Chronic kidney Disease (CKD) in Dogs 🐕

Hello friends,

                  Today we will discuss the most important disease in Dogs

  It’s an important topic to understand because.
 (1) It is estimated that more than 1 in 10 dogs will develop kidney disease over a lifetime 
 (2) Kidney disease is more common in aged dog.

(A) Causes of Chronic kidney disease:-

(1) Here's list several risk factors that make dogs more susceptible to kidney disease.
 Such as age or breed,an investigatereversible   factors that initiate kidney damage.
 Another facors responsible for kidney   damage .

• Glomerulonephritis 
• Pyelonephritis (kidney infection)
• Nephrolithiasis (kidney stones)
• Ureteral obstruction & hydronephrosis (stones causing a blockage)
• Tubulointerstitial disease (involving the kidney tubules)
• Leptospirosis
• Cancer
• Amyloidosis (protein problem)
• Hereditary nephropathies (genetic proble)

Now we will discuss about what are the symptoms observe during chronic kidney disease.

 (B) Clinical signs of Chronic kidney disease:-

Lots of symptoms show during chronic kidney problem but earliest symptom shows Polyuria.

(C) Test for chronic kidney disease :-

Physical Examination:- The first test your veterinarian is prefer for chronic kidney disese.

• Enlarged, painful kidneys
• Back or flank pain
• Changes in the prostate or urinary bladder

A rectal examination can give more detail about the possibility of urethral, bladder or prostatic disease that might relate to kidney disease.

Other testing may include:

• Complete blood count (CBC)—The CBC may reveal anemia (too few red blood cells) or an elevation white blood cells .
• Urinalysis with sediment exam— A simple and economical way to gauge urine quality.  
• Infectious disease testing—Regular testing for heartworm infection and for vector borne diseases such as Ehrlichiosis and Lyme can identify risk factors for kidney disease.
• Diagnostic imaging—Using radiography (X-rays) and diagnostic ultrasound to identify changes in the size, shape and architecture of the kidneys.
• Blood pressure measurement—High blood pressure is common in dogs with chronic kidney disease.
• Kidney Sampling. 

NOTE:- The IDEXX SDMA Test ( serum concentration of symmetric dimethylarginine):-  Latest sensitive kidney function test that helps identify the kidney disease in dogs 

A new standard of care for monitoring kidney function that detects and reflects disease

• SDMA is a sensitive indicator of kidney function that detects as little as 25% loss of function.
• SDMA is more reliable than creatinine as an indicator of kidney function because it is not influenced by confounding conditions.
• SDMA is an earlier indicator of progressive kidney function loss, often increasing before other parameters.
• An increased SDMA may also serve as an indicator of concurrent disease that may have a secondary impact on kidney function.

(D) Treatment (Rx) of Chronic kidney disease:-

• Providing adequate and  appropriate nutrition.
• Ensuring excellent hydration.
• Balancing salts and acid-base levels.
• Aggressively treating any protein problems or high blood pressure, since these conditions tend to worsen kidney damage.
• Keeping plenty of fresh water available—this is essential!