Acute Renal Failure
Acute renal failure is caused by a severe insult to the kidneys causing dysfunction in filtration and excretion of wastes. ARF is usually caused by a complication of another disease process that results in hypovolemia. This can include colic, shock, hemorrhage or severe dehydration. AFR can also result due to infarction caused by , such as medications, endogenous pigments, heavy metals, plant toxins, certain antibiotics and NSAIDs. The influx of nephrotoxins to the glomerulus causes widespread vasoconstriction in the renal arteries causing a reduction in the perfusion of the renal tissue. Poor perfusion causes hypoxic damage to the renal tissues resulting in swelling of the tissue and . Horses prone to exertional rhabdomyolysis, or are suffering from endotoxemia, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, dehydration, colic or bacterial endocarditis are predisposed to acute renal failure. Long term use of furosemide or also predisposes a horse for acute renal failure. The clinical presentation of acute renal failure includes the sudden onset of anorexia, depression, dehydration, oral ulceration, hypothermia, colic, diarrhea, systemic edema, dysuria, oliguria, azoturia, pain on palpation of the kidneys or the kidney area and laminitis. Diagnosis of acute renal failure is made through the clinical signs and symptoms, urinalysis, blood analysis and rectal palpation of kidneys. Treatment includes the treatment of the primary cause, IV fluid therapy and the administration of once the horse is rehydrated to promote the excretion of nephrotoxins. Prognosis is good if the acute renal failure is diagnosed and treated early and intensively. If hypoxic necrosis occurs prognosis is grave as the condition will progress to chronic renal failure.
Chronic Renal Failure
Chronic renal failure is described as the prolonged and progressive loss of functional renal tissue.
Chronic renal failure can be caused by pyelonephritis, chronic obstruction of the kidney tubules, an immune-mediated reaction causing glomerulonephritis, untreated ARF, or neoplasia of the renal tract. Any of these circumstances will cause the chronic inflammation and congestion of the renal tissue. The pressure from the kidney congestion triggers of the renal arteries, reducing blood flow to the kidneys. The reduction in blood flow causes ischemia of the kidneys and hypoxic necrosis of the kidney tissue. The areas of necrosis cause further
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