I read the threads here and I am still a bit confused. My 10.5 year female beagle had a protein level of 3 in her urine 6 months ago. She holds her urine fine for the most part but once allowed to releive herself, she stops often with minimal urine released. A direct bladder culture was recently taken and came back negative. A full wellness bloodwork was normal. Appetite, disposition, all else seems normal. But she still takes multiple stops after going. The vet said next would be an ultrasound, but based on what I have read here, I don't think that will turn much up - will it? What is your opinion of next steps? Thank you.

This sounds like renal failure and I would say the prognosis is rather grim, although what you are doing is the only option. The first question is here is whether this is acute (sudden onset) or a an acute presentation of chronic renal failure. The latter is common and it can be difficult to differentiate the cause. If it is acute then treatment is viable, if it is chronic then it is unlikely to be successful. I am not quite sure about the figures you quote because in both imperial and SI units a potassium of 16 would be impossible as the dog would already be dead, so I expect there is an artefact here. As to the calcium then the same applies if this were SI units but in imperial units this would not be elevated. The second question is whether something has set this off - is the dog spayed? If not an infection of the uterus is a consideration. There could be stones obstructing the ureters/kidneys/bladder if the dog is not really urinating. It may be useful to do an abdominal ultrasound to rule these things out. As far as toxins that damage the kidneys go, it is probably too late to administer antidotes.

Thank you! She is spayed and is urinating. I don't know if this has been something building or if it is just recent because she hasn't shown any signs up to this point. Dr states there was really no change in her yesterday. She still refuses food and he has a hard time finding her veins to administer the iv. I have asked him to rerun the bloodwork today and see if there is any changes. If not, we will do what is best for her and say goodbye. Thanks again for your advice.

Andy

Urine protein can be measured on a dipstick and that gives a semi-quantitative result showing how much protein is in the sample but it does not indicate where the protein is coming from in the urinary tract, nor does it tell you the rate at which protein is entering the urine. If there is inflammation/infection in the urinary tract the presence of protein is to be expected and there is no need to calculate the rate at which it is entering the urine as this does not help get any further with a diagnosis and the rate is nearly always elevated. To tell where the protein is coming from the first step is imaging the urinary tract and in the absence of any pathology seen on eg ultrasound then a UPC would be done. If the protein is not the result of inflammation then it may be leaking from the kidneys and to see if that is the case we do a urine protein-creatinine ratio (UPC). This tells us whether the rate that protein enters the urine is abnormal which is important because it suggests the protein is leaking from the kidneys and indicates a different group of diseases. The dipstick can have low protein values but the rate (UPC value) can be high and vice-versa, this is why the UPC is an important and useful test.

In your dog's case it does not appear that inflammation has been excluded and the symptoms of repeated attempts at urination suggest inflammation or at least irritation within the lower urinary tract. The causes could be stones, tumour, other causes of cystitis or vaginal polyps for instance. The ultrasound would help differentiate the causes. I think that in this case focussing on the urine protein rather than on the causes suggested by the symptoms is misleading and imaging the urinary tract would be more useful than doing anything else.

only discovered this site tonight whilst investigating what causes high protein in dog's urine

my heart goes out to you as your situation sounds very serious

can only hope your dog has recovered and you have managed to find some help

if not, then I am very sorry if the worst has happened to you............

Linda in Pagham West Sussex

PS. Lost my last dog only 8 months ago so know what it is like and how hard it
can be...........

With all good wishes

Linda

I don't know if you will get this message but my heart goes out to you big time.

There comes a point when however much we want to do the best for our pets, and make them well again, the
kindest thing to do is to recognise that we just can't do any more.

I took my beautiful golden retriever for a short walk to the beach on 27th October 2010 and we sat in the sun
and I told him, out loud, that 'Mummy is very sorry but she can't do any more for you and that you will be OK
and I will always love you and miss you dreadfully but I can't help you any more.....'

It was very sad but I had made up my mind I had to put him to sleep after 12 years of devotion from him.
I organised that the vet would come to our home 2 days later and paid for a private Cremation from a
wonderful family run firm in Hampshire (UK) called Dignity.
They collected him on the day (29th) and gave the utmost good service and respect.

It may seem stupid to spend so much on a dog but it made me feel better and I don't regret one
penny that it cost. He was a special dog.

I hope that your dog is either now much recovered or at least, if not, then happily playing with mine
in another far better world than this one.

I hope this brings you comfort. If you are laughing at what I am writing then I don't care, I only
replied in order to help you and others get through what I consider to be one of the hardest
decisions to ever have to face and I make no apologies for doing so.

