What causes chronic renal failure (CRF)?
Unlike acute renal failure, the cause of CRF usually is difficult to determine. Because of the interdependence of the vascular and tubular components of the nephron, the end-point of irreversible glomerular or tubular damage is the same. A morphologic heterogeneity among nephrons exists in the chronically diseased kidney with the changes ranging from severe atrophy and fibrous scar tissue replacement to marked hypertrophy. The histopathologic changes are not process-specific, and therefore the cause is usually unknown. Q: What are the clinical signs of CRF? A: CRF develops over a period of weeks, months or years, and its clinical signs are often relatively mild for the magnitude of the azotemia. Unique signs of CRF include a long-standing history of weight loss, polydipsia/polyuria and poor body condition. A non-regenerative anemia is often documented on a CBC, and small and irregularly shaped kidneys can be palpated on physical examination. Renal ultrasonography usually will show diff
