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1963554 tn?1325447490

Dealing with dogs kidney failure

How do others deal about the pain they are going through knowing that their dog only has a few weeks left?
My cocker spaniel who just turned 11years old in Oct. only has a few weeks left, as I was told by a specialist who took his ultra sound in Dec. 26, 2011. He said that his right kidney is destroyed and that his left kidney has about 25% left.
He has a tumor within his bladder and his urine cannot pass thru which goes into his kidney and damages it.

When we had Shaggy checked out in May our vet said that it's UTI...because I mentioned to him that he'd pee and then go to other spots and nothing comes out. So he was given anti-biotics. This went on for several months.

Then we finally took an x-ray and couldn't really see much, except there were little calculi and that his left kidney was enlarged...asked the vet what caused it to enlarge and they did not know.  So we put Shaggy on a special diet food for stones...Royal Canin. We did that for a month and a half until he didn't want to eat that food any longer.

Then I asked vet what can the next option be and he suggested an ultra sound. At this point his urine was having blood it it.

And then the most heart breaking news I got was on Dec. 26. After his ultra sound vet showed us the ultra sound and told me the bad news... which led me to just burst out in tears and tried to fight it. After all of this bad news...I've been trying my best to be strong for him.

Yesturday he got to spend New Years eve with us. He'll eat just a little. I'd give him chicken and rice..but today he'll sniff the chicken.

He still greets me when I come home, and he'll still go up and down the stairs. Vet told me that when he stops eating and doesn't greet me...then I know its time.

I'm just having a hard time dealing with this...and everytime I think about putting him to sleep my heart just aches.

72 Responses
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1916673 tn?1420233270
Please consider joining our specialised Chronic Kidney Failure in Dogs User Group here on MedHelp. It's a fabulous group of people, all with some experience of owning, managing and treating a dog with kidney failure, currently or in the recent past. There's lots of support and information to be had there - I administrate the User Group and attend to it on a daily basis.

Once you have joined, copy and paste your message above as a new post.

Tony
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have read the comments and stories on this forum about this miserable disease and my heart goes out to everyone who has lost their beloved companion and best friend. I am going through this ordeal as I am writing this. I am sitting next to my beloved Tara, a 14 1/2 year old small Husky. It all began last year with sudden seizures. She started out with a seizure once every 7 weeks, then a seizure once a month, then once a week. Usually this is a sign of cancer this late in life. The vet put her on medication and all was well for some time. Here and there she would have a seizure and each time recovery would take a little longer. About four weeks ago everything changed. She had no appetite, slept a lot, and started stumbling and falling. She began to lose weight and I took her to a new vet who luckily accepts care credit since money is almost always an issue. The old vet wouldn't accept this type of credit card and I didn't want to change vets because I thought It would stress her if I would take her to an unfamiliar place. Now I wish I had done this sooner.
This new doctor ran complete blood work on my baby and the news was not good. Kidney and liver disease. Tara was put on prednisilone which helps shrink some tumors and helps with pain. She started eating again and stopped stumbling and falling , however, she had developed foul smelling urine and breath. I knew this was due to poor functioning kidneys. A few days ago she started falling down again but would still eat like a horse. Diarrhea set in and she threw up for the first time. She stopped eating and drinking and spends most of the day in the same spot sleeping. Even though she doesn't seem to be in pain, I realize after reading all the comments that she has to be miserable. My heart aches to see her like this and to think that I have to make a decision soon about ending her misery, tears my whole being apart. I am a logical thinking person, but in this case logic fails me. Given a choice I wish she could transition in her own time but at what amount of suffering? Once in a while she shifts her upper body to a different position, looks at me, and hopefully feels my love for her. I caress her and talk to her hoping for this look in her eyes to give me permission to do what I will probably have to do soon. All the while I have my other baby Sascha, a twelve year old, sweet dachshund-jack russel to take care of. She knows something is wrong, feels that her sister is sick and her mom's crying does not help the depressed mood in the household. I am now afraid to go to work and leave her by herself, fearing that she may need me and I am not there for her. So I took off work for a few days to be by her side
The bones in her face stand out prominently and her body seems to fallen into itself. I just can't believe how quickly all this happened. One day she was greeting me at the door and all of a sudden....almost no reaction. I give her water every so often but she can't keep it down. For almost 5 months I've been cooking chicken soup with vegetables every second day. Something she loves and has helped her get better, if only for a short while.
This is a lengthy post, but I am hoping for some emotional support. Friends and family are sympathetic but hearing from someone who has also encountered this same illness in their companions, would be so helpful.


