Barney Simon – It means a Healthy Body!

Don’t be surprised on your next doctor’s visit if she wants to examine your nails. And it has nothing to do with your pretty new nail polish. Your fingernails contain a wealth of information about your health. the color and texture can actually reveal if you have any number of illnesses, from hepatitis to heart disease. Here are 10 possible signs of serious conditions manifested in your fingernails: 1.    White nails: Liver diseases, such as hepatitis 2.    Yellowish, thickened, slow-growing nails: Lung diseases, such as emphysema 3.    Yellowish nails with a slight blush at the base: Diabetes 4.    Half-white, half-pink nails: Kidney disease 5.    Red nail beds: Heart disease 6.    Pale or white nail beds: Anemia 7.    Pitting or rippling of the nail surface: Psoriasis or inflammatory arthritis 8.    Clubbing, a painless increase in tissue around the ends of the fingers, or inversion of the nail: Lung diseases 9.    Irregular red lines at the base of the nail fold: Lupus or connective tissue disease 10.    Dark lines beneath the nail: MelanomaDo note that changes in the nails are rarely the first symptom of serious diseases. instead, you’ll feel other symptoms before nail abnormalities are present.

As pet owners, we all want to give our furry family members the very best care possible to keep them in our lives for as long as possible. For this reason, it’s helpful to be familiar with the symptoms of potential life-threatening pet diseases so we can catch them in their earliest stages.

Karen “Doc” Halligan.

Veterinarian and author Karen “Doc” Halligan, who currently serves as the director of veterinary services for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles (spcaLA), shares the six most common signs of illness to look out for in dogs and cats:

1. Halitosis – Bad breath, or halitosis, is a sign of ill health. Bad breath in dogs and cats is most commonly a symptom of dental disorders like periodontal disease, gingivitis, plaque buildup, abscesses, sores, tumors and ulcers of the mouth. But there are other diseases that can cause bad breath, including skin disease around the mouth, tumors or foreign objects stuck in the mouth, as well as diabetes, autoimmune disease and kidney disease. It is imperative to investigate the cause of your pet’s halitosis rather than assuming it’s natural for them to have bad breath. because it’s not. If your pet has halitosis, you need to take them in for a dental exam right away. If the cause is dental disease, once treated you can prevent the recurrence of bad breath in your pet with daily brushing and yearly professional dental cleanings.

2. Ear Infections – since dogs and cats have much longer ear canals than people do, infections usually start way down at the eardrum and work their way upward. so by the time you actually see debris, the infection has most likely been there a while. they are susceptible to ear infections because of their long, L-shaped canals; some dogs have wax-trapping hair lining the canals as well. and dogs that have moisture-sealing earflaps provide the perfect swamp-like environment for bugs to thrive. Check out your pet’s ears. they should have very little odor or discharge, but a small amount of wax is normal. If you see debris, redness, hair loss, crusting or your pet seems to be in pain when its ears are touched, it could be a sign of an ear infection, which means a trip to the vet for ear medication and antibiotics. to prevent infections, pet owners can learn from their vet how to properly and regularly clean their animal’s ear canals.

3. Vomiting and Diarrhea – More than 60 percent of all vet bills and vet visits for vomiting or diarrhea are due to illnesses resulting from what a pet ate. This ranges from bones to burgers, pizza, chocolate, avocados and double-doubles. I recommend twice daily feedings of a high-quality diet in your pets life stage of either pediatric, adult or senior. Feed a measured amount of 50% dry and 50% wet food and no table scraps. Don’t vary your pets diet. Stick with one brand that your pet likes in their life stage and make sure fresh clean water is always available. Cats also suffer from hair balls, which can be prevented by daily brushing, feeding a highly digestible diet and weekly doses of petroleum jelly help push the hair through the intestinal tract.

4. Skin Irritations – The skin is the largest organ of the body and is also the first line of defense against disease. your cat or dog’s coat should be sleek and glossy with no fleas or flea dirt. Flea Allergy Dermatitis, or FAD, is the most common allergic pet skin disease. Animals that have flea allergy can develop a severe allergic reaction to a protein in the saliva of certain fleas that is left behind from fleabites. This condition causes severe itching and a rash. in dogs, it leads to hair loss and infection, usually on the rear legs or at the base of the tail. Cats get scabs around the head, neck and body. to prevent this, use a high quality flea and tick product monthly on all pets in the household.

5. Obesity – About 65% of American adults are overweight or obese, and studies show that more than 40% of dogs and cats are overweight or obese too. If you consume more calories than you burn, you’ll gain weight, and this goes for our pets as well. Feed them a balanced, nutritionally complete diet, and tailor it to your pet’s lifestyle. always measure the amount of food you feed your pets and never feed table scraps of any kind. they add calories and will unbalance your pet’s diet. Give dog or cat treats sparingly and incorporate these extra calories into your pet’s total daily allotment. Treats should account for less than 10% of total calories.

