Dog Weight Loss and Blood in Dog Pee
I have a 13 year old Golden Retreiver. He has always been healthy. About 2 weeks ago he stopped having any interest in his dog food. He would eat very little, but still drank water. He has lost so much weight. You can see his ribs and hip bones protrude. I went outside with him today and he pees bright red blood in the snow.
Oh my goodness!! What could be wrong!
Dog Weight Loss, Blood in Urine Dog Health Guide Editor CommentSorry to hear about the weight loss and dog blood in urine problem.
Older dogs are prone to several health issues. In this case, it's hard to be sure if these are the only symptoms being exhibited by your dog as our understanding is limited to those you mentioned.
Based on your dog's age, breed and the symptoms mentioned, it seems that your dog is suffering from chronic
canine kidney disease.
Chronic Kidney Disease in dogs is a continuous process of failure of the nephrons or unit cells of the kidneys. This usually starts at the age of 5 – 6 years and the affected dog goes through different stages.
As you mentioned, a dog affected by canine kidney disease that is older than 12 years of age exhibits signs such as anorexia (appetite loss), normal or excessive water intake, and fresh blood in dog urine.
Remember, there are other
signs that are also associated with dog kidney disease and you should note them as well, such as pale gums (represents anemia, if your dog has been losing blood in urine for quite some time), bad breath and/or oral ulcers, vomiting and dark tarry stools.
Some of the symptoms might not be present, and it is a prediction only. Remember, a definite diagnosis can only be made with a detailed clinical examination and with a few laboratory tests. You should consult a veterinarian for purpose.
In the mean time, to avoid any complications and to support the patient’s body condition, you can take the following measures:
1. Try to avoid feeding your dog more protein. Try some food with low proteins in it and higher energy content. Also, do not feed any extra mineral supplements.
2. Offer your dog a lot of clean and hygienic water to drink. Make sure your dog does not drink large volumes of water each time as it can cause severe vomiting.
3. Try natural remedies such as
Kidney Support and
Immunity and Liver Support Formula to help your dog's body condition and to reduce any symptoms. These are safe and will help your dog until an exact confirmatory diagnosis is made.
4. Keep an eye on any symptomatic developments in your dog, particularly since additional care is needed for older dogs.
Please keep us up to date on your dog's condition.