Should my 1-year-old Basenji mix be tested for Fanconi kidney disease?

I think the best prevention is routine monitoring of bloodwork and urine. Kidney values can be trended yearly. If they start to become abnormal, your vet can recommend diet change and supplementation as needed. If your dog is not sick, bloodwork may not be covered unless you have wellness coverage.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sundari. Her BUN and Cr are mildly elevated. This can indicate early kidney disease, but there are other causes as well. Simple dehydration will make these values increase. I would recommend that she has a urinalysis performed on a first morning urine sample. This sample will be the most concentrated and give you more information regarding how the kidneys are functioning. There is also a new blood parameter known as SDMA. This is much more sensitive indicator of kidney function than BUN/Cr. I would recheck her blood work in 1-3 months to monitor the liver value (ALT) that is slightly elevated to see if this is a consistent finding. Liver enzymes can fluctuate in the blood stream so this may not be significant. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Toby. Fanconi syndrome is most common in young to middle aged Basenji dogs. The dogs drink and urinate excessively. The blood sugar is normal, while the sugar in the urine is increased. This is a rare condition. Diabetes mellitus is much more common especially for a dog of Toby's age and breed. This is indicated by high blood sugar and high sugar in the urine. If his blood sugar was normal, then I would recommend a fructosamine level. This will give you an average reading of his blood sugar levels over the past two to three weeks. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm so sorry to hear Smudge was diagnosed with kidney issues. Unfortunately, a complete blood chemistry panel that includes a urinalysis is very accurate for kidney disease. If you have concerns about Smudge's diagnosis, I would recommend you reach out to Smudge's veterinarian to discuss what the findings were, and what steps may need to be taken. Good luck.

It doesn't look like Pitambar received a urinalysis. This test needs to be run to help stage the renal disease or if dehydration is present and causing the increase in the renal values. Talk with your veterinarian about having this test run asap: https://www.petcoach.co/article/urinalysis-testing-a-urine-sample/ There is another test called an SDMA which will help stage renal disease: https://www.idexx.com/en/veterinary/reference-laboratories/sdma/ Pitambar should also have a urine protein:creatine ratio run to check for protein loss and the need to medication to control that if it is present. This website discusses how renal disease is staged: https://www.idexx.com/en/veterinary/reference-laboratories/sdma/sdma-iris/ Kidney disease is serious and if caught early, many pets will respond to easy treatment and this will not only slow down disease process but will also increase the life expectancy. Often the first step is changing the diet to a prescription diet meant for pets who have kidney disease. These diets have lower protein, phosphorus and high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids, higher amounts of antioxidants and have a higher calorie amount. Supplementing with an additional omega 3 fatty acid can also help. Pitambar will need followup bloodwork and a urinalysis 4-6 weeks after starting treatment. As things progress, other treatments will be needed. https://www.petcoach.co/article/kidney-disease-causes-signs-diagnosis-and-treatment/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Nimi getting into the belladonna lily. Sounds like the worst is over for her as far as this exposure situation. I would continue to monitor her for any other signs of ongoing problems from the exposure like vomiting, depression, diarrhea, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, anorexia, tremors. If any of these signs return or linger, I would advise seeing your veterinarian ASAP. Kidney failure associated with toxin exposure is most often seen with an initial increase in thirst and urination frequency but as the kidneys become more damaged, they begin to shut down leading to a decreasing amount of urine produced. The kidneys can go into complete failure where no urine is produced at all and the pet quits urinating. So if you are noticing an increase in thirst and urination frequency/large volumes of urine produced or you notice no urination at all, I would consult your vet ASAP so they can get blood and urine to make sure the kidneys are functioning normally. Even if you don't see those signs and you want to make sure everything is ok, go to your vet and let them run some tests. In my opinion, sounds like the worst is over and preventing further exposure to the lily is all you need to do. Again, if you are concerned, your vet can run some tests on her urine and blood and evaluate her organ function. Good luck and I wish you and her the best!

Hello. Thank you for your question. I can understand your concern. It is possible that the issue was genetic so It would not hurt to have your kitten tested for any deficits. It could also be completely unrelated. The sibling could have had issues from birth that none of the other kittens had, or it could have injested something toxic. Symptoms to look for would be increased or severly decreased water consumption, lethargy, weight loss, decreased appetite, and bad breath. Your veterinarian will be able to run blood tests that will show if there is any decreased kidney function. I hope everything turns out ok! If you have any further questions you can always contact me directly through the consultaions option.