Dealing with dogs kidney failure

[gracie_78]

How do others deal about the pain they are going through knowing that their dog only has a few weeks left?
My cocker spaniel who just turned 11years old in Oct. only has a few weeks left, as I was told by a specialist who took his ultra sound in Dec. 26, 2011. He said that his right kidney is destroyed and that his left kidney has about 25% left.
He has a tumor within his bladder and his urine cannot pass thru which goes into his kidney and damages it.

When we had Shaggy checked out in May our vet said that it's UTI...because I mentioned to him that he'd pee and then go to other spots and nothing comes out. So he was given anti-biotics. This went on for several months.

Then we finally took an x-ray and couldn't really see much, except there were little calculi and that his left kidney was enlarged...asked the vet what caused it to enlarge and they did not know.  So we put Shaggy on a special diet food for stones...Royal Canin. We did that for a month and a half until he didn't want to eat that food any longer.

Then I asked vet what can the next option be and he suggested an ultra sound. At this point his urine was having blood it it.

And then the most heart breaking news I got was on Dec. 26. After his ultra sound vet showed us the ultra sound and told me the bad news... which led me to just burst out in tears and tried to fight it. After all of this bad news...I've been trying my best to be strong for him.

Yesturday he got to spend New Years eve with us. He'll eat just a little. I'd give him chicken and rice..but today he'll sniff the chicken.

He still greets me when I come home, and he'll still go up and down the stairs. Vet told me that when he stops eating and doesn't greet me...then I know its time.

I'm just having a hard time dealing with this...and everytime I think about putting him to sleep my heart just aches.

[tonyb286]

So it's now 14 days, because I haven't been able to get to the PC for a couple of days and missed your last post. Taking Shaggy's collar on the trip is something I empathise with. I often still do this when I'm taking my other dog to the local beach for a run. The two dogs were best buddies and had been all their lives, until BB passed away in November. This is all part of our grieving process and perfectly natural. It seems there is a very long way to go before kidney disease is resolved in humans, so our poor dogs will probably have an even longer wait. It's a dreadfully cruel and shockingly dibilitating illness and I just wish we could find some kind of cure, so no more dogs would suffer from it. In time, maybe, but for now we just have to do all we can to educate people about bad foods and the importance of getting early bloodwork done when the first symptoms show. Tony

[marksme]

I hope you know Shaggy had a great life with you and it sounds like he did with your parents too. You did everything you could for Shaggy and there is no doubt he knew he was loved very much and is in heaven. Dog go to heaven, because it would not be heaven without them. I know your other dog misses him. I went through this shock back in Oct 2011, when my Jack passed unexpectedly, although I knew he was sick with liver problems most his life. He was my best friend for sure, doing things with me all the time. Dogs and cats give people unconditional love. I wrote a bit in a journal on here, which seemed to help me. You get plenty of support here too, because everyone has been where you are now. You hang in there and express how you feel all you want. I know it hurts,

Mark

[jt555]

I lost my dog 6 weeks ago to the same kidney disease.   I am still very sad as well.   I carry his collar with me everywhere.  I am still mad with my routine vet.  If they had done blood work earlier , they might have caught it sooner and given him a better chance.  And i am still unsatisfied with the treatment options once the disease becomes advanced.   I wonder if the big biotech companies are trying to do anything about this or are they doing little because they are already making so much money of vaccines, etc.  I wonder why most routine vets dont seem to do enough to educate pet owners about kidney disease.   This is as bad as cancer, lyme disease, heart worms, etc and most of us have never heard of it until we are told our pets only have a few months left.  Hang in there Gracie,  you gave Shaggy a life with lots of love and thats the most you have done.

[gracie_78]

It's been 12 days now, since Shaggy has been gone. I read thru what I have written within the past week or two....and I can't believe that he's gone so soon.

After reading my posts, I started to feel the same heartache that I felt when I was writing those post.

I really miss him so much and I just can't believe he's not at my parents house to greet me anymore when I go there. It doesn't feel right. :(

We got Shaggys ashes on Thursday, and his paw print...I just starred at his paw prints and felt all depress ....  

I went to my trip on the 14th, and I took Shaggy's collar with me. I went to San Francisco. So I just had his collar with me the whole time in my jacket. I know that may sound weird, but I mentioned that trip to Shaggy and told him that I'd take him with me too. And I kept my promise to him.

It just really ***** writing ....cuz all those emotions that I felt before all of this....they just keep coming back.   :(

[TwoBitsMom]

Please accept my heartfelt sympathy for the loss of your dog.
Shaggy is a lucky dog to be loved and missed by so many.
He knows that all of you only wanted to do the best you could for him.
Your love spared him of his suffering.
God Bless Shaggy's Beautiful Spirit and Soul....he is much loved.
Connie

[gracie_78]

It's been 2 days since Shaggy's been gone...and I'm still missing him.
I've been going to my parents house every day with my other dog.
So that way my parents won't seem so sad. My dad is really sad, because once he comes home from work he told me that he'd look for him begging my dad for food, or when he goes to the basement that he has no one to watch t.v. with.  :(

And today my mom said that she's so use to saying goodnight to Shaggy at nights, but today she has no one to say goodnight to.

We all miss Shaggy so much, that we just talk about what he use to do. Or where he's always sitting. Which is always by the couch where my mom sits.

I just wanted to thank everyone that helped me thru this by writting comments back. I really appreciate it.

I really miss Shaggy  :(