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1916673 tn?1420233270

Chronic Kidney Failure in Dogs User Group

If anyone wishes to join the Group (your input and participation will be appreciated) or anyone that has a dog with Chronic Kidney Failure and wants information, advice or support ... please click the following link: http://www.medhelp.org/groups/chronic_kidney_failure_in_dogs

Tony
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Avatar universal
GREEN TRIPE saved my dog from renal failure.
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Avatar universal
Hello-

I'm so glad I have found this site.

Our 14year old dog Biscuit has been diagnosed with end stage kidney failure.  Her creatinine level went from 3 to 11 within 2 weeks. This week we started to administer iv fluids to her daily.   We are heartbroken. She has been sleeping a lot and has no appetite. And when she does eat, she vomits.  Our vet has said to prepare ourselves and our young daughter, as it could be days or weeks.  

Could anyone give us an idea of what to expect in the next weeks?  We do want to see her suffer, but as others have said, I am starting to see it in her eyes.  Will she show other symptoms or will she just simply go to sleep?  

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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675347 tn?1365460645
COMMUNITY LEADER
I'm just going to 'bump' this because it's good it should be up at the top there for people to notice.
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Avatar universal
Hi

My dogs reports came and it shows he has kidney failure problem.
Hemoglobin 7.4 gm %
Blood Urea 151 mg %
Serum creatnine 5.3 mg%
Serum uric Acid 2.6 mg %

We consulted the docter for swollen gum problem but after conducting the tests it came that my dog is suffering from kidney failure. This is the 3rd vet we have consulted as other 2 seems not to help in any cure and hus condition was getting worse day by day. He is on liquid drip shich is given under skin. 3 bottles daily to flush his kidneys. Earlier he was not eating anything. I started giving him children cerelac because this is the inly thing that he eats. But he is still not drinking water so has to take him to vet for liquid drip. This is a really costly process. Can u please tell me what are the chances of recovery and how long will the trwatment take and will he be ok. He is everything to us. He is like our baby. I cant see him like this. Please help me. How to make him drink water. Adding cerelac does help but vet has auggested not to gv him any milk product with the medicine he has given.
We donot wat non veg so chicken soup is also nit possible.
Please help me with suggestions.
He is currently taking renal feed(drools) which is also too extensive.

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I forget to menition he is 6 years labrador. He has long age to live and m really confused how at this age he suffer kidney failure.

He even had 2 seizures one in each day but no seizure frim last 2 days.

Please help me. I want to save him. He is too young!
Avatar universal
I just had to euthanize my 13 and a half year old chihuahua for terminal kidney failure on 2/16/17. She had one kidney removed seven years ago after developing a post surgical infection following her spay procedure. She was vomiting, shaking, sleeping all day. Breath smelled horribly, she couldn't eat, she wasn't the dog she used to be. It killed me to have to put her down. I cry every day over wether or not I made the right decision. I know I did. She wasn't enjoying life anymore. I just really miss her.
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Avatar universal
Just wanted to encourage everyone who has a pet with chronic kidney disease not give up.  I have now had two Shelties that have Chronic Kidney Disease.  I have my suspicions why they developed it.  Both had bladder infections at a young age, and one had prostatitis as well. Antibiotics at such a young age is the reason I feel they developed this, along with taking heartworm medication at a young age, that is the only thing the two of them had in common with one another, other than eating dry kibble which I have learned leads to dehydration.  My male sheltie has kidney disease and prostatitis.  He had a very expensive castration surgery (you can avoid prostate disease in dogs if you have them altered early) and still has trouble urinating sometimes.  He is on two antibiotics, 2 blood pressure medications, 2 medications to help him urinate, on famatodine, a probiotic and a phosphate binder.  Somehow we have managed so far to avoid Q fluids, but eventually he will need those too.  The most important thing I have found is to avoid dehydration.  We were able to find a chicken broth that is a base that has no onion or garlic in it and we mix it in to water.  The flavor makes him drink more of it.  Also I have found if he seems to have nausea, I feed him really bland food such as baby rice cereal and rice milk.  I will assist feed if he acts disinterested.   I have seen proof of him perking up so long as I keep him very, very hydrated and then his appetite will improve.  I have seen him rebound so long as I stay true to these principles of paying attention to him getting enough to drink or consumption of fluids as well as making sure he eats small meals throughout the day.  I feed him couscous with small amounts of chicken, turkey or fatty hamburger.  Mashed potatoes work too, so long as you boil them twice (leech them) to remove the potassium.  I have given him small amounts of tripe.  I feed him malto-meal, rice, pasta.  I sometimes put the gravy royal canin for kidney disease in his rice (not that much though) just to flavor it.  When he seems out of sorts I mix up baby rice cereal with rice milk.  The baby rice cereal (and maltomeal) is fortified with vitamins that seem to perk him up.   Some probiotics have upset his stomach and it is necessary to try to kill some of the toxins in the gut, so I have found one that seems to not upset him so much.  It is called Dr. Dobias gut sense.  I have not had much luck with acacia fiber, my boy throws that up, it is supposed to work as a nitrogen trap, but he couldn't tolerate it.  If anyone needs any suggestions I'd be happy to answer.
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Avatar universal
Hi
My amazing 11 year old Alaskan Malamute Mishka passed away on Thursday night with a final diagnosis of CKD from a large kidney tumour and changes to the cells in her bladder.
My problem is that I didn't know she was ill-or so ill.  She had problems with excessive drinking and urination back in the summer. Lots of tests were done including an abdominal ultrasound to test for cushings which came back with enlarged adrenal glands but kidneys were fine. Other tests were negative for cushings. She then developed Pyo so had an emergency Spey which largely resolved the drinking and urination.
By September she started vomiting for a few weeks almost daily which largely resolved after some Zantac. She was still vomiting once or twice a week but usually after deliberately eating grass. She was still having difficulty lasting all night without urinating about once or twice a week. All blood work in sept was clear except mildly raised liver enzymes.

