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ACUTE RENAL FAILURE - EXPERIENCES AT
SOUTHPAWS
Dr. Fiona H. McClure, BVSc MVSc Dip ACVIM
Patients in acute renal failure (ARF) are commonly referred to SouthPaws for further diagnostics and treatment. The prognosis for these cases is guarded to poor and varies tremendously depending on the cause and severity of the renal disease and associated metabolic complications, and on the duration of the illness. Very simply, the three major causes of ARF are infectious diseases, toxins, and ischemia, and the major culprits are listed in Table 1. This is not an exhaustive list. This list does not include renal lymphoma, immune-mediated glomerulonephritis and post-renal causes of azotemia (urinary tract obstruction or rupture) which can secondarily cause ARF.
There are numerous potential toxins, all of which cannot be listed. Of interest to me was a recent report of grape (red and green) and raisin ingestion causing severe ARF after dogs ate between 0.4 and 1.1 ounces of grapes/kg of bodyweight. Gentamicin and other aminoglycosides should be used with caution in all patients and be avoided if dehydration or volume depletion is present. Great care
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