(Continued from last week)
A reader of this column called me and requested to know the difference between ‘nephritis’ and ‘nephrosis’ – terms, which she had seen in a medical book. Well, for our purpose in this column, we prefer not to get into too much science and scientific definitions. On the other hand, we have maintained that the main function of this column is to educate and elucidate. So, here goes an attempt to clarify.
Nephrosis: You will recall (Pet Corner, May 13) I had mentioned that the kidney consists of specialized tissue units called nephrons. When conditions occur that create degenerative changes in the nephrons, then we speak of a nephrosis. These changes (often irreversible) have been extensively studied in dogs, and it is estimated that between 60-80 per cent of older dogs show clinical signs;