Unfortunately on Wednesday she became suddenly unwell. She had met my partner at the door with her usual enthusiasm and we had gone for a walk. Half way through she started to slow down and got gradually slower as we headed home. She then went out into the garden and wouldn't come in. She refused a treat, drank some water but was then sick and refused to come in at bed time. We now believe she knew it was her time.
The next morning she couldn't/wouldn't get up so we carried her to the car and off to the vet. They put her on IV fluids with a little improvement the. She went downhill fast. She had a seizure and never recovered from it or the rectal diazepam. Bloods showed a creatinine of 5.5 and an ultrasound late in the day showed the kidney damage. With no chance of her surviving
Has anyone else gone through this and not known? She appeared fine all week and only during and after her last walk did we have any suspicion she was not right. No weight loss, no loss of appetite, no noticeable lethargy, no change in her drinking/urination over the last 4 months, yet within 24hrs of any suspicion she had gone.
Sorry for the long post. I'm just trying to get my head around all of this and devastated at the loss of my best friend and wondering how I could not have known.
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2 Comments
Dogs are very good at hiding an illness. It's how wolves, their wild ancestors, still act today. An ill, lame or weak dog is of no value to a pack as it cannot help acquire food. These pack members are usually cast out by other members and left to die. Although this seems dreadfully sad from our point of view - it is just how things are.

The instinct of domesticated dogs to hide any signs of illness or injury remains strong.

In addition, kidney disease itself is insidious. There are often no signs of any problems until the kidneys are very severely damaged. A dog can seem fine, even when there is only 30% of kidney function remaining. Of course, there comes a "tipping point", when symptoms become very evident - and that is often close to the end of life.

I am very sorry for your loss. This disease is a dreadful journey for dogs and their owners.

