The Health of Your Pet’s Kidney

Kidneys are a vital organ for normal body function in dogs and cats. There are two kidneys: the Right and the Left Kidney. They regulate water, electrolyte balance, blood pressure, and the production of red blood cells and Vitamin D. They also excrete the waste products from metabolism as well as the excretion of chemicals and drugs.

Kidneys are the body’s filters and contain a complicated series of tubes lined with cells that filter substances and allow them to stay in the bloodstream or be excreted (passed) as urine.

If these filters are not working properly, some substances that are supposed to be kept are excreted, and some that are supposed to be excreted are kept. An imbalance of this can cause kidney disease.

Signs of Kidney Diseases:

• • Blood in urine
  • Vomiting
  • Pale gums
  • Loss or decreased appetite
  • Chemical odor of the breath
  • Weight loss
  • Change in the amounts of water consumed and urine produced
  • Depression and listlessness
  • Mouth ulcers
  • Stumbling

The good news is that there are two kidneys in the body’s system, so they can help each other out. Sometimes, one of them can get sick and the other one does all the work. When this happens, the body doesn’t realize that one of them isn’t feeling well. A routine physical exam is very important to identify dangerous health issues before they become more serious.

If the kidneys aren’t healthy, veterinarians can do various interventions to manage their health and keep them filtering and performing functions properly through blood tests, urinalysis, and imaging (CT, ultrasound).

Concerned about your pet’s health? Call us at 813-920-0303.