When i was told i had pkd, i was also told my kidneys couldn't handle animal product & to take it out of my diet. is this the same as being vegan?

Polycystic Kidney Di: If you mean polycystic kidney disease then ...Low sodium, restricted protein and a low-cholesterol diet should be reviewed yearly. Patients should avoid caffeine (minimize daily caffeinated beverage intake and avoid caffeine-containing foods or related drugs, such as theophylline) as it increases levels of camp in vitro, which has been shown to exacerbate cyst enlargement.

No: If you have PKD you may progress to having kidney failure as you grow older. When kidneys loose filtration power any increase in nitrogen waste can cause accumulation of so called toxins in the blood that can make you sick so we recommend reduction in proteint intake. You don't need to become a vegetarian just reduce portions of animal derived foods.