How Long Can a Dog Live With Jaundice and Kidney Disease?
Some dogs with acute renal failure—even with high BUN and creatinine numbers—are able to heal and never again have kidney problems.
How Long Will My Dog Survive With Jaundice and Kidney Disease?
"My dog is suffering from jaundice, and the doctors told me his liver and kidney have also been affected. He is being treated and is active. But can it be cured or not? His levels are BUN 140 mg/dl, Creatinine 6.65nmg/dl. Will he survive?” —Kaviya
Chronic Kidney Disease vs. Acute Renal Failure
Your regular veterinarian is treating your dog for kidney failure and trying to figure out why your dog has jaundice.
I do not know if your dog has acute or chronic kidney disease, so it is impossible to give you an exact idea of how long he is going to live.
Chronic Kidney Disease
If it is chronic kidney disease, there is no cure, only treatment. About one-third of dogs that need to be hospitalized for kidney disease do not live past 5 days. (1) Those that do live past that usually only last about another 3 months, but a small percentage of them do make it more than a year.
Acute Renal Failure
If your dog has acute renal failure, the chances are much better. Some of these dogs—even with the high BUN and creatinine that you reported—are able to heal and never again have kidney problems. They can recover fully.
Source
(1) Dunaevich A, Chen H, Musseri D, Kuzi S, Mazaki-Tovi M, Aroch I, Segev G. Acute on chronic kidney disease in dogs: Etiology, clinical and clinicopathologic findings, prognostic markers, and survival. J Vet Intern Med. 2020 Nov;34(6):2507-2515. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7694831/
This article is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from your veterinarian. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
© 2022 Mark dos Anjos, DVM
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