4th stage renal failure in my dog

[aggieone]

I have a nine year old lab  "Sandy Grace".  She is in fourth stage renal failure-Of course she has seen her regular vet for fluids-ultra sound revealed she has one kidney which is failing.   Creatine was 13-subs at home-now using hollistic and homepatic treatment.  Recently more bad days than good.    I am giving her ice chips which seem to work better for her than lapping.  Pedialyte ice is also better.  She throws up until she staggers and falls-I am continuously trying to hydrate her and giving her baby food-At times, she is able to keep it down,  other times the vomiting is horrible.  She continues to try for us, and we are fighting so hard for her-LIke others, I tuck her in at night (she sleeps on the loveseat with her "bankie" covering her).  I am sleeping in the den with her so I can give her support throughout the night.  Neither of us are getting much sleep.  I have her spoiled now with hand feeding other than her baby food, and I hold her plate while she licks it up.  I am using a recipe of egg yellow / whites, honey, and whole yogurt with a touch of dry powdered milk.  This works sometimes.  Sandy Grace is not ready to leave us-she continues to try-we try for her twenty-four hours a day.  Is there any over the counter medication that I can give her that will help with her vomiting?  We love her so much and she loves us so much-my husband and I feel like we will know when she is ready to go.  We went to grocery store yesterday to  buy more food supplies and liquids for her, when we got home, there she was looking out the window-barking for us to hurry and come inside-you open the door and there she is  - -so excited, still wagging her tail for us.  What can we do, this is our baby, she is so, so sweet-I know her days are numbered, but she is just not ready to leave. Help.    Aggieone

[DogBlog]

Sorry to hear about Tag's bloodcount but glad they figured out what the dark stools were.  To give you a little hope, Sammie's crea. and bun numbers were as high a couple of months ago.  Her last bloodwork a couple of weeks ago improved!!  I believe it's because of her diet!!  We haven't had to start the  subq's at home yet.....thankfully!!  Tag will know you are just trying to help him!!  

Best of luck....keep us posted!!

Charlene

[tonyb286]

Hi. Yeah, an ulcer was what I was thinking, hence the dark stools. Sorry his blood counts aren't good. Take each day as it comes ... the subQs will certainly help, so keep with it. I can also suggest starting to give him a tablespoon of cooked chopped cabbage with his meal every 3rd day. Cabbage has some great qualities, particularly in dealing with stomach ulcers. Just a thought anyway.

Hope Tag perks up soon.

Tony

[TaggiesMom]

Hello All.
Well Tag was at the vet today and we did some blood work. Unfortunately it only showed that he is getting worse :( his creatinine stayed the same at 3.8 but his BUN jumped from 82 to over 180(after that their machine can't read it anymore). He was started on an ace inhibitor and famotidine to help his tummy and possible ulcer. We will now be starting subq fluids at home. This is going to be hard to poke my baby but I know in the long run it will help! I talked to my vet and we have agreed on doing blood work every other month so we know how he is doing and so I can keep my self prepared for anything. I'm so thankful for all of the support and wonderful advice I have received here.. I really don't know what I would do without this group!

[tonyb286]

Hi Silvia. Just before I answer your question ... a quick word about human foods given to dogs. Have a read of this, as it will tell you the common things not to give: http://www.infobarrel.com/Everyday_Foods_That_Are_Poisonous_To_Dogs

Plain yogurt is usually fine in small(ish) quantities. In fact, it has some very good probiotics that can really help a dog's digestion. However, stay clear of any flavored yogurts. The reason for this is a) they can have fruit pips, which contain cyanide in small quantities, but which are sometimes very dangerous for dogs; and b) many flavored yogurts have added sweeteners, amongst the worst being xylitol and stevia, both of which can be fatal when given to dogs.

Take care,

Tony Xxx

[Cholismom]

Hear, hear Tony!

After reading Tony's article.  I made the switch from dried food to feeding the dogs what my husband and I eat.  (Truth be told these two little rescues would probably each wood if it was cut into small pieces).  

We are very clean eaters.  (With the exception of a good draft or glass of wine).  So, I subject them to what we eat.

I am not sure if it is a coincidence but the younger rescue who was having seizures once a month has not had one since February.  

No sure if its the naturalness of the diet, but I would like to think so.  

Tank you, Tony, our angel.

Tony, if I have your eye, can I give them plain yogurt?

Love, Sil

[tonyb286]

Hi. Most good quality pet stores will sell green tripe in one form or another. Ask about the frozen blocks, as they are not always on display. If not frozen, then there are tinned varieties available. It MUST be GREEN tripe. The human white variety of tripe is bleached for human consumption and is dangerous when given to dogs.

The canned varieties generally available include Tripett, Castor and Pollux Natural Ultramix Indulgent Mix, ZiwiPeak Daily Dog Cuisine (Canned), Solid Gold Dog Food.

Pasta is fine for dogs, though some dog sites recommend putting a teaspoon of sunflower oil in it for taste and added nutrition. I would generally advise against adding sunflower oil, because dogs commonly can develop skin allergies to it. Instead, try salmon oil, which is much better for them and has omega-3 fatty acids as a benefit.

Hope this helps.

Tony