4th stage renal failure in my dog

[aggieone]

I have a nine year old lab  "Sandy Grace".  She is in fourth stage renal failure-Of course she has seen her regular vet for fluids-ultra sound revealed she has one kidney which is failing.   Creatine was 13-subs at home-now using hollistic and homepatic treatment.  Recently more bad days than good.    I am giving her ice chips which seem to work better for her than lapping.  Pedialyte ice is also better.  She throws up until she staggers and falls-I am continuously trying to hydrate her and giving her baby food-At times, she is able to keep it down,  other times the vomiting is horrible.  She continues to try for us, and we are fighting so hard for her-LIke others, I tuck her in at night (she sleeps on the loveseat with her "bankie" covering her).  I am sleeping in the den with her so I can give her support throughout the night.  Neither of us are getting much sleep.  I have her spoiled now with hand feeding other than her baby food, and I hold her plate while she licks it up.  I am using a recipe of egg yellow / whites, honey, and whole yogurt with a touch of dry powdered milk.  This works sometimes.  Sandy Grace is not ready to leave us-she continues to try-we try for her twenty-four hours a day.  Is there any over the counter medication that I can give her that will help with her vomiting?  We love her so much and she loves us so much-my husband and I feel like we will know when she is ready to go.  We went to grocery store yesterday to  buy more food supplies and liquids for her, when we got home, there she was looking out the window-barking for us to hurry and come inside-you open the door and there she is  - -so excited, still wagging her tail for us.  What can we do, this is our baby, she is so, so sweet-I know her days are numbered, but she is just not ready to leave. Help.    Aggieone

[luvmyshihtzupups]

Thanks for your reply and kind words, Tony. Knowing what I know now from doing some research online, I would do monthly blood tests and ask about sub-Q fluids, phosphorous binders, etc. Not sure why the vet didn't suggest that after the inital results in April. Live and learn!
We did have 14 wonderful years with our girl, so I am thankful for that.

[tonyb286]

Hi. I am very sorry for your loss. Actually, the kidney disease would have been going on for very much longer than you knew, as diagnosis is usually only made after the kidneys are mostly destroyed by the disease. Dogs just simply don't show symptoms until close to the end (although earlier detection is possible with both blood results and urinalysis).

So, although the deterioration seems rapid, it's actually usually a steady decline. The last few days can be alarming, because organs start to shut down and most dogs can no longer keep going. I know you feel guilty ... but there's absolutely no reason that you should feel this way. You did everything you could and made the kindest decision at the right time. If she could, she would thank you for all the love, care and attention you gave throughout her life.

Tony

[luvmyshihtzupups]

Hello,
We put our baby girl to sleep 2 weeks ago and I'm still devastated : (
She was a 14 year old shih-tzu - we gave her a good life but I thought we would have more time with her. I was not prepared for how fast she went downhill and wish I would have done more. Her blood test in April showed BUN of 25.4 and Creatinine of 200. She had bouts of diarrea and she was losing weight and energy, but we just chalked it up to old age. Then the last few weeks she really went downhill. She began having seizures and stopped eating. In August, her BUN was 72.6 and Creatinine was 572. At this point she was really not doing well so we put her down. I am just shocked that her kidneys deteriorated that quickly - basically it seems like she went from stage 2 to stage 4 in just a few months. Has anyone else experienced this? I feel so guilty, I wish I did more. We had her on Fortekor and low protein food but i had never heard of other treatments such as Sub-Q fluids, etc until now.  

[sorrymom]

Hi,  You are very welcome, I am glad I could help. I am so happy you put   Rocky in the LORD's hands, their is no better place to put your little man. Even though the LORD is no respecter of persons it is your faith that counts, and I know he heard you. I still talk to the LORD about my Peabody. I have another dachshund, we got him at a rescue, now I have a little man too, I had ( still do in my heart) have a little girl. I do call him my little man though his name is flash. I read that you have 2 other dogs and they will help you a lot although you will never forget Rocky. I bought a memorial ornament it says "Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us everyday. Unseen, unheard, but always near. Still loved, still missed and forever dear" Isn't that nice, I love it. On the back is engraved  IN MEMORY OF PEABODY. Of course I would rather have my Peabody but my husband reminds me we all pass away, but it seems sad that they do not live as long as we would want them too. After I got Flash my younger son said " your going to go through this again"?  But I was so lonely and missed my Peabody so much I needed to fill that horrible void. I told my son that Flash needed a forever home and he came to live with us. I think he is happy. He is only 2 yrs old and he keeps me busy!
And I read a lot of amazing things about dogs. Their sense of smell is 10,000 times stronger than ours how about that? I also think they can sense things that we can't, like your 2 dogs not eating on Rocky's mat and them seeing something where Rocky used to lay. Flash has showed some unusual things to. He looks on Peabody's/Flash's bed and followed something that was walking away from the bed, they are very sensitive to that too. I don't do anything I just observe and leave it up to the Lord, if he wants me to know something HE will let me know, (I think it was Peabody) . Again I am so sorry and I am thrilled you gave Rocky to the LORD. ( I could not put her to sleep we made her comfortable) The LORD says do no murder.   Much Love

[tonyb286]

Hi. Although we never truly get over the loss of our dogs, time does ease things. It also helps to have others in the family that depend on you, so of course, your other two dogs now need your attention more than ever before. Dogs don't necessarily grieve like we humans, but they do get depressed and anxious and it takes a few weeks for them to get used to things. They also respond to our emotional states, so the more upset we are, the more upset and anxious they become.

Rocky did really well, thanks to you and your love and support. I hope you start to feel better soon.

Tony

[Smog1210]

Hi,
First of all, I wanted to express my thanks to TonyB286 and sorry mom for advice and help while going through this with Rocky. It has been a long ordeal and I am grateful as this helped make Rocky more comfortable in his last months and weeks of his life. I thought at time the little man times would not make it through the night, but he kept on going. I put his life in the hands of the Lord and asked for assistance in helping me to deal with my dying dog. I was in denial of how bad he was doing, the little man kept on going and going. He went for a walk the morning before he passed away, he made the entire 1/4 mile, his legs were having trouble in the evening making it up a half inch rise from the deck to the back door. He had tremors, threw up and had a couple of instances where he fell beforehand. He ate lightly for next 24 hours, I carried him everywhere as he declined. I was shocked to see him walk to my bathroom the night he died, I was lucky to have walked in just as he seized and collapsed. It was all over after that.

The new vet was out of town on vacation when Rocky had his first ten second seizure, and had not returned until yesterday. I had to call a vet in a small city nearby to help me cremate him. I am getting back to normal. My two dogs miss him, they will not eat on his food pad, seem to think they see him in the curtains where he used to lir down. He is in my hearts and I will never forget my little man. I found a dog in kidney failure and donated his kidney food to the dog and his belly bands (Rocky was incontinent) to the dog in hospice. He had so many clothing items which My husband and I can't seem to get rid of as we travel up to the mountains. I must get back to my two other dogs, they are mourning in their own way, depressed and looking for the little old man, needing more attention which I must answer as we all heal and bond closer now.

thanks again for all your help!