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

[sorrymom]

I am sorry for you and I hope I can help. My mini dachshund passed away March 20 of this year from renal failure. I cooked for my doxie since she was 2 yrs old. She was 15 when she passed away. I would suggest that you cook him some chicken breast pieces in filtered water. Steam some vegetables, you need to steam them till they are a little overcooked because they have a cellulose covering on them. I also cooked a little pasta in filtered water. I smashed  everything up with a fork as fine as I can get  it  and shred the chicken into small pieces.  Do not give your dog any of the water you have cooked in. Dogs should only have filtered water. The water you use for the chicken is o.k. as it adds flavor to the food and their are nutrients in it. You can do the same with hamburger, Strain the water off and blot the hamburger in a paper towels to get most of the grease off. And now a very important thing add 2 to 4 tablespoon of warm filtered water to the food before serving.

YOU NEED TO GET THOSE BLOOD TESTS FOR YOUR DOGS NO MATTER WHAT YOUR VET SAYS. MINE NEVER SUGESSTED IT. I DID GET HER A BLOOD TEST AFTER I STARTED COOKING FOR HER TO MAKE SURE SHE WAS GETTING THE NUTRIENTS SHE NEEDED. I NEVER GOT ANY MORE UNTILL SHE GOT SICK A YEAR AGO AND WE FOUND OUT SHE HAD RENAL FAILURE. THOSE BLOOD TESTS SHOW UP EVERYTHING!!!..IS ROCKY'S PHOSPHORUS LEVELS O.K.? MY VET GAVE ME A PHOSPHORUS BINDER FOR MY DOXIE. I DID NOT LIKE IT. SO I RESEARCHED PHOSPHORUS BINDERS ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT I COULD USE GROUND UP EGGSHELLS. 1/2 TSP FOR EVERY POUND OF FOOD. I GAVE PEABODY MY DOXIE 1/4 CUP OF FOOD SO SHE GOT 1/8 TSP MIXED IN HER FOOD. WASH THE EGGSHELLS, MAKE SURE THERE IS NO EGG WHITE STUCK ON THE SHELLS IF YOU USE SHELLS FROM HARD BOILD EGGS. YOU CAN LEAVE THE MEMBRANE ON THEM THERE ARE  NUTRIENTS IN IT FOR THEIR JOINTS. WASH THEM, DRY THEM, SMASH THEM UP, PUT THEM ON A BAKING SHEET AND PUT THEM IN THE OVEN AT 300 AND COOK FOR TEN MINUTES. COOL THEM AND PUT THEM IN A COFFEE BEAN GRINDER AND GRIND TILL THEY ARE POWDER, THEN I PUT THEM THROUGH A FINE MESH SEIVE. THE MEMBRANE WILL BE LET IN THE SEIVE. IT IS SOFT AND O.K. TO PUT IN WITH THE EGGSHELL POWDER.

I ALSO HEARD DRY DOG FOOD IS NOT GOOD FOR DOGS. MY PEABODY NEVER HAD ARTHIRITIS. I THINK THE BEST FOOD FOR DOGS IS HOMEMADE.

WHAT VACCINES ARE THEY GIVING HIM? I WOULD SURELY GET A BLOODTEST THOUGH. THAT IS WHY I AM A SORRY MOM BECAUSE I DID NOT GET BLOODTESTS DONE REGULARLY, WE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT IT SOONER. I ALWAYS SECOND GUESSED MY VET. I DID MY OWN RESEARCH AFTER SHE WAS DIAGNOSED A  YEAR AGO. 2/3 OF HER KIDNEYS WERE GONE, BUT I KEPT HER ALIVE FOR ANOTHER 13 MONTHS.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT GREEN TRIPE OR AVANTI OIL, YOU COULD GOOGLE IT.