Tony
Mine a very similar case. My Toy Pomeranian has been on heart medication for an enlarged heart and related coughing/fluid build up since the age of 4. He was diagnosed with Kidney failure 2017 March with a BUN of 54 and Creatinine of 2.7. He was put on renal diet for life and Rubenol for 2 months after which his values normalised to 1.3 and 17. Vet asked to continue with renal diet (Hills and Royal canine) and stop Rubenol. There was not much talk of fluid therapy as well likely because he had the heart and fluid build up issue. He was seemingly doing fine till the evening of 2nd Nov 2017 when he started vomiting and refusing food, though he was drinking lots of water. We took him to the vet on the 3rd Nov who administered IV as he looked dehydrated. His Kidney values were rechecked on 4th Nov and found to be 8.9 creatinine and and 124 BUN. The vet laid out a grim prognosis and asked that more IVs be administered to see if he responds. However, his condition declined very rapidly the night of the 4th and had 2-3 seizures before he breathed his last on the morning of the 5th. He was 12 years old and always a fighter. He had fought his heart ailment for 8 long years but went without warning due the Kidney issue. I had got his blood work done only May'17 and was guilty of not having repeated it a little earlier. Also feel the Vet should have let me continue the Rubenol, as that seemed to control the values till such time it was given. Feel could have done more to allow him a few more months or years with me, but had him off radar and he slipped under it. From a playful, eating dog to a dead dog in 3 days, the transformation was very quick. Wondering if any one else has seen such a rapid decline in their Dogs with CKD.I was focussing on his heart condition too much and may not have paid attention to the Kidney issue as much as I should have. The Vets advised the Kidney diet alone should help manage and I lost track of time since his last bloodwork 5 long month ago. Perhaps testing him sooner might have helped take steps in time to prolong his life. Feel devastated. He was the light of my life and had been by my side through my life's journey. How I wish I hadn't taken his condition lightly. The Vets got me into a false sense of security - that Kidney diet alone would help sustain. Never warned me to keep his blood values monitored more often than once in six months. He gave no noticeable signs of any distress either, seemed quite fine till 3 days before he died.
1916673 tn?1420233270
Shivering (actually more notably ... a tremor) is very typical of kidney disease in later stages. It is usually due to one of two possibilities.

The first is the degenerative nature of the disease, which eventually starts to affect neurological systems, including the brain itself and nerves that operate muscles throughout the body. The tremor can ultimately progress to full-blown seizures, which can be controlled with phenobarbital or similar anti-convulsant drugs.

The second reason - and the easiest to treat - is due to an imbalance of minerals and electrolytes. Kidney disease invariably interferes with lots of systems in the dog's body - and this includes the absorption and interaction of minerals and electrolytes. When one or more of the minerals and electrolyte levels become abnormally high or abnormally low in the bloodstream, this can trigger the tremors described.

To correct this, an owner first needs to have the vet perform an up-to-date blood test of their dog's potassium, sodium, calcium, chloride, magnesium and phosphate levels. If the results show any of these being abnormally low, then supplementation is required to correct the imbalance. If levels are abnormally high, then that particular substance needs to be more restricted in the diet.

Hoping that helps.