Helpful - 0
1916673 tn?1420233270
Hello. I am very sorry you and your best friend are going through this dreadful disease. It is of course very difficult to assess or answer your question from a distance and without any other information. Shortness of breath is indicative of a dog in considerable discomfort, but whether that is due to the kidney disease or some other associated condition is not something I can answer.

Do you have recent blood test results handy. If so, please post them. Also, what medications and diet is Ralphie on - and has he had his blood pressure checked?

You might also consider joining our specialised Chronic Kidney Failure in Dogs User Group here on MedHelp. It's a fabulous group of people, all with some experience of owning, managing and treating a dog with kidney failure, currently or in the recent past. There's lots of support and information to be had there - I administrate the User Group and attend to it on a daily basis.

Tony
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
  
1 hour
To: Panting with on and off short frequent breathing
My 14 yr old Ralphie has been breathing short quick breaths folowed by episodes of painting then resting. I know he is in end stage renal failure. He does not appear to be in pain. I was wondering how long he will have to go through this.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My 14 yr old Ralphie has been breathing short quick breaths folowed by episodes of painting then resting. I know he is in end stage renal failure. He does not appear to be in pain. I was wondering how long he will have to go through this.
Helpful - 0
1916673 tn?1420233270
Hi. I am so sorry for your loss - and for the dreadful coincidental renal failure you are also suffering from. You mentioned about his bad teeth. It may be interesting to note that a large percentage of canine kidney failure is said to originate from poor dental health, so this could have been the original cause of some of the problems. I doubt it was anything to do with poor quality water ... but even this is possible, depending on how your water supply is provided to your household and how it is pre-treated. Renal failure can be caused by many things, but more often it is connected with poor diet, toxic substances and/or primary infections.

Tony
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My Chipoo Poe was 9 years old and in great health, and suddenly he was stumbling when walking through the house so I took him to the vet, informed he was dehydrated even though he was drinking water day and night.  Asking to go outside to the bathroom normally.  But at the Vets office when I went to pick him up I was informed he was in the final stages of renal failure.  Told take him home and keep up his quality of life for as long as he lasted.  One week later my baby boy was gone.  He didn't suffer he wasn't in pain well not that he would let me see.  He laid in my lap and kept nuzzling my neck and giving me puppy sugars.   On his last day all he wanted was to be held.  Funny thing was that I was laid up on the couch and in mass amount of pain, I didn't know at that time I also was suffering from Renal failure.  Two months after I lost my baby boy I had to have a dead kidney removed.  I am left wondering if we both consumed water that could have been unsafe to drink.  I had had Poes teeth remove two years prior because they were in such a sad state and didn't want them to afftect his health and I would have taken him to the vet if he had shown any symptoms.
Helpful - 0
1916673 tn?1420233270
Oh I am so very very sorry. I know how painful today must have been - and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It hurts so deeply to lose our true and loyal soul mate. Facing life without Peanut must seem impossible, but believe me, this is the worst day. It won't get better tomorrow, but maybe a little bit the day after that - and gradually, the pain will ease, though the feeling of loss may take much longer to subside.

Peanut was certainly one very lucky dog. He was so loved and cared for, it shines through everything you have said about him. The both of you shared a lifetime of joys - just try to remember those times, and put the last horrible memories to one side, if you can. The bad times were short by comparison - and Peanut is at peace now, mercifully.

My thoughts are with you. Please come back and talk any time you feel the need. There will always be someone here to listen and support. I'm here most days too. I would love to hear more about Peanut.

You did the right thing - at the right time. Stay strong.

