11 Year Old Male Peke - Heart & Kidneys :(

[pugsnpekes]

Please help...

Late August: BUN 22mg & CREA 1mg ---  "Accidentally" diagnosed with enlarged heart and fluid accumulation. No prior symptoms. Presribed lasix (1/2) & fortekor (1/2). Within hours he started showing all kinds of symptoms. Consulted vet. Told us he was just getting used to the drugs & to just hang on. We did and he deteriorated.

Two weeks later: BUN 88mg & CREA 2.70mg ---  Second opinion. Extremely symptomatic. Severely dehydrated. Kidney damage. Lowered lasix (1/4) & replaced fortekor (with cardalis). Dramatic initial improvement. Slowly began declining.

Two weeks later: Shared concerns with doctor. Decided to wait & monitor.

Ten days later / 3 days ago: BUN 68mg & CREA 3.4mg --- Tons of symptoms. Kidney failure. Hospitalized. Stopped Lasix.

Today: CREA 1.21mg &  UREA 129mg --- Released. New symptoms (e.g. mouth ulcers...)

He was just fine a month ago!!!! :(

Questions: How to differentiate between kidney damage and failure? Is it possible that it was caused by the drugs administered? If due to drugs, is it reversible? If irreversible, will it continue to progress, even when drug(s) in question is/are discontinued? What type of homemade diet can I feed him for both his heart & kidneys?

Thank you.

[Jerry_NJ]

I see in your subject line 11 year old Peke (I haven't looked up the breed) - what is the life expectancy of the breed?   I suspect you may be using an abbreviation for Pekinese (sp?) which I would guess normally lives to be 14 or older.  I'm not saying that life expectancy is the only consideration, but quality-of-life is, something we have to consider for ourselves as well.  A big dog such as a Golden Retriever is in the end of life at 11 years, in my experience and reading.

The advice above is wonderful to my reading.  That's why I read and post in the great forum, advice from another person who had experience and shares the feelings of love for dogs that hurts at times like this.

[SugarnSpike]

I just put my guy to sleep with the final stages of renal failure.  He was just 10, but had signs for 3 years.  You can control it and even reverse it. They are special diets and homeopathic methods.  The problem is that he needs sub Q fluids with vitamin B12 added, pepsid for nausea and a pill called Sarenia.  This will help him to eat and stay strong, however, lots of fluids including IV's will flush the toxins out of his body, since the kidney is struggling, it will cause too much water on his heart.  So, small amounts of lasix are needed.  Too large of a dose will shut down the kidney and other organs.  The BUN and CREA will change often with the fluid intake.
My dog also had cysts all over his mouth and the teeth got so bad in just a few months.  He could not eat much.  I had to process food and give him tiny cuts of meat and veggies.  You MUST keep his weight up.
You have to watch the edema around the heart.  If he begins to drip from his nose and you hear a slight gurgle in his breathing at night, he will need a slightly higher dose of lasix.  I didn't give it everyday.  Try a holistic vet.
How old is the dog?  What breed?
Well, don't give up, it is a long drawn out condition