Renal Failure Help
 

Hi,
Hope someone can offer some advice..... We took our 12 year old yorkie Roly to the vets yesterday as for the past week he has lost a lot of weight and is sleeping a lot and not being his lively self and also has an ulcer on his tounge. He has been eating and drinking still but when I spoke with the hosp today they said he hasn't eaten yet and I'm not sure if that is because he is getting worse or just nervous about being away from home which he never is. The vet has taken him into the hospital and advised she believes that it is renal failure however blood tests on Monday should confirm this. The main problem we have is what to do next as if what I read is correct renal failure is terminal and I am just curious if anyone else have had the same expirence?
Thanks
Steve

I am so sorry. I do not have any experience with renal failure. However, I did want to tell you that your Roly is is my prayers.

I'm sorry that you and Roly are going thru this. My Sammy had renal failure. The vet put him on k/d canned and dry dog food. He liked it but I know some dogs don't like it. Sammy also took Pepcid once a day and vitamins and Maalox (To act as a phosphorus binder). You willl know more when you get the blood test results back with BUN levels and creatanine levels. Also the vet might recommend sub-q fluids. I am praying for your little one. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. Wishing you all the best.

Thanks for your responses it's heartbreaking at the moment as even though he is still alive I am so worried about him and when the results come back what to do. The vet told us when we took him in it didn't look good and I have a feeling they are going to suggest he is put to sleep. I am so confused with it all as in one way I want to keep him alive and fight for him but in another way if that's what they suggest have to think what is best for him. I just can't stop thinking about him all alone in the hospital but understand he is in the est place until we get the blood results Tuesday.

When my Odysseus was diagnosed, and it was near the end, our vet said just bring him home into "hospice", which is what we did until we knew when it was time to help him go to the Rainbow Bridge. It is so very hard, no matter which route you will take. Best of luck and thoughts and prayers be with you

I had success with yorkie that was in Renal Failure
 

Steve --

So sorry to hear about Roly. What follows is the story of my sweet little Phoebe....early March, 2010 found out she was in renal failure. If that wasn't enough she also had CHF (congestive heart failure) and collapsing trachea issues. Phoebe was seriously ill...her BUN and creatinine were off the charts...actually I believe her creatinine was about 4.7 which is way high!!! My vet advised that I bring her home and spend a couplye of days with her and then have her put to sleep...he even left the catheter in her tiny little leg. When I got home I was a mess but I started looking on the internet and reading about subcutaneous fluids and that they can help with renal failure. Please understand that Phoebe was very sick at this point...extremely lethargic and felt really bad. I called the vet back and asked about subcutaneous fluids and he said 'you can try it if you want but it might not help'. So I figured...well then why not try it..my theory is 'as long as it doesn't hurt them, why not give them every chance at life. We started giving fluids that night...this is something you can do at home (believe me you can stick them if you have to). We gave her fluids 50ml two to three times a day and within a few days she was way better...I took her out and had them remove the catheter. It was extra hard with Phoebe because of the CHF...it was extremely important not to give her too much fluid because of that condition but to give her enough to keep the toxins flushed out of her tiny little body. She lived for a little over 13 more months!!!! These were quality months. She was able to go to the park for walks, etc. You have to commit to it but if you love him like I loved her...it won't be a problem. You just take a bag of ringers lactate and attach an IV set...I chose to use a fresh needle every time to cut down on the risk of infection. It could be that your little guy might need more or less fluids of that I am not sure. What I am absolutely sure of though is that this worked and, if I had it to do over again, I absolutely would (I have 13+ months of memories that I would not have and she had that much more life!!!! I wish you and Roly the very best of luck!!! Let me know what happens!!!

I lost my Zoey to CRF back in April. She was only give a few weeks to live but lived for +2 months after diagnosis. She was a brave little fighter. She was a Nestle Purina's Waggin Train and Canyon Creek Victim.

Quality of life before quantity of life.

Hydration and nutrition is essential. Wet food if best due to it high water content plus it seems to be tastier to them. Zoey also go SQ fluids.

LadyJane is a wealth of info. in this area herself.

Hoping and praying you find the right treatment plan for your little one.

Don't give up hope just yet. Renal failure comes in degrees and I think if your little one still has more than 20% use of his kidneys it is possible for him to survive on a special diet, sometimes for a good while. The way I understood it with mine, who sadly did not have 20% of use left, is that as their bodies struggle to get rid of toxins so they start to feel sickly and wretched in themselves. Ours was only very young, and it became clear that he was thouroughly miserable, and he also strained terribly to toilet himself. That's when we knew it was time. Hugs x x x

Hi All, thank you for the kind advice we had a call from the vets this morning to say we should go down there as Roly had been being sick all night. Once we got there he looked a shadow of him former self but apparently was standing up properly since he went in on Friday probably because he knew the Poole who loved him was there. We made the decision due to the vets advice and just the way he looked as we could tell he didn't have any energy left to put him to sleep. I held him whilst the vet administered the injection he then just passed away peacefully. I am so devastated right now but know it was for the best for him as If we'd have tried to keep him alive in the state that he was in it would have been because we didn't want to let him go. I know he will reunited with his old friend who we had when we got Roly, Austin. Roly will never be forgotten for such a funny little character he was. Thank you all again.

I'm so very sorry.

RIP Roly

So sorry to hear of your loss. You did the best for him and I am sure he appreciated it and loves you even more for it.

Remember the good times and the bad will fade into the mist.

So sorry. RIP Roly.

I'm so so sorry. But he would have been feeling so miserable, they told us it would have been like being slowly poisoned by the toxins the body just couldn't get rid of. I really am so sorry x x x x x

Thanks everyone, it has crossed my mind tonight could I have done more and should we have kept him alive and take him home but after reading a lot of posts and searching the Internet it seems in most cases they improve then go down hill rapidly. I just have to arrange his cremation tomorrow now as I couldn't bear the thought of him being disposed of in the normal un caring way.

I am so sorry for your loss of sweet Roly. Just know you did the right thing eventhough I know it's hard to comes to terms with that. My husband and I made a very difficult decision with our 13 year old Boxer yesterday she was like Roly a shell of her former self and in very bad shape. While it's never easy just remind yourself you did it out of love. My prayers are with you and your family.

I am so sorry for the loss of Roly. My Nikki is a very senior guy with kidney failure. He has been looking really bad the past few days. I can barely get him to eat. He is also blind and deaf so trying to keep him from hurting himself has become very difficult. I have been afraid to take him in as I am pretty sure there is nothing they can do. I don't think he is in any pain but I have to make an appointment and try and prepare myself for the worst. I just can't take another loss right now but I won't let him suffer. You did the right thing for your baby as much as it feels so wrong. Hugs

I'm sooo sorry for the loss of your Roly.
You gave him the utlimate gift of love to let him go to the Rainbow Bridge.
You are in my thoughts and prayers,
RIP Roly