Six Surprising Facts about Kidney Disease in Dogs and Cats
- One in three cats and one in ten dogs will develop kidney disease during their lifetime.
- Signs include:
– Drinking more
– Peeing more
– Weight loss
– Reduced appetite
– A dull, unkempt hair coat
– Bad breath
– Possible ulcers in the mouth
– Vomiting
– Dehydration
– Weakness
– Lethargy - The most common causes of Chronic Kidney Disease are:
– Old age
– Trauma
– Parasites
– Cancer
– Autoimmune diseases
– Inflammation
– Kidney stones
– Genetics or inherited disorders
– Fungal, viral and bacterial infections
– Toxicity related to poisons or medications - Lillies are extremely toxic to cats. They only need to bite into any part of the lilly plant-flower, stamen, leaves etc and this can lead to acute, irreversible kidney failure several days later
- If dogs and cats eat grapes and raisins, this can also lead to acute kidney failure. It is not known how many grapes or raisins might be toxic or whether they have a cumulative effect so it is better to avoid feeding them to your pets
- Early diagnosis, in most cases involving a blood test, can be key in identifying the underlying cause of kidney disease. Being able to institute appropriate therapy which includes specific renal diets, help slow the progression of disease and allow your pet to feel well for as long as possible
So, if your pet is drinking and urinating more than usual, has reduced appetite or losing weight, please phone the clinic today on (03) 59962329 to book them in for a health check with one of our experienced vets.
