My dog's kidney tests show different stages. What do the results mean?

Question

After changes in appetite and activity, we took her into our vet. Fearing kidney issues we took tests. Blood test showed early kidney disease. However, specific gravity tests showed advanced kidney disease. Was wondering which of these tests are more indicative of the stage of kidney disease she may be at. And what could be the cause of the different readings between the tests. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 10 years and 6 months old | 48 lbs

Linda G, MS, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello. I am sorry about the diagnosis of kidney disease in Layla. We do generally stage kidney failure based on certain markers in the blood. This includes blood urea nitrogen ( BUN ) & creatinine. Another test, called SDMA is a very sensitive marker for very early kidney disease. Specific gravity refers to the amount of solids found in urine. If urine is very dilute ( has a low specific gravity ), this is a poorer sign, especially if there is also protein in the urine. We really need to look at everything, blood & urine, to determine how serious or dangerous the kidney disease might be, but that is why we sometimes need to look a little further to understand exactly what might be going on. I hope you can work with your veterinarian to manage Layla's kidney problems. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My dog's kidney tests show different stages. What do the results mean?

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