6 Surprising Facts About Kidney Disease In Dogs And Cats

6 Surprising Facts About Kidney Disease In Dogs And Cats

1. 1 in 3 cats and 1 in 10 dogs will develop kidney disease during their lifetime.
2. Certain risk factors might make pets more likely to develop kidney disease, such as Lyme disease, leptospirosis (in dogs), kidney stones, hereditary conditions and more.
3. Important warning signs of kidney disease may be very subtle and include drinking more, peeing more, weight and activity changes, vomiting, bad breath or other hard-to-recognize signals
4. Early diagnosis, before symptoms become obvious, can be key in identifying the base cause of kidney disease, giving more time to treat that underlying cause or to slow progression and helping your pet to feel well for as long as possible.
5. Your vet can give you tips for keeping your pet’s kidneys healthy and happy as long as possible, including strategies for avoiding dehydration or getting your pet to drink more water.
6. A new test called SDMA (from Pet Health Network’s parent company, IDEXX), may help your veterinarian identify kidney disease, months if not years earlier.