Chronic Kidney Failure in Dogs
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Chronic kidney failure - our experience
I was devastated when the vet told us that our dog, Kazan, had chronic kidney failure. In a span of a month, he lost 10 kilos. His normal weight was 23 kilos and he was down to 13! I am hoping that my writing about our experience with chronic kidney failure in dogs will be helpful to other people whose pets are suffering from this condition.
Included here are important info on the signs and symptoms, diet, medication, natural remedies, books, and tests. This lens on dogs and chronic kidney failure is a work in progress. For those who went through a similar experience, I would love to hear from you!
Kazan may not be around anymore but I continue to spend time reading up and learning about chronic kidney failure in dogs. Some dogs live with this condition for a few years. If your dog has this condition, please do not give up.
Have a team of health experts for your dog
If your vet has had a lot of experience with renal failure in dogs, then he won't mind your asking all sorts of questions. This just shows how much you care about your dog's kidney health.
Visit your vet
Tests to check renal failure in dogs
The urine test
This test checks the protein and the blood present in urine. Since the kidneys are not healthy, instead of absorbing the protein, it is passed on together with the urine.
Blood test
The blood test checks the BUN and Creatinine levels. Normal BUN levels are from 25 to 30mg/dl. Kazan's BUN was at 35 and later increased to 53mg/dl! His creatinine levels were very high, too.
Causes of chronic kidney failure in dogs
- Some dogs are born with poorly constructed kidneys and fall into canine kidney failure at an early age.
- Accidental ingestion of antifreeze containing ethylene glycol. This often brings upon irreversible renal (kidney) failure if not noticed in time. If your dog is appears drunk, rush him immediately to the vet. There is a chance to still save him before the ingested anti-freeze reaches the liver.
- Parasites
- Amyloidosis
- I was told by a vet that since Kazan survived the parvovirus when he was a puppy, it could have made his heart and kidneys weak.
- Cancer
- Infection brought on by viruses, fungus or bacteria
- Inflammation
- Certain foods may cause chronic kidney failure (see below).
Certain foods may cause kidney failure
Raisins and Grapes Harmful to Dogs
Grapes and raisins are potentially dangerous to do more...0 points
Kazan during healthier times
Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats
Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats
Amazon Price: $19.85 (as of 05/31/2012)
Learn how to plan their meals and what supplements to give your pets. I used to give the same commercial dog food since my hubby used to do that with his dogs since he was 10. And I assumed he was an expert.
I'd recommend giving this book to people who've just gotten a puppy or kitten to put them on the right track from the start.
What are the signs and symptoms of chronic kidney failure?
When you take your dog out for a walk, make it a habit to check out the urine and stool.
- Drinking lots of water.
- Loss of appetite.
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Eating grass (even tiny stones and dirt!)
I was wondering why Kazan did this, so after some reading, I learned from Sandra G. Sanderbeck that: when the PH in their blood increases, ulcers occur in their stomachs, mouth and throat. To cool, or calm the ulcers the dogs will sometimes eat grass, dirt or rocks. - Vomiting (looks like one big glob of gooey saliva). Sometimes it is just bile. It may also contain blood and everything he ate.
- Pees more than usual. Instead of relieving himself once, he breaks this down to several spurts since he may be in pain when he urinates. Observe the color and the smell.
- Blood in urine or stool. Stool might be dark and almost back because of the presence of blood.
- Diarrhea or loose stool.
- Lethargic.
- Weight loss (if you're with him every single day, you might not notice this. I only noticed it when the collar was kinda loose on Kazan).
Keep a Dog Journal
TIP: Bring the journal along when you visit the vet.
IMPORTANT: Brush your dog's teeth regularly
Which is better?
There are pros and cons for both commercial dog food and homemade recipes. We'd like to hear your opinion based on the experience of your dogs.
Which works for your dog and why?
Commercial dog food
forsbored21 says:
Chronic Kidney Failure.
Last weekend I was up in Wyoming and dropped by one of my vets to get a duplicate rabies tag I lost and figured I would have them do blood draw to see for themselves how Avalanche had improved. He started having kidney issues with elevating BUN and Creatinine about 2 years ago. His Bun got as high as about 75 and Creatinine 3.4 I think about a year ago. Then I heard of a unconventional vet - Doc Gurney in Conifer Colorado. I went to him after hearing all sorts of stories of how pets with kidney failure and cancer given only months to live by other vets go to Doc and the animals end up living several more years.
