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Support needed for my Yorkie, Floyd.
Hi all!
I have come to this group looking for some support around my dogs recent kidney issues. He is 12, and will be 13 in July. He is my first dog, and I have raised him since he was a little pup. At his recent vet appointment they showed concern about his weight dropping from 5.8 lbs to 4.8 lbs. He is very skinny and we can feel his ribs and spine. He has always just been a grazer on his food and eats when we eat usually. He also gets wet food every morning. The vet only gave me 3 lab values. BUN 55, Creatinine 2.8, SD MA 21. Not sure what the sdma is/means? He has also been waking very early for the past few weeks, and recently started vomiting in the morning or late at night if he is woken up from his sleep.
Any insight/ tips / thoughts would be very helpful!
Sincerely scared owner,
Leah
I have come to this group looking for some support around my dogs recent kidney issues. He is 12, and will be 13 in July. He is my first dog, and I have raised him since he was a little pup. At his recent vet appointment they showed concern about his weight dropping from 5.8 lbs to 4.8 lbs. He is very skinny and we can feel his ribs and spine. He has always just been a grazer on his food and eats when we eat usually. He also gets wet food every morning. The vet only gave me 3 lab values. BUN 55, Creatinine 2.8, SD MA 21. Not sure what the sdma is/means? He has also been waking very early for the past few weeks, and recently started vomiting in the morning or late at night if he is woken up from his sleep.
Any insight/ tips / thoughts would be very helpful!
Sincerely scared owner,
Leah
Hello. Welcome to our User Group, though I'm sorry you need to be here.
The SDMA is a relatively new test that affords dog owners and vets the opportunity of a more accurate diagnosis of kidney disease and the "stage" that the disease is at. Staging is a measure of how much damage has been caused and how good or poorly the disease is being managed. The "stage" of kidney disease can change rapidly or slowly, improving or deteriorating, as dogs journey along this path. Kidney disease in dogs is not curable, but it can be slowed down, which gives them a better quality of life and longevity of survival.
The numbers you have given are suggesting Stage 3 kidney disease. In this stage, it is vital to restrict phosphorus and protein in the diet. Any protein that is given must be high quality (this means human grade meats and poultry) and kept to no more than 10% of the daily food intake. Proteins can be replaced with carbohydrates for energy and nutrition. I advise a very small amount of sticky white rice, couscous or sweet potato in rotation, which are all kidney friendly foods. Low quality proteins (often found in most manufactured dog foods) should be avoided at all cost, as they will cause the kidney disease to go downhill rapidly.
If you are not home cooking for Floyd, then try a canned (definitely no dry foods or kibbles) kidney specific dog food such as Hill kd renal. Unfortunately, all kidney specific dog foods are fairly unpalatable, so it may be worth adding a few things that will help entice Floyd into eating it. This includes a very small amount (a desertspoon at most) of cooked chopped green cabbage, which is tasty to dogs and will help guard against stomach ulcers. You can also add a teaspoon of drizzled all natural organic honey - or a teaspoon of pure coconut oil - use these in rotation, so Floyd never quite knows which one it's going to be on any particular day.
Be aware that most manufactured dog treats should be avoided, as these invariably include preservatives, artificial flavorings and other chemicals that will only add to the toxin build-up, stressing the kidneys even more.
Feeding times need to change. Kidney disease dogs need to be fed very small amounts more often, so the total intake for the day adds up to the amount of prior routine meals. Feeding small amounts every 2 to 3 hours helps reduce the work the kidneys need to do at one time, and this helps reduce the amount of toxins released into the bloodstream.
For nausea, ask your vet for Mirtazapine, which will also help stimulate Floyd's appetite too. It doesn't work on all dogs, but it's my go-to medication as a first choice. If it doesn't work within 2 days, then there are other alternatives.
There are a couple of things you need to check with your vet ...
First, have they performed a blood pressure check? If not, it needs doing.
Second, have they done blood tests for sodium, potassium, calcium and phosphorus? And have they done a urine test for any infections? These are all crucial and needed as of yesterday.
If phosphorus is high (I suspect it will be), then a phosphorus binder needs prescribing as a matter of some urgency. I would suggest aluminium hydroxide as one of the best for Floyd at this stage.
Okay, that's probably enough for you to take in for now. Get back to me when you have been able to address these issues.
Tony
The SDMA is a relatively new test that affords dog owners and vets the opportunity of a more accurate diagnosis of kidney disease and the "stage" that the disease is at. Staging is a measure of how much damage has been caused and how good or poorly the disease is being managed. The "stage" of kidney disease can change rapidly or slowly, improving or deteriorating, as dogs journey along this path. Kidney disease in dogs is not curable, but it can be slowed down, which gives them a better quality of life and longevity of survival.
The numbers you have given are suggesting Stage 3 kidney disease. In this stage, it is vital to restrict phosphorus and protein in the diet. Any protein that is given must be high quality (this means human grade meats and poultry) and kept to no more than 10% of the daily food intake. Proteins can be replaced with carbohydrates for energy and nutrition. I advise a very small amount of sticky white rice, couscous or sweet potato in rotation, which are all kidney friendly foods. Low quality proteins (often found in most manufactured dog foods) should be avoided at all cost, as they will cause the kidney disease to go downhill rapidly.
If you are not home cooking for Floyd, then try a canned (definitely no dry foods or kibbles) kidney specific dog food such as Hill kd renal. Unfortunately, all kidney specific dog foods are fairly unpalatable, so it may be worth adding a few things that will help entice Floyd into eating it. This includes a very small amount (a desertspoon at most) of cooked chopped green cabbage, which is tasty to dogs and will help guard against stomach ulcers. You can also add a teaspoon of drizzled all natural organic honey - or a teaspoon of pure coconut oil - use these in rotation, so Floyd never quite knows which one it's going to be on any particular day.
Be aware that most manufactured dog treats should be avoided, as these invariably include preservatives, artificial flavorings and other chemicals that will only add to the toxin build-up, stressing the kidneys even more.
Feeding times need to change. Kidney disease dogs need to be fed very small amounts more often, so the total intake for the day adds up to the amount of prior routine meals. Feeding small amounts every 2 to 3 hours helps reduce the work the kidneys need to do at one time, and this helps reduce the amount of toxins released into the bloodstream.
For nausea, ask your vet for Mirtazapine, which will also help stimulate Floyd's appetite too. It doesn't work on all dogs, but it's my go-to medication as a first choice. If it doesn't work within 2 days, then there are other alternatives.
There are a couple of things you need to check with your vet ...
First, have they performed a blood pressure check? If not, it needs doing.
Second, have they done blood tests for sodium, potassium, calcium and phosphorus? And have they done a urine test for any infections? These are all crucial and needed as of yesterday.
If phosphorus is high (I suspect it will be), then a phosphorus binder needs prescribing as a matter of some urgency. I would suggest aluminium hydroxide as one of the best for Floyd at this stage.
Okay, that's probably enough for you to take in for now. Get back to me when you have been able to address these issues.
Tony
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