In this article, we will discuss “Dog Kidney Disease Symptoms.” As we know, dogs are man’s best friends. So when something is wrong with your pet dogs, they are expecting you to notice and take a step to help them. Because your dogs can’t speak and are unable to diagnose their disease, it’s your responsibility to observe the changes in your dogs.
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Warning Sign 1: Increased Thirst and Urination
The most basic sign that your dog is suffering from any kidney disease is an increase in your dog’s thirst and urination. You will see that your dog starts drinking more water than normal. The times or amount of water your dog is drinking is double or triple than your dog’s normal routine. Similarly, your dog started peeing more often than normal be the amount of urine is decreased but the number of times, or you can say frequency of peeing or urination is increased.
Why Does This Happen?
To know the reason for increased urination and thirst of your dog during a dog’s kidney disease you have to get some knowledge about the function of the kidney. The basic function of the kidney that is related to these two symptoms is filtering waste and water retention in your dog’s body. But when the function of the kidney is disturbed water is lost from your body resulting in an increase in dehydration which leads to more thirst
How to Monitor This Sign
- By tracking or noticing your dog’s water intake
- By observing the number of accidents or several times your dog is urinating.
- By checking the night urination needs of your dog
Warning Sign 2: Loss of Appetite and Weight Loss
Dog kidney disease symptoms also show signs of decreased hunger and weight loss. The weight loss is due to the loss of appetite because if your dog doesn’t feel hungry he will not eat enough and as a result weight loss occurs because of less eating than normal. Weight loss is due to a lack of nutrient intake than normal.
Connection Between Appetite and Kidney Function
The relationship between kidney function and loss of appetite is due to the filtration function of the kidneys. The kidney is responsible for the filtration of the bloodstream. When your dog’s suffering from kidney disease your dog’s kidney function is disturbed which causes waste build up in your dog’s body leading to nausea or a feeling of uneasiness. So your dog couldn’t feel well enough to eat anything which leads to weight loss and other health issues.
Ways to Encourage Eating
- Providing warm dog food
- Giving low phosphorus diet (vet consultation)
- Additional toppings to food
Warning Sign 3: Lethargy and Weakness
Another sign of dog kidney disease symptoms is Lethargy means “laziness” and weakness. Your active dog will become less active. This is due to disease in their body and your dog will feel depressed, stressed, or uninterested in doing physical activities.
How Kidneys Impact Energy Levels
Kidney disease in dogs affects their energy level by affecting their organs. Kidney damage causes accumulation of waste and other substances in your dog’s body leading to fatigue or decrease in energy. Kidney disease also causes anemia, diabetes, and other heart diseases. All these diseases lead to your dog’s poor health and low energy or may be life-threatening.
How You Can Help an Affected Dog
- Involving your dogs in little activities or reduce exercise.
- Supplements for reducing inflammation.
- Supplements for fulfilling energy needs.
Warning Sign 4: Vomiting and Diarrhea
If your dog is facing the issue of vomiting or diarrhea you can consider it a sign of dog kidney disease symptoms. Vomiting and diarrhea occur when the kidney can’t perform its function properly and the waste built-up interferes with the function of the digestive system.
Why Does This Happen?
This happens because in dog kidney disease symptoms your dog’s kidney can function properly and is unable to filler all the waste and toxins. The toxin interferes and irritates the lining of GIT, which leads to vomiting. Also, diarrhea leads to fluid imbalance and fluid loss which because difficult to recover
What to Do
- Try ORS for your dogs.
- Soft foods especially boiled.
- You can go for anti-emetic drugs.
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Diagnosis and Treatment Options
Early diagnosis is a key to avoid severe complications. It can prevent the risk of severity of kidney disease or kidney stones. Early diagnosis of dog kidney disease symptoms involves the presence of signs or many other tests which include blood tests, urinalysis, or ultrasounds.
Potential Treatment Options
- Dietary Changes: As your dog’s kidney is not functioning properly you should switch your dog to a low protein or low phosphorus diet.
- Fluid Therapy: Fluid therapy is a must in case of diarrhea or imbalanced electrolytes.
- Medication: Medications can also be used by vet advice for many signs including anti-diarrheal agents, anti-metic drugs for vomiting, etc.
- Ongoing Monitoring: Regular blood tests and regular checkups are a must to keep your dog updated on disease status.
Preventing Kidney Disease in Dogs
Prevention is a key to healthy kidneys of your dogs. Following are some tips you can use for preventing kidney disease in your dogs.
Tips for Prevention
- Provide enough water to your dog so that they may stay hydrated.
- Provide organic food and a balanced diet.
- Make regular veterinarian visits for routine checkups.
- Prevent human medication or harmful food.
Early Detection Saves Lives
Kidney disease is a dog is a major health problem. However early diagnosis can reduce the risk of severity and major health complications.
Kidney disease in dogs can lead to many other diseases by damaging different organs. These diseases include heart diseases, diabetes, diarrhea, GI diseases, etc.
For reducing the risk of major health issues early diagnosis is a must that helps to manage kidney disease in early stages. Never ignore the above-mentioned signs or symptoms if present in your dogs. But your ignorance can lead to major health issues. Your ignorance may also cost you your dog’s life. So it’s better to visit a veterinarian when you see any of the above-mentioned signs in your dogs. Regular checkups and major diagnosis tests by the advice of a vet can lead to an early-stage diagnosis which results in a healthy and happy life for your furry friends.
