![]() ![]() “That’s when we started IV fluid therapy,” she says. He lay curled in a ball and had a slight fever. While she searched frantically for answers, Bean began to dehydrate. Luckily for Bean, Olson refused to accept this diagnosis. “Because Bean already had kidney problems, as soon as the tests showed that his kidney values were suddenly quite high, our veterinarian assumed that he would soon die from chronic renal failure and that nothing could be done to save him.” “I took him for routine tests, which included a complete blood panel and urinalysis,” Olson says. In the fall of 2003, Texas resident Lew Olson’s 15-month-old Rottweiler, Bean, became listless, lost his appetite, urinated often, and had a constant craving for water. ![]() It probably isn’t chronic renal failure, as the symptoms of that disease develop slowly.” When Leptospirosis Looks Like Kidney Failure It can be something the dog may have gotten into, a drug he’s taking, a simple infection, or an unsuspected illness. “Any time a dog, especially one that’s young or middle-aged, becomes acutely ill or suddenly develops signs of kidney failure, you have to look for the cause. A urine culture should be done to rule out infection, as approximately 20 percent of urinary tract infections will not show up on a urinalysis alone. “Infections are also common in dogs with chronic renal failure. “Urinary tract infection can cause elevated kidney values if the infection ascends into the kidneys,” she says. But it’s still a good idea to do a urinalysis and culture for all dogs with elevated creatinine and BUN levels, says Straus. This type of infection will not show up on a urinalysis or urine culture. “Some dogs on NSAIDs develop symptoms of kidney failure without their vets realizing that the drugs should be stopped,” says Straus.īacterial infection, such as from leptospirosis, can also cause acute renal failure. It is also important to consider all drugs that your dog is currently taking, and check the package inserts to see if renal failure is a possible side effect. The fast and accurate identification of a toxin your dog ingested can make the difference between life and death. ![]() The most common cause of acute renal failure is exposure to a toxin, such as antifreeze, rat poison, certain antibiotics, heavy metals, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or ingesting large amounts of grapes or raisins.īe sure to report any such exposure, or the possibility of exposure, to your veterinarian. It can be caused by a number of health disorders, such as infection, toxins or chemicals (including many medications), and any illness that damages the kidneys or interferes with kidney function. Unlike chronic renal failure, which is a progressive illness that can take years to develop, acute renal failure is a crisis involving the sudden loss of kidney function. If these dogs had been diagnosed early enough, their veterinarians could have given them appropriate treatment, and their lives might have been saved.” Acute Renal Failure in Dogs “I hear over and over again about dogs being diagnosed with chronic kidney failure and given nothing but a bag of k/d to take home when in fact they had a serious but treatable illness that caused elevated kidney values. “Dogs that suddenly go into kidney failure may have an acute disease that is curable,” says San Francisco Bay Area canine health researcher Mary Straus. Your dog may need medical treatment RIGHT NOW, and every moment you lose to a misdiagnosis can cost him his life. If that’s the case, time is of the essence. Instead, a bacterial infection like leptospirosis, a tick-borne disease like ehrlichiosis, an endocrine imbalance like Addison’s or Cushing’s disease, or a urinary tract infection may cause the elevated readings. But the patient may not have chronic renal failure at all. ![]()
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