This week Casper passed away. Casper was born on October 13, 1996, so he passed away just short of 18 years of age. If we apply the conventional formulaic equivalent, this translates to a venerable 96 years. For the medium-sized dog that he was, this was quite an achievement.

Casper was born in a farmhouse with four other siblings. Although he was of mixed breed, his blood was truly of Maltese origin since he clearly exhibited bloodlines of both the Kelb tal-fenek (Pharaoh hound) and the Maltese hunting dog (Kelb tal-kaċċa).

His owners often recounted the propitious way in which he was chosen from amongst his yapping siblings after peeing in their daughter’s arms. And because all this happened at the time when the popular movie of the day, Casper the Friendly Ghost was being screened, he assumed that ghost’s namesake.

Despite his auspicious start to life, there were a few frights, like when he accidentally got in the way of a hunter’s shot and had to have numerous lead pellets removed from his skin; or the time when he was bitten on the face by a wasp and suffered such a severe reaction that his face swelled up enormously. And of course there was the time that we almost lost him due to a heat stroke. But this time, Casper had finally lost his round to a silent killer – a kidney disease medically known as chronic renal failure.

Chronic renal failure is different from acute renal failure which happens suddenly and unexpectedly. For example, feeding your dog grapes and raisins can cause an acute renal failure in your dog as vine fruits are toxic to the canine body. Chronic renal failure comes on quietly with few, if any, outward symptoms…initially. And this is exactly what happened to Casper.

He was brought in to the clinic exhibiting signs of lethargy, dehydration and weight loss, and he had uncharacteristically lost his appetite. With these symptoms, coupled with the fact that kidney disease is one of the major ailments in older dogs, it made sense to take some blood tests. Sure enough, the results confirmed that Casper was suffering from a kidney problem.

The kidneys are paired organs situated within the abdomen and their function is critical to the well-being of our pets. They serve as a means of filtering the blood from toxins such as urea and ammonia which accumulate within the body, and they contribute towards flushing out these toxins through the urine. Throughout this process they reabsorb essential volumes of water and amino acids which would otherwise be lost. They are also vital for maintaining the level of electrolytes (salt and water) in the blood and this contributes towards helping the body maintain good blood pressure. They also produce essential hormones that aid the absorption of calcium as well as the production of red blood cells within the body.

When the kidneys start to fail, the body starts to lose an excessive amount of water. At the same time, there is an increase in urination and consequently, an increase in thirst.

The toxins that build up in the blood cause nausea which, in turn, brings about a decrease in appetite. The loss of appetite coupled with the loss of essential amino-acids explain the weight loss. As things get worse, digestive troubles begin with vomiting and diarrhoea while. Outwardly, your pet’s coat becomes very dull, mouth ulcers develop, and a particularly characteristic bad breath becomes very evident.

When these symptoms manifest themselves, this usually indicates that the loss of function would have likely started sometime before and it also signals that about three-quarters of the kidneys have now failed. This is when the disease becomes chronic renal failure. The bad news is that the damage sustained to the kidneys is by then irreversible.

The good news is that chronic renal failure usually develops slowly, taking months if not years before the disease manifests itself outwardly, that is, by which time it is too late to treat. And this is a good enough reason to take your dog to your veterinarian for regular check-ups and ask to have blood and urine tests that check up on your dog or cat’s kidney function. I would recommend that you do this annually when your pet is about seven.

Early diagnosis is crucial in the treatment of chronic renal disease. Kidney damage cannot easily be cured yet the effects can certainly be slowed down. Depending on the clinical picture and the laboratory results, your vet may decide to place your pet on a special diet which contains small amounts of very good quality protein and includes just the right electrolyte and vitamin balance for kidney patients. Your pet’s clinical condition and weight will certainly be monitored more closely, and special medication and fluid therapy may be necessary depending on the particular clinical and physical conditions of your pet.

Casper had lived to the ripe old age of 18, and it was a pleasure to get to know him and to witness the special bond he had with his family. It is every cat and dog owner’s dream that their pet lives as long as possible in a good state of health. Safeguarding their kidneys contributes towards achieving this goal.

thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com

Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.