Liver and kidney problems in dogsMany dog owners do not know that dogs have extremely sensitive internal organs and especially the liver and kidneys can be attacked very easily. Therefore, the behavior of the four-legged friend should always be closely observed. Take the necessary measures in time.
If you notice that your dog is lethargic or drinks a lot, you should consult a veterinarian as soon as possible and have the problem clarified. We will show you how to deal with your dog's illness and what measures you can take yourself.
Kidney and liver diseases in dogs
Basically, there are several reasons for weakness of the liver and kidneys in dogs. One is the so-called Cushing's syndrome, which can affect dogs of any age and is usually triggered by a tumor on the pituitary gland. This involves altering the release of the hormone cortisol. Dogs need this hormone to regulate their metabolism.
If too much cortisol is released due to Cushing's disease, the hormone primarily attacks the internal organs. The liver and kidneys are the first and most severely damaged. The test for Cushing's syndrome at the vet is relatively time-consuming, as blood must be taken from the dog regularly at intervals of several hours.
Since the cortisol level in the body fluctuates regularly, it can only be checked by such tests. If Cushing's syndrome is diagnosed, treatment is also difficult because the medication must be adjusted very precisely and sooner or later will also attack the liver and kidneys.
You should watch out for these symptoms
Whether Cushing's or not: There are various symptoms in dogs which indicate a weakness of the liver or kidney and which should not be ignored by you. Pay particular attention to the following symptoms:
– lethargy and listlessness
– great thirst and strong fluid intake
– strong appetite
– excessive panting
– Incontinence due to high water intake
– well visible muscle atrophy
– a hanging belly
– hair loss and infections of the skin
Not all symptoms must occur. It is important to pay attention to every single symptom in any case. If two of these symptoms come together, you should visit in any case as soon as possible a veterinarian of your confidence.
The right diet for liver and kidney problems
About the dog's food you can filter out some problems already. Even if it is said again and again that barfing, i.e. feeding fresh meat to the dogs is particularly digestible, this unfortunately does not apply to a kidney weakness. Here you can either resort to wet food or home cooked food.
If possible, meat should only be fed to the dogs cooked. With the wet food offers it applies to pay attention to fodder with little proteins. There is canned kidney diet wet food from various manufacturers that is also extremely digestible. Here it applies to try so much, until you have found a solution, which is accepted by your quadruped.
Structure the daily routine differently
Especially if your dog tends to incontinence, you should structure the daily routine for the dog differently if possible. Because most cases of incontinence occur at night, when the dog has no opportunity for a long time to get loose. Here it can be quite helpful to take the dog for a short walk in the evening before going to bed. To give this again the opportunity to empty the bladder. You should also get into the habit of taking your dog for a walk first thing in the morning. This shortens the exhausting hours in the night for your quadruped clearly.
Continue to monitor the dog closely
Measure the amount of water your dog consumes during the day. This is the easiest way to detect changes. If the diet responds, the amount of drinking will usually reduce noticeably again.