Even if he will never be ready, every owner knows that one day he will most likely have to say goodbye to his 4-legged friend, his companion in adventures and often, of a lifetime.
At first it seems impossible to accept it, but if the illness consumes Fido day after day, making his suffering unsustainable, it is time to start talking about euthanasia with your trusted veterinarian.
But when to kill a dog with kidney failure becomes the only choice to give him a peaceful and painless death?
What does kidney failure involve in dogs?
Chronic kidney failure is a typical condition of older dogs, which can go unnoticed for a long time before symptoms arise. From that moment on, it is necessary to intervene promptly for slow down the progression of the disease.
In fact, there are numerous precautions, starting from nutrition up to pharmacological treatments, which are able to counteract the symptoms of renal failure allowing Fido to lead a longer and more dignified life.
In any case, the disease must be monitored by the owner, but above all with periodic checks to the vet. Blood and urine tests are essential to evaluate any alteration of the values and to be able to proceed with the most appropriate treatment.
How to tell if a dog with kidney failure is suffering?
Every owner knows how to recognize when their dog is suffering, especially when it comes to a chronic disease such as kidney failure.
Most chronic ailments can cause ache in the dog directly or indirectly. In this case, the pain can be caused by complications of the disease, such as in the case of a urinary tract infection or sudden renal colic.
But not only. The most obvious symptom is a ‘excessive urine productionwhile others can cause even stronger pain and discomfort in our friend:
- The appearance of mouth ulcers that make it difficult to chew food
- He retched
- Respiratory difficulties
- Loss of balance
- Loss of appetite
- Loss of vitality
- Tremors
All of these symptoms associated with severe physiological dysfunction will lead the dog to undergo a chronic stressful condition, known as distresswhich further weakens Fido by lowering his immune defenses.
How to know when to kill a dog with kidney failure?
If you have tried every possible remedy to combat his illness, but Fido’s conditions continue to worsen, it is advisable to talk to the veterinarian about the possibility of euthanasia. Every master knows in his heart when that moment has arrived: if your friend no longer has the strength to fight the disease, if he stops eating, drinking, and you realize that you can no longer do anything to alleviate his suffering, you can at least choose a peaceful and dignified death for him.
Talk to your vetto better understand in which cases it is appropriate to practice it and to understand if there is more you can do to significantly improve the quality of life of your friend.
It is a very intimate and difficult choice, but you have to try to be objective by putting the good of the dog first.
How long can a dog with severe kidney failure live?
The quality of life of a dog suffering from kidney failure can be very different depending on what it is stage of the disease and of the subject.
And’severe renal insufficiency it can be defined as such when blood and urine tests show very altered values and when symptoms worsen.
A more precise classification identifies 4 stages of the disease, on the basis of which a average survival time of the dog:
- At the first stage on average over 400 days
- At the second stage, from 200 to 400 days
- In the third stage a few months.
- At the fourth stage, the most advanced one, we speak of a few weeks.
How does a dog with kidney failure die when euthanized?
Even in dogs, euthanasia is practiced by administering a lethal injection. Within a couple of minutes the dog will lose consciousness, gently and calmly extinguishing.
This practice it is painless and the dog will not suffer, on the contrary, the muscles will relax, and for him it will be like falling into a deep sleep one last time.
Specialized veterinarians can carry out euthanasia at home, so as not to subject him to unnecessary travel and further stress. We can hold his paw until his last breath, or we can greet him without assisting if we don’t feel ready. What matters is that Fido can perceive our presence to face death serene with his master beside him.