Tony
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Avatar universal
My 4 year old doberman has just been diagnosed with kidney disease...blood work very high, not improving with fluids however still eating and drinking and his sickness seems to have stopped. He seems to be sleeping alot and is shivering alot also. Does anybody know what this shivering means?  
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Avatar universal
Chronic kidney failure
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My 15 1/2 year old boy was diagnosed and I am devastated. I am currently seeing him shaking, like he is cold. This seems 'random' but because his once beautiful coat is now so thin, I wonder is he cold? Or is it something else?   My heart breaks for others who are experiencing this same feelings of loss.   I do not want to think ahead, but don't wish him to suffer
Hi did you ever find out what the shivering meant? My boy is currently going through the same thing....
Avatar universal
Hello,
I found this group while searching for info about kidney failure in dogs and thought this might hopefully ease my mind, or help me to better understand and seek new solutions to help my dog. My dog is currently a 3 1/2 year old German Shepard, Belgium Shepard cross and was diagnosed with acute kidney failure  January of 2015. He had been not eating well and losing weight for a few weeks and then he suddenly became very disorientated and had a very difficult time walking (almost looked as if he were intoxicated). So we took him into the vet that night. He was diagnosed with kidney failure and ended up spending 2 nights at the vet where he started vomiting bile, became incontinent, and then had a seizure. The vet thought he may have been poisoned by a toxin that could have been in his dog food (we were feeding him beneful at the time). We took him home with a very poor prognosis. He had a very difficult time recovering from the seizure, which took several days. We had thought he may have suffered brain damage as he didn't recognize us and proceeded to walk in a circle for hours before positioning himself in a corner where he stood like that for the entire night. All while continuing to vomit bile and be incontinent of urine. It was absolutely awful. Somehow he pulled through over that next week and very slowly starting eating and drinking again. By the summer of 2015 he was back to his old self. However, the fall of 2015 he had 2 seizures in the span of 2 days without any other kidney failure symptoms. We rushed him back to the vet where his blood work turned up completely normal. The vet had guessed he might possibly have epilepsy. We continued to monitor him at home and he didn't have any further seizures. He continued to eat and gain weight and by 2016 he was healthy weight and was doing fantastic. So in September of 2016 he had another seizure, and we continued to monitor him. Again, at the beginning of this month (November 2016) he had another seizure so we took him back into the vet on November 10. At this time he had no symptoms of acute kidney failure and again all of his blood work came back normal, which helped the vet confirm the probable diagnosis of epilepsy. Although his seizures were not serious enough to be started on phenobarbital. Approximately 1-2 weeks after being at the vet he slowed his eating, started losing weight, and since then has vomited 2 times that we know of. He has also seemed to be very depressed. Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since he has been to the vet when his kidney function showed to be normal. I'm going to call my vet tomorrow to see what I can do for my dog. I have a pretty good guess that this is his kidney failure again after almost 2 years since his initial incident. Is there any advice you could give me about my dog? He has had a lot to endure in his short life and I would never dream of putting him down unless his kidney failure does progress to the point where I have no choice. I feel that there must be something that we can do to help him come out  of the kidney failure and prevent him from going back into it. Sorry for the long story... he does have quite the history. Thank you for taking the time to read this,
Natalie
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Avatar universal
Hi! I am not sure if I've joined-not user friendly!  I have a 12 year old Bichon-Tzu mix named Doodle Bug. He is my world. He has a history of bladder stones and had a stone removed at age 2-he then continued to have issues so about a year later he underwent a Urethrostomy-we changed his diet to Royal Canin Urinary SO and for the last several years he has done quite well. He had his Senior Panel and my Vet called with the news that his SDMA showed kidney failure and basically that he only had 9 months to live!! I received the news at work (I'm a Nurse Practitioner) and was shocked; his values were "just over the line" but I plan to get a copy in the morning. Doodle is acting fine-no signs of issues-I ordered the Science Diet kid but I'm freaking out about the 9 month life expectancy situation-please advise! Thanks so much!!

Doodle's Mom
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Avatar universal
Hi Tony,
Hope that you and your fur kids are well.....
I have been out of touch for a bit. Life has been so very busy taking care of my Chance. To give you an update...we were told mid August , given Chance's age , and kidney disease that she is palliative. There was talk about home euthanasia but I was not ready for that. So we opted for comfort care.
We are giving Chance daily medications... Famoditine, Mirtazapine, Tylosin (for her inflammatory bowel), Fortekor, Cerenia (on for 5 days  and then off for 3 days) and Gabapentin ---  for pain management. We are giving her phosphate binder (the white powder) after her breakfast and supper . We don't add it to her food as she often refuses food and doesn't finish . So to ensure she gets the right amount daily, we mix the phosphate binder with water and give it to her by syringe after she eats.  We also give her probiotic this way as well before each meal. We are doing daily sub q fluids on her still using plasma lyte. She has bad arthritis and cannot have a bowel movement on her own so we assist her with that twice a day as well.  She gets a vitamin b12 shot weekly. For her diet, we try to vary it as much as we can. Some days are good others not so great. BUT her weight has been fairly stable. 20.3 kg. The last blood work I had done was August 9 when we were told that she was at stage 3 and palliative based on her age and presenting symptoms. She is still with us. I am considering to do more blood work to see where things are at but was kind of discouraged of this initially as I was reminded that all this treatment  is comfort care not curative. But I am going to request it be done. I am curious to know if things are stable, worse or a little improved. It is such an emotional illness. We are taking things day by day and continue to look for signs that perhaps it is time. I don't see those signs yet. I see my old dog looking back at me with loving eyes that reflect that she sometimes is having a bad day and really doesn't feel well . But I don't see signs that she is ready to go to the rainbow bridge. Maybe I just don't want to see it yet. We don't want her to suffer and are keeping close watch to make sure that her needs are met and she continues to live with the dignity she so much deserves.  We love her and are doing are best.
Just wanted to give you an update as to where things are at with our loving Chance
Thanks,
Nancy
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Avatar universal
Hi how can I start chatting with you all about Chronic Renal Failure. It is an on going process with my young boy,aged just 2 years old. Deteriating as we speak. Im am so upset.
Thanks.
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Avatar universal
Not sure if I am posting my new question in the right place, but here goes...

