[fioca98]

Hello,

This is about my friend who owns a 8 year old female maltese. She recently paid the vet a visit, and apparently it looks like little Miso (name) has kidney problems. Miso is due for another visit with the vet today, but can anyone tell me what to expect with kidney problems?

Also, the owner has been feeding Miso Beneful. I know this product is garbage. I had advised to immediately stop feeding her Beneful. She changed to Wellness Senior. Can Miso's kidney problems be affected by her poor diet?

Any response will be helpful...

Thanks!

[lulusmom]

Usually, kidney functions are reduced by 75% before dogs usually start showing signs of renal failure. Kidney problems are usually detected by blood work and urinalysis before a dog displays any overt symptoms. My first Maltese died at 10 years old from sudden kidney failure and I had no idea she had kidney problems. It was devastating.

Protein in the urine is usually a good sign that something is going on with the kidneys. I have a Pomeranian with Cushing's that had abnormal urine creatine ratio and is spilling protein into her urine which are signs of kidney problems. Fortunately the numbers are mild and the internal medicine specialist thinks it's secondary to the cushing's rather than primary kidney disease.

Once a dog has been diagnosed with renal failure, you should feed low phosphorus food. Since the bulk of phosphorous is found in meat, a vet normally prescribes a low protein diet. It is a myth that high protein diets cause kidney disease. That information came from a study years ago where the test subjects were mice or rats. More than a few clinical studies have been done since then that have proven that high protein diet does not effect dogs the same as rodents. Reducing protein is not necessary until the dog is in renal failure. I agree with you that Beneful is crappy food and I'm not sure it's the cause of your friend's dog's problem. There were some foods that were recalled due to the bad food stuff dog food manufacturers purchased from China and a lot of dogs died from kidney failure from eating that food. There were a lot of brands that were involved and Beneful could have been one of them but I really think your friend would have seen symptoms of sickness a long time ago.

I hope any problems have been caught early on and that all goes well.

As already stated, by the time most dogs show any symptoms of kidney failure, a great deal of kidney function has already been lost. Unlike some other organ systems, they don't heal; kidney failure is irreversible.

Kidney disease can be managed by changing to a prescription diet and fluid therapy. Sometimes medication is added to lower blood pressure, if high blood pressure is a component of kidney failure.

Your friend will probably need to learn how to administer sub-q fluids at home. It isn't difficult, and most dogs tolerate it quite well.

[fioca98]

Thank you so much. Your replies have been quite informative. I haven't heard from my friend about her doctor's visit, so I don't have any updates, but I'll be sure to pass along this info.

[lulusmom]

Hi again.

I have three dogs with multiple lifetime conditions so I do a lot of research on their respective diseases. I believe that every pet owner should educate themselves on whatever condition their pet has. After all, we are their only voice and believe me, vets are just like human doctors....some should not be practicing. You don't need a medical degree to understand what is happening to your pet, it's cause, it's effects and the normal prescribed treatment. Be proactive in your pet's care and never place blind faith in anyone, not even your vet. My sweet baby paid a dear price for my ignorance....she suffered far too long because our cherished vet, whom we placed on a pedestal, knew absolutely nothing about endocrine disorders. I still carry around a lot guilt about that because had I taken the time to get on a computer and research her symptoms, I would have figured it out on my own.

There is a wealth of information on the net and as long as you have a computer, there's no excuse for staying ignorant. Please urge our friend to educate herself on kidney disease. Here is a few links that may help her understand a lot more about what's going on with her beloved Maltese:

Kidney Failure and Disease In The Dog and Cat at ThePetCenter.com
Canine Kidney Disease
Chronic Kidney Failure in Dogs ~ Pawprints and Purrs, Inc.

Vetgroomer brought up a very good point. I don't know if your friend's dog is in chronic renal failure but some dogs at this point of the disease do develop high blood pressure which must be controlled. Enalapril, which is prescribed for heart failure, is often times prescribed to lower blood pressure. Two of my dogs have cushing's and take a certain drug that cannot be taken concurrently with enalapril or any other diuretic or potassium sparing drug. In these types of cases, I have seen vets prescribe over the counter Melatonin to help lower blood pressure.