Should dogs with kidney disease get IV fluids to flush toxins?

Creatinine and BUN are the two main kidney values measured with blood chemistry panels. Yes, it is very common to track changes in these values (as well as many others, including electrolytes) during IV fluid therapy, particularly if they were high to begin with. I hope that all goes well for Augie!

Yep! That's a great idea as long as your dog doesn't get uncomfortable with the faster fluid rate. You can also raise the bag higher up (such as hanging from a coat hanger from a ceiling fan) to help speed up the process.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A more specific dose of fluids for her body weight would be 900ml daily to every other day. However, this is only dependent on her being able to tolerate this amount meaning for example that she does not have any heart disease. Please make sure with your veterinarian who knows her medical history, that this amount of fluid would be well-tolerated. Good luck and have a good night!

Pets with renal disease need to eat a special dog food aimed at reducing the work load on the kidneys. Hill Science Diet and Royal Canin both make special formulas for this condition. Some of these pets need intravenous fluids for up to three days. Some of them need supportive care in the form of subcutaneous fluids, anti-acids and antivomiting medications. If she is leaking protein in her urine, she also needs a medication to stop this. Consulting with you local veterinarian will give you the best guidance as to what Soffiya needs based upon her physical exam and clinical signs. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

If she is still not eating then you should take her back to the vet for IV fluid therapy. And more diagnostics. Make sure they did bloodwork to check her kidneys. An abdominal X-Ray or ultrasound may help to diagnose the issue as well. If her kidney enzymes are elevated, that can make her nauseous and not want to eat. IV fluids will help to flush the kidneys. There are also special foods that can help with kidney issues like hills K/D food. If the kidney issue is for sure due to an infection, then hopefully the antibiotics will kick in soon. Sometimes it’s good to give cephalexin with another antibiotic like Baytril if it is a severe infection.

The BUN and creatinine values are extremely high indicating that the kidneys are not working to clear the toxins out of his blood stream and this is very serious and indeed potentially life threatening. The low red blood count or anemia is also a concern and may be linked either to blood borne parasites or kidney failure. Intensive fluid treatment and kidney support is required, in many cases of sudden onset kidney injury in younger dogs, recovery is possible if there is enough normal kidney working in the short term

Hello. With kidney disease, it is important to try to increase fluid intake. If he is not on a canned diet, I would try to transition him to one. Even better, would be a canned kidney diet such as Hill's k/d. Once he is eating the canned food, adding a little water will help, but you do not want to add so much water as to decrease the nutritional density of the food. Rather than broth, you can also try Pedialyte. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.