Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a sudden injury to the kidney, with or without a measurable fall in function, which shows up as retained uremic toxins or a change in urine output. In dogs it is usually acquired outside the hospital from toxins, infection or poor perfusion, but hospital-acquired cases are increasingly recognized. Unlike chronic kidney disease, AKI can recover if the cause is removed and the dog is kept alive long enough for the tubules to repair.
Key facts
Acute kidney injury (acute kidney failure) at a glance- Species and system: dog; urinary (kidney).
- Causes: ischemia or inflammation (most common), nephrotoxins (ethylene glycol, grapes and raisins, aminoglycosides, NSAIDs), infection (leptospirosis, pyelonephritis), and prolonged obstruction.
- Classic presentation: a previously well dog with acute lethargy, anorexia and vomiting, normal body condition, normal-sized or slightly large kidneys, azotemia and poorly concentrated urine.
- Grading: IRIS AKI grades I to V by blood creatinine, subgraded by urine output and need for dialysis.
- Zoonosis: leptospirosis, one of the main infectious causes, is zoonotic.
What's inside
13 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Three causes you must recognize
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prevention, control and public health
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 4 tables, 4 figures, 3 self-test questions and 17 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
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