Ask the Expert: Holistic: BUN Level

Q: My dog Sprout's blood panel showed a slightly elevated BUN level. As far as I found out, it is related to the kidneys, but I don't know exactly what it means and what I can do to heal it.

Thanks so much for your help!

A: Hi Lissy, After looking at Sprout’s entire blood panel, I don’t see anything to worry about as long as Sprout is healthy. BUN and creatinine are the primary tests used to check how well the kidneys are able to filter waste products from your blood. Vets also look at the ratio between the two. When one or both of the numbers are above or below normal, the ratio can also be out of normal range. When the BUN an BUN/creatinine ration are abnormal, and/or there are some other health concerns, it could an indication of congestive heart failure, liver disease, gastrointestinal bleeding and other conditions. High BUN and BUN/creatinine ratios can also be explained with small body size and/or pregnancy, mild dehydration or high protein meal.