Dogs

» Joy Butler - high creatinine level - Golden Retriever

Creatinine is a product of muscle metabolism which is filtered out of the blood by the kidneys. Of course if the kidneys aren't working right, it doesn't all get filtered out and the blood level will go up. In most dogs, the normal values are considered to be something like .5 to 1.5 if I remember right. Still, other things like muscle problems, heart problems, dehydration, some drugs, and a few other things can cause an elevated creatinine. A single test result really doesn't tell the vet a whole lot. Diagnosing is sort of like putting together a puzzle. The more pieces you have, the easier to see the picture. The doctor will begin testing for the most likely problem and if it's not that, then progress to the next, such as infection. You didn't mention a BUN or other chemistries but I'm thinking those would have been part of the blood panel. Anyway, please keep us posted.