My 16-year-old Yorkie has high BUN and is underweight. What's wrong?

Oh I'm sorry that value showed up on Annie's blood work. The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is a waste product produced by the liver from proteins from the diet, and is eliminated from the body by the kidneys. When it is increased, that is a sign of kidney disease. Hers is quite elevated, and I would discuss with the vet treatment options if they feel she has kidney disease.

In cases of kidney failure, it's not so much the BUN number, it's the quality of life that's examined the most. Some dogs can have only moderately high levels of BUN, but their quality of life has deteriorated to a point when it's kinder to let them go peacefully. Losing weight is a common problem of kidney failure, and given that Beau is a toy breed, a pound and a half is a lot for him to lose. I would make a list of five things that he loves to do, and if he isn't doing at least two of them anymore, then his quality of life has deteriorated to a point where euthanasia should be considered. Weight loss is another consideration, and if he's becoming very skinny, that's not a good quality of life for him as well. Because I can't see him in person, I would discuss with your vet as well what they think his quality of life is at this point, and their recommendations for him. It's never easy to make the decision to let a beloved pet go, and often they are ready to go before we are ready to let them go. I work for a home euthanasia company, so I face these questions all the time from clients, and I'd be glad to consult with you further if you'd like to talk more. Just click on the "consult online" button under my answer. Good luck with Beau!

If her SDMA is normal and her creatinine is wnl then her kidneys are likely normal. BUN can be increased from dehydration, a stomach ulcer, a high protein diet or a very muscular physique. You would normally see vomiting or black stool if she had a bleeding ulcer so I doubt this is the cause of the high BUN. To ensure her kidneys are okay, I would talk to your vet about checking a urinalysis on her. Your vet will assess her protein levels and specific gravity to see how her kidneys are functioning. If the protein levels look high on the dipstick and there isn't an infection, I would talk to your vet about doing a urinary protein creatinine ratio. If it is elevated it could be challenging the kidneys and can cause future problems. There is a medicine to help called benazepril. You can also switch her to a prescription kidney diet just because they have a much lower protein content than the food over the counter. Some dogs just naturally have a higher BUN and as long as it isn't progressively getting worse, I would just continue to monitor it. I hope this helps!

I am sorry Chuck isn't feeling well. If his BUN was elevated I would be concerned about kidney disease and that could be why he is vomiting. Especially at 15 years old there is a lot of different things that can be going on with him. He needs to get to a veterinarian as soon as you can since without actually seeing him and knowing more information it is hard to give direct advice. With putting him to sleep at 15 years old I would recommend discussing this with your veterinarian to see if his quality of life and medical concerns and issues are something that you, your family and your veterinarian feel is the best thing for him. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Elevations in phosphorus in a puppy can be due to normal bone growth, but it also could be due to underlying kidney issue. Elevations in BUN (blood urea nitrogen) can be present if the diet is too high in protein or if there are underlying kidney issues. My hope is that Roxy's BUN and phosphorus are simply elevated due to her young age (bone growth) and a diet high in protein (raw) as these should correct themselves. However, it is a good idea to check a urine sample to ensure there is no underlying kidney problem. If the urine is not well concentrated or has protein present this could indicate kidney disease and warrants further investigation. The BUN being elevated may indicate Roxy needs to be on a better balanced diet as it could be elevated due to a high protein diet. The fact that two puppies had the same elevations could be for the same reasons listed above. However, it's still important to rule out hereditary kidney disease by checking a urine sample first. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best wishes to Roxy!

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.

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Having trace albumin (protein) in a dogs urine is pretty normal. We only get concerned about kidney damage when the albumin is moderate-severe and also when CREA is high. High BUN can indicate a GI bleed or a high protein diet in most cases. I don't see a complete cell count (CBC) analysis in the records you sent. Swelling of the limb can indicate edema, a musculoskeletal injury or even a seroma. I would suggest doing a urinalysis to rule out a UTI or stones causing the bloody discharge you are seeing, and a radiograph of the leg (if medical management with an anti-inflammatory hasn't shown improvement with this already). I hope this helps and best wishes with Scooby moving forward. Take care.