Aa
8 year old just diagnosed, what will home life look like??
My 8 year old mix breed was diagnosed with kidney failure on Sunday with a BUN of 162 and creatinine of 12. She had been refusing to eat and vomiting for the week prior to her diagnosis, which was not unusual for her as she has always had a sensitive stomach and would randomly refuse to eat. She is still at the vet receiving IV fluids. Her BUN came down to 80 and creatinine down to 6 as of yesterday. Her vet wants to continue IV fluids for 2 more days so that her levels will hopefully come down more and then she will come home on k/d and sub q fluids twice a week. What do you think things will be like once she comes home? We have never dealt with a seriously ill dog before and really have no idea what to expect! Also, with levels as high as hers are, how much time do you think we have?
Hi. Welcome to the Group, though I'm sorry you need to be here.
IV Fluids are so important in getting the numbers down. It's equally important to continue with SubQ Fluid therapy at home, after the IVs have finished. You should ask your vet to prescribe Lactated Ringer fluids and make sure they teach you how to perform the treatment. SubQ fluids would ordinarily continue for 2 to 5 weeks every alternate day (twice a week is not enough), depending on how your dog responds. Mid-way through this period, new blood tests are crucial, to see what has changed and by what degree things have changed.
It is hard to say what stage of kidney disease this might be, because there are some missing tests that your vet needs to perform. These include the SDMA blood test, a full urinalysis (test should include for protein leakage and looking for signs of any bladder or urine tract infections) AND a test of blood pressure. The results of these tests will help determine the stage of kidney disease - and that will help you because it will point to the type of diet changes needed, any supplements and medications that might be needed AND the likely quality and length of life.
If you have the blood test results, please post them. If you don't have the results, ask for them (you paid for them, they are yours and a vet should pass them on to you). Essentially, the test results will help us advise the best course of action.
Your dog is going to be extremely tired. This disease really takes it out of a dog. Mild exercise is fine, but nothing strenuous and no long walks until she has improved and got over the veterinary treatment. Dogs are very intuitive, so the more anxious you are, the more anxious and stressed your dog will be. Try to keep things in the household as normal as possible.
Diet is going to be the real key to stabilising the kidney issues. I have a couple of my own articles (links below) that I hope you will read, as they will point the way you should go with diet. While kd dog food is fine for now (as long as it is not a dry kibble formulation), it may actually be inappropriate in a week or two when (hopefully) the BUN and creatinine drop. We can discuss that more later on.
You might want to start her on a couple of good supplements ... the first is pure organic salmon oil (literally half a teaspoon every other day) - give salmon oil together with a canine Vitamin E supplement, because fish oil depletes vitamin E in dogs. Salmon oil provides a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial to kd dogs.
On the other alternate day, give a teaspoon of pure coconut oil drizzled over the kd food. KD food is usually very unpalatable, but as dogs love the taste of coconut oil (and it's very good for them too), it encourages them to eat. Give this with a desertspoon of chopped cooked green cabbage. Green cabbage helps protect against stomach ulcers forming (this is a common ailment with kd dogs).
And on the subject of food - try to give smaller quantities more often. Every 2 to 3 hours is best. The amounts given during the day should all add up to an acceptable total amount advised for the size, weight and breed of dog. These smaller amounts of food mean the kidneys are not placed under the huge stress of having to deal with a larger meal all at once. This method can therefore help offset associated nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea and means there's a good chance your dog will acquire the nourishment you intend (as it's actually being eaten and digested).
Okay, I think that's enough for now. Here are the article links I mentioned:
http://www.infobarrel.com/How_Diet_Affects_Dogs_with_Chronic_Kidney_Disease
http://www.infobarrel.com/Changing_Diet_During_Canine_Kidney_Disease
Get back as soon as you can with any questions or information.
Tony
IV Fluids are so important in getting the numbers down. It's equally important to continue with SubQ Fluid therapy at home, after the IVs have finished. You should ask your vet to prescribe Lactated Ringer fluids and make sure they teach you how to perform the treatment. SubQ fluids would ordinarily continue for 2 to 5 weeks every alternate day (twice a week is not enough), depending on how your dog responds. Mid-way through this period, new blood tests are crucial, to see what has changed and by what degree things have changed.
It is hard to say what stage of kidney disease this might be, because there are some missing tests that your vet needs to perform. These include the SDMA blood test, a full urinalysis (test should include for protein leakage and looking for signs of any bladder or urine tract infections) AND a test of blood pressure. The results of these tests will help determine the stage of kidney disease - and that will help you because it will point to the type of diet changes needed, any supplements and medications that might be needed AND the likely quality and length of life.
If you have the blood test results, please post them. If you don't have the results, ask for them (you paid for them, they are yours and a vet should pass them on to you). Essentially, the test results will help us advise the best course of action.
Your dog is going to be extremely tired. This disease really takes it out of a dog. Mild exercise is fine, but nothing strenuous and no long walks until she has improved and got over the veterinary treatment. Dogs are very intuitive, so the more anxious you are, the more anxious and stressed your dog will be. Try to keep things in the household as normal as possible.
Diet is going to be the real key to stabilising the kidney issues. I have a couple of my own articles (links below) that I hope you will read, as they will point the way you should go with diet. While kd dog food is fine for now (as long as it is not a dry kibble formulation), it may actually be inappropriate in a week or two when (hopefully) the BUN and creatinine drop. We can discuss that more later on.
You might want to start her on a couple of good supplements ... the first is pure organic salmon oil (literally half a teaspoon every other day) - give salmon oil together with a canine Vitamin E supplement, because fish oil depletes vitamin E in dogs. Salmon oil provides a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial to kd dogs.
On the other alternate day, give a teaspoon of pure coconut oil drizzled over the kd food. KD food is usually very unpalatable, but as dogs love the taste of coconut oil (and it's very good for them too), it encourages them to eat. Give this with a desertspoon of chopped cooked green cabbage. Green cabbage helps protect against stomach ulcers forming (this is a common ailment with kd dogs).
And on the subject of food - try to give smaller quantities more often. Every 2 to 3 hours is best. The amounts given during the day should all add up to an acceptable total amount advised for the size, weight and breed of dog. These smaller amounts of food mean the kidneys are not placed under the huge stress of having to deal with a larger meal all at once. This method can therefore help offset associated nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea and means there's a good chance your dog will acquire the nourishment you intend (as it's actually being eaten and digested).
Okay, I think that's enough for now. Here are the article links I mentioned:
http://www.infobarrel.com/How_Diet_Affects_Dogs_with_Chronic_Kidney_Disease
http://www.infobarrel.com/Changing_Diet_During_Canine_Kidney_Disease
Get back as soon as you can with any questions or information.
Tony
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