DogAware.com Health: Tests used to Diagnose Kidney Disease in Dogs [PDF]

Aug 5, 2017 - The most common blood tests used to diagnose kidney disease are Creatinine and BUN (also called Urea Nitro

7 downloads 14 Views 85KB Size

Recommend Stories


Kidney Failure - Chronic in Dogs
You have survived, EVERY SINGLE bad day so far. Anonymous

Addison's Disease in dogs
The beauty of a living thing is not the atoms that go into it, but the way those atoms are put together.

Anaemia in kidney disease
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. Anne Lamott

Simple Additive Weighting to Diagnose Rabbit Disease
Nothing in nature is unbeautiful. Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Tests used in diagnosing dementia
The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough. Rabindranath Tagore

Chronic Kidney Disease in Kidney Stone Formers
Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others. Brian

Kidney Disease
The greatest of richness is the richness of the soul. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)

Homeopathic management in Kidney Disease
We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone. Ronald Reagan

Chronic kidney disease in children
Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion. Rumi

Anemia in Chronic Kidney Disease
Happiness doesn't result from what we get, but from what we give. Ben Carson

Idea Transcript


Tests used to Diagnose Kidney Disease in Dogs This section will go over the more common tests for kidney disease, as well as some of the more complex ones. I find that people are often told that their dogs have "renal failure", with no indication of whether it is chronic or acute, early stage or end stage, and without proper information about what should be done based on the diagnosis. In addition, too often no one looks to see if there might be a treatable cause for the kidney problem. This section will review a number of different tests to help you better understand what your dog's diagnosis may mean, and what additional tests you may want to have done. Also see IRIS Staging of CKD (http://www.iris-kidney.com/guidelines/en/staging_ckd.shtml) and Kidney Failure: Where to Begin (http://www.marvistavet.com/kidney-failure-where-to-begin.pml) for more information. Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian, nor do I have any formal training in any medical field. The information presented here is not meant to replace your vet's advice or prescribed medications, but only to suggest additional options to explore, based on your dog's condition.

