Introduction
Kidney disease in dogs can be a devastating condition that drastically affects the dog’s health and quality of life. Early diagnosis and medication intervention can help to reduce or eliminate the effects of kidney disease, but unfortunately in many cases by the time kidney disease is diagnosed extensive damage to the kidneys has occurred. If you notice any of the following symptoms in your dog, take your dog to a veterinarian immediately; a simple blood test could save your dog’s life.
Symptoms of Kidney Disease
Kidney disease can occur due to a variety of causes, but regardless of the cause kidney disease affects the kidney’s ability to function properly. The kidneys are responsible for cleaning wastes out of the blood, producing essential hormones, and balancing the amount of components in the blood. Once the kidneys are affected by disease, the dog’s body is unable to eliminate wastes or maintain proper hormone levels.
The beginning symptoms of kidney disease appear as increased water consumption, increased urination, and urine that is very light in color. These symptoms occur as a result of the dog’s body trying to flush out toxic wastes. Additional symptoms that appear as the disease progresses include: depression, loss of appetite, weight loss, discolored teeth, an unusual odor to the dog’s breath, vomiting, weakness, refusal to exercise or engage in physical activities, pale gums, ulcers in the mouth, shivering, wasting of the muscles, and diarrhea.
Kidney disease cannot normally be cured, but it can be controlled with medications, diet, and therapies that will rid the body of waste build up.