What is kidney disease in dogs?

Kidney disease prevents the kidneys from functioning properly. It can be acute (short term) or chronic (long term). Both can be serious for dogs due to the essential role of the kidneys in the body.

Acute kidney disease occurs rapidly often in response to an illness or toxin. Chronic kidney disease is irreversible and progressive over time due to malfunction of the organ.

Because the kidneys are so vital they have a huge capacity for damage
so that the body can keep functioning. This means that by the time signs of kidney disease are apparent externally there can be an awful lot of damage already done which sometimes makes treatment very difficult.

Chronic kidney disease is not curable but can be managed and slowed especially if caught early.

The only way to see kidney disease before external symptoms become obvious is via blood tests which look for compounds that are associated with declining kidney function including urea.

Kidney disease in dogs guide.