What is kidney disease?
The kidneys are responsible for the vital function of filtering and removing waste products from the body. When some reason causes these important functions to be poor, kidney disease occurs.
Symptoms, detection and prevention of kidney disease in pet cats and dogs
In general, kidney disease is divided into two categories:
1. Acute kidney injury – a sharp decline in kidney function
2. Chronic kidney disease – kidney function slowly declines over time
What causes chronic kidney disease?
There are many risk factors in life that can cause your pet to evolve into chronic kidney disease in the future, including: kidney stones, infectious diseases (including canine Lyme disease, canine Elisia, leptospirosis), toxins, injuries, genetic abnormalities, tumors. If you suspect that your pet has kidney disease, your pet doctor will work with you to determine the root cause and arrange the best treatment and health plan for your pet.
Early chronic kidney disease often has no clinical symptoms and is easily overlooked
Symptoms of kidney disease may be inconspicuous and usually have few symptoms in the early stages. If your pet has a mental appetite, weight loss, vomiting, thirst and polyuria, diarrhea, etc., or any change in lifestyle behavior, please inform the pet doctor as soon as possible. When there are significant symptoms, advanced chronic kidney disease that is difficult to treat has entered.
How to detect chronic kidney disease early
Regular examination and screening are important methods for early detection of kidney disease. Your pet’s veterinarian will work with you to regularly assess your pet’s kidney function based on your pet’s symptoms, age, and other factors.
Regular examinations include: hematology, serum biochemical tests, urine tests, imaging tests.
Chronic kidney disease requires repeated testing of more than 2 to 4 weeks to confirm the diagnosis
If your cat or dog is diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, don’t panic. Fortunately, you have already identified the disease, and the pet doctor can assist you in finding the root cause and tailor the treatment plan that best suits you and your pet. Some pets with chronic kidney disease still live happily for many years and have a good quality of life after diagnosis. After the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease, through long-term conditioning and monitoring, the deterioration of the disease can be delayed, so that dogs and cats can still maintain a good quality of life.
The treatment and conditioning principles of chronic kidney disease in pets are usually as follows:
Feed high-quality kidney formula, usually including wet food, to aid in water intake.
Be sure to maintain an adequate source of drinking water, as you may need to lure your pet into drinking water.
If necessary, hypertension should be treated.
If a severe loss of urine protein is found, treatment is required.
Drugs are needed to control the concentration of phosphorus in the blood.
Monitor closely and adjust management as the condition changes or worsens.
As your pet’s age and physical condition changes, a different diet, medication, or additional fluid supplement may be required. With this in mind, your pet doctor will work with you to monitor your pet’s condition and perform blood and urine tests to repeatedly confirm your pet’s kidney function. If the pet is in the early stage of chronic kidney disease, it may only take 2 to 3 re-examinations per year; If the disease worsens, it is necessary to arrange for another re-examination.
As medications or commercially available health foods can be harmful to the kidneys, check with your pet before taking them. Being a discreet owner and scheduling regular re-examinations can help detect important changes in your pet’s behavior and physical condition, helping your pet to live longer and enjoy a better quality of life, so all the efforts are worth it!
New developments in the detection of chronic kidney disease
In order to detect kidney disease, scientists have been trying for many years to find an early reduction compared with the traditional method, the new test project “Adex SDMATM” can detect chronic kidney disease in dogs and cats several months earlier, or even years, to help owners and pet doctors consult a pet doctor early to screen your dog and cat!
4 recommended test timings:
1. Screening for early chronic kidney disease
2. When there is clinical suspicion of kidney disease and further evaluation of kidney function is required
3. Screening of renal function before anesthesia
4. Renal function monitoring in the treatment of hyperthyroidism