Prolonging life expectancy

Why treat a cat or a dog with Chronic Renal Failure

Chronic Renal Failure is an inherently progressive disease. It can not be cured. But options do exist to dramatically slow down the progression of the disease and alleviate the symptoms.
These treatments are of course more efficient in the earlier stages of the disease. It emphasises the importance of an early diagnosis.

Prolonging life expectancy

Treatments aimed at prolonging life expectancy counteract the deleterious mechanisms responsible for the progression of the disease.
The most documented mechanism of CRF is linked with phosphorus concentration in the blood. Too high a concentration of phosphorus leads, through hormonal activation, to injury of the kidney mesangial cells by calcium precipitation. The first goal of any CRF treatment is therefore to control phosphorus concentration in the blood.

Keeping phosphorus levels within acceptable limits, may dramatically increase life expectancy. This has been proven in humans, cats and dogs.
Prescription medicines can be prescribed for the more advanced stages of the disease. These drugs e.g. ACE inhibitors spare the nephrons work load by decreasing blood pressure in kidney capillaries.
Contrary to what happens in humans, reducing protein intake in cats and dogs has no effect in increasing life expectancy.