6. Inappropriate Urination – Kidney disease is common in older cats, and both cats and dogs can lose up to 75% of kidney function before clinical signs will develop. Blood work can detect early changes in kidney enzymes and allow management of this disease before it becomes life-threatening. Symptoms in dogs and cats include increased thirst or urination, weight loss, listlessness, nausea, dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, mouth sores, foul-smelling breath, poor appetite and lethargy. Cats may also vocalize and urinate outside of their litter box. About 25% of cats with chronic kidney disease will develop high blood pressure. It’s not uncommon for these cats and dogs to have a long history of excessive water consumption. Treatment of kidney disease depends on the degree of damage, but can be successful. Prevention includes yearly exams for early detection and providing plenty of fresh drinking water.

Posted By: Amelia Glynn (Email, Facebook) | July 13 2011 at 04:19 PM

Leader/Jessica TannerIn 2006, Brenda Fowkes was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease. both her kidneys were removed in November 2010, and she received the gift of life on April 5, 2011, when she received her cadaver kidney. Her husband, Heber has been there for her all along the way and they are closer now than ever.

Jessica TannerLeader Staff Writer

Every day a person’s kidneys process about 200 quarts of blood to sift out about two quarts of waste products and extra water, which becomes urine. so what would happen if your kidneys were failing or were removed? Local Beaver Dam woman, Brenda Fowkes, experienced this first hand.Polycystic kidney disease is hereditary and several of Brenda’s family members experienced symptoms in their 20s. she did not think she had inherited the disease until she too started experiencing symptoms at the age of 46.“I was getting tired a lot but I figured it was because I was getting older and did not think much of it,” she said. In 2006, when she had her gall bladder removed, she found out her kidneys were enlarged.“I went downhill fast. I was angry and depressed for a long time, and went through the total grieving process,” Brenda said. It was devastating for her to know she could pass this disease on to her children.she added, “For the longest time I was just going through the motions, there was nothing I could do. It is a weird disease because you wait for your kidneys to fail.” Brenda just had to wait until she got sick enough for dialysis and for when it would be time to remove her kidneys.After grieving for so long, she realized she did not want to feel this way and decided to change her attitude. she said, “I thought, this is ridiculous…I decided to get glad, I guess and I got over it.”(For the rest of the story pick up a copy of the paper at the Leader or call 435-257-5182 to subscribe.)

Kidney disease in dogs can develop steadily, often using indications which are effortlessly overlooked. Recoiling from the number of causes, kidney disease could be detected by a simple blood exam that the veterinarian can apply once a month.

Symptoms of renal system difficulties in dogs vary depending on the type of difficulty existing, such as viral infections, poisoning, or even cancer. Preserving a detailed eye in your puppy is one of the best ways to detect kidney failure, but nothing rates an actual examination done once a month. here are some things you need to understand kidney disease in dogs, and the steps you need to take for treatment and drugs.

one. Kidney disease in dogs is of 2 kinds, acute renal disappointment, and chronic renal disappointment. the former stems from ingesting poisonous materials. in case you have a couple of toxic components laying around your home comparable to rat toxin or anti-freeze, your dog may have unintentionally consumed them. Persistent renal failure, on the other hand, is dangerous and tough to determine in their beginning. Caused by a variety of underlying complications such as congenial abnormalities, leptospirosis or even cancer, chronic renal disappointment mostly affects young dogs and old aged ones.

2. Kidney disease in dogs causes various symptoms. the very first thing you are bound to notice would be the dogs frequent sessions of desire and urination. Because of the kidneys weakness in digesting fluids, the body indicators the mental performance to use more liquids, leaving the dog eager on a regular basis.

3. Renal system acne scarring will give the dog a hard and painful time urinating. Excruciating discomfort can encourage your dog to vomit pool water he drinks, so observe cautiously for traces of vomit across the house.

four. in case not handled early on, the problems may start to worsen. the dog will start weight reducing her urge for food trying to find tired and careful. the dog may undergo melancholy and become extremely lethargic. Attempt smelling the dogs puff for traces of ammonia. it is there unlucky aspect that your puppy has become incredibly unwell. You need to talk to a veterinary directly.

5. Indicators of dog kidney disease change largely. Some puppies monitor their indications early, while some may look wonderful fine until things start to intensify rapidly. the first signal of the symptom ought to be representing you to take your dog to the vet. Kidney disease in dogs is the serious matter that needs the interest of the medical professional. Bring an urine test along with you in your go to. Remember as well to never deny your dog of the water he needs, whether or not he expels them or urinates them indefinitely. your dog is trying to water his weak renal system, therefore water should be made available.

Avoidance is better than heal. in chronic kidney failure and renal kidney disappointment, the damage is everlasting. Kidney disease in dogs does not heal, but fortunately, by using a put dietary management strategy, the dog can nonetheless live a happy regular life. Ask your vet for diet plans advised for puppies who suffer from kidney disease. do not deny the dog of the longer and more healthy living.

Discover the effective treatment and all-natural remedies for canine kidney disease, go to our site now: Find out More

Can the symptoms kidney disease be similar to mono symptoms?
Can is cause you to miss a period?
Does it have some of the same symptoms of pregnancy?

