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KEIKO, 11.8 yr MN American Eskimo
Hello Tony and all...found this group after a devastating trip to the vet this morn, for what was supposed to be a routine dental cleaning....pre op bloodwork came back BUN117.9, Creatinine 2.9, total Protein 8.3, ALT(GPT) 467, ALP 809. I am not sure what those last two numbers mean, though they are dreadfully high. Looking back now can see the beginning signs, our beloved Keiko just seemed to be "getting older" and a little more picky with his food. The bad breath we thought was due to dental issues. He is rather spunky for his age, generally, and we really had no idea he was ill. He began the tremors in his hind legs a year or more ago...8 months ago, after he began limping on three legs only, we began him on turmeric "golden paste" after learning and following Australian vet Doug English. This seems to have improved his quality of life greatly...he is much more playful, high spirited, "his usual four-legged self" since we began the turmeric. He is presently in hospital on the first day of the 3-day diuresis IV fluids protocol. We are heading down to visit and walk him, and take him his favorite fluffy stuffed gorilla. We are heartbroken. My husband is a tuna fisherman, and we had been feeding him tuna with cooked sweet potatoes and carrots, mixed with a small amount of grain-free kibble. He enjoys raw carrots as a treat and they keep his teeth and breath clean. In the mornings he gets 2 Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt with a high quality omega supplement for coat and skin mixed in, plus a dash of chlorella. When he began refusing his meals last week we switched him to the same above mix, but subbed chicken for tuna (which we do regularly anyway, switch from one then back to the other to prevent boredom). He drinks purified RO water Mostly I am posting to be sure i actually "joined" the group...it's hard to tell if i did it right. And to ask if there is any further immediate advice. I have read all the posts and some of the files. This dog is our life, we love him so much and he is just about the smartest, most beautiful fluffy American Eskimo you have ever seen....we want to prolong his life as long as he is comfortable. Any advice or guidance is strongly encouraged thank you.(I should add our non-holistic vet scolded us for giving him turmeric...we do not feel this has caused his problem, but then again we are unsure....) Many thank, Tracey
You are very welcome. Please come back and let us know what the vet says.
Tony
Tony
Thank you Tony....I am reading your files and will talk to the vet this afternoon about phosphorous and bp...thank you very much for all the info.
Hi and welcome to our family of friends here.
Tumeric has some potential dangers. Although it is a natural anti-inflammatory, so good for joint problems, it can also initiate kidney stones ... which obviously could be disastrous. If you intend continuing with the tumeric (to help his joints) then have the vet ultra-sound the kidneys to make sure there aren't any stones formed or forming (this could actually also produce kidney failure over a prolonged time, so it's worth considering the ulktra-sound test, if it's affordable). X-ray may also show kidney stones, but it's not quite as good a test.
This is a useful summary of the value of tumeric: "Turmeric contains a number of potentially useful chemical compounds, of which the most studied is curcumin. There is sufficient in vitro research to establish biological effects which might have clinical benefits, so the concept that these compounds could have therapeutic value is plausible. There is very little clinical research in humans, and there is not yet any convincing evidence to support the use of turmeric for any condition. There is virtually no clinical research in companion animals, and what there is does not support claims of benefit from turmeric compounds. Finally, the limited research to date suggests a few potential risks but the significance of these is unclear."
The blood profile results would put Keiko in Stage 3 kidney failure. This means that protein restriction is now advised. I would certainly start him on a kidney specific diet, such as Hills kd canned. No dry food and any other foods should be low in phosphorus and have no more than 15% protein.
It's interesting you mention tuna. Tuna has some good things in it, particularly the omega-3 fatty acids, which are helpful for kidney failure in dogs. However, tuna also tends to have some other qualities, not so helpful. Some tuna have high levels of mercury, for example, and all tuna is really too high in phosphorus to be advantageous to kd dogs. You would be much better feeding human grade (that means meat designated for humans to eat) chicken, lamb, or beef. Ideally, if you can get it, some green tripe would be very helpful.
