Kidney diseases | Dog Diseases

Kidney Disease in Dogs - Dog Diseases

• Kidney failure, also known as Renal failure, presents itself in acute or chromic forms and is common in dogs. Basically it amounts to about 75% loss in the kidney function (the part that filters the waste) and can be diagnosed with urine tests noting azotemia and low specific gravity of the urine.  Acute renal failure is often caused by loss of blood supply, hypercalcemia, or toxins such as exposure to antifreeze. Chronic renal failure can be inherited or caused by other accompanying disease such as infections, cancer, hypertension, progressive interstitial fibrosis, or any of the causes of acute renal failure.
• Basenjis are prone to a form of renal tubule disease called Fanconi syndrome, with symptoms of being unable to concentrate urine, as well as containing protein, glucose, and amino acids within the urine itself.
• Glomerulonephritis results in the leakage of protein in the urine, caused by the presence of immune complexes in the glomerulus. It can be caused by cancer, heartworm disease, pyometra, rickettsialinfection, or systemic lupus erythematosus. It can result in chronic kidney failure, hypoalbuminemia, which can cause ascites and peripheral edema, and nephrotic syndrome, which can cause hypertension or hypercoagulability.
• Familial renal disease is an uncommon cause of renal failure (kidney failure) in young dogs. Most causes are breed-related (familial) and some are inherited.
• Samoyed hereditary glomerulopathy (SHG) is an hereditary noninflammatory disease, of the renal glomeruli occurring in the Samoyed breed of dog. The disease has been shown to be a model for hereditary nephritis (HN) in humans