Nephrology

Nephrology

Nephrology is an area of internal medicine that specializes in the kidney, which plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of a patient’s health. VSC has been a leader in the management of kidney disease for almost a decade and offers state-of-the-art equipment that assists with the diagnosis and treatment of pets with renal disorders. We were the first facility in the Midwest to offer hemodialysis and one of the first in the country to offer plasmapheresis to companion animals. We have the capability to provide care at any stage of renal failure.

Some of the common illnesses and disorders that are treated by our nephrology team include:

  • Acute Kidney Injury/Failure – Rapid loss of kidney function
  • Chronic Kidney (Renal) Disease – Progressive loss of renal function over time (months or years)
  • Hematuria– Presence of red blood cells in urine
  • Proteinuria– Elevated presence of serum proteins in urine
  • Kidney Stones (Renal Calculi) – Solid concretion aggregation formed in the kidneys
  • Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) – Elevated systemic arterial blood pressure
  • Disorders of Acid-Base and/or Electrolytes

We are also trained and certified to offer:

  • Hemodialysis– Blood is cleansed by circulation through an external dialyzer membrane (artificial kidney). It is most often used to treat acute kidney failure and to remove toxicities from the blood stream.
  • Peritoneal Dialysis – Blood is cleansed using the patient’s peritoneum membrane (lines the abdominal cavity) as the dialysis membrane. It is used most frequently for treatment of acute and chronic renal failure, specific intoxications, electrolyte abnormalities, and fluid overload.
  • Plasmapheresis – This is a blood purifying procedure that involves the removal, treatment and return of blood to the body to remove antibodies, thereby preventing them from attacking their targets. It is used to treat several autoimmune diseases.
  • Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy – This is a type of hemodialysis that gradually dialyzes the patient over an extended period of time. It is most commonly used for treatment of acute kidney injury, but other applications chronic kidney disease and for treatment of exposure to various drugs and toxins.