I got a call from my vet in Laramie and she was blown away by the fact that Avalanche BUN and creatinine levels are back to normal range now. She wanted info on Doc and wants to talk with him about his treatment of Avalanche. He basically did it by treating Avalanche adrenal and thyroid. Here are the meds Avi has been on FYI.
Adrenosen - adrenal cortex herbal supplement
Super Adrenal - freeze dried adrenal tissue concentrate
Soloxine
Natural Thyroid
Melatonin
DHEA
Avalanche is an Akita Husky mix and I got him about age 1 or 2. In early years I had him on BARF diet and RAW foods and he did fine. Later I had him on high end foods like timberwolf organic, wellness and dehydrated like grandma lucy. Once he had kidney problems and I was told to reduce his protein - some petfood stores said he still needs high protein which I tried for a while but values kept increasing and then the total opposite of no protein - oats honey sweet potato he would not eat. Finally came up with what I think works and normal values along with meds prove it to me. I give him a cup of Natural Balance vegetarian dry and mix with half big can of pedigree wet and he gained weight back to normal and then maintained. He tried the kidney formulas from science diet and royal canin and would not eat them.
Cop-Speak says:
I no longer have a pet, but I always gave my little "Penny" Purina Dog Food. Purina says, "Your Pet, Our Passion®: Premium Pet Food by Purina" By the way, my little "Penny" was a Miniature Dachshund.
Dawn U says:
Royal Canin; first of all because they are tried and true to what they say. A company of 40 yrs plus of research with proven results and the first company to provide a safe and effective formulas for Breed Specific and size specific dogs and cats. My Boxer of whom I feed 'Boxer 26' has had frequent regurgatating/vomiting problems after eating any other high quality foods, except Royal Canin for the last five yrs. Now slipping into renal failiar and having to have her diet changed to a perscription brand she is once again starting to regurgatate her food. I may have to just keep her on her regular bisciuits which won't help her renal problems but will help her keep her weight, for now.
Homemade meals
Julie says:
Mica - I'm 100% with you. I've fed the top quality foods for over 15 years prior to switching to homemade. My dogs that were 10 and 12 when I switched had minor chronic issues that were greatly improved. There is a certain amount of 'training up' to be able to make good dietary choices for your dogs certainly - but that isn't very much different from the same education we need in order to be sure that our families eat well. Of course, the irony is that many of the same foods would be on both lists!
Mica_K says:
After news of the recalled dog food came out, I say it's better to prepare dog meals yourself.
Homemade recipes for dogs with kidney failure
Kazan is a picky dog, so now my kitchen is my lab
I panicked and read up on preparing meals at home.
The kitchen is in such a mess lately due to my experiments with what to feed Kazan. One day he'll devour a beef dish, and other days, he won't even go near it. It can be very frustrating at times - if only I could read his mind!
Dogs are said to benefit from a raw diet. Kazan is trying that now. Sometimes, Kazan eats the meat raw but mixed with cooked meat, brown rice and a bit of veggies. He's still adjusting. There are times that he will push the veggies away!
Dr. Marty Goldstein on Oprah
Dog nutritionist advises on what to feed your dog
Commercial dog food
Advantages and disadvantages
As for the disadvantage, a lot of reports have been given about the safety of commercial dog food. It is said that these contain so much preservatives that leads to so many diseases to our dogs later on.
It is important to be able to read and understand the nutrition content and the ingredients at the back of these food products. I suggest that if you have no choice but to provide commercial food for your dog, learn to decipher the ingredients and continue to search for a good brand with as few preservatives as possible.
I haven't closed my mind on commercial dog food but I am still searching for a product (here in the Netherlands) with few preservatives. I'd be happy to get some feedback from you.
Check out this report - Pet Food Ingredients Revealed!
Dog-proof your home
Ensure that your dog can't get into common toxins such as rat poison, anti-freeze, medications (dog and human) or the trash.
Medication
Clavubactin 250mg 2x daily for 10 days
Prednoral 5mg 1x daily for 10 days
Baytril 50mg 1x daily for 10 days
Amoxoral 250mg 2x daily for 21 days
Kazan was supposed to go a second round of Baytril but when I read the side effects carefully, a dog could receive seizures, which he did while he was taking Baytril.
