, secondary diseases or conditions and other factors that must be analyzed by your veterinarian. A search for reversible causes of kidney failure should be completed. The ultimate goal of the management of CRF is to provide supportive care while trying to treat and eliminate secondary factors aggravating kidney failure such as, infections, dehydration, malnutrition, anemia, etc.

Treatments for CRF may include:

Fluid therapy is important to correct dehydration and abnormalities in serum electrolytes. Care must be taken to avoid over-hydrating the patient, because the kidneys may not be able to produce urine to get rid of the excess fluid.

Dietary therapy may include a diet that is low in protein and phosphorus.

Special diets are formulated for pets with chronic renal failure such as Prescription diet u/d, CNM NF-FORMULA, Eukanuba Nutritional Kidney Formula/Early Stage/Canine, Eukanuba Nutritional Kidney Formula/Advanced Stage/Canine, IVD Modified.

Management of abnormal blood potassium may be done. The level may be low or high (with late stage of kidney failure). Correction of metabolic acidosis may be performed by treating the problem with sodium bicarbonate if needed.

Elevated phosphorus may be treated with intestinal phosphorus binders such as aluminum hydroxide and aluminum carbonate.

Control of vomiting may be treated with drugs that may beneficial, including: cimetidine (Tagamet®), ranitidine (Zantac®) or famotidine (Pepcid®).

Anabolic steroids are available, but there are no long-term studies demonstrating their efficacy.

Anemia may be treated with recombinant human erythropoietin. Dogs treated with Epogen have demonstrated resolution of anemia, weight gain, improved appetite, improved haircoat and improved sociability with their owners. There are some risks associated with its use.

Vitamin D (calcitriol or 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) may be supplemented (as Calcitriol synthesis is impaired with CRF). The benefits of supplementation are controversial. Calcitriol must only be used after hyperphosphatemia has been adequately controlled.

Patient monitoring is an important part of continuing optimal treatment. Monitoring may include the following: serial body weight (to determinations facilitate proper fluid therapy); measurement of urine output; packed cell volume (PCV) and total plasma proteins (will help monitor fluid load); and serial determinations of serum biochemistry are necessary to determine if the animal is responding to treatment. These determinants will help determine the proper fluid and drug therapy.

Treatment may be required from three to five days, depending on the response and secondary causes. If treatment fails, dialysis or kidney transplant may be a treatment possibility. Referral may be required for dialysis treatment. CRF may be progressive despite treatment. The prognosis for recovery of renal function depends on the severity of the renal lesions and the cause of CRF. Euthanasia may be considered for pets that do not respond to treatment.

Pages 1 2 3 4

Printable Version

Digg

Del.icio.us

Stumble

Share this Article with a Friend Email To:

Have a Pet Question?

Review the Most Frequent Questions
Answered by Dr. Jon and His Staff of Veterinarians

Dr. Jon's Newsletter

Yes! Send Me the Latest Health Information, Pet Tips, Pet Stories and more...

Search Over 15,000 articles

1 Anemia in Dogs
Anemia is defined as a low red blood cell count. Anemia can be caused by a number of different processes, including blood loss, red blood cell destruction, and inadequate red blood cell production.
Read More
2 Complete Blood Count (CBC) in Dogs
A complete blood count (CBC) is a blood test to evaluate the number of specific cells in the blood. This test is often used as a screening test for underlying infection, anemia and illness.
Read More
3 Urinalysis in Dogs
A urinalysis is a laboratory test that evaluates urine. A urinalysis usually consists of three parts which includes looking at the physical sample, a dipstick analysis and looking at the sediment under...
Read More
4 Subcutaneous Fluids in Dogs
If your dog is dehydrated, fluids can be administered subcutaneously, in the area just under the skin and on top of the underlying muscle. The advantages of this method are the ease of administration,...
Read More
5 Biochemical Profile in Dogs
A biochemical profile is a blood test that assesses the function of internal organs, measures the electrolytes such as blood potassium, and identifies the levels of circulating enzymes.
Read More

Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles

Dogs & Puppies

Dog Breeds

labrador retriever, golden retriever, yorkshire terriers, german shepherds, beagle, boxers

Dog Medication

dog allergy medication, dog pain medication, dog anxiety medication, dog flea medication

Dog Products

dog bowls, dog crates, dog toys, dog beds, dog ramps, dog food storage, dog tags

Dog Symptoms

dog vomiting, dog limping, dog diarrhea, dog bad breath, dog coughing, dog seizures

Dog Health

dog cancer, dog diabetes, dog epilepsy, dog hip dysplasia, dog health, sick dog

Dog Care

dog vaccination, dog microchipping, dog grooming, dog neutering, dog spaying, dogs mating

Dog Training

dog aggression, dog barking, dog chewing, dog behavior, dog jumping, dog whisperer

Dog Pictures

puppy pictures, funny dogs, cute dogs, dog breeds, sleeping dogs, silly dogs, small dogs

Cats

Cat Breeds

persian, siamese cats, devon rex, ragdoll cats, sphynx, maine coon cat

Cat Medication

cat flea medication, cat heartworm control, cat tick medications

Cat Products

cat litter box, cat food, cat bed, cat flea collar, cat carrier, cat urine odor

Cat Symptoms

cat vomiting, cat limping, cat diarrhea, cat bad breath, cat coughing

Cat Health

cat health, cat liver cancer, cat diabetes, cat scratch fever, cat aids, sick cat

Cat Care

cat vaccination, cat grooming, cat microchipping, cat neutering, cat spaying

Cat Behavior

cat urine marking, cat furniture scratching, cat litterbox training, cat toilet training, cat fears

Cat Pictures

cute cats, funny cats, playful cats, fat cats, jumping cats, lazy cats, sleeping cats, cute kittens

1Biochemical Profile in Dogs
A biochemical profile is a blood test that assesses the function of internal organs, measures the electrolytes such as blood potassium, and identifies the levels of circulating enzymes.
Read More
2Complete Blood Count (CBC) in Dogs
A complete blood count (CBC) is a blood test to evaluate the number of specific cells in the blood. This test is often used as a screening test for underlying infection, anemia and illness.
Read More
3Urinalysis in Dogs
A urinalysis is a laboratory test that evaluates urine. A urinalysis usually consists of three parts which includes looking at the physical sample, a dipstick analysis and looking at the sediment under...
Read More
4Anemia in Dogs
Anemia is defined as a low red blood cell count. Anemia can be caused by a number of different processes, including blood loss, red blood cell destruction, and inadequate red blood cell production.
Read More
5Subcutaneous Fluids in Dogs
If your dog is dehydrated, fluids can be administered subcutaneously, in the area just under the skin and on top of the underlying muscle. The advantages of this method are the ease of administration,...
Read More

Chronic Renal (Kidney) Failure in Dogs

Chronic Renal (Kidney) Failure in Dogs

Related Articles

Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles

"Chronic Renal (Kidney) Failure in Dogs"

To view the requested article, please register below.

Success! - You Are Now Part of the Petplace Family!