North Dallas Veterinary Emergency & Specialty
Dialysis for Pets in Texas
North Dallas Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Hospital (NDVESH) treats patients requiring extracorporeal therapies (ECTs - hemodialysis, hemoperfusion, and apheresis) for acute and chronic kidney disease, intoxications, immune-mediated diseases, and certain types of neoplasia. NDVESH provides dialysis for pets in Texas and surrounding states.
What is Hemodialysis for Pets?
Hemodialysis is a therapy that removes blood from the body, which is pumped through a dialyzer (acting like the kidney) to purify the blood. This therapy is extremely effective at eliminating toxic metabolites, balancing electrolytes, and removing excess total body water.
Hemodialysis in veterinary medicine is typically performed in patients with acute kidney injury, but can also be performed in patients with chronic kidney disease to prolong quality of life. We recommend starting with two weeks of treatments, then assessing if there is improvement in kidney function over that time period and determining if additional treatments are necessary. It is not uncommon for patients to need additional treatments for 2-4 more weeks, depending on the underlying cause and prior stage of kidney disease.
Dialysis for Toxin Exposure in Pets
NDVESH also offers these procedures in dogs and cats with witnessed or suspected toxin exposure. Hemodialysis, hemoperfusion, and plasmapheresis are performed to accelerate the elimination of the toxin, which can have negative effects on the body. These therapies have been used to treat a variety of toxins, such as (but not limited to) NSAIDs, ethylene glycol (antifreeze), 5-FU, phenobarbital, baclofen, and chemotherapeutic overdoses. Patients typically receive one treatment to expedite the elimination of the toxin within the body, then may require additional hospitalization (2-3 days in some cases) to monitor clinical signs.
The Nephrology & Extracorporeal Therapies Service is excited to provide these treatment options to help improve the lives of pets with severe disease. Please do not hesitate to contact our team at (469) 598-1944. We are readily available for consultation on prospective cases.
Meet Our Dialysis & Extracorporeal Therapies Team
Sandy Young
DVM, DACVECC
Emergency & Critical Care
Sandy Young
DVM, DACVECC
Emergency & Critical Care
