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Graham has Kidney Failure AND Cushings
Hi Tony, thank you for running this group. I hope it is alright if I jump right in with a question, but after receiving my dog's latest blood results I am very worried. I have posted some of his results, they are in the English system, I'm sorry I didn't convert them to what is used in the US.
My 16 year old dog Graham was diagnosed with kidney failure three years ago, and with Cushings in June this year.
He is having Fortekor 2.5mg for the kidneys and started 10mg Vetoryl for the Cushings, under close observation because it is not recommended for dogs with kidney failure. He became unwell after 6 weeks on it and I stopped it immediately. He is currently not being treated for the Cushings disease.
He had a blood test this week - Urea (33.2mmol/L) Creatinine (201.0 umol/L) Cholesterol (13.06 mmol/L) Potassium (6.27 mmol/L) Inorganic Phosphorus (2.38 mmol/L) All of these are increased since his last test two months ago.
He also had an ACTH - pre 95.2 nmol/L and post 596 mol/L
He seems well in himself and has a reasonable appetite, His Cushings symptoms seem to have almost disappeared although some days he drinks a little more water than normal, but not the massive amounts he used to.
I am worried that by not treating the Cushings, it is making his kidney problem worse. Could this be true? Or would it be even worse if the Cushings was treated?
I would be very grateful for any advice.
My 16 year old dog Graham was diagnosed with kidney failure three years ago, and with Cushings in June this year.
He is having Fortekor 2.5mg for the kidneys and started 10mg Vetoryl for the Cushings, under close observation because it is not recommended for dogs with kidney failure. He became unwell after 6 weeks on it and I stopped it immediately. He is currently not being treated for the Cushings disease.
He had a blood test this week - Urea (33.2mmol/L) Creatinine (201.0 umol/L) Cholesterol (13.06 mmol/L) Potassium (6.27 mmol/L) Inorganic Phosphorus (2.38 mmol/L) All of these are increased since his last test two months ago.
He also had an ACTH - pre 95.2 nmol/L and post 596 mol/L
He seems well in himself and has a reasonable appetite, His Cushings symptoms seem to have almost disappeared although some days he drinks a little more water than normal, but not the massive amounts he used to.
I am worried that by not treating the Cushings, it is making his kidney problem worse. Could this be true? Or would it be even worse if the Cushings was treated?
I would be very grateful for any advice.
That's ridiculous. Was he not the vet that prescribed Fortekor 2.5mg? What was he prescribing this for, other than as a treatment for renal failure?
Thank you for the link Tony, I will read it later.
My vet phoned me a couple of hours ago and said that he could not put kidney disease on the insurance form because he had not given any treatment specifically for kidney disease. It didn't matter what I said to him, this was his reason and he was sticking to it. The insurance form has already been posted. I will be looking for another vet now.
My vet phoned me a couple of hours ago and said that he could not put kidney disease on the insurance form because he had not given any treatment specifically for kidney disease. It didn't matter what I said to him, this was his reason and he was sticking to it. The insurance form has already been posted. I will be looking for another vet now.
I received the following message from the receptionist this morning, I asked for the vet to ring me back.
....he doesn't feel that this condition can be linked to one of the other conditions he feels its separate he said he's happy to discuss this with you if you want him to call you or you call him ..
....he doesn't feel that this condition can be linked to one of the other conditions he feels its separate he said he's happy to discuss this with you if you want him to call you or you call him ..
2 Comments
Hi Tony, thank you so much for replying so quickly. I am going to speak to the vet today but I don't hold much hope in changing his mind. I agree with you about finding another vet, I should have done this a long time ago.
Thank you again, your advice is very much appreciated.
Betty
Thank you again, your advice is very much appreciated.
Betty
Hi Betty. As far as I am aware (but your vet might want to try teaching me otherwise), there is no illness called "inappetance". The lack of appetite and refusal to eat is a direct consequence of kidney failure, whereby the toxins build-up in the stomach causing nausea, vomiting and/or acid-reflux. This IS a symptom of kidney failure, NOT a second illness.
After your issue with the antibiotics, and now this, I would suggest looking for an alternative vet. It seems to me the one you are currently using has no idea about this serious and complex illness.
Tony
After your issue with the antibiotics, and now this, I would suggest looking for an alternative vet. It seems to me the one you are currently using has no idea about this serious and complex illness.
Tony
Hi Tony,
When I took Graham back to the vet on Wednesday evening he wanted to start him on a course of antibiotics. I asked how he knew if there was a UTI without testing his urine so he took a sample and sent it off. I got the result on Friday, and there was no infection. Graham is insured with Petplan and I thought that last week's problem would be connected with his kidney disease but the receptionist has just told me that it is a separate condition, which the vet has called 'inappetance'. This means I will have to pay the excess of over £100 for a new condition. Am I wrong in thinking inappetance is one of the problems with kidney failure?
When I took Graham back to the vet on Wednesday evening he wanted to start him on a course of antibiotics. I asked how he knew if there was a UTI without testing his urine so he took a sample and sent it off. I got the result on Friday, and there was no infection. Graham is insured with Petplan and I thought that last week's problem would be connected with his kidney disease but the receptionist has just told me that it is a separate condition, which the vet has called 'inappetance'. This means I will have to pay the excess of over £100 for a new condition. Am I wrong in thinking inappetance is one of the problems with kidney failure?
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