Tony x
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Avatar universal
Tony thank you for your response and Im in tears right now as I write this to you. I made the decision yesterday to give my baby the best possible ending he could have on this side of glory then I let him go. His last hours at home with me were precious moments of him laying in the bed next to me, in my arms, surrounded by love and affection and during the whole vet process he was in my arms with me singing our song to him crying and whispering how much I loved him and how much I would miss him, as he peacefully crossed over in to glory. God knows it was the hardest thing to do but in the end it was the right thing to do. I just miss him so much that it hurts for me to breathe right now. I don't have children therefore all of my love, time, attention and money was poured into my best friends and honestly a piece of my heart has literally died and im lost, confused, angry, hurt, and unhappy. I have so many emotions going on inside of me until I fear my blood pressure will skyrocket out of control. I miss my baby, Tony and Im here as his caretaker with no one to take care of and Im lost. Father God, I didnt think it would hurt so bad but it really hurts. Im trying so hard to find a reason to push forward and its almost unbearable but I know Peanut would want me to be strong and keep living. Thank you for your words of kindness, I appreciate the support so much, Peanut thanks you Im sure for comforting me through my time of grieving. God bless you
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Im writing you with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes. I made the decision yesterday after holding my darling close to me for hours, crying and telling him how much I love him and how good of a friend he has been over the years. It was hard but he gave me the green light in his own little way and I released him from his earthly pain and he walked over into glory. I miss him so much it hurts. I just want my baby back. I find myself trying to catch glimpses of him throughout the house. I smell his binky where he slept, Ive collected some of his short little hairs, and gathered up all of his meds just so I can look at them and be close to him. God it hurts and im torn into a million little pieces. It feels like my world has ended and I have no where to go from here. There was so many little things he did throughout the years that brought me such joy and I miss him more than I care to breathe right now. Lord, God please let me get pass this traumatic experience with peace of mind because right now I feel like Im losing it and my desire to eat or do anything is gone. Connie, im sorry to burden you with this but this is my new reality. One without the love of my life, and Im lost. I do know that he is at peace and that he forgives me for having to make that dreaded decision but his pain in the end was more than he could bare and more than I could watch him bare. I thank you for your kind words of inspiration and prayers Connie, its because of people like you that I will make it through this season of my life. God bless you and thanks again
Stef
Helpful - 0
1832268 tn?1326816010
Hi Stepluvspeanut....
My heart hurts for you.  Prayers are sent your way, for both you and Peanut.
I know you have some difficult decisions to make, You know Peanut best. You are really the only one who can decide what is best for him. I know you are probably hoping for some good advice, all I have to offer, is...If you have any doubt at all about whether or not this is the right time to euthanize...then, now is not the time.
I think you will KNOW in your heart, when the time arrives, and I think Peanut will let you know.
I realize that your vet says Peanut is in stage 2. I think that the numbers only tell you how his kidneys are doing...they don't really tell you how your dog is doing. All dogs handle things differently.  
It sounds like you need to discuss Peanuts condition further with his vet, and discuss your options and feelings with your Husband.  
You are doing the best you can for Peanut...he would not have made it this far without you. He is a lucky dog to have you making his decisions for him.
Stay strong...my thoughts and prayers are with you both.
Connie
Helpful - 0
1916673 tn?1420233270
Hello. I am so sorry you are going through this - and that Peanuts is going through this too. It sounds to me as if you have done everything you can and at 16 yrs, Peanuts has reached an amazing age, given all the issues he's had. I cannot give you advice on what to do or when, but I really don't think I need to in any case, because I think you already know. And yes, it's the hardest thing in the world, but it's also the last responsibility we have as dog owners. I can't say this will help, but it might - please read my piece here: http://www.infobarrel.com/When_a_Pet_Dog_Dies

You have found a good place here on MedHelp. There is always someone available for support, someone to chat to and someone who will listen - and most are people, like me, that have gone through what you are going through, so we understand and empathise. You and Peanuts are in my thoughts today.