Linda in Pagham, West Sussex. UK

In memory of Bisto

most interested in what you say about your dog starting to wee and then stopping as have same problem with my dog when he is in the garden (yard)
but when we go out for a walk he wees normally

just been diagnosed with too much protein in urine, has an enlarged testicle but is too underweight to undergo castration to see if it is a tumour etc

he is now 10, only got him 8 months ago after his owner died so don't know his history well at all

what was the outcome re your dog trying to wee but then not, or only doing a miniscule amount and trying again

is this the sign of prostate cancer?

all advice much appreciated from anyone

Linda in Pagham West Sussex UK

The signs you describe are typical of prostate disease. This is usually benign enlargement of the prostate and the testicular tumour could well be the cause of the enlarged prostate. Prostate cancer is extremely rare in dogs and it is highly un likely to be the cause. Castration would be the treatment of choice because of the testicular tumour but various hormone injections are available which will treat the prostate and are very effective.

hello, PLEASE HELP
i have a tiny 10 year old toy yorkie and i have just been told that he hashigh protein and a significent amount of blood inhis urine. he is on a drip and anti biotics what can this mean? they havent said to me what the problem could be. any one help me out ?
Thanks,
jessica

Thank you for the reply. We did the ultrasound and a tumor was found at the end of the bladder leading to the urethra. We are getting a biopsy and a consult with a specialist this week, but most like it is a malignant not operable tumor. the biopsy will tell us the RX course of action. Thank you for the 2nd opinion and this web site. To anyone in the same situation, do not delay the ultrasound if the tests come back normal. The sooner you find the tumor the better the chance for removal is what we were told.

Jessica,

Because there is blood in the urine the protein will be from the blood, so the origin of the blood needs to be determined and the best way to do this is an ultrasound scan of the abdomen. The most likely cause is infection of the genito-urinary tract, but bladder stones or a tumour are possibilities.


Sorry for the delay in replying but I have been on holiday.

Today I was advised that my 5 year old Chihuahua has high protein levels in her urine. I am trying to determine the cause of this problem along with several other issues she has recently experienced.

I took her to the Vet ER for a strange cough/choking sound e very few minutes. X-rays and exam showed no blockage. Carafate perscribed and coughing stopped immediately.

3 days later- lethargic. Stopped eating. Took her to Vet and blood work was performed. Dehydration, High Creatinine and B.U.N. Slightly high Amalyse. Little blood in urine. X-rays were taken and everything looked normal. She tested negative for lepto and addisons. I.V. was given for about eight hours 3 days and bloodwork results improved slightly.

Ultrasound was performed- splenic mass identified - The spleen was removed. The pathology report stated- Stage 1 fibrohistiocytic Nodule

Through ultra sound and surgery it was determined that kidneys and other organs looked normal.

Vet thought this would take care of the abnormal bloodwork results and she would recover.

3 days post surgery- Dehydration, white blood cells higher than before the surgery, BUN and Creatinine level back up . She was perscribed Cefpodoxime- 100 mg Daily. Fluids under her skin were administered.

8 days post surgery- White blood cells went down slightly, anemic, BUN and Creatinine still high. Now there is a high level of protein in the urine. The urine was sent for further testing to the lab to determine a ratio.

My dog is now eating, drinking, and has lots of energy. She appears healthy.

Any idea what might be causing this problem or further testing that is needed?

I apologize for the long post. Thank you for your time!

My 11 year old dog has chronic kidney failure. Initially end stage according to IRIS scale but now between 3-4. Was initially given a few days to live as BUN/CREATINE extremely high and UPC was 20.3! This was back in June/July and her bloods are now much better re kidney readings but still high. Albumin is low and haematocrit is very low [23].

New UPC test shows that level is down to 11.6 with a specific gravity of 1.015 and no sediment. this UPC level seems extremely high to me even though it is half what it was. Can you throw any light on what is going on here please.

Dog seems fairly well in herself now even though she should be dead!

Jenn

This is rather complicated and probably one of those cases where without seeing the patient and seeing the scans, surgery etc it is difficult to unravel, but I can make some suggestions. The abnormal bloods prior to surgery make have been because the splenic tumour ruptured and bled into the body of the spleen or the abdomen. The changes occurring after surgery would not be unexpected if this were the case. However this does not explain the blood in the urine initially which suggests a kidney infection possibly. I not the blood disappeared from the urine later on but the protein remains in the urine, which since the dog had had antibiotics supports the theory of a kidney infection, so one might expect this to resolve with continued antibiotics. Of course this is theorising but probably best supports the information you provide. Post operative bleeding may have been contributing to problems. Depending on how high the creatinine is the dog may benefit from continued fluids IV.

