How to Identify Kidney Failure in Dogs

For an avid dog-lover, the loss of his pet is the single most traumatic experience. If this occurs due to an illness, it becomes even more tragic. Dog kidney disease is one such killer. It can manifest itself in two ways. One is acute kidney disease and the other is chronic kidney disease. The former strikes suddenly whereas the latter takes effect over a period of time. Either way, the result if fatal for the canine and heartbreaking for the owner.

Kidneys are an important organ for the body, whether human or canine. They are responsible for ridding the body of toxins by filtration. Kidney disease causes the kidneys to function at only about thirty percent of their capacity. If the kidneys stop working, the toxins accumulate in the blood and get deposited in other organs. Subsequently, the dog dies.

As the toxins start building up in various organs, they start to ‘shut down’ that organ. The owner can notice the apparent symptoms in such cases. The kidney disease hinders the body from functioning properly and the warning signals become more obvious. The signs can vary between the two types of kidney disease. Sudden dehydration is a sign of acute kidney disease. If you gently pull the skin of the stomach on your pet and it doesn’t spring back, then it could be that he or she is dehydrated.

Another telltale sign of the acute kidney failure in dogs is the extreme reduction or total stoppage of urine. Your dog would suddenly stop urinating. It is a very excruciating process as the kidneys become quite painful. This is the most obvious sign. You would notice your pet’s arched back or stiff leg movement. In such a case, you would need to rush your precious pet to a veterinarian immediately. Dog health blood in urine could also be a serious warning sign.

In the case of chronic kidney disease, the symptoms are different and they occur over a period of time. The first indicator is an increase in thirst and consequently water consumption. This is a constant indicator of the disease. The dog might lose his or her desire to eat resulting in excessive weight loss over time. Contrary to the acute kidney disease, in the chronic version, the canine loses control over its bladder function. As a result, it urinates very frequently. As time passes, the process of urinating will cause extreme discomfort and become very painful. It is possible that there might even be blood in the urine or it may become impossible for the dog to urinate completely. Since the chronic kidney disease is a fatal illness, it is advisable to rush your pet to the veterinarian as soon as you see any of the warning signs such as problem in urination, vomiting, lethargy and depression. Any combination of these signs is a sure shot reason to go to the vet. If caught in time, there is hope for cure of this malady.

The treatment that a vet will start, for this very serious ailment, is typically four staged. The first step is to carry out a physical check up to eliminate other reasons for the symptoms. Next is the verification from the owner regarding the history and symptoms of this disorder. Then there will be tests – a blood test and finally a urine test to confirm the prognosis.

Pain Information And Various Treatments That Are Available

What options are there when aches and pains strike. This varies on how severe the pain is, and where in the body the pain occurs . If the pain is a headache, toothache or any of the pains we all get at some time, then an plain analgesic will usually be enough. For toothache pain medication containing Ibuprofen is probably the best choice, toothache is often accompanied by inflammation, Ibuprofen is an anti inflammatory and will therefore help to decrease the inflammation. If the pain persists you should get medical attention, as the pain could be the symptom of a more chronic underlying medical problem. Pain is how your body tells you that something is amiss, don’t ignore this message if pain is persistant.

Pain can be separated into two types, acute pain and chronic pain. Acute pain is usually a short term pain that recedes with no treatment, it has no serious underlying medical problems associated with it and normally requires nothing more than over the counter analgesics. Chronic pain though is more serious, chronic pain generally persists and is likely to be associated with an underlying disease or injury. It can often start from something as simple as a sprain or an infection that then becomes more serious, or it can be caused by a developing disease or cancer. Chronic pain can persist for months, possibly even years. As well as a requirement to treat the main problem, pain killers stronger than normal pain medication is usually required. Among the most used pain medications include tramadol, ultram and ultracet, with tramadol being the most common prescribed. These pain killers aren’t scheduled as controlled substances, it is therefore possible to order tramadol online. In many cases pain medication is prescribed with seperate treatments to treat the cause of the problem.

Probably the commonest form of pain we all experience is headaches. Headaches may disappear without recourse to any treatment, over the counter pain medication will usually suffice to ease the pain. Migraine is a much more severe type of headache and can be caused by several conditions. A migraine can be accompanied by other conditions, for example changing moods, light sensitivity, one sided headache and nausea or vomiting. A migraine can last for several hours, but can last for several days. Anyone with a migraine should get medical attention as soon as possible.

For pain that is associated with muscles and joints, physiotherapy is often used, and in many cases can result in the complete removal of the underlying problem. Electrical stimulation is a sometimes used, sometimes as a last resort. Electrical stimulation interrupts pain signals in the spinal cord. Acupuncture may also be used to try and lessen pain, fine needles are place at key points on the skin, these disrupt the flow of spasms through the body. Needles may be used in areas removed from the source of the pain.

The main point to observe, is that if a pain becomes serious or unbearable, especially if it is persistant, seek immediate medical attention, it could be down to a more serious underlying problem.

Disclaimer: This post is based on information that is freely available in the popular press and medical journals that deal with pain relief. Nothing herein is intended to be or should be construed to be any sort of medical advice. For medical advice the reader should consult with his/her physician or other medical specialist.