But in cases of severe kidney failure, the dog may have to be treated with hemodialysis. In cases with severe kidney failure, hemodialysis plays a vital role in supporting the patient. Without dialysis, animals with severe kidney failure would be lost to accumulated toxins before antibiotic treatments could take effect. Hemodialysis supports dogs and cats suffering from kidney failure. Dogs that come in with severe infections, accumulated toxins, kidney failure and poor urinary output can be supported on dialysis until they are able to recover, and 85 percent of these animals survive.
Data needs to be collected on the incidence rate and any regional differences.
There may be a new carrier or new environmental factors leading to increased exposure of dogs to new strains of leptospirosis. New drugs need to be tested. The available vaccine needs to include all strains of Leptospira that currently infect dogs. After two weeks at the VMTH last August, Liza went home to San Francisco, where she lives as a companion animal. After they contracted the illness, each of the dogs became lethargic, began vomiting and exhibited severe kidney failure.