Blood Tests The most common blood tests used to diagnose kidney disease are Creatinine and BUN (also called Urea Nitrogen). However, several other standard blood test results also provide information about kidney disease, including Phosphorus, Calcium, and the Sodium:Potassium ratio. Note about measurements: I refer to the standard US measurement of Creatinine and BUN in mg/dL, but have also supplied the converted numbers in mmol/L (BUN, or Urea) and µmol/L (Creatinine) for those outside the US. To convert BUN (Urea) from mmol/L to mg/dL, divide by 0.357 (or multiply by 2.8). To convert Creatinine from µmol/L to mg/dL, divide by 88.4. See Unit Conversion (http://www.vin.com/calculators/default.htm) for more info and a calculator that will do the conversion for you.. Creatinine is the most specific test for kidney disease. When creatinine is elevated above the normal range (usually about 1.6 mg/dL, or 141 µmol/L), this generally means that there is a problem with the kidneys. It does not tell you whether the problem is acute or chronic, or what the cause is, or whether it can be cured, but it is a sign that your dog is having kidney problems and action needs to be taken. Early Renal Insufficiency: In general, creatinine values up to about 2.0 (177 µmol/L) are indicative of mild, or early stage, kidney disease (or early renal insufficiency, as my vet terms it). In cases like these, it may still help to make dietary modifications to reduce phosphorus if blood phosphorus level is above 4.5, but these reductions do not need to be as drastic as when the values are higher, and it is probably not necessary to do other treatments at this stage, such as sub-q fluids (unless your dog is drinking so much that she is having trouble staying hydrated, such as getting up during the night to drink). Adding calcium to each meal if you are feeding a home made diet (to act as a phosphorus binder) would be advisable, and possibly antacids, particularly if your dog is showing any signs of inappetence or gastric problems. I would also give fish oil supplements (body oil, NOT liver oil), at the rate of 1,000 mg (300 mg combined DHA and EPA) per 10 lbs of body weight, along with Vitamin E (50, 100 or 200 IU for small, medium and large dogs), and discontinue any Vitamin A and D supplements (including cod liver oil) added to commercial foods. Additional recommended supplements include a B-complex vitamin and CoQ10, which may be beneficial for dogs with kidney disease. See the Supplements section for more info. Moderate Kidney Disease: Values from 2.1 up to about 5.0 (177-442 µmol/L) are more significant, but it is still likely that your dog may not be showing any symptoms (other than increased drinking and urination) with these values. At this stage, a greater level of phosphorus reduction would be indicated, along with antacids, calcium (which acts as a phosphorus binder) if you are feeding a home made diet, and probably sub-q fluids, particularly if your dog is polydipsic (drinking a lot of water). The same supplement advice mentioned above, regarding giving fish oil, Vitamin E, Vitamin B-complex and CoQ10, and avoiding added Vitamins A and D supplements (beyond minimum daily requirements), would continue to apply. Severe Kidney Failure: Values above 5.0 (442 µmol/L) indicate more severe kidney failure, and are often accompanied by clinical signs such as vomiting and lack of appetite. At this stage, fluids can be very important, especially when your dog is vomiting, and your dog may even need to be hospitalized for IV fluids (I personally feel it is best to bring them home at night, if at all possible, even if they need to stay at the vet's during the day). Antacids (most commonly Pepcid, but Zantac can also be used at reduced dosage) or acid suppressors (such as Prilosec), should be given, along with Carafate (anti-ulcer medication) and Reglan (metoclopramide) for vomiting if needed, with your vet's approval. Protein in the diet may need to be reduced at this time to control symptoms, though if your dog does not want to eat, it's most important that you get some food into them, even if it isn't the best. Use the same supplements as recommended above (give fish oil, vitamin E, vitamin B-complex and CoQ10, do not give extra vitamins A or D). Note that when kidney function is seriously reduced, the amount of some medications, such as Pepcid, may also need to be reduced, due to the increased time it takes for the kidneys to clear them from the body. Be sure to discuss the dosage of any medications you are giving with your vet. BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen, also sometimes just called Urea) is also commonly used to diagnose kidney problems, although it is not kidney specific, and values may be elevated for other reasons, particularly if you did not fast your dog for 12 hours before the test was done. If BUN is slightly above normal but creatinine is in the normal range, the odds are that the kidneys are fine, especially if the urinalysis is also OK (normal urine specific gravity and no significant amount of protein in the urine). Values in the high 20's, up to even the mid 30's (around 12.5 mmol/L) if the dog was not fasted, are not a concern if other values (creatinine, urine specific gravity, protein in the urine) are normal. Dehydration and stress can also contribute to elevated BUN. If BUN is above 80 mg/dL (28.6 mmol/L), this is a sign of uremia and is usually accompanied by clinical signs such as vomiting and inappetence. In this case, as when creatinine is above 4.5 mg/dL (398 µmol/L), it may be necessary to reduce protein in the diet to help control these symptoms. BUN is more reflective of diet, and less reflective of the stage of kidney disease, than creatinine, but it is still not necessary to feed a low protein diet when BUN is below 80 mg/dL (28.6 mmol/L), although you should definitely be feeding a lower phosphorus diet at that point. Phosphorus: Elevated phosphorus is dangerous and needs to be controlled. It is questionable how important dietary phosphorus is when blood levels remain below 4.5 mg/dl (1.45 mmol/l), but my feeling is that it may still help to reduce phosphorus in the diet to at least a low normal level. You should also be sure to use adequate calcium (which binds phosphorus), even when phosphorus levels are normal. When phosphorus levels are above 4.5, then it is important to reduce phosphorus in the diet, and to use phosphorus binders if needed, plus you may need to do other treatments as well. If you are home feeding, and your dog's phosphorus levels are

Smile Life

When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile

Get in touch

© Copyright 2015 - 2024 PDFFOX.COM - All rights reserved.