How Kidney and Liver Failures Are Treated In Dogs

As a dog owner, you can attest to the fact that it is not always a smooth sail for your pet. He is bound to fall sick once in a while. But what do you do when your dog’s kidney and liver fails? 

Both the kidney and liver hold a significant role in the body of your dog. The kidney aids in the removal of waste in the blood, whereas the liver, has an essential function of digestion and elimination of body waste.

What does that mean? If the two organs are not working correctly, then there is a problem. The processes will not be executed and will only end up making your dog sickly. 

What is liver failure?

Also known as liver disease, it is a condition which is more or less spontaneous and bars the ability of the liver to function. If the condition escalates, the liver may die. If you notice that your dog is vomiting, having diarrhea, a distended abdomen and seizures, then it might be a sign that it has liver disease. You should, however, not make any conclusions until you visit a vet. 

Treatment

If your dog has been diagnosed with liver failure, the following is the treatment that you should expect for it to undergo.

1. Assessment of the organ function

Before any treatment is administered, the veterinary will have to do an organ evaluation for him to be able to identify the extent of damage and recommend the appropriate treatment. There are several causes of liver failure in dogs, and the disease will be treated based on that.

2. Acute liver disease

For acute liver disease, the recommended treatment is oxygen supplementation, fluid, electrolytes and restricted activity. All these will also depend on the type of toxins that are present in the liver.

3. Severe liver disease

If the condition is critical, it is recommended that your dog goes through enteric or catheter feeding. A course of medication may also be prescribed for your dog.

4. Bile obstruction

If failure is due to bile obstruction, the dog might have to go through surgery or medicated with ursodiol.

5. Failure caused by infections

Antibiotics will be recommended in this case. Antiviral medications may also be prescribed too.

What is Kidney Failure?

If a kidney is unable to remove waste from the blood, then it can be said to have failed.

It is brought about by the build-up of the waste. Kidney failure may occur gradually or suddenly. There are two types of kidney failure: acute and chronic.

Acute failure is more spontaneous and can be reversed if treatment is done aggressively. On the other hand, chronic failure may take some time. The condition is irreversible but manageable. Just like the liver disease, kidney failure is brought about by some causes.

Aging, ureteral obstruction, heart conditions, and Lyme disease are some of the causes. The symptoms include a decrease in the frequency of urination, lethargy, increased thirst, weakness, and weight loss. Again, the only way to establish whether your dog has kidney failure is to visit a vet. If it is diagnosed. The following would be the recommended treatment for it.

1. Failure due to infections

If it has been established that infections are the reasons behind the failure, antibiotics will be administered.

2. Dialysis

Dialysis is done to help the kidneys remove toxins from the blood.

3. Primary treatment

On an outpatient basis, kidney failure can be treated through fluid therapy, a change in diet and other medication. You should not despair. As much as the condition is terminal, it is entirely manageable even as it progresses over months and years.

Prevention is better than cure. There are practices that you can adapt to prevent your dog from having kidney failure. Ensure that he drinks plenty of water, be careful as you breed dogs as some have hereditary kidney failure, bar access to toxins and carry out regular check-ups at the vet.

The guide will help you understand what usually causes liver and kidney failure in dogs. It will go a long way in lessening the chances of it happening. At the same time, you will be able to identify the signs early enough and seek treatment while the condition is still manageable.

As aforementioned, regular check-ups by the vets are vital as you will be able to identify the diseases in their early stages while they are still reversible. Also, you might find that your dog is having other issues like shedding which can easily be taken care of by using authentic dogs home remedies for dog shedding. 

As the dog owner, it is essential that you adhere to the prescriptions given for the treatment since your dog cannot on its own. It will be up to you to ensure that your dog gets the treatment it requires.

 

Featured Image Photo by Bruno Cervera from Pexels

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