Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is persistent loss of kidney function or structure, usually present for 3 months or more, that cannot be reversed and often worsens over time. In dogs it is mostly a disease of older patients, but familial nephropathies cause it in young dogs of some breeds. The NAVLE expects you to stage a dog correctly with the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) system and to choose treatments that match that stage.
Key facts
Chronic kidney disease at a glance- Species and system: dogs (and cats, with different cut-offs); urinary system, with systemic effects on blood pressure, bone and mineral metabolism, red cell production and the gut.
- Cause: any process that destroys nephrons; in older dogs the original cause is often never found. Glomerular disease is relatively more important in dogs than in cats.
- Classic presentation: older dog with PU/PD, weight loss, inappetence and vomiting, small irregular kidneys, azotemia with poorly concentrated urine.
- Frequency: about 0.2 to 0.4% of dogs seen in UK primary-care practices; much higher in old dogs.
- Staging: IRIS stages 1 to 4 on fasting creatinine and/or SDMA in a stable, hydrated dog, then substages for proteinuria and blood pressure.
- Zoonotic or reportable: CKD itself is neither. Leptospirosis, a zoonotic cause of kidney injury, should be ruled out when kidney disease appears suddenly.
What's inside
12 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prevention, control and public health
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 8 tables, 2 figures, 3 self-test questions and 17 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.