Renal Dysplasia in Dogs

This week’s segment features Natty the 3 year old English Bulldog!!! 🐾 Natty presented to us when she was about a year old for overall lethargy. Upon performing some bloodwork it was noted that Natty had an increase in her kidney enzymes (BUN, Creatinine) and was not concentrating her urine adequately. We then performed an abdominal ultrasound on Natty and found that the architecture of her kidneys was abnormal. Natty was then referred to MSU-CVM for further evaluation to confirm the abnormalities in her kidneys and she was diagnosed with renal dysplasia. Renal dysplasia is a developmental condition where the kidneys don’t form normally in young dogs, leading to reduced kidney function early in life. Clinical signs may appear in puppies or young adults and can include poor growth, increased thirst and urination, vomiting, weight loss, and lethargy. Like in Natty’s case, diagnosis is made through bloodwork, urine testing, and sometimes imaging like ultrasound to evaluate the structure of the kidneys. Unfortunately, there is no cure, but supportive care—such as specialized kidney diets, fluid therapy, and medications to manage symptoms—can help improve quality of life and slow the progression of kidney damage. Natty is on a special diet and her values are closely monitored, but she is back to her happy, healthy, active self! 🐾