Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
20825130 tn?1524804690

Chronic Kidney Failure

My 14 yr old chihuahua Pogo was diagnosed with CHF 3 years ago.  He was in bad shape when we got him to a specialist. He was put on a cocktail Vetmedin, sildenifil, furosimide and benzipril. Almost 3 years to the day with absolutely no episodes he had a seizure. Took him in to get checked out and we find out he now has kidney disease.  His BUN was maybe 40 or so, the vet choose to treat the heart rather than the kidney by upping the dosage of the first 3 meds mentioned above from 1x a day to 2x a day. 3 weeks later BUN 140's . Now we are being told no more furosimite and no more benzapril. Vetmedin 3x a day and sildenifil 2x a day.  We are starting subcontanious fluids 300 cc for 3 days then checking labs again. I'm scared. He seemed to respond well to the first session today. He drank water and ate with enthusiasm.  I just Don't know what to expect. We changed his diet as soon as we heard kidney disease.  He is on a home cooked diet low phos. Any advice on the subcontanious fluids therapy?
3 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
20820562 tn?1524877846
O order green tripe from a company called Hare Today Gone Tomorrow, but they have dog food with tripe in it at Petco. Solid Gold has some, but my dogs wouldn't eat it. It's hard to get Chloe to eat.
Helpful - 0
2 Comments
Thank you for responding! Going to give it a try.  He is being very picky so maybe he won't like it either but it's worth a shot,  picking some up tonight. I hope your baby/ies eat well soon,  it hurts seeing mine struggle.  
I know sweetheart...it hurts so bad. When your baby won't eat at all, my advice is to give him anything, just get some calories in him. Also go to Chewy.com. k9 Naturals has this lamb green tripe topper to booster, can't remember, but it's freeze dries tripe meant to put on top of food to encourage them to eat. Chloe loves it. It's supposed to be a treat, but I got to the point I'd give her anything just to get her to eat.. Otherwise, place your order with Hare Today Gone Tomorrow. You have to order a minimum of 10 lbs, and the shipping is expensive, because it has to be packed in dry ice to keep it frozen, but 10 lbs is a huge amount of tripe ad will last a very long time. It comes in tubes like ground beef. My husband used his table saw to cut it into burger sized patties, it's very messy. Then I wrapped each one and froze them all. I am so sorry honey, I know it's torture.
20820562 tn?1524877846
The SubQ fluids work very well. Don't give up. You should also research natural remedies...I have had amazing results with herbal supplements.
Helpful - 0
20820562 tn?1524877846
Please research alternative treatments. Natural remedies that work with the body to strengthen it are not man made chemicals that the kidneys have to struggle to filter. There are natural remedies that have been shown to help tonify and cleanse the blood, taking work load off of kidneys and also supplements from Traditional Chinese Medicine that are not allowed to state what they may be capable of because they are not FDA approved. That is how I am treating my dog, with excellent results.
Helpful - 0
6 Comments
Would you be able to provide more information. I would honestly prefer a holistic approach it's the path I would naturally choose for myself so why not him.  I just don't know where to begin. We just purchased something called 5 leaf pet botanicals for kidney renal.
I can tell you what I have my girl on. The first night, when she had to stay in the hospital on IV fluids, I cried and prayed and researched all night long. I looked at all the different sites, including 5 leaf, and in their products I researched each and every ingredient. I chose Pet Health and Nutrition Center's Core Kidney Disease Package and ordered food and Kidney Health Supplement from Dr. Harvey's Fine Health Foods. You can call the number listed on Dr. Harvey's site and find out what food he recommends for your dog. If you can get them, he will want to see the blood work results, your vet can give you a copy. Dr. Harvey discovered that my dog also had very high liver enzymes and told me what to buy for that. He does sell a few products, but also tells you what to buy for your dog's specific needs, that's why he will want you to e-mail the blood work results. He is amazing, returns every call and charges nothing for his time and advice. The Pet Health and Nutrition Center is also very helpful. You can call or e-mail with any questions or concerns. I had a hard time getting Chloe to eat, so I was advised to get her green tripe. There are some dog foods with green tripe but I found a supplier and ordered raw, fresh frozen green tripe. It was shipped in dry ice and arrived frozen solid on Wednesday and was shipped Monday. It stinks really bad but dogs love it, and it's a perfect meat for kidney disease. It has a calcium:phopshorous ratio of 1:1. You have to be very careful with them getting too much phosphorous. I don't want to say anything bad about 5 Leaf, I just recommend researching each ingredient with kidney disease.  A month ago Chloe was in Stage 4 kidney failure and I started all this immediately. Two weeks ago her kidney numbers were within normal range, then today they were even better. I know not every dog will have the same results, I am just sharing what has worked for me. Chloe is like my child.
Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you, Chloe was on 200 ml SubQ fluids per day the first 2 weeks, then when her results came back normal, her vet cut her back to 100 ml a day, then today she said we could start weaning her off the fluids, but honestly, I am scared to. I hate putting her through it, but she tolerates it well and I am afraid of changing anything because she is doing so well. If your puppy is eating and drinking happily, it sounds like he wants to live. I am so, so sorry you are going through this. I know how it hurts and how scary it is.
Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you, Chloe was on 200 ml SubQ fluids per day the first 2 weeks, then when her results came back normal, her vet cut her back to 100 ml a day, then today she said we could start weaning her off the fluids, but honestly, I am scared to. I hate putting her through it, but she tolerates it well and I am afraid of changing anything because she is doing so well. If your puppy is eating and drinking happily, it sounds like he wants to live. I am so, so sorry you are going through this. I know how it hurts and how scary it is.
It sounds like what you are doing is working! She is lucky to have you. I would be hesitant to change anything as well. Today is day 3 of the fluid therapy yesterday was the 1st time I administered myself,  my heart was racing.  It went well though.  This morning he didn't want to eat again and slept for 2 hours straight after I took him out to pee. I tried a something different for food.  Hamburger meet,  heart (very little) cabbage, zucchini and a small amount of broccoli mixed with a little brown rice.  He ate,  finally. He is drinking water on his own still.  He is not pooping only 1x a day.  I gave him a little yogurt w/ Probiotic added, he ate that too. I am going to look into the info you gave, thank you so much for sharing and for all the information you have so willingly shared. I know everyone and case is different but it helps to talk about it with others and know I am not the only one living on coffee fumes while I slave in the kitchen for my beloved pet.  It's all worth it.  
Can you send the name of the place you get the green tripe from please. His levels have gone down with the fluid therapy but he is still not eating very well
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Dogs Community

Top Dogs Answerers
675347 tn?1365460645
United Kingdom
974371 tn?1424653129
Central Valley, CA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Members of our Pet Communities share their Halloween pet photos.
Like to travel but hate to leave your pooch at home? Dr. Carol Osborne talks tips on how (and where!) to take a trip with your pampered pet
Ooh and aah your way through these too-cute photos of MedHelp members' best friends
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.