Although kidney failure is relatively rare, if left untreated it can cause serious damage to your health. It is therefore important for everyone to be aware of the symptoms of kidney failure on order to take prompt action should any occur. One of the main symptoms is a change in urination. Whether it be needing to urinate more frequently, blood in urine or having difficulty urinating, this could be a sign of problems with your kidneys.

The other main symptom is swelling. The job of the kidneys is to process waste products and fluid in the body, and if kidneys are not working properly this can lead to fluid being retained, typically in the ankles, wrists or hands. Many patients who have failing kidneys also suffer from extreme tiredness, but as fatigue can be a symptom of so many other health issues as well, it is really only of concern in conjunction with other symptoms.

Children

In children, kidney failure can be brought about by either the kidneys not developing as they should prior to birth, or due to an infection or condition which develops later in childhood. Children may not be aware of changes which adults easily pick up on, so parents should watch out for children complaining of pain or a burning feeling when urinating or any unexplained swelling.

Children who have previously been dry all night may start bedwetting again if their kidneys are developing problems. A persistently high temperature or fever which cannot be attributed to other factors, and high blood pressure can also be symptoms of kidney failure in children. Tiredness caused by anaemia is another major indicator of kidney failure, so excessive tiredness or lethargy should always be investigated fully.

Diabetes

In the healthy population, sudden onset of kidney failure is rare. However, people who suffer from diabetes have a greatly increased risk of developing kidney failure and 44% of all kidney failure cases in adults occur in diabetics.

There are also racial differences, with African-American diabetics being twice as likely to develop kidney failure as other races. Damage to the kidneys because of diabetes is a gradual process, and therefore diabetics should have regular urine tests to assess the state of their kidney function.

Some of the symptoms that the kidneys are beginning to fail are increased fatigue, a feeling of nausea or vomiting, itchiness of the skin, indigestion or heartburn and a strange, metallic taste in the mouth.

Diabetics may also experience swelling, most commonly in the limbs. Many of these symptoms can occur even when the kidneys are not failing, but when a diabetic experiences more than one of the symptoms, the causes should be thoroughly investigated.

Dogs

Many mammals, including domestic pets such as dogs, have kidneys which function in exactly the same way as human kidneys. In dogs, kidney failure is generally a gradual process and as such, pet owners should be on the look out for the symptoms which will allow them to identify the condition early.

A dog whose kidneys are beginning to fail will often be thirsty, and will drink far more than usual. As a consequence, urination will become more frequent and the dog may even become incontinent, even in dogs who have previously had no problems with being house trained.

As the disease progresses, the main symptoms which will be noticed by pet owners are loss of weight, loss of appetite and the coat of the dog becoming increasingly poor in condition. The dog’s breath will often have a smell like ammonia, and the dog may develop ulcers in the  mouth. Kidney failure in pets is treatable with modern veterinary techniques, but early identification of the problem makes treatment far
easier.

If left untreated, a dog with kidney failure will eventually fall into a coma and die.