[duke_blacklab]

My black lab Duke is almost 4 and has been diagnosed with kidney failure. We first found this by accident in April 2010. I was limping one morning so I took him to the vet and then ran some blood work and found that his "kidney enzymes were off." I wasn't too pleased with this vet so I was waiting until I moved back home, the next month, until I could get him in to our normal vet. He was acting fine and so I never thought anything about it again.
A week before Thanksgiving'10 he was wetting the bed every morning. I took him in to the vet again and they ran his blood work his BUN and Creatine had gotten worse from April, but not much considering how much time had passed. My vet suggested we switch him to the KD prescription diet, a low protein formula. We did that and took him in the next week and his numbers went down significantly and were almost back to the numbers he posted back in April. I then took him to a holistic dr the next week to try some alternative medicine as well. She did some bioresonance treatment on him and gave me renafood, gallium nitrate, prana food, congaplex and iflora and a low protein homemade diet. I took him back to the vet 2 weeks later and his numbers got significantly worse, the creatine doubled what it had from the last time. I immediately took him off all the alt med stuff and went back to the kd food and giving him at home fluids. I did this for another week or two and then went back in the BUN was about the same but the creatine fell a little bit.

I'm really at a loss as to what to do. His appeitite has been severely depressed this last week and I can only get him to eat regular dog food. I continue to give him fluids every 2-3 days. He has lost 18lbs since April, I can tell he is anemic because he has hardly any energy anymore either. He has been "leaking" again when he is sleeping or just lying around, this hasn't been an issue since November.

Again I'm willing to try almost anything, I've spent a lot of money already on trying to figure things out but I will do what I need to do! He is so young and the numbers that put up back in April he should have only lived a couple of months. I can't help but think that maybe there is something else going on that our vets haven't been able to figure out. Does anybody have any hope for me?

[Alty]

I'm so sorry, I really have nothing to offer.

Kidney failure isn't reversible, unless you get a kidney transplant.

I think that at this point your only option is to make sure he's comfortable, not in pain, and enjoy every moment you have with him.

I know, it's not ideal, especially in a dog so young. Once the kidney's start shutting down there really is little you can do. Transplant yes, but in dogs, not common, and it would be extremely expensive. That's if you can even find a vet willing or able to do it, and a donor dog that would match. Lots of if's.

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source...PJ6uOw&cad=rja

I can only offer my condolences to you.

[JudyKayTee]

I lost a dog to kidney failure some years ago. She was about 45 pounds, a rescue sheltie mix. My dogs have a blood panel drawn every year, and I knew there were problems from the day I adopted her. (The Vet told me that kidney problems are very often genetic but, because she was a rescue, I'll never know.) She was on a very strict diet and had several bouts of near kidney failure but lived to be 12 and was a happy, active dog right up until the end.

I pulled out her file (yes, I have a file on each of my dogs!) and the printout from Cornell Univ says that with proper treatment kidneys can function for a period (no one can foresee what that time might be); they can function during treatment but stop when treatment stops; they can simply stop functioning. I was fortunate in that she was in the first category. Any damage is irreversible (if, in fact, the kidneys have been damaged); however, medical intervention can extend the dog's life.

The following sounds complicated but it really wasn't.

The Vet started treatment by putting her on IV's to flush out her system. She also took steroids during this time. I think this is the same as a person with kidney failure - the flushing can sort of kick start the kidneys by washing out the dead kidney cells. (I'm not 100% on why the flushing works, and am relying on memory.)

Her kidneys started to function (at a greatly reduced rate, of course), she was on special dog food (decreased protein), and she took medications to lower phosphorus in her blood, balance her calcium level and encourage red blood cell growth (I believe she took Procrit which is also prescribed to diabetics or people with kidney problems).

I took her back a couple of times over the years (maybe more than a couple - ?) to have her kidneys flushed again. She became very depressed right before a flare, so that was the sign I looked for.

At the very end she was in full stage renal failure and there was no choice but to put her to rest.

I am aware that transplants are possible but I am not aware that they are done other than teaching Universities. I'm sure the cost is pretty much prohibitive. (A friend of mine just spent $3,000 on cataract surgery for her dog; I can't imagine what a kidney transplant would cost!)

I hope some of this is helpful - AND HOPEFUL - for you.

[micnbug68]

I was a vet tech for 12 yrs. And also, my moms yorkie died of kidney failure a few years ago.
The best thing to do is stay with the k/d diet and fluids. Remember is is kidney failure.
What you are doing now is trying to keep your dear dog alive for a while. He may not like the k/d diet but if you give him canned, he may like it better. You can sprinkle garlic powder on his food (not garlic salt). Sometimes you may have to hand feed him too.
DO NOT, whatsoever, stray from the instructions that the vet gave you. Also, remember that many medicaitons are toxic for animals. Do not give tylenol or anything else. Whatever your holistic healer did, do not do it again because the dog is already in renal failure. Anything could cause the problem to worsen at this point.
Ask your vet if you dog can have cottage cheese, or boiled macaroni noodles with garlic powder for an occasional treat.
Unfortunately, eventually the disease will take your dear friend. What you are doing now is prolonging life and making him comfortable. If the numbers come down a lot and he feels great then that is wonderful! Just stay on the strict diet.

[NELLY NOO]

I have got an 18 month bull dog she has got renal failure not sure what stage she is at she is on the renal diet and I know she not keen on but to keep her alive then so be it also she is on the phosphorous binder she has had the I v fluids when ever she get low and you will know when that is her bloods always come back through the roof and my vet say she should be dead with her results but as he has whitnessed she very well so now he goes how nelly is feeling rather than what the book says she has crashed once up to yet and now she is anemia but is being treated for it I must admit I think it was my fault she crashed because I did not know how important her diet was and to be fair it was explained enough to me also the week before she crashed she was chewing a lot on raw hide chews and I am shaw before she took ill in the first place she was having them? So after she crashed I went and educated myself about her illness and now fingers crossed I will do my best to manage her illness I will not give up on her at all .thefirst time I was told she was ill the vet said with her blood results she will not come though and he did not even expect her to live the day out not all the dogs are the same and some can get by with high results as she is doing if you think your dog should being a certain treatment surgest it to your vet as sometimes they are very busy and don't have time to spend on just you so you look and see what's out there to help your dog I did it may help it may not but at least you have tried even if only helps for a short time .so NEVER give up as I will not some say kidneys can not be repaired bit the problem CAN be managed . GOOD LUCK I know how your feeling as it made me ill AND YOU THINK THERE NO HELP BUT KEEP TRYING

[Nitin Kaktwan]

I don't know what exactly to do, we have a female bhotiya with us, she is facing the same problem, we all love her a lot, though we are looking for kidney transplantation, but I don't know how much it will going to cost us, we just want her to get well in any cost, even my mom and sis, they all are crying, I don't know what to say them, she is everything for us, I don't know how we will going to survive without her, I am just praying from god to make her well as soon as possible

[Nitin Kaktwan]

It is possible to have kidney transplantation in india

[JudyKayTee]

i don't know what exactly to do, we have a female bhotiya with us, she is facing the same problem, we all love her a lot, though we are looking for kidney transplantation, but i don't know how much it will gonna cost us, we just want her to get well in any cost, even my mom and sis, they all are crying, i don't know what to say them, she is everything for us, i don't know how we will gonna survive without her, i am just praying from god to make her well as soon as possible

What kind of dog is that? I never heard of it.

Did your Vet advise a kidney transplant? Vet schools do transplants, but no individual Vets.

[JudyKayTee]

it is possible to have kidney transplantation in india

Yes, only at Vet Schools.