Tony
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Avatar universal
The post Ive read have touched me and Im sorry to hear/read of everyone's losses.
Here is mine and Peanuts story...My baby turned 16 on Dec 1, 2013 just 3 days ago and he is in the final stages of kidney failure even though the doctors say he is in stage 2 and his kidney functions are not yet out of control. He is anemic, lethargic, clumsy and he cant hold his head up. He weighs an incredible 3.6lbs and is a very small Chihuahua which causes me a lot of concern.  He stopped eating today and will not take in any fluids. The Sub-q fluids are not helping and he does this yelp type of bark while sleeping or being moved. He also stopped peeing today and that once familiar look of love and admiration he had in his eyes is now filled with a dim stare of emptiness. I've had my, honey bunny, Peanut in my life since he was 7 weeks old and now it hurts me to my heart to think I may have to do the dreaded vet visit. Man, my heart is bleeding right now and I cant control the tears. Ive been crying honestly nonstop for the last 3 to 4 days and now I feel like the walls are closing in on the both of us and it hurts.
This disease is awful and is very hard to watch as a mommy. My baby has gone through every stage of this disease since his diagnosis a little over a year ago. It started when he went in for a routine check up after feeling weak and throwing up, later on I noticed an ulcer on his eye which turned into glaucoma and uveitis with major pressure build up. After a long battle and hundreds of dollars to save the right eye it had to be removed. I must say my darling best friend was really never the same after they took his eye but he tried very hard and gave me lots of wonderful day of seeing his beautiful face and experiencing the love that only he can give. But now this kidney thing is literally taking him from me.
He had 4 seizures on Thanksgiving morning, the vet says it was due to his calcium being low and they gave him intravenous calcium and told me to give him 1/3 of a tums tablet 2 to 3 times a day. That was 6 days ago. Today he has taken a turn for the worse and I fear it is finally time for me to make that decision and it's sooooo hard for me to let go of someone that has literally been my best friend for 16yrs. He is truly my rock and I need him so much more than he needs me which makes this decision really hard. I look into his eyes and he doesn't appear to be there any longer but I can call his name or touch him ever so gently and his ears raise up but he is unresponsive other than that. He's stumbling over now and cant walk very well at all, his breathing is labored, raspy and heavy with a snoring like scruffy sound to it and he is barking inadvertently while laying down. Im not sure if this means he is in pain but the fact that he stopped peeing leads me to believe he is indeed in some pain. I don't know what to do. Im feeling really selfish right now trying to hold on to a portion of the loving baby that once followed me everywhere including the restroom. He watched my every move and stayed under my feet 24/7 so yes it is hard to make the decision to let go and I feel guilty about even considering it. God please help me, my heart is broken into a million pieces. I need this puppy in my life but I know he is in pain and needs to be released but I cant make myself do it. Please Dear God help me, what do I do????  