Wendy,

With renal failure the kidney often loses its ability to stop protein leaking into the urine which is why the UPC is elevated and the blood albumin low. The kidney also produces a hormone which makes red blood cells and as it fails the the hormone is reduced so anaemia develops. You do not state what treatment you have used or what dietary changes have been made but I expect these will account for why your dog is still going on.

Hi my 7 year old Toy Poodle has seemed to suffer from back problems for years, one day fine, the next day yelping when you pick him up.
We took him to the Vet becuase in the past two weeks he hasnt been able to jump up on the coach, and when we woke up two days ago he was unable to walk, his legs seemed to criss cross. He was very lethargic and didnt want to move.
Then I noticed he appeared to be a bit bloated in the rib cage area. (and he has been licking his bottom several times over the last few weeks)
I took him to the vet he took Xrays, and the vet said he appeared to have a little bit of inflamation in his back, but was surprised that I had told him that my dog was so sensitive, because it was very minimal.
He went ahead and took some blood test and I left.
I received a call from the Vets office and they said the results were alarimg.....
That his protein levels were extremely low
Basically she told me he may be leaking urine into his abdomen and they are not sure where it is coming from.
Today they did a urine test and a Bioassis(not sure that is spelled right) they had him fast then took blood, then gave him food and took another blood test.
They say if this doesnt show anything(still not sure what is happening) they will need to do a ultrasound and a biopsy.
Does this sound like the right protocal?
What does it sound like to you, any ideas?
Thank you so much, we love this little guy so much!

This should be straightforward to unravel. The main causes of low blood protein are loss from the kidney or gut or liver failure or pancreas not working properly. A urine protein creatinine ratio (urine sample) will diagnose loss from the kidneys but the value would have to be quite high to be significant (probably> 3 or 4). A blood test for B12, folate and TLI should diagnose gut/pancreas problems but not always. Other tests can be done if these are normal (faecal alpha antitrypsin, faecal occult blood, cPLI or ultrasound). Ultrasound of the kidneys and gut/pancreas may give a clearer diagnosis but I would only do these after the blood/urine tests. A biopsy of the gut may be needed to differentiate cancer from inflammatory bowel disease. It sounds like the liver has been tested already from what you describe so this is probably not the problem. Treatment of course depends upon the diagnosis.

Hi,

My dog is 16 years old, spaniel?/spitz? mix, 20lb, and he was just diagnosed with urinary infection and kidney failure.

He was prescribed Hill's k/d food, Clamox for 10 days, and Probiotic. At the time of the test he was vomiting yellow liquid, didn't eat or drink much for 3 days. After starting Hill's + antibiotic + probiotic for just few days, he is now doing much better, eating well, no more vomiting, seems better than before he started vomiting and doesn't act sick at all.

We are due for new blood test in about 4 weeks.

His Urine test is all normal except:
-- Protein 1+, Neg, High
-- Bacteria Rods

Abnormal blood test values are as follows (normal values are in brackets):
-- ALT (SGPT) 196 (12-118 U/L) High / liver problems, blockage of the bile ducts / obstructive jaundice, muscle problems?
-- Alk Phosphatase 294 (5-131 U/L) High / liver, bone problems?
-- Urea Nitrogen 80 (6-31 mg/dL) High / kidney problems?
-- Creatinine 3.6 (0.5-1.6 mg/dL) High / kidney problems?
-- Phosphorus 7.1 (2.5-6.0 mg/dL) High / kidney problems?
-- Amylase 2038 (290-1125 U/L) High / pancreas, decreased kidney function?
-- Neutrophils 79 (60-77%) High / stress, infection, kidney problems?
-- T4 0.7 (0.8-3.5 ug/dL) Low / thyroid problems?

How bad is this? What stage of the disease he is in? What would be his prognosis? Are there any other things to be worried about (I am especially worried about his liver)?

In addition to his prescriptions, I am also considering the following supplements:
-- "Epakitin" [www.1800petmeds.com]
-- "Azodyl" [www.1800petmeds.com]
-- polyunsaturated omega 3 + omega 6 fatty acids
-- B-vitamins (appetite stimulant and to ward off deficiency)
-- "Amphojel" (aluminum hydroxide, phosphorus binder)
-- "Calcitrol" (low dose of vitamin D / dihydroxycholecalciferol)
-- "Tumil K" (potassium supplement)
-- Fermentable or soluble fiber / sugar beet pulp shreds (helps remove toxins)

Please advise.

Thank you.

