My Yorkie and Kidney Disease
 

A little background...

Over a year ago, our Yorkie was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Initial tests showed BUN in the 50s and creatine around 2. For over a year we've done the sub-q twice a week. Although his numbers didnt come up (atleast since the last rading in May), he lost weight...from 14 to 11 lbs. After having a good past Saturday night, he tanked quickly Sun-Mon. He had all the signs of uremia...vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, staggering while walking and, we found out today, ulcers in his mouth. As the doc said "he was on his death bed". We rushed him to the vet and blood work revealed his BUN was over 130 (perhaps higher, but that was as high as the scale went) and his creatine up near 3. After 24 hours of IV fluids, his BUN is down to 84 and creatine around 1.6. We went to see him today and he is still seems depressed and lethargic, but certainly better than he was when we brought him in 24 ours earlier. My wife is upset, but Im trying to tell her that the vet saidall the signs were good that he was recovering. Even his poop was brown instead of black indicating the bleeding ulcers in his GI trac were healing. So, my questions are:

1. Does it usually take more than 24 hours for a yorkie to recover after having such high numbers?

2. Im sure the doc will increase the fluids and give him a good diet...could he still be with us for a while to come? Anyone have first hand experience?

3. Is it possible he is depressed still simply because he isn't home?

4. Back to the initial time when he went down hill. We fed him a bit of chicken that morning. While driving 2 hours to visit family in a new car that made my wife sick to her stomach, he threw up and then had diarrhea later that day and for the next 2 days. is it at all possible the drive or food could've sent him over the edge?

5. Lastly, when the ulcers heal, will he get his appetite back?

The doc is keeping him again tonight and if his numbers continue to get better, he may go home Friday afternoon.

By the way, his name is Stormy and he is going to be 13.

Thanks for listening...or reading :)

OMG....sounds like my baby It's been this way since Sept....going to Dr in morning for f/u. Her last blood report BUN99 Creatine 2.3 BUN should below 25.... she won't eat, vomiting, wobble walk and weveything you described about yours, except.....i never was told mouth ulcers...Interesting thing she had 10 teeth removed 2 weeks ago and she started declining last sat...
te=SCYorkie;2285527]A little background...

Over a year ago, our Yorkie was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Initial tests showed BUN in the 50s and creatine around 2. For over a year we've done the sub-q twice a week. Although his numbers didnt come up (atleast since the last rading in May), he lost weight...from 14 to 11 lbs. After having a good past Saturday night, he tanked quickly Sun-Mon. He had all the signs of uremia...vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, staggering while walking and, we found out today, ulcers in his mouth. As the doc said "he was on his death bed". We rushed him to the vet and blood work revealed his BUN was over 130 (perhaps higher, but that was as high as the scale went) and his creatine up near 3. After 24 hours of IV fluids, his BUN is down to 84 and creatine around 1.6. We went to see him today and he is still seems depressed and lethargic, but certainly better than he was when we brought him in 24 ours earlier. My wife is upset, but Im trying to tell her that the vet saidall the signs were good that he was recovering. Even his poop was brown instead of black indicating the bleeding ulcers in his GI trac were healing. So, my questions are:

1. Does it usually take more than 24 hours for a yorkie to recover after having such high numbers?

2. Im sure the doc will increase the fluids and give him a good diet...could he still be with us for a while to come? Anyone have first hand experience?

3. Is it possible he is depressed still simply because he isn't home?

4. Back to the initial time when he went down hill. We fed him a bit of chicken that morning. While driving 2 hours to visit family in a new car that made my wife sick to her stomach, he threw up and then had diarrhea later that day and for the next 2 days. is it at all possible the drive or food could've sent him over the edge?

5. Lastly, when the ulcers heal, will he get his appetite back?

The doc is keeping him again tonight and if his numbers continue to get better, he may go home Friday afternoon.

By the way, his name is Stormy and he is going to be 13.

Thanks for listening...or reading :)[/quote]

Sorry to hear that...do you give her fluids yourself?

whatwas her highest Bun number?

Are you able to see the ulcers in the mouth? She has been licking "weird" like she had something in her mouth, so i trimmed her whiskers back thinking it was that......Oh i forgot to mention, she was diagnosised with Pancreatitis her number is 337...We are getting fluid theray in morning and will begin treatment on our own from there out....
I hope your little one gets better, I've been through it all sine 9/30/08 that's when i stumbled across this site.

The highest it's been was 164, and the day the blood work was done, i was shocked b/c she seemed to be fine, physically. So i had to keep in hospital. Well since she been back 3 more times adn we had teh dental done b/c she was loaded w/ infection...how are your baby's teeth?

My wife use to be a dental assistant so our vet is always amazed at how good his teeth look.

