Signs of CKD
From the day Harry was diagnosed until today as I type this, I regret not picking up on the signs of Chronic Kidney Disease earlier. I think about this a lot, especially since Harry passed, that I wish I saw those little changes in him and could have taken him to the vets sooner. I know it does no good to dwell, but I do carry an immense feeling of guilt with me. I have accepted that I will carry this for the rest of my days.
Harry was full of life and he never faltered in his love and adoration for us, always wanting to be by our sides or out in the park with his friends, and at the time we carried on with our routine as we usually did every day. Our walks became shorter and his thirst grew, he also needed to go outside more frequently to urinate. One morning I noticed Harry’s breath had become significantly worse and during those couple of days he had vomited after a walk, which gave us much cause for concern. Harry was booked in for a dental clean and we asked the vet to run FULL blood tests to make sure he was OK to be put under sedation (as he was nine years old at the time). That’s when the test results showed Harry’s kidneys were not working properly. When we were told, and after the initial shock wore off, we could clearly see the signs were all there. We had never even heard of CKD before Harry’s diagnosis, but now it was obvious, and it made me feel like I had just been utterly blind and stupid to not see it sooner or question why Harry had changed. My online research began, along with our endless questions to the vets and constant worry for Harry.
So, I’m writing this to help others with what the signs are, which may help someone detect this disease sooner. I really hope that that can help at least someone out there and hopefully not face having to go through what we are now. I am not a vet or able to give veterinarian advice, so please seek professional help if you think your beloved family member needs medical attention, time is important, so the sooner you can get a blood test and urinalysis done, the better.
What is Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)?
Apparently this is more common in Cats than it is Dogs, but nonetheless, Dogs are still susceptible to getting this disease.
CKD is a condition characterised by a gradual loss of kidney function. Early stages can be asymptomatic, and disease progression occurs slowly over a period of time. In animals, this generally means it is a progressive and terminal disease, which will be managed through medication to help prevent the kidneys from deteriorating rapidly.
Here are some helpful sites on CKD (sourced from Animal Hospitals and Veterinarians);
Chronic Kidney Failure in Dogs
Kidney Failure and Disease in Dogs
Kidney Disease in Pets
Chronic Kidney Disease and Failure
What are the symptoms?
·Azotaemia - condition where the blood has too much nitrogen-based substances, such as urea, creatinine, and other waste products from urine reabsorption or high-protein diet.
·Polydipsia: Excessive thirst – drinking much more water than usual. A good indicator is that they should not be consuming more than 100ml to every 1kg of weight. It’s good to try and keep a track of the amount of water they are drinking.
·Polyuria: Excessive urination – urinating excessively throughout the day and even having to go more through the night.
·Halitosis (Bad breath).
·Lethargy – not being able to walk as far as you usually would or sleeping much more.
·Weight loss – also no appetite, even for their favourite treats/food.
·Blood tests can show anaemia, abnormal calcium, and phosphorus imbalances.
·Consistent vomiting, nausea, and diarrhoea.
·Urine leaks – can sometimes see small drops of urine on blankets or from their urethras, even not long after urinating.
·Oral ulcers may be the most common sign during the later stages of kidney failure, due to the inability of the kidney to filter out toxic substances from the blood.
·Raised blood pressure.
Possible Causes of CKD
·Cushing’s Disease is a disease that affects the adrenal gland of a dog. When a dog has Cushing’s disease, they will begin to produce an excessive number of glucocorticoids (class of hormone that helps the body respond to stress). The result? Increased blood flow through the renal arteries and thus damage to the nephrons (which helps the kidney to function).
·Addisons disease often affects the balance of other important solutes for the kidneys such as potassium, water, and sodium. Thus, kidney function may be compromised if Addison’s is left untreated.
·Age and genetics seem to be the most common causes of chronic renal failure. Sometimes, over the years a dog’s kidney can undergo stress such as increased amounts of toxin, protein etc. So, eventually, kidneys do wear out and lose their function.
·Renal hypertension can also cause chronic renal failure in dogs and cats. Renal hypertension simply means that the renal arteries are under high blood pressure. High blood pressure or uncontrolled blood pressure can lead to kidney disease.
·Kidney stones may be a cause of acute kidney failure. There are many causes of kidney stones in dogs, this can include increased levels of calcium, urine with high pH and infections.
·Pyelonephritis is simply an upper urinary tract infection that may be caused by bacterial infections.
·Toxic Substances - Dogs that ingest toxic substances and foods may be at risk of acute kidney failure. For example, ethylene glycol (antifreeze), medications, grapes, etc are all toxic to dogs and can damage your dog’s kidneys. Make sure you look out for any potential toxic foods that your dog should not eat. Dogs with CKD will need a protein-controlled diet and your vet will help determine the best course of action based upon the diagnosis. As well as medication, there may also be a requirement to prescribe an oral phosphate binder, which is added to their food.
The Four Stages of CKD
This will be determined based upon the results of the blood and urine tests caried out by your vet.
Stage 1 Creatinine concentration levels are often less than 1.4 mg/dL
Stage 2 Creatinine concentration levels will be between 1.4-2.0 mg/dL. At this point, clinical signs may not be noticed yet! but you may notice your dog drinking or be urinating more.
Stage 3 Creatinine concentrations may jump anywhere from 2.1 to 5.0. Clinical signs associated with kidney disease become more severe and prevalent.
Stage 4 Creatinine concentrations that exceed 5.0 mg/dL. Can indicate that only 10% of the nephrons are now functioning. This is often termed as end-stage kidney disease.
CKD is a cruel disease with a very heart-breaking ending, it’s something I wish we had never had to hear about and Harry was still with us, I wish that every day and every day going forward. This article is not intended to scare you or cause distress, but as an aid with some advice from someone who has already walked this path and wishes that I could have seen something like this website sooner. As medical advancements continue to move forward, we live in hope that one day, there will be a cure for this disease and it will end the devastating prognosis, so no one will have to suffer this. We continue to look for clinical trials in this area and hope to be able to help raise awareness about this disease and in the future raise donations to a cause, which is carrying out vital research. We will keep you updated as soon as we know more! Please see our other pages of advice about CKD on this website including;
Finding out about Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
Foods for CKD/Renal Support
Tips & Tricks for CKD Food/Medication
If you would like to send us a message please comment below or email us at harryshealinghub@outlook.com We hope that you have found this page/site helpful and we’d love to hear from you, if you have your own advice or stories about CKD. You’re not alone, so please reach out.
Sending love and comfort to you and your much-loved furry family members x