Your dog can be diagnosed with kidney disease just like humans. In dogs, CKD is associated with aging, and in simpler words can be considered to be the ‘wearing out’ of the kidney tissues. For most small dogs, the early signs and symptoms of kidney disease occur anywhere between ten to fourteen years of age. 

Your dog may develop various symptoms but you might not really see any in the earlier stages (stages 1 & 2), but in the later stages, there may be some symptoms that start to show up. This information was published by a veterinary journal. 

One of the first many symptoms you can see will be a decreased appetite. All the toxins that eventually build up in their kidneys can make them not want to eat hence reducing their appetite. Weight loss is a follow-up symptom that may come along with it as the kidneys may not be breaking down the protein appropriately. 

Secondly, dogs may show signs of dehydration. This happens when your pet is not drinking enough water or when they lose the ability to retain enough water. If your dog happens to urinate excessively, it may be another sign that they might have kidney disease. 

Constipation is another symptom you want to be mindful of and can also be another effect of dehydration. With kidney disease, you want to make sure your dog has probiotics and an adequate amount of fiber or other natural things to help the condition.

You also may see hyperphosphatemia in dogs which are high phosphorus levels in their body. This occurs when there is an elevated level of phosphate content. Metabolic acidosis is another symptom that happens when acid builds up in the dog’s body. These symptoms may not be recognized until you perform any blood work for your dog.

Hypokalemia is another common symptom where you have low potassium levels which may pose a threat to their kidneys. It is also crucial to keep your dog’s iron levels in check. This is where you would look for weakness or fatigue. Your dog may also experience anemia and show signs of low energy.

Some uremic signs like bad breath, skin discoloration, etc.

Renal failure in your dog occurs when the kidneys can no longer remove toxic wastes from the body. These waste materials build up and create symptoms of excess thirst, nausea, pain, weakness, appetite loss, intestinal bleeding, and even seizures may develop.

In conclusion, there are a lot of symptoms that all vary but these are the ones that are more commonly reported. Kidney failure can develop naturally as the kidneys wear out. Since this happens with age, there is no real preventative measure; it can only be treated. 

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