MY PEABODY'S HIND LEGS GAVE OUT 2 DAYS BEFORE SHE PASSED AWAY. SHE WAS SLEEPING WAY MORE TOO. THEN SHE THREW UP ONE MORNING AND FROM THERE IT WAS ALL DOWN HILL. SHE QUIT EATING SO I MADE HER A LIQUID DIET AND SPOON FED HER, I GUESS SOME DOGS GET ULCERS WITH KIDNEY FAILURE THAT IS WHY THEY STOP EATING. MY VET TOLD ME TO GET SOME PEPCID BUT I TOLD HER I WANTED SUCRALFATE THAT HEALS ULCERS. I DID  NOT PUT HER TO SLEEP, SHE PASSED AWAY AT HOME.

I HOPE I HELPED YOU A LITTLE, BUT DO GET THOSE BLOODTESTS NO MATTER WHAT YOUR VET SAYS, YOU ARE THE ONE PAYING FOR IT, THEY ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOO IMPORTANT. LIKE I SAID , I AM A SORRYMOM

[tonyb286]

Hi. Can I ask you to join our special User Group here on MedHelp ... the Chronic Kidney Failure in Dogs User Group. You will find it invaluable, with lots of support and information from owners that have or have had dogs with kidney failure. We are a family there, so please become a member.

Rocky is indeed an elderly man, so palliative treatment is probably the right thing. You already appreciate, time is not on his side, but there are still things you can do to make his life more comfortable. Diet is crucial - so have a read of my article Diet and CKF here (there's also info about Green Tripe in this piece):

http://www.infobarrel.com/How_Diet_Affects_Dogs_with_Chronic_Kidney_Disease

I agree with your vet, annual vaccinations are definitely not worth doing. They will stress the kidneys even more and could bring about a rapid decline. I don't however necessarily agree that blood testing is now inappropriate. It really depends on whether you want to be able to intervene at the right time to correct rising BUN, creatinine and phosphorus. If you don't know when they are too high, then you won't know you need to change the diet or management of the disease.

If you can, feed him the same as you would ordinarily do in a day, but split it into four meals equally spaced out during the day. Lower volumes of food at one time will make it easier for the kidneys to deal with by-products and toxins created from the food. Also, drizzle a little natural honey or salmon oil on the food, as these help encourage eating and are very good supplements to the diet for kidney failure.

When you say "Avanti" oil, do you mean Azodyl? I have not heard of Avanti oil. If you do mean Azodyl, which is a supplement, take a look at my article, which discusses all kinds of supplements commonly used with kidney disease. I have tried to write it pointing out any evidence to their success, or not, with this disease. You can find it here:

http://www.infobarrel.com/Supplements_Useful_For_Kidney_Failure_Dogs

Okay. That's probably enough reading for you right now. Come back with any questions you may have.

Tony

[tonyb286]

Hi. Mr Flash sounds a cutie - and I think you may have your hands full with him. I think you are right to be very cautious about him jumping and while the steps are a good idea initially, it would be better to train him out of getting onto furnishings. That's just me though. I don't allow any of my dogs on furniture, because it can easily get out of hand, particularly if a dog becomes more dominant later on. I have known owners that aren't allowed on their sofa, because the dog won't allow it. Ha, strange, but true.

Keep me updated with how things go.

Best wishes, Tony

[Smog1210]

