End stage renal failure

[spooches610]

Hi I'm new to this forum and stumbled onto it while looking for help with my dog not eating. I have a 15 1/2 year old toy poodle named Chloe. She was my daughter's Christmas present in 1994 but has really become my dog over the years. I have noticed Chloe not eating as much and losing weight but attributed it to her advanced age and problems with arthritis. We had her at the Vet's office 3 months ago and he told me she was in pretty good health for her age with the exception on a slight decrease in kidney function and suggested putting her on KD. She has always eaten dry dog food but did not like the KD and I started mixing it with chicken broth to try to get her to eat better. When that failed, I started trying out different foods. They didn't work much better. After a trip to the Vet on April 12, the Vet called and said Chloe was in end stage renal failure. I saw a different Vet from the one I had seen before. She told me her creatinine level was at 6 and wanted to get it down to 3 so they kept her for a couple of days. I told them she would not eat the dry KD so they put her on canned KD and gave her some IV treatments. When I called to check on her they told me her level was down to 4 and let her go home. I went to pick her up and was given a very expensive bill along with a case of KD. The Vet also told me she had some loose stools and gave me pills for that with the recommendation that she take them twice a day. When I got her home I fed her the KD which she ate a little of and then the pill for the loose stool. She started to heave and I took her outside and she staggered, fell, and vomited. She didn't have any more loose stools so I did not give her any more of the pills as they made her so sick. The following day I again offered the KD but she refused to eat it. I called the Vet and she gave me a prescription for canned Royal Canin. She has only eaten small amounts of that and in fact it has taken 2 days to eat 3/4 of one can. She is not drinking as much water either. Has anyone had any luck with a diet I found on line consisting of ground beef, white rice, egg, and white bread slices? It is breaking my heart to see her starving to death. We have given her thin sliced turkey that I'm sure is not good for her since it is processed just to get her to eat something. Of course she readily eats that. I have read many heartbreaking stories on here and as hard as it will be for me, I know I will do the humane thing and put her down once she is unable to hold anything down. This disease seems hopeless and I am very sad.

[tonyb286]

Hello Jilly. Words are hard to come by. I am so very sorry for your loss. Kiri was a real fighter and stayed for as long as she could. You were very brave to help her out of suffering - and it was the right decision at the right time. Kiri had so many years of contentment, happiness and love ... and those are the times to remember. She was a lucky dog, having shared her life with you - and she will never be forgotten.

No more pain now. Run free Kiri.

Huge cyber hugs to you Jilly. You are in my thoughts.

Tony x

[mommy_to_boston]

Hi Jilly

How sad i am to hear of your loss, i know how very hard it is. You did exactly what we did for our beautiful Boston, i had to let him go, my heart was breaking as i wanted to keep him, but he was in agony. How can we let them suffer like that? its not easy and it still hurts me badly 10 months on. You have gave Kiri all the love and help you could, she was so lucky to have had that love from you. My heart goes out to you Jilly, i am crying writing this. The grief is going to be tough, i still grieve badly for my 'baby', and its because of all the love they gave us and the bond we have with them is why we grieve so hard. Thinking of you at this very awful sad time. Kiri is out of suffering now, i know this is not the result you wanted but its the kindest. Please keep me posted how you feel, Tony helped me alot, and this forum has helped my grief, realising i am not the only one to love our dogs with absolutely every inch of our hearts .Hugs xxx

[mummyandkiri]

Sorry I have not been on for a while....I tried so hard not to think about the inevitable and managed for a week to not think "when" or read about what was to come.
With a broken heart, I write to tell you we helped our beautiful little Kiri to leave her sick body at 6.30 this evening.  She is lying in her bed on her favourite place on the couch at peace, until we take her in the morning to be cremated.  I will stay with her downstairs all night long - I do not want her to be alone :(
It became harder and harder to get food down her and she seemed weaker last night.  The smells from her body only indicated the acidity and toxins that must be causing her so much discomfort.  I explained in an earlier post how she suffered in her first few weeks of life and we would not let her suffer at the end.  I feel sick myself right now and if this is how she has felt since going off her food...I am relieved we let it go on no further.
I implore anyone with a loved 4 legged furry baby with this awful disease.....do not let them suffer until the end....please.
Thank you all for your support and help with reading so many posts, so I knew what was to come.
I no doubt will be flitting in and out of here and the grief sets in harder.  
For now love and thanks,
Jilly x

[mommy_to_boston]

Hi Jilly

Glad to hear your Kiri's eating a little better, my Boston did that, seemed to be better all of a sudden, but then deteriorated again after a week. I hope this isn't so with your baby. I have thought about you and how you must be feeling, the emotions are so up and down. Cherish everyday you have with her, its just so sad our most loving fur babies don't live as long as us. I hate my life without Boston, and was very distraught, but sharing my feelings with Tony (on this site)  helped me so much, he was my saviour and i will never forget the help and comments he gave me. My thoughts  are with you. good luck to you and most of all Kiri x

[tonyb286]

Hi Jilly. Day by day is the right way to look at things ... and it's so good to know you are gaining some happy times with Kiri. My older best friend, Giro, now 10yrs, snores louder than any dog I've ever known. He makes me giggle sometimes and you're right, it's reassuring and satisfying hearing the sound of such contentment. Have a lovely evening.

Tony x

[mummyandkiri]

Not run quite as much today - but has eaten far more than the last few days put together.  Despite me cooking her what I thought she'd really love, even my husband liked it....she turned her nose up and wanted the "Cesar" food again, although tonight she had some steak which we were having!

In fact on Saturday when speaking to the nurse at the vet hospital for advice, I told her she wants exactly what we are eating....so the nurse said "Well then you eat the Renal prescription diet!" she gave me the first laugh I had on the weekend.

She's done well again today :).  Hopefully now for tomorrow.  Day by day!!

It's just wonderful to hear her snoring on the couch :)