I had false hope because the uremia went away, he began to eat like crazy, his stool got solid again and he was drinking regularly. He even started licking my other babies eyes again as he always did. He was walking better and then BAM in 2 days he turned into a completely debilitated puppy. I prayed that his improvements werent the calm before the storm and here I am writing you all with a heavy heart and tear filled eyes. My blood pressure has skyrocketed and I haven't eaten in 2 days. IM A MESS!  Im alone, confused, depressed and hopeless as my better half just started a new over the road trucker job and can not comfort me through the pain or help me make a decision. Jesus please take the wheel, my head is about to explode. I feel sick and worn out. Guys im literally in peril and feel like the weight of the world has landed on my shoulders. Im not sure if I should wait another day or if I should lay down my selfishness and let go while my baby still has some level of dignity and coherence. Lord God, I keep thinking if I do this or do that or get this test done or give him this medication eventually something will work however I am hundreds and  hundreds of dollars into this and nothing has worked yet. I've just been buying time one moment after another and it's like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. I feel so helpless and hurt. Ive lost weight and my appetite is almost nonexistent. This has effected me in so many ways but it has effected my honey even more. Watching him go through this has been torture to say the least and he is so small too. He tries so hard to be strong for me and yet Im falling apart in front of him. 3.6lbs of pure lover and protector he still is. He's laying next to me right now and every so often he lets out this muffled little bark and moves around in pain and Im nearing my limit of what I can deal with and I know the decision has to be made one way or the other. I cant help but think he has already made the decision for me and all I have to do is finalize his journey but I just cant. Please God give me strength, I need help. I need divine intervention !!!
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Avatar universal
I would so have to agree with your comment. I had to put my Boxer down today from kidney failure. He had been losing weight for quite sometime and his breath smelled horrible. My vet mentioned his weight on a visit back in January and said he needed to lose some weight so that wasn't a bad thing. I mentioned the bad breath and the vet tech said it was from him drooling they get an infection around their mouth. They gave us an antibiotic. my dog was just diagnosed with failure on Wednesday we chose to do 3 days of iv therapy to see if his numbers improved they were off the chart. I feel as if routine blood work and urinalysis should be a part of a pets yearly visit. My dog was healthy as a horse for the 3 years we had him. We had rescued him and the vet kept saying he might have been older than what they told us but I don't believe that he had no gray hair. I am second guessing doing everything so quickly. We would have done anything we could to save him. I just somehow knew when I tried to love on him he didn't seem to want it. Boxers are extremely people lovers and I think he was distancing him from us. From other peoples comments I almost feel like we put him down too quick because he still was eating some and he could still walk on his own but he looked so miserable like he just could not get comfortable. I hope I find peace with my decision because the pain is unbearable. He was 4.5 to 5 years old so young.
Helpful - 0
1916673 tn?1420233270
Hello Nika. It sounds to me as if you are doing everything you can for Max and that you already know there isn't (sadly) a great deal anyone can do once kidney disease reaches this stage. It's a waiting game. I assume you have asked the vet about anti-nausia medication, which will encourage Max to continue eating despite the toxins; and about IV fluids to keep flushing the kidneys out and maintain hydration. If Max has reached the stage when his breath is smelling, then he is likely to be at stage 4 of this dreadful illness, so I would feed him whatever he wants rather than a specific diet. It sounds like you have had a wonderful relationship with Max. If he could speak, he would say a huge thank you for giving him so much love, so much care and attention, and for providing so many adventures during his lifetime. He has been a lucky dog. My thoughts are with you. Tony x
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Avatar universal
Hi.

I am in tears reading about Shaggy's ending. I have rottweiler Maximus ( Max), he was a keeper from my rottie Beatrice I had for 9 years and brought her with me from Russia. He was born here on Junly 2, 2002, he is 10 and a half now and was diagnozed with splin tumor in march. I decidded not to have it removed, Vet said in his age it can aggrovate cancer growth or his heart may give up. So now its January 7, 2012, my Russian Orthodox Christmas adn I brough Max to teh vet because he was throwing up all the food I gave - buckweat, chicken, oatmel - he has appetitie but vomits after a ew horus. Doc said his blodd cell are 11 ( very low) and kidneys are giving up rapidly. He is anemic, his gums are pale, he is dizzy and lthergic now ,He was a ball of energy two weeks ago, I got pian killers and appetite enchancing pills. Treated him to mcdonalds # 4 burger. He was happy! Brough him home, he peed, ate some chicken, had water, played with the rock and now snoring next to me ( I am sitting on his bed i bought for his arthritic bones). I will be sleeiping next to his bed to watch him and let him out when he starts vomiting. His breath today started smelling with this urine smell, I know its toxins. I had to put him Mom down at the age of 8 ( cancer), she still played with a stick right before the end and the look of shock when the needle when into her was like a knife to my heart. I dont want to do it again. I cried for a year, her puppy, my Max kept me going. I want to make Max comoftable and be with him longer.

I read so many good advices and supporting statements, I want to be strong for Max and nobody around me understand how i feel, they dont have to make this decision. I have no family, no children, max is my child and he was born in my hands, I am being selfvish for tourturng him to live longer because I dont know how i will get over it. I want to make his last days as comfotrable as possible.

help please........
Helpful - 0
462827 tn?1333168952
Welcome jlbell.....Here's this forums largest thread on kidney disease.....Maybe it will help you w/answers.....

