Oh My Aching Kidneys

Hi All,

Libby here. I am remiss. I took a winter vacanze and didn't write a post. I  didn't even send a postcard. But, I had a great time. Hope you didn't miss me too much.

Today we are going to to talk about a topic that may be unsavory to some but is pertinent to all. Peeing.

Now, I'm not trying to be gross or take this conversation in a scatological direction.  But, today's topic affects cats and dogs alike (and is in fact, quite common) and is therefore worthy of discussion.

We're going to talk about something called acute renal failure. For those who don't know what renal failure is, it's when the kidneys (the body's toxic waste filtration system), don't work properly and can't remove wastes from the body. When this happens, you may notice your pet suffering from some of the following symptoms: loss of appetite,vomiting, dehydration, depression, painful tummy, ulcerations in the mouth and decreased urination.

So how does acute renal failure happen? There are a number of different ways this condition can occur. And shockingly, they all involve eating (crazy, right that something involving your pet revolves around eating!) Specifically, ingestion of the following:

a. Certain types of rat posion
b. Antifreeze (watch out during the approaching winter months!)
c. Easter lillies
d. Raisins
e. Grapes

It can also be caused by an infection called leptospirosis. This infection is caused by drinking from stagnant puddles of water contaminated by raccoon or rat urine.

So, if you happen to see your pet eating any of these things and can't pry it from their jaws in time, the first stop would be your vets' office- they will induce vomiting immediately. If however your pet eats these things on the sly and begins to exhibit symptoms, bring them in for emergency care. If they have in fact developed acute renal failure, your vet will know how to treat it.

This condition is not to be taken lightly- not to scare you but this can result in the death of your pet. So if you notice any of these symptoms, act fast!

Til next time..watch what those pets of yours are eating!

Libby