Dog Kidney Problems - A Family Perspective

Dog kidney problems do not only affect the dog. It involves the whole family. The knock on effects to the whole family, can be devastating, both emotionally and financially. Around 15,000 years ago, early humans tamed the first dogs by breeding aggression out of wolves, and dogs have been part of the family life ever since.

For those early hunter/gatherers, it is easy to see why the dogs were important. The dogs were faster, more agile and had sharper senses. Our family dog, even as an old boy, can hear the lid of the biscuit tin open, smell the delicious contents, vault the sofa and gallop down the hall to the kitchen, before any of the children get a chance to say custard cream. Though dogs are still used as hunting and herding companions, it is their other early roll, as protector, that has developed over the many years to win them their rightful place as family member. The role of protector is now mutual, as well as providing them with food, shelter and love we must also watch out for kidney problems in dogs.

Just like we take our children for their regular health checks, we also take our beloved family pet to the veterinary clinic for regular screening for kidney problems in dogs. When sickness strikes any family member, everyone else gets anxious. When one of the children had chicken pox, the dog sat a bedside vigil. If we were to miss the early signs of kidney failure in our dog, the whole family would be distressed by his suffering and ultimately his passing.

It is easy to miss the symptoms of dog kidney problems, so often the news of this fast acting kidney failure in dogs, leaves the family feeling helpless and guilty that they ought to have acted sooner. Even if you have spotted some sort of problem, it can frequently be misdiagnosed. The outcome is much sunnier for an early diagnosis, as the initial damage is less.

Veterinary bills can be crushing. Initial costs include blood tests, consultations and kidney flushing. If your dog responds well at this stage, you will then still face a period from a few weeks up to 4 years, paying for treatment and special diets.

At the end of each month, you have the gruelling choice of what to spend, what little money you have left, on? More kidney flushing, more medication, or new toys, books or game consoles? Explaining this terrible choice to the children can be beneficial and increase their compassion, but it's heartbreaking all the same. The pay cheque only goes so far. Unless your dog has good insurance, a kidney transplant is probably out of the question for most families, who have many drains on their income already.

Perhaps the best plan of action is to PREVENT these kidney problems by following research into its causes. It is widely believed that it is an age related problem, but as more and more diagnoses are being made for kidney problems in dogs who are still very young, research is beginning to reveal a link with diet, specifically in the dried dog food market., blaming toxins, bacteria and GMO's to name but a few. Research into these causal links will hopefully make dog kidney problems a thing of the past.

Time is of the essence, as kidney problems in dogs can escalate very quickly. You can find a well researched ebook called 'The Truth About Kidney Failure in Dogs' here:- www.Kidney-Failure-In-Dogs.com It may just save your dog's life!