My 14-year-old dog has kidney failure. Is a blood test accurate?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Technically, we have to have a urine concentration to know for sure if the kidneys are affected. Those values (urea and creat) could have been caused by mild dehydration. If so, the kidneys are fine. If the urine is dilute and watery, then yes I am worried more about kidney damage. Talk to your vet about checking the concentration (USG) of the first urine of the morning. Best of luck to you and Max!

Hello. I am sorry about the diagnosis of kidney disease in Layla. We do generally stage kidney failure based on certain markers in the blood. This includes blood urea nitrogen ( BUN ) & creatinine. Another test, called SDMA is a very sensitive marker for very early kidney disease. Specific gravity refers to the amount of solids found in urine. If urine is very dilute ( has a low specific gravity ), this is a poorer sign, especially if there is also protein in the urine. We really need to look at everything, blood & urine, to determine how serious or dangerous the kidney disease might be, but that is why we sometimes need to look a little further to understand exactly what might be going on. I hope you can work with your veterinarian to manage Layla's kidney problems. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sundari. Her BUN and Cr are mildly elevated. This can indicate early kidney disease, but there are other causes as well. Simple dehydration will make these values increase. I would recommend that she has a urinalysis performed on a first morning urine sample. This sample will be the most concentrated and give you more information regarding how the kidneys are functioning. There is also a new blood parameter known as SDMA. This is much more sensitive indicator of kidney function than BUN/Cr. I would recheck her blood work in 1-3 months to monitor the liver value (ALT) that is slightly elevated to see if this is a consistent finding. Liver enzymes can fluctuate in the blood stream so this may not be significant. I hope this information helps!

Without seeing the blood work, I wouldn't be able to say if it is renal failure or not. If the BUN and Creatinine are elevated extensively and especially if the phosphorus is elevated then unfortunately Angel is most likely in renal failure. A urinary tract infection should not cause elevations in those values unless there is also a secondary kidney infection going on and she is in kidney failure due to that. I would recommend either requesting a consultation or resubmitting a question with the blood work attached. I am so sorry Angel isn't feeling well. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If that is what was recommended by your veterinarian who knows Bailey well, then yes fasting Bailey before her blood tests should not be an issue. Fasting is not necessarily contraindicated in dogs in kidney failure. Good luck!

It doesn't look like Pitambar received a urinalysis. This test needs to be run to help stage the renal disease or if dehydration is present and causing the increase in the renal values. Talk with your veterinarian about having this test run asap: https://www.petcoach.co/article/urinalysis-testing-a-urine-sample/ There is another test called an SDMA which will help stage renal disease: https://www.idexx.com/en/veterinary/reference-laboratories/sdma/ Pitambar should also have a urine protein:creatine ratio run to check for protein loss and the need to medication to control that if it is present. This website discusses how renal disease is staged: https://www.idexx.com/en/veterinary/reference-laboratories/sdma/sdma-iris/ Kidney disease is serious and if caught early, many pets will respond to easy treatment and this will not only slow down disease process but will also increase the life expectancy. Often the first step is changing the diet to a prescription diet meant for pets who have kidney disease. These diets have lower protein, phosphorus and high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids, higher amounts of antioxidants and have a higher calorie amount. Supplementing with an additional omega 3 fatty acid can also help. Pitambar will need followup bloodwork and a urinalysis 4-6 weeks after starting treatment. As things progress, other treatments will be needed. https://www.petcoach.co/article/kidney-disease-causes-signs-diagnosis-and-treatment/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The BUN and CREA are the most worrying symptoms indeed. It means that Pushka's kidneys are not working very well. A urine test should be the next step of investigation to rule in/out kidney infection and intoxication. Also, ultrasound scan of the kidneys may help to make the final diagnosis. Other blood parameters that are abnormal could be related to the kidney problems or not. High RBC, HCT, HCT could be due to dehydration, but it may be caused, for example by kidney problems. I don't think the abnormalities are due to stress. I hope it will help but if you have any further questions, please let us know.