Kidney Disease in Pets: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
This week on Doctor Molly Says, it's just me, and we're finally tackling a topic so many of you have been asking me about for a long time: kidney disease! We start with kidney disease 101: what your dog or cat's kidneys are actually doing back there (hint: way more than you'd think), and why these little bean-shaped organs are so vital to basically every system in the body. Then we get into the two big categories: acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. For acute kidney injury, I'm walking you through all the surprising culprits; lilies, antifreeze, grapes and raisins, NSAIDs like ibuprofen, too much vitamin D, certain mushrooms, dehydration, heat stroke, anesthesia risk, heart disease, urinary obstructions, and one I get on my soapbox about: leptospirosis. I really want more of you to understand what "lepto" is and why vaccinating for it matters, especially if your dog has ever had unexplained kidney failure. Then we dig into chronic kidney disease: why it's so common in cats, why symptoms can be sneaky and subtle until it's fairly advanced, and all the bloodwork markers your vet is actually looking at (creatinine, BUN, SDMA, phosphorus, potassium, urine specific gravity, and protein) when they tell you your pet's kidney values. I also break down IRIS staging, which helps guide how often we monitor and treat. Finally, we talk treatment because while we can't "cure" chronic kidney disease, there is SO much we can do to slow it down and keep pets feeling good for a long time: prescription kidney diets (and why they're not the internet villain people think they are), hydration strategies, subcutaneous fluids, blood pressure management, and more. If you've ever gotten "the kidney talk" from your vet and left confused, or you just want to understand your pet's aging kidneys a little better, this episode is for you. LOVE YOU GUYS 💛 Timestamps: 00:00:00 Welcome back + We're finally talking kidney disease! 00:05:02 Acute kidney injury: toxins that cause it (lilies, antifreeze, grapes & more) 00:10:15 Leptospirosis: the soapbox on vaccination & missed diagnoses 00:15:17 From acute injury to chronic kidney disease 00:20:21 Decoding kidney bloodwork: creatinine, BUN & SDMA 00:25:14 Kidney disease in cats 00:30:15 IRIS staging: how vets grade kidney disease 00:35:12 How do we treat kidney disease 00:40:00 Thanks for listening!!! --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to the pod on YouTube/Spotify/Apple: https://www.youtube.com/@drmollysayspod https://open.spotify.com/show/7xmKqrXGPJXpsbDbtCMgfe?si=17148ddc74604cb1 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dr-molly-says-podcast/id1800302028 --------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Dr. Molly: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drmollysays TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@drmollysays Follow the podcast: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drmollysayspod/ TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@drmollysayspod ---------------------------------------------------------------