I have a 14 year old rat terrier named Rocky. He is my little old boy, he was diagnosed with renal failure in 2013 by a fairly new vet, fresh out of Texas A and M Vet school, we live in Texas. The vet had his blood tested and said it was possible he might also have cushings. I have been watching his protein, magnesium and phosphorus, I do not restrict his water intake. She said he has about 40% functionality of his kidneys and lost about 1/2 his weight, he used to weigh 11 lbs but is now at 6.5 to 7 lbs on good days. The vet initially put him on royal canin renal LP, Rocky did not care for it, we moved to a small town outside of Austin and found a fantastic vet, he is an old country doctor who is a large and small animal vet. He changed Rocky to Science diet KD dry food in 2014 and this year added canned science diet KD too. Our new vet doesn't believe in blood testing very often if at all any more.  Rocky has been diagnosed and our vet told us he wants him to have a good quality of life, he said Rocky is getting on his years and the old man may have trouble with vaccines from this point on. The little old man Rocky has arthritis in his shoulders, is losing his strength in his hind legs and can't make it up the stairs. We have added floor cushion mats in the house by the outside stairs to ensure he doesn't get stuck but can amble up the stair using the elevated thick foam cushioned mats. He can no longer jump up nor can he jump down off the dog beds, so we carry him and move him about on bad days, but on good days he uses the climbing mats we set up for hm. He is on an MLM for his arthritis, gets cold now very often. We have rescued two other dogs, a female Chiweenie who is  2 yrs old and keeps an eye out for the old man. We also have a 4 yr old Chi Mix who is Rockys buddy, they sleep together often and pal around all the time.
I have a few questions. First, what is green tripe and what benefit does it add? What is Avanti oil and what does it do? Rocky is increasingly getting a rounder hunched over looking back and tummy, has trouble getting up from a prone position and needs help to right himself. I think it is due to an enlarged Kidney? He loves a morning walk but gets so tired. He is sleeping much more as he ages. I suspect he is in his final stages, but is hanging on, our vet is reluctant to do many tests or give him vaccines now as it is a shock to the old mans body, and he sleeps so much more when they give him any vaccines -- which are now spaced out so he doesn't get a bunch of vaccines on the same day. He will turn 15 on November, some days I don't think he will make it another day, others he seems spry playing with toys and ambling after the squirrels chasing them up a tree outside.

Appreciate any tips. Thanks, just trying to give my little old boy, Rocky a good quality of life in his remaining time.

[sorrymom]

Thank you Tony, I loved that  "run free Peabody". When Peabody passed away I quit eating and drinking, it was awful. I was so lost. Nothing to come home for she was 99% of my life. Well, I didn't tell you everything. I got another Dachshund from a rescue, we actually rescued Peabody, she was a runt and he was going to put her down so we took her. See this is the problem I have, I won't say anymore, he is a male 2 years old. His name is Flash and he lives up to his name. We have had him about a month now and I think he likes it here. He has a few scars on him, we think are from the other dogs at the rescue. He is a sweetie. I do not expect him to be like Peabody. I still cry but Mr. Flash helps a lot.

He is a jumper so we had to get stairs for the couch and a ramp for the bed. Peabody never jumped on anything. We don't want him to hurt his back. We will be getting a blood test on him in August to make sure everything is o.k. I think blood tests on all dogs should be done yearly and when they are a senior twice a year. But I know that you have to ask the vet for one because mine never suggested it until she was sick. That is one of the things they should tell you, but I know that now, thank GOD for the internet.  I cook for Flash also and he loves his food. I brush his teeth, but when I first gave him a bath he was really afraid of the water, now he is better, he is also afraid of the broom, do you think he was abused?

I tried to get a dog from the Nebraska dachshund rescue but I think we were to old. Flash fills a terrible void in my life. So I  guess it is not so true when they say don't get a dog that is the same breed of the one that passed away. He looks just like Peabody  but he is a darker red and he is not a mini, I think he is a tweenie, he weighs 13 pounds.

Thank you for telling me I did very well with Peabody and that she was a very old lady. You know, here I go again, I had a dream one night after Peabody passed away--I saw her and she was talking to me--she said " I am so tired" and walked away to lay down. God made animals talk in the Bible-----I won't say anymore.   Being able to talk to you helps me a lot too.                          Thank you

[tonyb286]

Hi again, and thank you for coming back here. I think the importance in what you said is that every situation and every circumstance and every individual is very different. It's the reason we shouldn't have one all-encompassing rule, but be more open to looking carefully, compassionately and honestly at what is best at any one time for any single person ... or pet.

I hope your own grief subsides in time, which I am sure it will. We never forget those we have loved and grief is often a hellish journey to get through, but get through it we must.

Run free Peabody.

Tony