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My dog has a small kidney and high creatinine. How long will she live?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | spayed | 6 years and 8 months old | 10 lbs

My dog was born with a kidney smaller than the other, she will be 7 years old. She has 2.0 creatine levels. No signs of illness, how long can I expect her to live?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 14th, 2018

There is no way to be able to tell how long she will live however you can significantly prolong Linda's life with feeding her a kidney diet, such as from Hill's Science Diets or Royal Canine kidney diet. A Creatinine level of 2.0 is not yet alarming, just slightly high.There are other kidney parameters to check such as Blood urea nitrogen and Phosphates, and if they are within the normal values, I would not worry too much about CREA 2.0. Feed a kidney diet and that should be beneficial.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
This is a condition known as renal dysplasia, and Linda has a better prognosis if she has one normal size kidney. The onset and clinical disease symptoms are highly variable, and kidney failure from this birth defect can occur at any age, including dogs that are older than 10 years. It's hard to say how long she will live with this condition, but it's good that she has shown no sign of illness to date. Blood chemistry and urine content should be monitored regularly to check for signs of kidney failure, and your vet may want to do it as often as every three to six months. Linda may be one of the lucky dogs that don't develop signs until later in life, so fingers crossed that happens. I'm sorry I can't give you an exact answer to your question, but I hope this helps somewhat!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on September 24th, 2019
Hello. With both the BUN & creatinine elevated, kidney insufficiency is definitely present. Creatinine is the more definitive measurement so with a value of 2.33, according to the International Renal Interest Society ( IRIS ) Naughty is in stage 3 renal failure. However, we do need additional information to see what & if anything can be done to extend his life. Your veterinarian should run an SDMA ( if available in your country ), we need to see a urinalysis, including a urine protein/urine creatinine ratio & we need to know what Naughty's blood pressure is. If he is truly in Stage 3 renal insufficiency/failure, we will not be able to reverse or cure his kidneys, but there are things that can be done to minimize further damage. This can extend his life for quite a long time depending on what is found & the underlying cause of his condition. I hope Naughty is doing well soon & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My dog has high creatinine. Is his high protein food the cause?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This level of creatinine is still within relatively normal range (according to most diagnostic laboratories and analyzers). Such a small increase can be incidental, Mav may have had a recent meal, or have been less hydrated than he was at his previous appointment. It is unlikely that this is related to the protein content in his diet. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

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