Kidney and Bladder Infections in Pets

The amazing kidneys filter the blood, produce urine, affect ongoing blood purification, maintain precise serum levels of critical life-sustaining molecules, assure proper hydration & blood volume, control systemic blood pressure, secrete rennin to elaborate red blood cell production, & are crucial in maintaining acid/base homeostasis. Normal kidney function is critical for life & is crucial for maintaining optimum health.

A hallmark of normal kidney function is regular urination. We urinate to eliminate that which the kidneys filter from the blood. We urinate in order to control the serum level of certain substances, eliminate toxins, & control blood pH. These physiological phenomena are tightly controlled, as a significant perturbation of this control mechanism is not compatible with life. Inability to release toxins by urination will ultimately lead to multi-organ damage if that dysfunction is not corrected. The kidney’s function the same in our pets.

 A urinary tract infection (UTI) is characterized by infiltration & growth of any of a variety of foreign micro-organisms (or by an overgrowth of indigenously occurring micro-organisms) that cause abnormal symptoms referable to the urinary system, which includes the urethra, bladder, ureter, & kidney. An infection can range from a benign painful itch with increased frequency of urination, to an advanced infection exemplified by kidney abscess or septic shock.

The normal urinary system is considered sterile. However, bacteria can invade the otherwise pristine urinary system because it is not completely closed. On the inside, the blood is filtered through the glomeruli of the kidneys. With no sign of kidney disease, this end is considered closed & remains a barrier to infection. Assuming no peritoneal cavity openings of the bladder or urethra (that may occur during pelvic or abdominal surgery), then any entry of foreign organism into the urinary system is from the exterior openings, either by surgical fomite or by normal happenstance.

Symptoms of an infection my include burning with urination, itching during urination, a feeling to urinate with little warning (urgency) , lack of normal flow when prompted to urinate, & increased frequency of urination. More worrisome signs & symptoms include flank pain (costo-vertebral angle tenderness suggesting either kidney infection or kidney stone), fever, nausea, & potentially other constitutional symptoms. Dark colored urine suggests blood in the urine (hematuria). There is a tendency to downplay such signs & symptoms. It is highly suggested that it is better to have overestimated a benign process in retrospect than to have underestimated a grave process that could have been mitigated successfully in an earlier more treatable stage.

Helpful tips for a better recovery:

1.   Give your pet distilled drinking water. This will help keep unnecessary toxins out of your pets diet.
2.   Give plant based vitamins and minerals to provide nutritional support that enhances recovery from          infection.
3.   When safe, moderate EXERCISE stimulates circulation, which in turn, optimizes detoxification &            elimination.