 Averting potential kidney issues - questions
#189454 - 04/09/2008 03:05 PM |
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Hi everyone
I have a approximately 4 or 5 year old, female, Australian Shepherd / Lab mix (best guess).
We had some bloodwork done and the creatinine (sp?) values came back "slightly elevated" (BUN was OK). So today I took in a urine sample and the results were fine: the vet said she was concentrating her urine fine. Specific gravity OK, sediments OK.
This dog doesn't like to pee. Ever since I got her she goes many long hours and then will do a good long pee. (Maybe twice/day). When I first brought her home from the shelter and she was uneasy she went three days without voiding.
However, on walks she will "mark" (squat quickly, often).
The vet says at this point there is no cause for concern but the elevated creatinine could mean a future problem is developing.
Any suggestions on what I can do to keep her kidneys in top form? I just lost a cat to CRF in the fall and don't wish to do so again. 
She eats Canidae kibble with Salmon oil/vit.E and is 55 lbs.
Thanks!
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 Re: Averting potential kidney issues - questions
[Re: Angela Burrell ]
#189463 - 04/09/2008 03:31 PM |
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The first line of treatment for an elevated BUN or creatine is dietary control - you want to lower the protein percentage in your dog's diet ( this is a very common disease process in cats, and cat pet food with a "Senior" label usually has a lower protein content to preserve kidney function ).
Also, it's vital to ensure that your dog stays well hydrated, so make sure that it has access to a fresh water source at all times.
Taking those steps can help to slow down the loss of kidney function, hope it helps!
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 Re: Averting potential kidney issues - questions
[Re: Will Rambeau ]
#189464 - 04/09/2008 03:36 PM |
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Thanks for your reply, Will.
Should I be looking at the protein percentages on the kibble packages and what would a good percentage be? I was just about to switch to a grain free kibble for all my dogs (one eats Orijen) - should I not do this?
Also, she always has access to water - there is a bowl outside, on both levels in the house, and a bucket in her crate. Should I encourage her to drink more by baiting the water? She has never drank a lot.
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Re: Averting potential kidney issues - questions
[Re: Angela Burrell ]
#189504 - 04/09/2008 06:19 PM |
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I hesitate to disagree with Will....but I wouldn't panic over a single "slightly elevated" creatinine serum level. Especially is the urine analysis was fine - this is a more accurate measure of kidney function than bloodwork, anyway. Creatinine levels vary with diet, and also with the lab doing the test. Before starting any dietary modifications - especially protein reduction - I would get a second opinion (preferably from a veterinary internist) and a second test from a different lab, and I would look carefully at the ranges the lab is flagging as "normal". If you are consistently seeing elevated creatinine over a period of weeks then yes, kidney disease would be a concern. But I would advise against reducing protein intake until you are sure that's what is going on, or you will just have a malnourished dog. The kibbles with reduced protein content for dogs with kidney disease are horrible, and only to be fed as a last resort, IMO.
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Re: Averting potential kidney issues - questions
[Re: Sarah Ward ]
#189508 - 04/09/2008 06:32 PM |
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You make a very good point, Sarah.
By way of example, my dog recently just had a full blood panel and urinalysis done. With the blood one thing was very slightly higher than normal. Because the vet knows I feed raw, she was unconcerned and said that was normal for a raw-fed dog.
With the urine, she said one thing was low...either due to the possiblility of kidney problems OR if he had recently had a good quantity of water...which he had. I exercised him pretty well before the appointment and he did have a lot of water prior to the testing. Thank God she mentioned it or I would have panicked.
True
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Re: Averting potential kidney issues - questions
[Re: Sarah Ward ]
#189509 - 04/09/2008 06:33 PM |
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Well, one thing with any kidney issue is to feed the best quality protein you possibly can.
Also, if you can, I'd choose canned over dry and I'd encourage fluid intake, as Will mentioned. Yes, I would consider baited (no salt) water.
JMO.
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Re: Averting potential kidney issues - questions
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#189512 - 04/09/2008 06:39 PM |
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Thanks everyone for your comments, I appreciate it.
The clinic has recommended another urinalysis in the fall. In the meantime I will switch her to a good quality canned food starting now and possibly switch to raw in the summer time, pending being able to find meat sources. And I will try to stop worrying so much! 
Thanks again.
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Re: Averting potential kidney issues - questions
[Re: Angela Burrell ]
#189537 - 04/09/2008 07:49 PM |
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Thanks everyone for your comments, I appreciate it.
The clinic has recommended another urinalysis in the fall. In the meantime I will switch her to a good quality canned food starting now and possibly switch to raw in the summer time, pending being able to find meat sources. And I will try to stop worrying so much!
Thanks again.
Yes. As Will said, dietary control can greatly reduce the stress on the kidneys. And extremely high-quality (efficient) protein decreases the amount of "protein food" needed as it decreases the work the body has to do to use it.
Lew Olson and Mary Strauss both have what I think are very good, very knowledgeable overviews of kidneys and the diet.
http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/kidney-diet/
Although Lew Olson's site does sell supplements, the articles are (IMO) very good. And Mary Strauss, of course, is Whole Dog Journal's terrific food writer.
http://www.dogaware.com/kidney.html#diet
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Re: Averting potential kidney issues - questions
[Re: Sarah Ward ]
#189559 - 04/09/2008 10:23 PM |
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Sarah,
I'm sorry but I gotta disagree with you here in part:
The urine test that is accurate for kidney function requires a 24 hour collection of all urine ( and is *very* hard to do with canines...  ) - a standard office dipstick urinalysis doesn't give any where near as accurate a reading of kidney function testing as a blood BU/creatine - it's the gold standard, and it has been for many years.
But I totally agree with you about getting a 2nd opinion and a re-test.
Just to post a personal example, my Rottie bitch started having elevated BUN/creatine readings at around age 10 and I lowered her dietary protein and ensured hydration and she made it to age 15, which is *very* old for a Rottweiler.
So with good care you can get a normal lifespan out of your dog, even with Real Insufficiency ( the medical term for early stage chronic renal disease ).
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Re: Averting potential kidney issues - questions
[Re: Will Rambeau ]
#189563 - 04/09/2008 11:04 PM |
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Will,
I wasn't referring to an office dipstick urine test - which I wouldn't trust either - but a full laboratory urinanalysis. Last time I did this a couple of years ago the veterinary internist treating my dog was monitoring kidney function via lab results from single urine samples collected first thing in the morning (er - picture me walking the dog at 6 am armed with a specimen jar and a large soup ladle...and no, Chef, it wasn't the one from my kitchen....) I think the lab tests have improved so the 24 hour collection thing isn't always necessary.
Your Rottie is a great example of how chronic renal insufficiency can be managed well long term. But my point was that reducing dietary protein unless you have a definitive diagnosis of kidney (or liver) disease can do more harm than good, and some vets are way too keen to prescribe Hills K/D or L/D kibble at the first hint of an abnormal test value without investigating further.
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