Grove Vets in Ballymena recently treated a dog with kidney damage. The problem was caused by something which the owner had bought as a treat, but sadly it caused a lot of damage. Here is what Grove Vets shared on their Facebook Page:
WARNING TO ALL DOG OWNERS: please be very careful when choosing treats for your dog! There have been reports all over the world in the last few years of certain types of dog treats causing kidney damage, and even death in severe cases.
Until now we have not seen any cases of this in the UK, but since the end of last year there has been a dramatic increase in dogs showing these signs. We have treated a dog with this specific problem in Ballymena! The dog almost died as a result of damage to his kidneys.
The product linked to this problem are “jerky style” dog treats, mainly chicken and duck flavours. If you feed any of these items to your dog, we recommend you stop immediately until we have more information.
If you see any of the following signs, and have given these treats to your dog, we recommend you to contact your vet as soon as possible for further information. Watch your pet closely. Signs are; decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes with blood or mucus), increased water consumption and/or increased urination. Severe cases are diagnosed with pancreatitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and kidney failure or the resemblance of a rare kidney related illness called Fanconi syndrome.
This is an emerging problem, and you may need to refer your local vet to this article.
Please spread this information to dog owners as you see fit, as this is a very serious problem. These products are on sale in Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. and at Grove Vets we want all Ballymena dog owners to know what to look out for.