He was prescribed Phenobarbital every 12 hours. He could hardly walk on the first day and we were told that he'd be better after a few days. After a week, he couldn't stand up anymore. He was only lying on his side. He could only lift his head.
We decided to stop giving him the Phenobarbital and was told by Amanda of Five Leaf Pet Pharmacy to just give him Lobelia tincture to avoid seizures. She also suggested that we give him enemas to flush the toxins away.
I am not saying that these are what your dog should be getting too. This was what was prescribed to him. Please check with your vet before giving your dog any medication.
Phenobarbital left him almost lifeless
Supplements
So, I supplement his meals with these:
- Vitamin B complex
- Algine Plus seaweed tablets. I take these myself and Kazan gets a tablet a day.
Natural Remedies
We bought the Canine Kidney Health Program by Five Leaf Pet Pharmacy. Kazan was coopertive in taking the tonics with yoghurt.Here he is having the strength to lift his head.-->
When we gave him enemas and the Lobelia tincture the day we stopped with the Phenobarbital, he started lifting his lead and even moved to his side! I was thrilled! After 24 hours, he was sitting up. After another day, he was crawling around, drinking and eating on his own. We served him his food and drinks on shallow dishes.
After 5 days, we started taking short walks just outside the house. Our neighbors were so surprised to see us walking once again.
He was gaining weight very slowly since he was a picky eater.
Check out these sites
- Canine Kidney Health - Healing Canine Kidney Disease Naturally... - Home
- Canine Kidney Disease, Canine Kidney Failure, Getting great results in dogs with renal failure and renal disease. Real people, Real dogs, Real results!
- Renal Failure....Know the signs!!!
- by Penny G. Sanderbeck
Her story moved me and this is where I checked the symptoms of chronic kidney failure when we came home from the vet. - Dog Food Secrets
- Find out how you can improve the health of your dog by preparing nutritious homemade meals!
It also includes a bonus book of 23 hand-picked doggy snacks that dogs love, perfect for training or pampering your dog (but remember never to over-feed your dog). - Canine Kidney Disease
- The kidney are organs which maintain the balance of certain chemicals in your dog's blood while filtering out the body's wastes as urine. The kidneys also help regulate blood pressure, help regulate the production of calcium and phosphorus metabolism, and produce a hormone that stimulates red-blood-
- Kidney Failure in the Dog and Cat
- Learn about how the kidneys of dogs and cats work. Find out the causes, diagnosis and various treatments of kidney failure.
- Can You Read Your Dog's Mind?
- This has nothing to do with canine kidney failure. It's all about psychic ability and communicating with your dog! Even though Kazan isn't around anymore, I continue to read on dog topics. This is interesting!
- Chronic Renal Failure
- In chronic kidney failure, urine is usually produced in excessive quantities. What the kidneys are failing to do is conserve water (they are failing to make concentrated urine). The body produces numerous toxins on a moment by moment basis.
Supplements from Amazon
Which kidney failure treatment or remedy helped your dog out?
We're always looking for solutions to help others whose dogs have chronic kidney failure. We hope you share which treatment helped your dog out.
Canine Kidney Health Program by Five Leaf Pet Company
An alternative health program using herb tinctures more...1 point
Hills and Select Care Modified made by Innovative Veterinary Diets
Diet with restricted protein (so as to generate le more...0 points
Our little angel
Dog health
Info on dog health ebooks
Check out these other dog health lenses
George's Aloe Vera
PLEASE consult your veterinarian before giving this drink to your pet.
Aloe liquid - 32 oz
Amazon Price: $5.75 (as of 05/30/2012)
I continue to read about remedies for chronic kidney failure in dogs. If this has helped your dog, please get in touch with me.
Give to 3 ml in the morning and in the evening.
Looking forward to reading about your dog's experience
You might be able to help others!
I whispered my last "I Love You" to Kazan and kissed him goodbye on August 11. It was one of the most painful things to do.
I pray for other dogs who have kidney failure. I'll include the name of your dog if you leave me a message. Some dogs last years even after they're diagnosed with kidney failure. I truly hope your dog is one of them.