Do you give your own fluids at home or go to the vet?

She hasn't been on therapy at home we go tomorrow and learn how to do it. Are you currently doing home fluid? How is that working for you? Are you Is you baby on Azodyl or other med's?


e;2285596]My wife use to be a dental assistant so our vet is always amazed at how good his teeth look.

Do you give your own fluids at home or go to the vet?[/quote]

We do the fluids 2 times a week. He has no problem with it and it really is easy...take about 10 -15 minutes max. He just started on Azodyl 18 hours ago so I hope that helps...is your on it?

Have you had to also give other med's? Epakitin,i was told and have read is supposed to be good for renal failure dogs, I'm inquiring 2maro. Julz only has one kidney we learned this 12/2006 and she has been on k/d diet up until Sept, we can't seem to get her regular on any one food, tried it all, she is very finiky about eating this past week or so...

Just Been There With The Same Issue, Not Happy Ending
 

I'm so sorry that someone else is going thru the same as we just did. Our ZheZhe just recently left us this past Aug. 11th. She was 7 years old, and we had her for a little over 3 years. Zhe was a rescue, and we didn't know or have any history on her. We did learn from all this that she did have kidney problems. She went from 11 lbs to 8 lbs from May thru July. Her vet (if that is what you want to call him) was treating her for IBS, and she never got better. His only suggestion was to send her to the LSU Vet. Hospital School. We did and immediately found out what her problem was. She was in the end stage of kidney failure. She spent 8 nights and 9 days in ICU. Brought her home and gave her Sub-Q fluids every other day. She too had no desire to eat or drink. We had to seringe pureed food and water down her, just to give her something in her stomach. She had all the same symptoms as your pooch. In the end fluid was building up around her little heart and lungs, so we decided that it wasn't fair or right to have her suffer any longer, so we laid her down to sleep. It was the hardest decision we have ever had to make, but we know it was best for her. She lasted for about 3 weeks from the time she left the hospital.

Since then we have learned that the Specialist she was seeing has been given a Grant on this new medicine theraphy that they want to study on dogs that have kidney problems. Hopefully, it will be sucessful so that our little pooches won't have to go thru this disease with no cure.

Thinking and praying for you and your family for your precious pooch.

P.Wolfkill

No she isn't on anything at the moment. I've been to the at least 2 times a week since this episode started. We noticed the pattern that she does good a few days after leaving teh vet and she relaspes, back down we go and IV drips do the trick, so now we'll be on our own...I hope it works and she gets back to eating she lost 1 pound, which is alot since Sept.10.
She has went from 9lb in Feb to now 5.2, she was up in the 10-11 ranger her whole life, yeah, she's going to be 15 in Dec

ZheZhe...

what were her BUN and creatine numbers? Were they doing the fluids the entire time?? was she in the hospital for that long because of kidney failure?

My dog Peppy and a rescue of ours have done great on the azodyl...Peppys numbers are now in the normal range...

I hope your little one responds to the azodyl as well as mine has...except for his constant drinking and peeing you would not know he has any kidney issues...

He also eats KD wet and I have also added ekaptin to his food...but his numbers lowered dramatically just with the azodyl...

I'm so sorry for your loss, it's very heartwrenching for us. I can't even giver her pepcid with an eyedropper let alone if we had to feed her.
Oh gosh, we'll see what happens after our visit. She is so full of life after having SQ at the vet, that we're hoping we're not too late with this treatment for her. We should of been doing this alll along i think...

Has anyone been in our position where IVs had to be used to reduce BUNs in the hundreds to an acceptable level...then turn around and do that at home? And do dogs in this dire situation last for a long time if the intial near death experience is reversed?? Frankly, I want to know if my guys numbers continue to come back down and we do the sub-q at home, is it possible to lead a comfortable life for months or a year??

Mine is peeping "normally" but it's not concentrated the vet said, do you know if a dog w/ high phosphorus can have teh named med's?
Yeah, we have that elevated too...

=Tae1107;2285615]My dog Peppy and a rescue of ours have done great on the azodyl...Peppys numbers are now in the normal range...

I hope your little one responds to the azodyl as well as mine has...except for his constant drinking and peeing you would not know he has any kidney issues...

He also eats KD wet and I have also added ekaptin to his food...but his numbers lowered dramatically just with the azodyl...[/quote]

Zhe's numbers were off the charts, the BUN was over 200 and her creatine numbers were in the early teens. Yes, they gave her fluids the entire time. And after we came home. And her time there was because of her kidney failure. It effected her blood pressure and ended up blowing the retinas from her eyes, but they caught it in time, that they were able to reattach themselves. Her ulcers weren't in her mouth, they were all in her stomach.