One more thing about tuna and any other regularly fed omega-3 products ... the omega-3 is very good, but unfortunately it also depletes Vitamin E in the canine body, so you must always supplement with Vitamin E when any high content omega-3 foods are being given (and particularly salmon oil, which is the highest omega-3 nourishment dogs are sometimes given).
And now for some reading ... hopefully you will find these three articles of mine of value as you start down this new journey with Keiko. Please take some time to read them thoroughly and then come back and ask any questions you may have about them, or anything else. I will endeavour to answer them, if I can.
http://www.infobarrel.com/My_10-Point_Plan_for_Dogs_with_Kidney_Failure
http://www.infobarrel.com/How_Diet_Affects_Dogs_with_Chronic_Kidney_Disease
http://www.infobarrel.com/Changing_Diet_During_Canine_Kidney_Disease
Oh one more thing ... purified water is better than faucet (tap) water, as it has less sodium. Unfortunately, purified water may be so purified it has no sodium or any other minerals at all, so it's best to be cautious. Filtered bottled water tends to be better.
When you next speak with your vet, please ask for the phosphorus blood reading - and ask if they undertook a blood pressure reading too.
Okay. Enough for now. Hope this helps.
Tony
Tumeric has some potential dangers. Although it is a natural anti-inflammatory, so good for joint problems, it can also initiate kidney stones ... which obviously could be disastrous. If you intend continuing with the tumeric (to help his joints) then have the vet ultra-sound the kidneys to make sure there aren't any stones formed or forming (this could actually also produce kidney failure over a prolonged time, so it's worth considering the ulktra-sound test, if it's affordable). X-ray may also show kidney stones, but it's not quite as good a test.
This is a useful summary of the value of tumeric: "Turmeric contains a number of potentially useful chemical compounds, of which the most studied is curcumin. There is sufficient in vitro research to establish biological effects which might have clinical benefits, so the concept that these compounds could have therapeutic value is plausible. There is very little clinical research in humans, and there is not yet any convincing evidence to support the use of turmeric for any condition. There is virtually no clinical research in companion animals, and what there is does not support claims of benefit from turmeric compounds. Finally, the limited research to date suggests a few potential risks but the significance of these is unclear."
The blood profile results would put Keiko in Stage 3 kidney failure. This means that protein restriction is now advised. I would certainly start him on a kidney specific diet, such as Hills kd canned. No dry food and any other foods should be low in phosphorus and have no more than 15% protein.
It's interesting you mention tuna. Tuna has some good things in it, particularly the omega-3 fatty acids, which are helpful for kidney failure in dogs. However, tuna also tends to have some other qualities, not so helpful. Some tuna have high levels of mercury, for example, and all tuna is really too high in phosphorus to be advantageous to kd dogs. You would be much better feeding human grade (that means meat designated for humans to eat) chicken, lamb, or beef. Ideally, if you can get it, some green tripe would be very helpful.
One more thing about tuna and any other regularly fed omega-3 products ... the omega-3 is very good, but unfortunately it also depletes Vitamin E in the canine body, so you must always supplement with Vitamin E when any high content omega-3 foods are being given (and particularly salmon oil, which is the highest omega-3 nourishment dogs are sometimes given).
And now for some reading ... hopefully you will find these three articles of mine of value as you start down this new journey with Keiko. Please take some time to read them thoroughly and then come back and ask any questions you may have about them, or anything else. I will endeavour to answer them, if I can.
http://www.infobarrel.com/My_10-Point_Plan_for_Dogs_with_Kidney_Failure
http://www.infobarrel.com/How_Diet_Affects_Dogs_with_Chronic_Kidney_Disease
http://www.infobarrel.com/Changing_Diet_During_Canine_Kidney_Disease
Oh one more thing ... purified water is better than faucet (tap) water, as it has less sodium. Unfortunately, purified water may be so purified it has no sodium or any other minerals at all, so it's best to be cautious. Filtered bottled water tends to be better.
When you next speak with your vet, please ask for the phosphorus blood reading - and ask if they undertook a blood pressure reading too.
Okay. Enough for now. Hope this helps.
Tony
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