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Rosana
Mar 8, 2012 @ 5:46 am | delete
- I'm sorry to hear about Kazan... :o( makes me sad to the core to only think about what you went thru... My dogs, I called them 'my girls' are too precious too me, just like Kazan was (is) to you...
I'm battleling some kidney problems with one of my loved cocker spaniel Ruby (8yo).
Late last year I started to noticed that Ruby was drinking water excessively, specially when compared to my other cocker spaniel Honey (12yo)
So I took Ruby to the vet and she run some tests to make sure that everything was ok, as we were suspecting of diabetes... The blood works and urine sample come back as she was loosing lots of protein thru blood and urine. I was very concerned and the vet decided to ultrasound the kidneys and liver to make sure it were ok and no abnormalities were found.
We started Ruby on a Chinese medicine formula, as well fish oil and 1/2 tablet of milk thristle a day, as well chance her diet from RD prescription diet to KD prescription diet and now she's taking 1 tablet of Fortekor a day.
Because her blood works have not change much, I decided to try the 5 leaf pharmacy medication for dogs with kidney problems. Have anyone used that medication? Or any other natural remedies? Im trying to keep as natural as possible, as I believe that the real meds cause lot of stress on the kidneys.
Thanks heaps and let's keeping love our pets
x
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daisy
Feb 4, 2012 @ 5:19 pm | delete
- Hi there , thank you for the information you have provided. IT is definitely helpful. I lost a pet a year ago and now my second one is suffering from kidney failure and i am just terrified by what's next. He was really ill in early december and spent 3 weeks in and out of VEC and clinic going daily for IV fluids and blood panel tests every other day. We saw i some improvement his Creatinine from 600's went to loww 300's and urea went down too and his energy levels significantly improved too. however the past week has been tough, he is continuing to loose weight, not eating and his creatinine and BUn has gone up. I bought the five leafs' kidney treatment kit but was told by the VeT to not try it ou at this time. I am wondering if i should try it out? your help would be appreciated. my lil one's name is Junior and i am terrified to loose him . would love to hear from you. dling.ics@gmail.com
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Evie Isherwood
Jan 31, 2012 @ 10:11 am | delete
- I'm so sorry about Kazan - he is beautiful!! I am in a waiting week watching my little girl Honey - hoping for improvement. Her Urine analysis showed that it is extremely dilute and the ph is slightly off, but she shows no other symptoms other than drinking more and her pee being very pale and odorless. In one week if there is no improved change, we go in for a complete blood panel to check for Chronic Renal Failure or Cushings or who knows what else. We know it isn't dieabetes.
I'm terrified and am searching for personal stories to see if any are similar to what Honey is experiencing. What confuses our vet is her good health - great vitals - nice coat - normal temp - no infection - weight gain - and ravenous appetite. He says it all goes against renal failure - but I am still a wreck thinking this is the beginning of the end for my girl and I. Your lens is very informative and helpful and I thank you. I'm sorry for blathering on. And my thoughts and heart go out to you and your family for your loss.
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TIffany_H
Jan 20, 2012 @ 8:59 pm | delete
- Please pray for our KC Bear. She is a 10 yr old Yorkie with Stage IV Kidney Disease. She has been put through intensive fluid treatment at the animal hospital for a total of 3 days. She has shown some signs of improvement, but it breaks our hearts to see her "episodes" for fatigue and seizures. She's been an amazing "baby" and true friend. She has alerted me on an occassion that had saved my life. Please please pray for our wonderful and amazing KC Bear.
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Afteretc
Jan 11, 2012 @ 9:21 am | delete
- So sorry for your loss. My dog was recently diagnosed with mild kidney failure and from my online research I have read that Omega 3 fatty acids is a good supplement as well.
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Little things mean a lot
I used to cry buckets of tears almost daily since I learned about Kazan's condition. Instead, I dried my tears. Here's a list of the little things I did to make him feel good:
- Caressed and cuddled him when he approached me for some attention and I used a happy tone. No tears.
- Kazan and I used to race to the door when hubby comes home. We had fun fighting for that first hug. When he walked instead of ran, I let him have that hug from hubby and he showed his delight through loving hums and growls.
- I made it a point to use a happy tone when I talk to him. Dogs pick up on your emotions.
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