Kidney Failure

[Maryanne]

This has been on mind for 5 yrs now..5 yrs ago my 8 yr old Bermese Mountian Dog was put to sleep because he had full blown kidney failure. The Vet thinks he was posioned but we couldn't find a reason why this happened we always took him for walks and he was never left unattened. This was before all the recalls of pet food. Does Kidney failure happen over a period of time? Or could it have happened in the matter of hours? We took him to the vet because he wouldn't eat but he drank alot of water for two days..He was in good spirts and went for walks and played. It was so sudden and i still feel awefull about it beacuse we really didn't know..

[Eric Dunayer]

Maryanne,

Sorry about your dog.

Kidney failure can be either rapid onset (or acute) or have come on slowly (chronic). Many dogs and cats with chronic kidney failure may appear quite normal until they lose enough kidney function and then appear to have a sudden onset of kidney failure. (I've seen this happen in my own cats.) There are blood tests that may be able to tell the difference between chronic kidney failure (which is common as an animal ages) or acute renal failure. Acute renal failure can be due to poisons such as ethylene glycol antifreeze, grapes/raisins, ibuprofen and similar drugs, lilies (in cats), etc. But it can also be due to certain bacteria.

[Maryanne]

Thank you for all the information and replies. Could I have prevented this from happing if he had chonic kidney failure? We took him to the vet faithfully. Is it something that is checked on a routine visit? I just don't want to make the same mistake with my bulldog? Thanks again

[Eric Dunayer]

Maryanne,

Chronic renal failure usually can't be prevented but there are ways to make a dog who has it more comfortable. I would recommend have yearly blood work and urine checked. Remember a dog ages about 6-7 years for each human year. So, a lot can happen in the year. If signs are problem are picked up early, changes in diet and other treatments may slow the progress.

[Novamari]

I'm sorry to hear about your dog Maryanne. I had something very similar happen with my cat 5 years ago. I've always felt I was to blame somehow even though I've always been careful about using non-toxic cleaners, etc.