Kidney disease is a general diagnosis of any process that damages the kidneys.  All breeds, ages and both sexes of dogs and cats suffer from kidney disease.  It is one of the most common problems of geriatric dogs and cats and many of these pets die of the disease.

Healthy kidneys function to remove waste materials from the blood stream. They are also the organs responsible for regulating volume and composition of body fluids.  Your pet will (did) not begin to exhibit signs of kidney disease until approximately 70% of the kidney tissues are affected.

There are many causes of kidney disease.  We generally try to determine the exact cause of the disease but treatment is the same for most causes.   Old age, ingestion of toxins, stress leading to reduced water consumption, infection, unbalanced diet, changes in blood supply to the kidney and cancer are all causes of kidney damage and loss of function.

Since Kidneys are so important to the health of all organ systems, the clinical signs for the disease are varied.  They include loss of appetite, vomiting, lethargy, increased thirst, decreased thirst, increased or decreased urination, poor hair coat, dehydration and depression.  These signs may present rapidly or over extended periods of time.

Diagnosis of kidney disease is based upon the pet's history, clinical signs and physical exam.  Additional tests are necessary to determine the cause (and the specific treatment) of the disease.  These additional tests include blood tests, urine analysis and abdominal x-rays.  After your cat has been treated for a period of time, many of these tests must be repeated in order to monitor the success of treatment and progression of disease.

The goal of treatment for kidney disease is to prevent further damage to the kidneys and slow the progression of the disease.  Often, pets with kidney disease must be hospitalized.  The corner stone of treatment is rehydration and diuresis with IV fluids.  This fluid therapy must often be continued for several days.  Antibiotics are given if the cause of the disease is infectious.  Other drugs are often given to normalize the content of the body fluids and improve function of the kidneys.

The following are the important parts of home care:

• Free access to clean, fresh water.  Change your pet's water several times per day.

• Minimize stresses which cause pets to drink less.

• Feed a prescription diet, such as Hill's K/D, Hill's U/D and Waltham low protein, which are low in sodium, phosphorus and which contain high-quality protein.

• In advanced cases, pet owners are taught to administer sub-cutaneous fluids.