Congenital Kidney Disease in Dogs

An uncommon malady that strikes dogs is congenital kidney disease. A congenital disease means during fetal development the pup's kidneys failed to develop properly or some genetic defect caused the kidneys to be malformed or not function properly. There are many types of congenital kidney diseases that can occur in dogs, some of which are immediately lethal, while others are not so evidently noticeable.

  1. Developmental Problems

    • The kidneys cannot develop properly and are malformed or smaller than normal. Renal agenesis is a total absence of one or both kidneys. A dog can function with one normal kidney; if both kidneys are absent, the pup will soon die. Renal dysplasia is the result of irregular development of the kidney tissues. The kidneys can also develop outside their normal area in the body or be in the wrong position. Any of these developmental problems can cause disability and eventually death.

    Kidney Cysts

    • Polycystic kidney disorder is characterized by the formation of multiple, variable sized cysts throughout the kidney. Cyst size can grow during the life of the dog, eventually destroying normal kidney tissue to the point that kidney failure occurs. Dogs can also be born with single cysts, which cause no problems or develop perirenal pseudocysts.

    Tissue Disorders

    • Certain tissue or organs within the kidney can develop abnormally. Renal telangiectasia is the abnormal development of the blood vessels of the kidneys. This may interfere with passing of oxygen and nutrients from the kidney to the bloodstream. Faconi's syndrome is a problem with the renal tubules where they do not properly absorb electrolytes and nutrients. A neuroblastoma is a congenital tumor of the kidney.

    Other Diseases

    • There are other diseases that are considered to be congenital diseases of the kidneys. Congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus occurs when the kidneys are unable to concentrate urine due to deficiencies in kidney hormones. This type of diabetes is not the same as diabetes mellitus, which is caused by a deficiency of insulin. Other problems with the kidneys include secreting and excreting dysfunctions of various tissues.

    Signs/Symptoms

    • The signs of a congenital kidney disease in a dog are variable. Depending on how much kidney tissue is malformed, damaged or malfunctioning, the dog can have very few signs, and he can go into renal failure and die. Most signs of a congenital kidney disease will occur before a dog is five years old. Signs a dog may have a congenital kidney disease include incontinence, bloody urine, swollen and/or painful belly, limb swelling, weight loss, lethargy, dehydration or vomiting. Laboratory tests may show abnormalities such as high levels of certain electrolytes, high levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine, protein in the urine or anemia.