My Luke was diagnosed with CRF (kidneys only working at 25%) on 06-09-16. Since then he has been getting SQ saline fluids (1L 3x's/week). He has been on Royal Canin dog food since then, which he hates, so we have to sprinkle meat on top of it (hamburger or Chuck Roast) to get him to eat. We feed him 4-5 small meals per day, but we are lucky if he eats 2 out of the 5x's food is offered.

He gets 1/2 to 1 tramadol/day for pain, and also gets a 20mg pepsid, and 7.5mg of mirtazapine per day.

However, Thursday (08-11-16) Luke did not eat anything but a kick or two off the spoon the whole day (we now spoon feed him to get him to eat).

Friday, I panicked and emailed Laps of Love, because we have always been able to get him to eat something. I was finally able to get him to eat a small amount of Chuck Roast and broth that morning, and then later several small helpings of chicken breast that night (maybe 1.5 breasts, total). I was so excited. But today, he drank really well this morning, but I had to force his tramadol & pepsid down his throat, as he won't eat them in his pill pocket anymore (I did not give him the mirtazapine for the past 2 days, as I thought that was only to increase his appetite, but didn't realize it was for nausea as well...Luke is always hungry, but doesn't like the Royal Canin, and I can tell he is starving, but I feel like he is too nauseated to eat at times). He then are a bite or two of chicken, but later vomited. Today is the first day he has ever vomited. He also has not drank water since this morning (and true to CRF, he has always been great with drinking water). He also vomited small amounts of yellow-sputum 3x's this afternoon. I have tried to get him to drink and have also tried chicken, hamburger, and Chuck Roast to no avail.

Do I need to face that this is the end for my brave, sweet Luke? Or should I try getting water in his mouth in the morning with a syringe?

I absolutely hate forcing anything into his mouth, as much as I hate (and he hates) getting SQ fluids 3x's/week, but if this will prolong his quality of life, then I will do it (notice I said quality, not quantity, as I am most concerned with the quality). Up until today he has been active and alert. Since this morning, he has been lethargic and slept 90-95% of the day.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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1 Comments
Hi. It would be useful to post the last blood and urine results so we know the stage of kidney disease and the balance of electrolytes and minerals. Although he is receiving SubQ fluids, has he actually had any IV Fluids by the vet? IV Fluids are more effective and faster acting than SubQ fluids - SubQ fluids are normally given for a 4 to 6 week period AFTER IV Fluids have been given.

Next, why is the vet prescribing saline fluids? Have they said? Saline is rich in sodium (salt), which is not always good for kidney failure dogs. Sometimes, saline is prescribed because the dog's blood levels show a low-sodium level, in which case saline is appropriate. In all other cases, Lactated Ringer solution is much better and safer for kidney disease dogs.

You haven't mentioned a phosphate binder, so I am assuming your dog is not on one? One of the reasons for higher toxins in the stomach and a deterioration of the disease is due to high levels of phosphorus in the blood (test results will prove this). Diet restriction of phosphorus is important, but there comes a time when this is not enough to control rising phosphorus. A phosphate binder will help enormously. The best one being aluminium hydroxide. This should be considered a priority.

Not sure how much phosphorus there is in Chuck Roast and other meats you are trying, but be aware if they are high in phosphorus, then they will make your dog's condition worse.

For water, I would try a very simple remedy ... plain chicken broth. Basically, just boil human grade (very important) chicken in water with nothing added to it (although you could add a few green beans and sticky white rice or barley), let it cool and then sieve or blend it - and then let your dog lap it up in small portions. This gets fluid and nourishment in at the same time.

For vomiting, try Ondanestron, which is the generic form of Zofran. This should stop he vomiting fairly quickly.

Mirtazipine is a good choice as an appetite stimulant and anti-nausea medication - but it may not solve the nausea on its own, so you might ask your vet to add Prilosec (Omeprazole) to help.

