Does Your Pet have Kidney Disease?
Lounging Lab and Tabby

Many of us have geriatric pets.  As our pets are aging we are asking more questions about their current health status.  Our goal is to help our pets live long and healthy lives.  On this page, Dr. Durham will briefly discuss one of the problems that we see commonly in our geriatric patients: kidney disease.

Please be aware that we are more likely to see kidney disease in geriatric cats rather than in dogs.  Cats eat a high protein diet and usually have a low water intake.  These two normal attributes of cats may predispose them to kidney disease later in their lives.

The kidney’s primary function is to rid the body of the waste products in the bloodstream.  The kidneys also help to maintain your pet’s normal hydration status.  One of the other interesting jobs of the kidney is to produce a hormone that tells the pet’s bone marrow to produce red blood cells.  Since the kidney is so important, we need to be diligent in our assessment of the kidney’s function, especially as the patient is aging.
Our Clinic Cat, Tilly, lounging on a printer

A specific blood test and urine sample helps to identify the patient’s kidney function.  If abnormalities are found early, many things can be done to help prevent further progression of kidney disease.  In the past, patients with kidney disease were given a very poor prognosis.  Today there are many new treatment options that have greatly helped our patients to live longer.  These treatments have also helped our patients to achieve an excellent quality of life.
  • One of the most influential drugs to be used by our practice in the treatment of kidney disease is Calcitriol.  Calcitriol is a vitamin D analog.  Its role in the treatment of kidney disease is very complicated but its overall effect is to decrease the levels of a specific hormone (parathyroid hormone) that can be detrimental to the patient who is experiencing kidney problems.  We have had excellent results with this drug.  In fact, it is the single most important new treatment that we can offer our patients.  This drug greatly improved the prognosis for our patients who have early kidney disease and has been very important in extending many of our patient’s lives.  Calcitriol is administered once daily orally and is well tolerated by our patinets.  Even cat owners seem to be able to medicate their feline friends with minimal fuss.
Golden Retriever
  • Another important medical treatment for our patients with advanced kidney disease is Epogen.  Epogen is a synthetic hormone ( erythropoietin).  This hormone, which is produced by the kidney, is normally present in the body of a healthy patient.  It tells the bone marrow to produce red blood cells.  When a patient has advanced kidney

disease, the kidney loses its ability to produce erythropoietin.  Consequently, the number of red blood cells being produced by the bone marrow decreases and the patient becomes anemic.  An anemic patient may appear pale or weak and may even become too weak to eat regularly.  This drug, Epogen, is given by injection once daily which the owner can give at home.  This treatment is very well tolerated by the patient (even cats!) and it has been very helpful in improving the red blood cell counts in these patients.  Most patients can have a normal red blood cell count in just a few weeks after initiation of Epogen therapy. 

These two drugs have revolutionized the treatment of kidney disease at our practice!  The key is early detection of kidney problems.  If we find that a patient has an abnormal urine or blood sample, before the patient is showing overt clinical symptoms, the treatments are more likely to be of long term benefit to the patient.  In fact, some of our chronic (long term) kidney failure patients have lived for many years after initiation of Calcitriol and Epogen therapy.
  • What can you do for your pet?  If you have a middle aged to geriatric pet (dogs older than 5-6 years, cats older than 6-7 years), you should ask your veterinarian about doing a geriatric blood profile and a urine sample.  Even if your pet appears normal at home, he or she could have early kidney disease.  Pets will not show symptoms of kidney disease until very late in the disease
Dog and Cat

process!  If your veterinarian is suspecting kidney disease, be sure to ask about all of the possible therapies available.
Dr Durham

Dr. Durham

We are here to help.  If you have questions about your pet’s health, feel free to call our office or e-mail us.  We would be glad to assist you in any way we can.
Feline Renal Disease

Good health to you and your furry friends!

CLICK HERE to read about one cat’s diagnosis and treatment of Renal Disease

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