Review of Chronic Kidney Disease and Comparison Between Humans, Dogs, and Cats

The kidney is the body’s filter and when it is damaged, the body no longer functions the way it should. When enough damage has occurred to the kidney, the kidneys will slowly start to fail resulting in chronic kidney disease (CKD). There is no cure for CKD and it gets progressively worse over time. CKD affects a wide variety of animal species, including humans, dogs, and cats. We will be comparing CKD prevalence, symptoms, risk factors, and treatment modalities. There are many similarities in disease diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment between the species. There are also key differences in each species' physiology that results in different diagnostic and monitoring parameters as well as differences in the treatment options available. We compare CKD treatment options that include kidney transplantation, dialysis, hypertension, and nutrition. As part of the One Health movement, understanding these similarities and differences will help us better understand the disease process and hopefully improve treatment outcomes across species.