ZheZhe-

What exactly did you give for the ulcers, we think she might be experiencing a gastro issue too. She cannot take oral antibiotics, she can tolorate injectable, is the Epak or Azo for the ulcers?

what number is 337???? Vet said today that the BUN numbers coming down would allow the ulcers to heal. I guess high bun means high amounts of ammonia that cause them in the mouth or stomach.

Not to keep asking the same question...but...has anyone had a dog this bad off, have them recover and last for quite sometime?? How long?

It was two types of medications, one for the nusea and the other to coat her stomach. I can't remember the exact name. And she was also on a phosphure binder also.

Vet said one good thing...despite the BUN being extremely high, his creatine wasn't off the charts...it was near 3...she said that that was a sign that his kidneys werent totally gone.

The PLI-test for pancreatic Lipase was 337 should be under 200. My dog is also suffering from pancreatitis at the same time...Not a good combo for me. Good thing your Stormy is free from that.

Thanks for the info I'll be heading down first thing in the morning and have print outs to bring along...

=ZheZhe's Mom;2285642]It was two types of medications, one for the nusea and the other to coat her stomach. I can't remember the exact name. And she was also on a phosphure binder also.[/quote]

A foster of mine that was adopted did have BUNS in the low hundreds...she stayed two nights at the vets getting fluids and then after that her new parents gave her the fluids...she also was on azodyl and eating KD which was a miracle because prior to the hospital stay she was refusing to eat... this was in July 08 and as of right now she is still doing well...she goes back in this month for a re-check on her kidney levels...

The azodyl is a probiotic that helps with the kidneys...


Has anyone been in our position where IVs had to be used to reduce BUNs in the hundreds to an acceptable level...then turn around and do that at home? And do dogs in this dire situation last for a long time if the intial near death experience is reversed?? Frankly, I want to know if my guys numbers continue to come back down and we do the sub-q at home, is it possible to lead a comfortable life for months or a year??

Sub-Q's and CRF
 

I can tell you my experience with Sub-Q's and CRF. My Pepper was diagnosed on St Patrick's day and was in the vets for 2 days on fluids, she was back the next week for a re-check and was re-admitted for 4 days on fluids. We then did sub-Q's every other day for two weeks and her levels would go down and then back up when the fluids stopped. We had her on a modified K/D. Pepper found none of the prepared canned foods that tasty, we were constantly stuggling trying to get her to eat. This was a dog that food was a passion for previously. We also had her on Epakitin, I had not heard of Azodyl at that time, and neither her vet or the specialist that I took her to suggested it. Both her BUN and Creatinine would go up and down, and I had her in the ER for several days of treatment (IV's and meds) on a few occassions. We were still doing sub-Q's at home every other day, and by Memorial day weekend she had to be admitted to the ER with her BP being 280. The BP kept her kidney levels up, even with treatment. She declined rapidly that weekend and when she was released to me that Wednesday her Bun was 139 and her Creatinine was 5.9. Pepper was barely eating or drinking at that point and the specialist advised that I take her home and she would let me know when she was ready to leave us. By that weekend she was filling up with fluids and she let me know it was time to help her cross. That was June 1st, and Pepper had just turned 7 a few weeks before.

I hope that your pups have better results. I keep you all in my prayers. I know what a difficult time this is for you.

I Love Pepper-

I am so sorry about your loss. I am just at wits end that her Dr. has not suggested the med's to Julz. I brought it up so many times, he feel she doesn't need them at this point...:confused:
With all that i read w/ other dogs in kidney failure, they seem to mention them and how much better the dogs seem....I just don't know...

Our baby is 7 y/o and had kidney failure at about 14 weeks. She went down hill very quickly, and we were told we would need to put her down. But, with the kindness of our vet, we kept her going, being told she may only live to about 3. She had fluids daily, then weekly. We tried, but even with two people holding her and one giving the fluids, we could not keep that little puppy still.:D Funny thing was she was fine for the tech. Anyway, with diet and weekly fluids for about two years, she came around and now has normal blood levels. She has been off fluids and diet for five years. However, she is very sensitive to environment and becomes ill often, probably from things she comes into contact with that we are not aware of.

Wow!!!
 

So you're saying your baby had kidney failure and now she doesn't? I didn't know it's something they can overcome??? Mine just started fluid therapy with carefate (sp) i don't think it's something she will overcome, but I'm hope I'm wrong *fingers crossed*

We were told that it was not possible, but here she is. However, our vet said she could have normal blood levels and not have 100% function. I think that is why she gets ill often; her kidneys do not filter as well as healthy kidneys. JMO Anyway, we feel very blessed.

WOW, good for you and your baby