It depends on the cause. you need to discuss this with your Dr.

go to about.com
it has a very extensive explaintion about it.
Mine started to fail due to several serve allergic reactions to sulfa medications they were telling me to take..even though they knew I was allergic to sulfa..had to stay on 50 mgs. every 4 hours of benadryl or react badly enough to go to the ER and be on that much Benadryl & 14 day courses of Predisone.found more information on about.com,than I could get from my specialist..his nurse gave me the site

symptoms of kidney disease are broad. But whenever the kidneys are malfunctioned, they lose the filtering function; protein will leak out, electrolytes will be all mess up.

a patient with kidney disease will be easily fatique, edema or swollen of feet, arms and face. other symptoms will be blood in the urine, but most of the time microhematuria is not visible to nake eye, or abdominal pain.

If you suspect of kidneys disease, 2 easy screening tests: urinalysis and a metablic profile including sodium, potasium, chloride, bicarbonate level, phosphate, calcium, BUN, creatinin, glucose, and albumin.

good luck

If you go online to the National Kidney Foundations website, it is very helpful and informative on this subject.

Kidney disease is sometimes difficult to recognize in the early stages. They are located just above your hip region and if you have discomfort in that area you need to be checked out. When you have progress, the symptoms range from dizziness, leg muscle pain and weakness, excessive thirst and urination, etc.

Many people don't realize they have this and it can progress and cause life threatening problems with heart and lungs. People with diabetes must be especially careful with their kidneys.

There are blood tests, urine tests, CT scans, and ultrasound that can be used to diagnose kidney problems.

KIdney problems what are the symptoms?

Signs of kidney problems vary. I had kidney disease and didn't even know it.
But some of the signs are:
Back pain, shortness of breath, lethargic, itchy skin, not urinating a lot, weakness

The symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs differ from those in people, and usually occur much later after the tick bite. Clinical illness in dogs usually occurs 2 to 5 months after a bite from an infected tick. Cats can develop Lyme disease, but it occurs rarely in them, even in endemic areas. other domestic animals such as horses have contracted Lyme disease, but it does not appear to be a significant problem. Dogs show several different forms of the disease, but by far, the most common symptoms are a fever of between 103 and 105°, lameness, swelling in the joints, swollen lymph nodes, lethargy, and loss of appetite.

Although not common, some dogs have developed severe progressive kidney disease as sequelae to Lyme disease. this severe kidney failure is difficult to treat and may result in death of the dog. it is recommended that a dog with a positive Lyme antibody test have additional blood tests and a urinalysis to assess kidney function. Some dogs may also develop heart problems or nervous system disease after being infected with B. burgdorferi.

Dogs do not develop the typical rash or the circular area of redness around the bite (erythema migrans) which is seen in people.

- Lameness in legs
- Loss of appetite
- Swelling in leg
- Fever
- Dehydration
- Lameness
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Joint disease
- Kidney disease

Anemia is a major problem in patients with kidney disease. it is caused by low production of EPO, which has been assumed to result from damage to the kidney cells that produce EPO. “Our study clearly shows that this may not be the case, and that the kidneys of patients on dialysis retain significant ability to produce erythropoietin,” comments Wanja M. Bernhardt, MD (Department of Nephrology, University hospital Erlangen, Germany). “Renal anemia seems to result from disturbed regulation rather than lost production capacity of the hormone.”

The study evaluated an experimental drug called FG-2216. FG-2216 is a prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitor that stabilizes hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF)—the “master switch” that normally tells the body to produce EPO in response to low oxygen levels. EPO stimulates production of oxygen-carrying red blood cells.

Treatment with FG-2216 significantly increased EPO production in dialysis patients, as well as in healthy people with normal kidneys. the greatest increase in EPO production occurred in dialysis patients whose kidneys were still present, but no longer functioning.

FG-2216 also stimulated EPO production in dialysis patients who had no kidneys. (Their kidneys had been removed at surgery for cancer or other diseases.) the increase in EPO production in patients without kidneys was almost as high as in people with normally functioning kidneys. In the patients without kidneys, FG-2216 apparently stimulated production of EPO by the liver.

Take-home message: the results question the conventional wisdom that dialysis-related anemia occurs because patients with advanced kidney disease can no longer make their own EPO. “Our results confirm that both the liver and the kidneys retain a significant production capacity for erythropoietin in end-stage renal disease patients,” says Bernhardt.

Currently, patients with dialysis-related anemia receive EPO replacement therapy with drugs called erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). despite almost two decades of use, there remains an ongoing controversy related to the safety, appropriate clinical use, and in particular high costs of ESAs. If the new results are borne out by future studies, then using prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitor such as FG-2216 to help the body make its own EPO might provide a new alternative to ESAs.

The preliminary study evaluated only the response to a single dose of FG-2216. although there were no adverse effects, the results and long-term safety of activation of HIF by prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitors remain unclear. further study will also be needed to find out why HIF is apparently not stabilized in response to decreased oxygen concentrations in patients with kidney disease but responds to treatment with prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitors.