How to tell if a dog has a kidney infection

A staple treatment for dogs suffering from kidney failure is fluid therapy. Increase in thirst.

Acute renal failure happens quickly over several days whereas chronic failure happens slowly over time.

How to tell if a dog has a kidney infection. How is a kidney infection diagnosed. If your vet thinks that your dog has a kidney infection they may want to run bloodwork. This will show if your dogs kidneys are function properly and if they have a high white blood cell WBC count.

A high white blood cell count would indicate that your dog has an infection. Kidney infection in dog symptoms. Signs of kidney infection can include an increase in drinking water an increase in needing to urinate blood in urine vomiting weight loss decreased appetite a hunched-over posture lethargy a decrease in urination mouth ulcers discolored urine trouble urinating fever and foul-smelling urine.

Youve noticed your dog is drinking more water and urinating more frequently. They have even had an accident indoors. Its probably a UTI you think to yourself.

Or could it be something more. Your dogs symptoms certainly could indicate a bladder infection. But they could also signal a potential kidney infection.

Other signs and symptoms of kidney failure in dogs are sudden changes in your dogs health and well-being. If your dog begins to act sick very suddenly this could be related to kidney failure and you should see your vet immediately. Treatments for Kidney Failure in Dogs.

A staple treatment for dogs suffering from kidney failure is fluid therapy. A dilute urine means your dog is thirstier than usual andor is not concentrating their urine due to a possible kidney function problem or other systemic disease such as Cushings syndrome. The urine sediment gives us a birds-eye view into what cells and other elements are actually floating around in your dogs urine.

How to tell if a dog has a kidney infection. Tips on how to collect a urine sample. Urine culture-a tool in finding hidden infections.

UTIs can often be hidden called occult infections with no clinical signs and normal-looking urinalysis results. Stones in the kidney bladder or elsewhere in the urinary tract are painful for your dog. They may also lead to scarring and even obstruction of your dogs urethra which is a veterinary emergency.

Your veterinarian may need to do additional testing to verify that your dog has kidney disease. These tests could include blood testing urine testing radiography and. An acute kidney infection rarely results in kidney failure.

However the symptoms can be alarming and include vomiting a stiff-legged gait and signs of painful urination. This will be enough to send the pet owner to the vet in plenty of time to administer effective treatment. A dog kidney infection will cause the kidney to cease functioning properly.

When the kidneys dont function properly a dogs health is severely at risk. Kidney infections should not be treated lightly and early identification of a problem is always beneficial in successfully treating it. There are a number of symptoms to look out for.

Inappropriate urination particularly noticeable in dogs that have previously been well house trained slow uncomfortable urination. Additional signs of upper urinary tract infection include fever and pain when the kidneys are palpated examined by touch during the physical examination. Also one or both kidneys may be abnormal in size.

If your dog has a history of kidney infections your veterinarian will likely recommend periodic physical exams andor urinalyses. Depending on the cause of the infection it may help to change your dogs diet but only under the advice of your vet. The treatment of kidney issues in dogs will depend on the type of the problem and the severity of it.

It is also important to properly identify the cause of kidney problems. Dogs are examined in a free consultation at Animal Trust where the vet will carry out a physical examination to detect a fever painful or enlarged bladder or kidneys. Following this urinalysis is carried out by testing a fresh urine sample for acidity.

To get an accurate diagnosis a vet will examine your dogs urine for the presence of white blood cells or crystals which suggest infection or bladder stones respectively. The vet may also opt to perform a urinalysis or culture the urine to help identify the type of bacteria and hence the UTI that your dog may be suffering from. Symptoms Of Kidney Disease In Dogs.

Here are some of the symptoms of kidney disease in dogs. Though each dog can vary the most common symptoms include. Increase in thirst.

Increase of accidents around the house. Ulcers in the mouth. Kidney failure also known as renal failure in dogs can be chronic or acute.

Acute renal failure happens quickly over several days whereas chronic failure happens slowly over time. Kidney failure can be caused by a number of things including bacterial infection congenital disease toxicosis geriatric degeneration etc. Symptoms Of Dog UTIs 1.

Bloody Or Cloudy Urine. Like humans dogs usually pee a liquid that is clear to yellow in color. If a dogs urine looks cloudy or.

Some dogs are born with a kidney birth defect other dogs develop kidney disease as a result of old age high blood pressure a bacterial infection or from ingesting poison. Often the signs of kidney disease go totally unnoticed until the dog has lost 23 of its kidney function. Thats why it is important to catch this disease early.

If your dog is feverish and has a swollen tender abdomen or is crying and whimpering in pain and unable to pass urine seek emergency medical help immediately advises the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. If a bladder infection spreads to the kidneys those organs essential for life can shut down. The infection can move on to the kidneys and cause infection there known as pyelonephritis.

Factors that increase the risk of a urinary infection include problems with urine flow sugar in the urine advanced age overly dilute urine a compromised immune system or comorbidity of. If your dog is walking awkwardly and has a disproportionate stance this is a sign of lameness and possible Lyme infection. Your dog will also likely develop a high temperature due to a fever and a loss in appetite which will lead to weight loss.

If any of these signs of illness are evident in your dog then you must consult a veterinarian.