Hi Mr M,

I"m sorry to hear that your dog has been diagnosed with both a urinary infection and kidney failure and thank you for providing all his blood results. You've clearly done a lot of research into both the condition and potential supplements that may help. Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to be able to provide you with a prognosis and it would be very wrong of me to even attempt to as I haven't seen your dog myself. All I can tell you is that there is currently no 'cure' for renal failure and it is a condition that we manage at best through supportive treatment and care. Your vet who is dealing directly with him at the moment is the best person to discuss all your questions with and also to guide you with regard to further diagnostic work-up, if there are any additional complicating underlying factors that may also be having an impact. You're also perfectly within your rights to request a referral to a specialist in internal medicine. However, the fact that he has already started to respond to treatment is a very positive sign.

Best of luck and do keep me posted.

Zara The Vet

[www.vetvoice.co.uk]
[www.zarathevet.com]

I had a 3 year old bulldog that had his urine tested and it came back positive with protein in it.he has always drank alot of water. Recently he started vomiting, peeing dark brown, and it was also foamy or jelly. he also foamed from the mouth the last few days. Could this be that his organs are shutting down?

Hi Ruddie, you need to take your dog to your local vet asap if you haven't already done so. Any animal that starts vomiting or foaming or has any dark discolouration to their urine needs to be seen asap for a proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Best of luck.

[www.vetvoice.co.uk]
[www.zarathevet.com]

My six year old spayed collie/alsation cross bitch, developed generalised pruritis and some hair loss in March this year.Not parasite related.Vet treated her with corstisone injection and a course of antibiotics, as she had some sore spots.A week later on return to vet another injection was given as dog was still itching.. Vet said she thought she had an allergy.She also has severe dandruff like problems,mainly across her back and sides.Since then we have tried all sorts to clear these problems up.Prescription food,oil supplements,special shampoos and sprays.I have taken up my rugs,changed her bedding,only use sensitive powder to wash her bedding,Stopped all wheat products and wash all brushes after use.Itching and dandruff continue ,or though hair has grown back.Last night she leaked some foul smelling substance which i presume was urine.I tested her urine tonight and it was loaded with protein.Please can someone advise as to what can be the cause of her problems.I will be returning her to the vets after the weekend if her urine is still loaded.She is full of energy and is eating very well and has lost or gained no weight.

Hi Josephine

There are blood and skin tests that can be done to help diagnose if your dog truly has allergies. Sounds like you've tried some reasonable home remedies that might have helped somewhat but haven't given you all the answers to your dog's problems. Suggest follow your plan, go to your vets and see if they can arrange some allergy tests. They can also repeat your urine sample test to see if the protein level is really another problem for her. It's good that she appears to be well in herself, despite the symptoms.

Cathy Wickenden BVet Med MRCVS
Barton Lodge Veterinary Centre
1 Midland Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 5BH
Tel: 01442 216048 24 hours
[www.bartonlodgevets.co.uk]

I'm just wondering if there are any symptoms or signs of protein in the urine? My dogs pee has started to smell of boiled egg but is otherwise normal. Could the eggy smell come from protein or is it something else?

Hi

Strong or unpleasant smelling urine might indicate your dog has a problem and smelly urine might have excess protein present. Also is your dog an entire unneutered male because their urine tends to be stronger smelling. More important than just the smell though is if it is accompanied by frequent urination, straining or other symptoms of ill health such as a poor appetite, drinking very little, urinating a poor stream or drinking excessively and urinating excessively. If you think any other symptoms are present then I suggest a check up with a vet and of course take a fresh urine sample along when you go for this.

Cathy Wickenden BVet Med MRCVS
Barton Lodge Veterinary Centre
1 Midland Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 5BH
Tel: 01442 216048 24 hours
[www.bartonlodgevets.co.uk]

Hi

I noticed a change in my 10 year old Staffordshire bull terrier (who weights 14.8kg), drinking a lot and urinating on my floor which is something she had never done. I took her for bloods and it was confirmed she has kidney failure.

What I can't seem to get out of my vet is how bad it is, she says borderline but what does that mean?

My dogs bloods (the ones which are out of range) are below if you can shed any more light on it for me I would be grateful... I also don't know whether I should be putting her on the low protein diet as I understand it, that is for dogs in later stages...

Haemaglobin 19.1 - platelet count 174 - alkaline phosphatase 599 iu - total protein 85 g/l - albumin 45 g/l - urea 13.1mmol/l - creatinine 146 umol/l - phosphorus cholesterol 10.2mmol/l

I would be really grateful from some feedback as I really don't know from these results what levels I should be feeding her as I'm totally confused

Thanks
Nicole