Chihuahua Kidney Diseases
What does the kidney do?
The most important role of the kidney is to regulate the amount of liquid and minerals in the body. The kidneys determine how much liquid and minerals are excreted through the urinary system and how much is kept into circulation. The kidneys are also responsible to filter toxic substances out fo the body by excreting it through the urinary tract. And finally they are also an important organ as they produce the chemical substances necessary to produce new red blood cells.
Symptoms
If your Chihuahua shows following symptoms it might have a problem with its kidney:
- More drinking and excessive urinating
- Acute stop in drinking and/or urinating (if you see this take your Chi to the vet ASAP)
- Loss in weight
- Loss in appetite
- Halitosis
- Pain around the stomach
- Discoloration of the urine
Diagnosis
In order to to diagnose kidney problems you need to consult with your local vet. He has a number of methods to determine the underlying causes of the issues your Chihuahua might have:
- A urine sample can be very helpful as it can indicate the level of blood, proteins and other compounds in the body.
- Microscopic analysis of the urine can indicate the presence of for example kidney stones
- Blood analysis can be used to determine heightened ureum and/or creatine levels
- An echoscopy shows the internal structure of the kidney which can be helpful to map the damage
- An x-ray can also be helpful to see the contours and the contents of the bladder
Treatment
When faced with a kidney diseases a dog is often put on an infusion system in order to filter out harmful substances from the body. In case of infections the vet will often prescribe antibiotics. Because the kidney is not functioning well the vet has to be careful with what to prescribe because medications all have to be processed by the kidney. In more severe cases it might be necessary to operate in roder to remove tumors or kidney stones.
Types of Chihuahua Kidney Diseases
| Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | |
| Acute kidney failure | Excessive drinking and urinating or nothing at all | Urine and blood tests | Immediate infusion |
| Syndrome of Fanconi | More drinking and urinating, loss in appetite/weight and diarrhea | Blood test | Medication can limit damage but very difficult to treat |
| Trauma | Bruising of the area around the kidney | Visual | In case of severe trauma operation might be needed |
| Urolithiasis | Pain around the belly and presence of blood in the urine | X-ray and echoscopy | Emergency operation to remove the kidney stones |
| Cystitis | Accidental urination, discolored urine and fever | Urine tests | Antibiotics |
| Incontinence | Accidental urination, also during sleep | Urine tests | Medication that strengthens the bladder control |
| Tumors | Pain in the belly and blood in the urine | X-ray and echoscopy | Operative procedure and/or chemotherapy |