Has your dog had its blood pressure taken recently? If not, please consider this another priority. High blood pressure is common in CKD and makes the condition deteriorate much faster ... treating high blood pressure is very important and will help regain control of the disease.

Hope all of this helps.

Tony
1916673 tn?1420233270
Hi. Just to correct you for the benefit of others that might be reading this ... kidneys do not recover as such, although the progression of kidney failure in chronic renal conditions can be slowed down substantially with good management and providing there is more than 25% of organ tissue unaffected. In acute renal failure, the kidneys are also damaged, but the progression of damage can be halted at the point of intervention, if caught early enough.

Sorry for the need to clarify, but false hope of kidney organ recovery is not something we can afford to encourage.

Tony
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Avatar universal
Hi.  We got the new that our 12yr carin,pom mix missy has ckf levels were high. Bun 146 and creatine at 5.5.  Been doing sub q at home 2xday on kd food eating wet and dry mix on epaktin as well.  She was great one day then 2wks ago started vomiting and such no eating so we blanded diet and such then finally got blood work to reveal  ckf. Stopped vomiting day one and such on treatment,  Now 1st 2 days  on fluids and such doing real good moving eating up and about but the past 2 days she has been laying down and not wanting to move alot steps are hard for her and such.   Trying to go on as long as we can but wondering if the end is near or we need something else to help.  
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I'm going to start a new post for you with Missy as the title ... please go to it and use it for posting.
Avatar universal
Hi, I am new to this group. I have a 9 yr old mini Australian shepherd that has been battling kidney disease for over two years.  Unfortunately,  he is coming towards the end of that battle and I'm just looking for support from those who have gone through the same thing. It's never an easy thing to say goodbye to a beloved pet, but we will soon have to make that hard decision. I welcome any advice anyone may have. Thank you.
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Avatar universal
Hi
here's my tips hope it helps. my 16 year old sheltie Saffy was very bad, having seizures last Oct 2015. given 5 days to live by vets.  after a couple of months of struggles, and a few ups and downs like you describe, i am convinced that totally home made, 100% certified organic, and no drugs or commercial food is the way to go. that commercial KD dog food is in my opinion expensive and questionable quality - read the ingredients!

sounds to me like your dog is in trouble if you don't move fast. look at "Five Leaf Pet Pharmacy" on the web. buy and follow their program to the absolute letter. find a good butcher to make up some good high fat certified organic mince, and a good grocer who has fresh, certified organic veg and groceries (not sure how hard that is elsewhere, I am in australia),

if your dog won't eat, you have to liquify the food in a blender with filtered water and then syringe feed. tiny amounts at a time.
- i use slippery elm (break open the capsule and put into a tiny amount of water) to help settle the stomach (i understand it gives a 'coating' to the system). give 20 minutes before the first feed of the day when really very sick, maybe later after lunch again if you think necessary. should only need first day or two when you are trying to stop the vomiting.
- if i sense she is nauseous i use powdered ginger in a bit of warm milk or yoghurt. 3-4 times per day until she is back on track.
- raw apple cider vinegar is a good antacid, but i have found can be a bit much if she has been vomiting and her insides are sensitive.
- lots of finely powdered egg shell in food to help the phosphorus levels seems to work. this is permanent now in every meal.

my bottom line is that i will keep going only so long as Saffy is enjoying life, so far so good.
wish you the best.
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Avatar universal
I would like to join group
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Use the MedHelp Search Bar and type in CHRONIC KIDNEY FAILURE IN DOGS USER GROUP. This should take you straight to the Group where you can join to become a member and post any questions you may have - or just join in discussions there.
18519420 tn?1465524680
Hi. I found this forum while researching chronic kidney disease. My 14-year old Pomeranian Zeus was diagnosed with kidney disease back in July 2015 after he stopped eating. Since then, it's been a roller coaster and keeping him eating has been a real challenge. He's been on IV fluids twice a week and his BUN and creatine levels have actually improved. While his BUN levels were still in the 60's, but had dropped from the 70's; his creatine level was 1.4 which was within normal range. His last blood work was done about 2 months ago. He is on Benazapril for his kidneys and Mirtazapine and Pepcid for nausea, but lately it's been hard to give to him because he just doesn't want to eat. I basically offer him a buffet and hope he eats something off of it, but not always. He will eat a few bites of a hamburger and the refuse it. The next feeding he will eat a couple bites of his kidney food, then spit it out. I offer him something else, he turns his head. Sometimes it takes 3 to 4 offerings to get him to take something.

