Hemodialysis acts as a deep cleaning of the blood when the kidneys aren’t working well enough to do it on their own. Using an artificial filter in place of the kidneys, hemodialysis removes waste products and toxins from the blood. 

Dialysis is not a cure for kidney injuries or failure; rather, it acts as a support system in place of the kidneys, which can help give them time to repair themselves. With chronic kidney failure, however, kidney function cannot be restored, and hemodialysis is used on a case-by-case basis to provide palliative support.

Every pet’s case is different, so it’s difficult to predict how long they will need to undergo hemodialysis. For intoxication and fluid overload, many pets recover after one session. For acute kidney injury, patients receive therapy for 2-4 weeks on average. It can, however, take months