Pointer Veterinary Clinic

What does “Chronic Kidney Failure” mean?

The term "chronic kidney failure" suggests that the kidneys have quit working and are not making urine. However, by definition, kidney failure is the inability of the kidneys to remove waste products from the blood. This term can be confusing because kidney failure doesn’t mean the inability to produce urine. Ironically, most dogs in kidney failure produce large quantities of urine, but the body’s wastes are not being effectively eliminated.

When is this likely to happen in my dog?

The typical form of chronic kidney failure is associated with aging. It may be thought of as a “wearing out” process. The age of onset is often related to the size of the dog. For most small dogs, the early signs occur at about 10-14 years of age. However, large dogs have a shorter age span and may go into kidney failure as early as seven years of age.

What changes are likely to occur in my dog?

The kidneys are blood filters. When aging causes the filtration process to become inefficient and ineffective, blood flow to the kidneys is increased in an attempt to increase filtration. This results in the production of more urine. To keep the dog from becoming dehydrated due to increased fluid loss in the urine, thirst and water consumption is increased. Thus, the early clinical signs of kidney failure are increased water consumption and urination. The clinical signs of more advanced kidney failure include loss of appetite, depression, vomiting, diarrhea, and very bad breath. Occasionally, ulcers will be found in the mouth. When kidney failure is accompanied by these clinical signs, it is called uremia.

As our pets age, the tissues lining the bones and joints may deteriorate and degenerate. Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) describes chronic arthritis (osteoarthritis) which is a gradual deterioration of articular cartilage within the joints.

 

What is DJD?

Joints consist of a tough fibrous joint capsule joining the bones. The joint capsule is lined by a thin membrane which produces joint fluid. This acts as a lubricant and also carries nourishment to the spongy articular cartilage which covers the ends of the bones. The articular cartilage does not have any blood supply of its own to provide nourishment and oxygen. The articular cartilage receives nourishment from small vessels in the underlying bone and through absorption from the joint fluid.

DJD can follow a number of joint diseases including infection and surgery. It also occurs from excessive weight and obesity. This smooth resilient cartilage degenerates and becomes brittle and may actually split from the bone and become detached within the joint.

Although DJD is said to be non-inflammatory, mild inflammation plays a part in causing clinical signs. The damaged cells of the cartilage release substances which result in inflammation, pain and further damage to the cartilage. Thus, once DJD begins it can become a vicious cycle.

 

What are allergies and how do they affect dogs?

 

Allergies may be defined as the body’s response to foreign proteins. For our purposes, we will consider allergies to be any of the common reactions or responses to pollens, flea bites, and so on that result in itching. 

Is there more than one type of allergy?

 Yes, there are at least five common types of allergy in the dog:

• Flea
• Food
• Contact
• Inhalant
• Bacterial Hypersensitivity

 

What is heart failure?

Heart failure is the inability of the heart to maintain sufficient blood circulation to meet the body’s needs. Heart failure usually describes a failure of the heart muscle (myocardial failure) or heart valve (mitral valve insufficiency). This can affect the right or the left ventricle.

Dilated cardiac myopathy (DCM) occurs most commonly in large breed dogs and often results in sudden heart failure and death.

My dog ran down the garden and suddenly dropped dead. The veterinarian said it was due to acute heart failure. What does this mean?

Sudden cardiac arrest can occur for a variety of reasons. Cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of acute heart failure (heart attack) in dogs.

Is this the same as a heart attack?

In humans a “heart attack” usually refers to myocardial infarction (MI). This is death of the cells in an area of the heart muscle (myocardium). This is usually due to oxygen deprivation caused by obstruction of the coronary blood vessels. MI is not a common disease of dogs, but it can occur. In dogs heart failure is more commonly due to either DCM or to congestive heart failure (CHF) or mitral valve disease.