He is still very alert and responsive. He doesn't seem to be drinking excessive amounts of water nor does he sleep more then usual.

I know eventually the time will come when we have to say goodbye and I'm starting to think that it might be near. Any advice/suggestions/support would be great.
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Hi. Try joining our User Group ... Use the MedHelp Search Bar and type in CHRONIC KIDNEY FAILURE IN DOGS USER GROUP. This should take you straight to the Group where you can join to become a member and post any questions you may have - or just join in discussions there.

I administrate the group and tend to see postings there and am able to respond faster than on the general Dogs forum.

I would suggest two things for starters. First, 2 months is quite a long time in kidney disease, so it's worth having a full blood panel test done again - along with a urinalysis - and a new blood pressure check. Once you get the results, post them to me on the forum. Make sure there's BUN, creatinine, phosphorus, amylase, RBC count, WBC count, sodium, potassium and calcium done. Urinalysis should include culture and sensitivity testing (for any infections), specific gravity and protein leakage.

Next, I would start feeding smaller amounts more often. This really helps de-stress the kidneys and can improve appetite and eating. The best way of approaching this is to take the normal daily food amount for the size, breed and weight f your dog and then split this ideally into 6 equal portions, feeding every 2 hours. This of course isn't always possible to do, but if you can, it really will help.

If he is still on IV fluids, then it may take a short time for the treatment to "kick in" so be patient. If the IVs have finished, then you should be continuing with SubQ fluids at home for some weeks, using Lactated Ringer fluids.

Hope this helps.

Tony
Avatar universal
How do I request to join?
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Use the MedHelp Search Bar and type in CHRONIC KIDNEY FAILURE IN DOGS USER GROUP. This should take you straight to the Group where you can join to become a member and post any questions you may have - or just join in discussions there.
Avatar universal
Hello. Thank you for being a support. I have a 13 year old longhaired chiuaua that has been diagnosed with early stages chronic kidney disease just a couple of months ago. The excess water intake started about a year ago but it was Summer and we were going for more walks. It seemed to stop but then started again and he now goes just 4-5 hours before needing to go outside, sometimes less. He drinks about 3 cups of water a day and weighs about 13 pounds. He also leaks in his sleep from time to time. He wakes me up pretty early for more water and i usually find a mess to clean up. He has Adisons and we have managed it for about 8-9 years. If you had to guess how long can we expect him to live, months?
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Hi. It is impossible answer your question without full blood test results, urinalysis report and certain other tests, including blood pressure and SDMA.

If it is early stages (depends on which early stage) and you are properly managing the symptoms and abnormal blood values with diet, medication and supplements, then you should expect months of life and possibly even one or two years.

Tony
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I have a question. My pup (2 and a half years old) has chronic kidney failure, he's been on fluid therapy for two weeks now but his creatinine went up to 14. Is there anything I can do besides giving him his medication and fluids ? Can he recover from this? Or is him passing inevitable ? I dont want to put him down, he is my everything, but I dont want him to suffer. I just lost my older dog, I dont think I can let my pup go.
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Hi. First and foremost ... kidney disease is fatal. It will ultimately end in death. This is regardless of management and treatment. There is no cure. That said, if it is diagnosed early enough, owners and vets can collaborate to improve and extend life - sometimes by a few weeks, more often by a few months and sometimes even by a year or two. Much depends on the stage of the disease and the amount of organ tissue remaining at the point of diagnosis and intervention.

Can you let me know what kind of fluid therapy was and is being given (is this IV fluids given by the vet or SubQ fluids given by yourself)?

Also, what type of fluids were/are being given (saline or lactated ringer)?

Has your dog had their blood pressure checked by the vet?

What medications are being given?

What are you feeding him and how often per day?

Has the vet undertaken a urinalysis for specific gravity and protein leakage? Has your dog been checked for any urinary infections (culture and sensitivity testing of urine)?

Finally, other than creatinine and BUN, were there any other abnormal values shown on the blood results?

Tony
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