Dear Bnot, I'm sorry the news wasn't better and that you and Adonis are having to deal with kidney failure but honestly, the future just may not be as bleak as it seems right now. Very often, kidney disease can be managed at home for long periods of time and many dogs enjoy a good quality of life for a year or two or three with home management.
If you haven't already, I hope you will find the time to join the two yahoo groups I mentioned to you in an earlier post as soon as possible. Many vets aren't that great at dealing with kidney disease and often paint a pretty bleak picture, but by joining those groups and taking the time to read and learn about Adonis's condition, you will gain much knowledge to improve the quality of his life. And I think you will gain confidence and hope that you will be able to manage his disease.
Administering the sub q fluids at home is a simple procedure and the single most important thing you can do to make Adonis feel better. I know it seems scary at first, but most people can easily do it at home by themselves after having their vet show them once. My little guy had an episode of acute (rather than chronic) kidney failure a while back, and I had to give him fluids daily for about a month. In no time I had it down to a science. It took 15 minutes out of my day including setting up for the procedure, and it took 7-8 minutes to actually give him the fluids. So 15 minutes of pain in the patootie for 23 hours and 45 minutes of him feeling good. Well worth it in my book! Also, by joining the list, you will be able to learn where and how to purchase supplies to administer the fluids at home at a greatly reduced cost. My vet charged $35 for one bag of fluids that lasted about a week. I was able to order (requires an rx from your vet) a whole case of 12 bags of fluids at Costco for $29.
The other important factor in the management of kidney disease is diet. Adonis will need to be on a very low protein and low phosphorous diet from now on, and there are a few supplements you'll be able to learn about on the list that will make a huge difference in how he feels and how his disease progresses. Most of the members of those lists home cook for their kidney compromised dogs, and you will be able to pick up a lot of info about diet and supplements by joining the lists.
Honestly, a Creatinine of 3.3 does not sound that high to me. It is elevated, for sure, but may come down again, and even if it doesn't, there are dogs living good lives on that list with much, much higher numbers. Also, what your vet may not have told you is that it's not all that uncommon for the Creatinine to spike when you stop the IV fluids, but it's also not that uncommon for the numbers to continue to drop again once you're home and hydrating him with sub q fluids. I don't mean to make light of the situation you have found yourself in. Kidney failure is a nasty disease. But I did want to pop in and try to give a little positive input and some hope that you might have your baby around for a lot longer than you think.
Good luck. Join those groups. Read up as much as you can so that you can be prepared for when your baby comes home. Ask lots of questions. The moderators on the kidney diet group are amazingly knowledgeable and you will find many doggy parents that have already walked your path and are willing to give you support and share their knowledge.
Thinking of you and sending positive energy to Adonis.
Diana and the Scoobster |