As pets get older, their kidneys are often the first organs to lose efficiency. When kidney disease (or degeneration) is diagnosed early we can put steps in motion to make life easier for the kidneys and hence the pet.
If the pet has no signs, but merely has positive blood tests, we will start the pet on special prescription diets that can forestall the build up of additional poisons in the blood stream. Pets with kidney degeneration that are fed these kidney-sparing diets live an average of two years longer than pets that eat regular pet foods. We will then monitor the kidneys with scheduled blood testing.
If the pet is ill from kidney disease, then further steps are warranted. Signs of kidney disease can include excessive thirst, not eating, vomiting, lethargy, weakness and so on. Since these can also occur with many problems, we need to do lab work to confirm the diagnosis.In addition, hospitalization is often necessary. One of the reasons these pets stop eating is because the diseased kidneys can’t filter out toxins, leading to a buildup of toxins in the blood. We place these pets on IV fluids in order to correct dehydration and flush the toxins out. We also treat them with Famatodine (Pepcid AC) either orally or with an injectable form, since the toxin buildup can lead to stomach ulcers. Depending on the lab work results and clinical signs, we may also add in medications for vomiting, and potassium supplementation to bring phosphorus levels down. Kidney disease can also cause high blood pressure so we monitor that with a Doppler unit and treat that if needed.
Standard treatment includes the above for three days followed by lab tests to evaluate the progress of therapy. If the numbers are improved and the pet is eating, we send the pet home. If there is definite improvement in the lab work results but they are not within normal ranges we might consider additional days of treatment. If the results and the pet are not improved at all, additional treatment often can help, but the chances of this happening are less.
It’s obvious that kidney failure is a complex multifaceted problem. By paying attention to the details above we can often add years of comfortable life for your pet.