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Dogs/4th-stage-renal-failure-in-my-dog/show/425814?page=1
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Avatar universal
I have a boxer that is 6 years old and we were told she had kidney damage a year ago.  She got sick this week and they did a blood test.  Her kidney's show more damage.  The vet said that they didn't know if she would last the year or not.  We have started her on a new diet with rice, hamburger,eggs, and bread.  She seems to like it very much.  But she has gotten loose stools from change of food.  I am new to this forum.  Just wanted to see if i could see how other people deal with this.
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1916673 tn?1420233270
So it's now 14 days, because I haven't been able to get to the PC for a couple of days and missed your last post. Taking Shaggy's collar on the trip is something I empathise with. I often still do this when I'm taking my other dog to the local beach for a run. The two dogs were best buddies and had been all their lives, until BB passed away in November. This is all part of our grieving process and perfectly natural. It seems there is a very long way to go before kidney disease is resolved in humans, so our poor dogs will probably have an even longer wait. It's a dreadfully cruel and shockingly dibilitating illness and I just wish we could find some kind of cure, so no more dogs would suffer from it. In time, maybe, but for now we just have to do all we can to educate people about bad foods and the importance of getting early bloodwork done when the first symptoms show. Tony
Helpful - 0
1868280 tn?1320165473
I hope you know Shaggy had a great life with you and it sounds like he did with your parents too. You did everything you could for Shaggy and there is no doubt he knew he was loved very much and is in heaven. Dog go to heaven, because it would not be heaven without them. I know your other dog misses him. I went through this shock back in Oct 2011, when my Jack passed unexpectedly, although I knew he was sick with liver problems most his life. He was my best friend for sure, doing things with me all the time. Dogs and cats give people unconditional love. I wrote a bit in a journal on here, which seemed to help me. You get plenty of support here too, because everyone has been where you are now. You hang in there and express how you feel all you want. I know it hurts,

Mark
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Avatar universal
I lost my dog 6 weeks ago to the same kidney disease.   I am still very sad as well.   I carry his collar with me everywhere.  I am still mad with my routine vet.  If they had done blood work earlier , they might have caught it sooner and given him a better chance.  And i am still unsatisfied with the treatment options once the disease becomes advanced.   I wonder if the big biotech companies are trying to do anything about this or are they doing little because they are already making so much money of vaccines, etc.  I wonder why most routine vets dont seem to do enough to educate pet owners about kidney disease.   This is as bad as cancer, lyme disease, heart worms, etc and most of us have never heard of it until we are told our pets only have a few months left.  Hang in there Gracie,  you gave Shaggy a life with lots of love and thats the most you have done.
Helpful - 0
1963554 tn?1325447490
It's been 12 days now, since Shaggy has been gone. I read thru what I have written within the past week or two....and I can't believe that he's gone so soon.

After reading my posts, I started to feel the same heartache that I felt when I was writing those post.

I really miss him so much and I just can't believe he's not at my parents house to greet me anymore when I go there. It doesn't feel right. :(

We got Shaggys ashes on Thursday, and his paw print...I just starred at his paw prints and felt all depress ....  

I went to my trip on the 14th, and I took Shaggy's collar with me. I went to San Francisco. So I just had his collar with me the whole time in my jacket. I know that may sound weird, but I mentioned that trip to Shaggy and told him that I'd take him with me too. And I kept my promise to him.

It just really ***** writing ....cuz all those emotions that I felt before all of this....they just keep coming back.   :(
Helpful - 0
1832268 tn?1326816010
Please accept my heartfelt sympathy for the loss of your dog.
Shaggy is a lucky dog to be loved and missed by so many.
He knows that all of you only wanted to do the best you could for him.
Your love spared him of his suffering.
God Bless Shaggy's Beautiful Spirit and Soul....he is much loved.
Connie
Helpful - 0
1963554 tn?1325447490
It's been 2 days since Shaggy's been gone...and I'm still missing him.
I've been going to my parents house every day with my other dog.
So that way my parents won't seem so sad. My dad is really sad, because once he comes home from work he told me that he'd look for him begging my dad for food, or when he goes to the basement that he has no one to watch t.v. with.  :(

And today my mom said that she's so use to saying goodnight to Shaggy at nights, but today she has no one to say goodnight to.

We all miss Shaggy so much, that we just talk about what he use to do. Or where he's always sitting. Which is always by the couch where my mom sits.

I just wanted to thank everyone that helped me thru this by writting comments back. I really appreciate it.

I really miss Shaggy  :(
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