A 10-month-old male spitz (Pomeranian) got a new lease of life after undergoing haemo-dialysis by a team of expert veterinary doctors in the Veterinary Clinical complex at Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU) in Bidar on Monday.
The pet dog was brought to the veterinary clinic on June 25 by its owner Suresh Harsoor from Kalaburagi after the animal fell critically ill due to kidney failure. The owner complained that the dog was suffering from persistent vomiting, inappetence (lack of appetite) and severe depression.
A medical team led by Dilip Kumar, Dean, Veterinary College, Bidar, with all technical and logistic support from Vivek R. Kasaralikar, Head of the Veterinary Medicine, Bhagawantappa, Head of the Veterinary Surgery & Radiology, and H. Sandeep, Head of Veterinary Clinical Complex, diagnosed the blood samples of the pet to find alarming rates of creatinine and nitrogen in the blood. Laboratory investigation revealed severe azotemia (elevation of blood urea nitrogen) and it was diagnosed as renal failure.
An opinion was sought from Kalaburagi-based nephrologist Anil Mudda and it was decided to carry out heamo-dialysis using the facility provided at Dr. Mudda’s dialysis centre on Monday.
Dr. Kasaralikar said that the animal was sedated and the blood vessels were connected to the dialysis unit. The procedure was successfully performed within an hour. A course of antibiotics has been taken up to check the possibility of post-event infection. The dialysis procedure will be repeated only if required, he added. The team said that it was the first-of-its-kind procedure in North Karnataka region.
Renal failure in dogs is a commonly encountered disease and it is the third most common cause of death in pet dogs. It is commonly encountered in geriatric (senile) dogs, he added.
