Kidney Disease Caused By Multiple Cysts in Dogs

Your dog’s kidneys are essential organs that are needed to filter waste from your dog’s body. When kidney cysts form in your dog’s kidneys they interfere with the filtration system and toxins build up in his body and cause the symptoms that do not show up until some damage to the kidneys has already been done. The symptoms may not even show up at all and the cysts may be found during a routine veterinary visit. However, you may notice your dog’s abdomen is swollen more than usual and you may see twitching of the stomach muscles when you rub your dog’s belly. Several disorders that are similar to kidney disease caused by multiple cysts are simple renal cysts, progressive renal failure and renal fibrosis. You will need the veterinarian to run some tests to know for sure. Since certain breeds are more susceptible to multicystic dysplastic kidney disease, if you have one of these breeds your veterinarian will most likely be suspecting this disease.

Kidney disease caused by multiple cysts, or multicystic dysplastic kidney disease, is a serious renal disease that affects the kidneys by replacing normal tissue with cysts. These cysts grow slowly and can be filled with fluid, air, or solid material that block the ducts and interrupt the kidney function.

The problem with kidney disease caused by multiple cysts is that they are not usually noticeable until the cysts have taken up so much space and tissue in your dog’s kidneys that there is kidney failure. Early symptoms can be vague, such as being thirstier than usual and urinating more often. However, these may be overlooked because you may think your dog is urinating more because he is drinking more, which is true, but it can be an early sign of kidney failure.

• High body temperature
• Fatigue
• Sleepiness
• Swollen abdomen
• Extreme thirst
• Excessive urination
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Appetite loss
• Weight loss
• Weakness
• Foul breath
• Dizziness
• Difficulty walking
• Dehydration
• Irregular heart rate
• Mouth sores
• Coma
• Collapse

 Types

There is only one type of multicystic dysplastic kidney disease, and it is genetic, although there are several disorders that can mimic this disease. These are simple renal cysts, progressive renal failure, and renal fibrosis. Kidney disease caused by multiple kidney cysts come on gradually and symptoms are usually not noticed until the damage to your dog’s kidneys is advanced.

Kidney disease caused by multiple cysts is usually a genetic disease seen in these breeds:

• Boxers
• Beagles
• West Highland White Terriers
• Staffordshire Bull Terriers
• Cairn Terriers
• Shih Tzus
• Standard Poodles
• Rhodesian Ridgebacks
• Golden Retrievers
• Labrador Retrievers
• Belgian Shepherds
• Blue Merle Collies
• Shiba Inus

Your dog’s veterinarian will do a physical examination, and he will be paying specific attention to the abdomen to check his kidneys’ size and shape. The veterinarian will need to know all of your dog’s medical history, previous illnesses, changes in diet, activity level, appetite, and symptoms that brought you to the veterinarian in the first place. It will also help the diagnosis to let your veterinarian know when the symptoms started and whether they have gotten worse recently. Some tests needed for diagnosis are:

• Blood pressure
• CBC
• Blood chemical panel (low sodium, low calcium, high potassium)
• Blood iron level
• Glucose test
• Bacterial culture
• Urinalysis (gravity test)
• Digital radiographs (x-ray) of your dog’s abdomen and chest
• Fine needle aspiration of cysts

 Your veterinarian may also need to do more tests, such as:

• Ultrasound
• CT scan
• MRI
• PCR analysis (DNA testing)

Unfortunately, treatment for kidney disease caused by multiple cysts is limited because there is no way to get rid of the cysts even with surgery. Draining the fluid from the cysts by fine needle aspiration will help lessen the discomfort for your dog, although it will come back.

There are also medications that your veterinarian may prescribe to slow the growth of the cysts and pain medicine to help your dog be more comfortable.

The veterinarian will also prescribe a diet with no protein or phosphorous because they will promote further growth. He will also prescribe a vitamin supplement and medication to increase red blood cell production.

The quality and length of your dog’s life depends on your diligence in following your veterinarian’s orders of diet and medication. You will also have to bring your dog to be checked out every six months for lab tests. Infection is a risk with multicystic dysplastic kidney disease so it is essential to follow up often.