Chronic renal failure is a disorder caused by the gradual failure of the kidneys or by the long-term consequences of severe acute renal failure. The kidneys have several life-sustaining functions that include excretion, fluid conservation, and endocrine processes. Kidneys filter waste products from the bloodstream so that they may be excreted from the body in the urine. Kidneys also produce hormones, including erythropoietin, which stimulates the bone marrow to produce new red blood cells.
The symptoms of chronic renal failure usually occur only after seventy-five percent of a dog's total kidney mass has become dysfunctional. The most common signs of chronic renal failure, increased water intake and frequent urination, are attempts by the body to compensate for a loss of kidney function by flushing out waste products that have accumulated in the bloodstream.
The most common cause of chronic renal failure is the normal aging process, in which the dog gradually loses kidney function. Because the disease is progressive and irreversible, dogs with chronic renal failure have a poor prognosis. The primary goal for treatment of this disease is the alleviation of symptoms that compromise an animal's quality of life. Depending on how quickly the disease progresses, dogs with chronic renal failure may live anywhere from weeks to years.
