Sorry, I didn't respond on the fluid therapy question because I would need an accurate CURRENT weight.
Tony
Hi Sarah. I have to say I am a little concerned about your response. Dealing with the anemia is very important, otherwise it will continue to decline. Because the kidneys are damaged, it cannot produce EPO, which causes the anemia (by failing to produce new red blood cells in the bone marrow). If treatment is not given, anemia will ultimately prove fatal. Giving white tripe also stresses the kidneys, because the bleach residues have to be dealt with by these organs - and as they are already compromised, the residues will cause increasing toxins to circulate in blood. I am pleased you have changed to chicken thigh meat. You mention fish oils ... ordinarily these are good, but only if they are not cod oil, as that can harm kidney dogs. Fish oil is a good provider of omega-3 fatty acids, which help as an anti-inflammatory. The best source of omega-3 is contained in pure organic salmon oil. If you are giving fish oil, or start giving salmon oil in preference, please also note it is important to also give Vitamin E (canine formulated), because this vitamin is depleted when salmon oil is given as a supplement. Some products combine both a suitable omega-3 fish oil and vitamin E, but you should always check the label to ensure it does. Go easy on the walking trips. Dogs with kidney disease need moderate but not excessive exercise. You could liken this to a human that has been taken to hospital for kidney failure ... they may want to run, but the doctors would not permit it, because their bodies need the energy to fight the illness. If the binder is aluminium hydroxide, that's good, but clearly the dose is wrong because it isn't dealing with the problem. Can you let me know the weight of your dog and how much aluminium hydroxide you are giving.
Tony
Hi. Quite a few things to talk about ... but priorities first ... anemia is very common in kidney disease dogs. Your dog's HCT is below 20% which means it is quite severe. It also means it is probably suitable for EPO (erythropoietin treatment). If you go to my website at www.tonyboothwriter.com and look at my articles, you will find one on canine anemia. Please read it. This will explain what is happening to your dog - and more importantly, the treatment that is needed. Once you have read the article, talk to your vet (please don't leave this too long). When you mention tripe in the diet, I assume this is GREEN tripe. White tripe is only suitable for humans (it is bleached to make it white and the bleach is toxic to dogs). Minced beef is okay, but chicken would be better. Beef is quite rich in two things ... fat and phosphorous. Fat can cause pancreatitis to occur in kidney dogs. Phosphorous is always a bad thing for kidney dogs, although it can't be completely avoided. Chicken thighs are the lowest in phosphorous (all dark chicken meat is lower). If you do feed chicken, it MUST be human-grade, because chicken intended for dogs is low-quality and causes even more kidney stress. Phosphorous (blood test result) is still too high - what binder are you using? Creatinine is also still too high and hopefully the fluids will eventually bring that down. You mention giving 250ml daily. What weight is your dog (I can then check that dose for you to ensure it's adequate). Azodyl or ketosteril? I am quite unfamiliar with Ketosteril, so I would take your vet's advice on that one. Tony
Hello. It is impossible to say how long your dog will live with this disease. It is extremely unpredictable. I have known dogs live just a few days - and others that have survived for years. You and your vet seem to be offering good management. Daily SubQs are worthwhile and help maintain the improvements already gained from IV fluids. In terms of diet, it is absolutely essential to keep to a low phosphorous and low sodium diet. As the kidneys cannot easily process protein, it is also important to offer ONLY high-quality (human grade) meat and poultry - and to give approximately 20% protein in every meal. More will cause stress on the kidneys, and less will cause malnutrition. Specialised kidney specific dog food ordinarily contains high-quality proteins, but always check with the manufacturer to be certain of it. It is also beneficial to feed less but more often, so small meals every 3 or 4 hours, as that helps relieve stress on the kidneys too. Hopefully the next round of bloodwork will be good news. Did your vet check blood pressure? I ask because 90% of dogs with kidney disease also have high blood pressure, and that can adversely impact on the disease. Hoping your dog rallies on this management plan. Tony