What Are the Signs of Dog Kidney Failure, and How Is It Treated?

1 Signs and Treatment of Canine Kidney Failure

I. Symptoms

1. Early: dehydration, diarrhea, too much or too little urine, thirst, drowsiness, lost appetite, vomiting, weight loss.

2. Long-term: frequent bleeding or bruising; high blood pressure, sometimes blindness or vision issues; lung fluid and breathing trouble; waste affecting the CNS can cause seizures.

II. Treatment

First find the cause. An older dog may have natural chronic failure—treat under a vet (e.g., a kidney-support drug). A younger dog may have acute failure from something eaten—emergency vet care: catheter, fluids, stabilizing drugs. Bacterial or parasitic infection needs the infection cleared. Treat early in every case. Common methods:

1. Drugs to promote urine and lower blood pressure;

2. Fix gut issues and tighten diet management;

3. Supplements and drugs for anemia;

4. Fluid therapy—the most common kidney treatment; acute failure needs IV fluids and diuretics for days, chronic needs injected drugs and diet control.

Kidney failure is painful; beyond the vet, owners must help care and not give up—good care restores normal life and extends it.

Notes:

1. Any type means poor kidney function—no meat or dairy (too much phosphorus burdens the kidneys). Follow the vet’s diet strictly.

2. Feed in ways the dog likes to keep appetite up; if it won’t eat, make a paste and syringe-feed, and give active probiotics for vitamins and to control mouth ulcers.

Kidney failure is often irreversible, especially chronic, and leaves after-effects. Keep the diet light—low salt, sugar, fat—and teach the dog to refuse random food.