Kidney failure in the geriatric dog? *update..she's gone*

[pinkpony321]

First of all, forgive me for any typos or incoherence. I’m typing this through tears and on my phone to boot.
My geriatric JRT, who is 16, was diagnosed with kidney failure today. She has been lethargic and anorexic for the pay 36 hours, and this is the diagnosis we get.
I know it’s not good. I know, in fact, it’s probably really bad news. But we are going to try to save her, as otherwise she is very healthy, energetic and happy. She’s super mobile and plays a lot still, with exception of this last day and a half.
She is my childhood dog, that lives with my parents, (but she was always MY dog, and I was her human, you know?) and they were the ones to take her in and tell the wt to try to save her. Problem is, theyre not as nerdy about their pets as me and don’t get in to the nitty gritty medical stuff like I do. Since they didn’t call me until after thy left the vets office, and after the vet was closed, I couldn’t help them with what questions to ask.
So, wise people of the interwebs, what questions do I ask when I march in there in the morning? I’ve already got quite a list but want to make sure I’m not missing anything. I’ll try to nab a copy of her bloodwork to share with you when I get back, but I want to make sure I have a good handle on what’s going on web I get there as soon as they open.
I already convinced my parents to mover her to a 24 hr emergency clinic so that we can visit often (she really thrives off of seeing her. People) and so that there will be someone monitoring her 24/7.
And, not to worry, if she starts to feel bad we will make the humane decision.
Money isn’t really an obstacle here, so any suggestions are welcome.

My heart is breaking. This is my first canine love, im so scared for her.

Edited to ask for jingles, while I’m
At it.

[SquishTheBunny]

Jingles!

Is it acute, or chronic? If chronic, then you have a reasonable chance that diuresis and medical management will keep your girl comfortable for some while yet! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you guys!

[AndNirina]

Oh, sorry! We have a female black lab who has chronic renal disease. It’s manageable depending on the severity of it. There are differing opinions of a low-protein diet, but that’s what our girl has been on for a few years with success. She also takes Prevacid (human generic Target version), and I give her a weight-appropriate dose of Omega-3’s daily (3’s only, not Omega-6). We have been through a few rounds of diruesis over the years, but generally she has done pretty well for quite a while.

Be sure to ask the vet about food/supplement recommendations!
Good luck with your pup… better to know what’s going on with her so that you can begin to manage it.

[anel]

As squish mentioned, knowing if this is acute or chronic is important as far as long term prognosis (it can be a mixture of both/acute on chronic). Kidney failure can also be from infection (pyelonephritis) or can be a protein losing kidney disease (PLN). Questions that I would ask are : is this acute, chronic, or acute on chronic? What is her albumin level? ( if this is low it could indicate PLN), Does she have evidence of a urinary tract infection?, Have they imaged (via ultrasound) the kidneys to rule out obvious infiltative disease ( cancer)? What is her red blood cell count (if she is anemic it would indicate a more chroic problem)? How are her electrolytes? What is her blood pressure? Has her creatinine improved significantly overnight with fluid therapy?

Good luck, and I hope you hear good news tomorrow am.

[SarahandSam]

Don’t have any advice, just sending jingles.

[Zu_Zu]

No advice but HUGE JINGLES & AO for 'HER" ~ ((hugs)) and patience for her family ~

HUGE JINGLES & AO for your dear friend ~ ( name please )

I and patience for her family during this impossible time ~[/I]

Thoughts and prayers and tears but a whole lot of HOPE and JINGLES & AO TOO !!!

[pinkpony321]

Thanks guys. Driving home from the vet, will have a more complete update later.
ZuZu, her name is Buttons…she could really use some of your extra special jingles right now:(

[Zu_Zu]

SPECIAL JINGLES = "BINGLES for BUTTONS ~ AO ~ ((hugs))

Special JINGLES for Buttons = JINGLES & "BINGLES’ & AO ~

JINGLE JINGLE JINGLE & AO ~ AO ~ AO ~ ALWAYS OPTIMISTIC ~

HANG IN THERE ``` YOU CAN NOT SECOND GUESS THE POWER OF HER WILL & LOVE ~

I[/I]

COME SWEET GIRL ~ fight fight fight !!!

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AND TEARS AND STRENGTH AND PATIENCE ~ AND A WHOLE LOT OF ~ JINGLES & BINGLES & AO ~ FOR ALL ~

[pinkpony321]

So, poor girl is in chonic kidney failure. Her creatanine levels were off the charts and she was pretty anemic. When i went to see her, she was pretty lethargic, but perked up significantly when she realized that it was me(she’s largely blind and hard of hearing). The vet seemed to think that if we could get her eating, and get her bloodwork more normal, she could be sustained happily for a few months at least with supportive care at home, like special diet and sub-q fluids a few times a week.
The vet hadn’t done another panel yet(will do one this evening) to see how significantly she had improved, if at all.
What we are struggling with is basically this: she is a 16 year old typical Russell. Even if we get her “normalized,” I’m not sure she’ll tolerate me poking her with needles 3x a week. I happily volunteered to drive to my parents house to do this, as they’re not really savvy with that stuff, but it’s a quality of life issue for the dog. And, even if she DOES tolerate it well, we will probably be right back where we are now in 6 months. She’s 16, so it’s not like we can expect to keep her going for 5 more years no matter what.
I’m always one to say “better a month too early than a day too late,” but this sucks. We’re going to see what her bloodwork says through Sunday but I’m just not getting any good feelings here.
Anyone with exeprience here, feel free to chime in. Tell me that the home stuff (assuming she gets well enough for it) is worth it. Or tell me it’s not. Just tell me something.
I’m heartbroken, and trying to find a vet to come to our home on Monday if we need to send her over the bridge, which isn’t proving to be easy.
This sucks.
I’m just so incredibly sad for my little girl:(

[LauraKY]

I’m so sorry. You’ll make the right decision, just because you love her. Hugs.

[ASB_Stars]

This is a really challenging spot for you, I know, but you will do the right thing- of that, I am sure.

I will just share that my Mother has kept her cats going, with them being quite happy, through supportive therapy like the sub-q work, etc.

I have lost two dogs to cancer. I did what I could to keep them going, with the best Vets around, but the most important thing to me was that their quality of life stayed very high, while I was able to have a longer goodbye with them. I am glad that I tried to help them get past the cancer, but moreover, I had time with them that I will always cherish.

Blessings to you, and hugs across the miles…

[wendy]

Chronic kidney failure isn’t curable and always eventually proceeds to death, so considering the dog’s age, any decision you make is a good one. The condition isn’t painful per se, but as the waste products build up the dog doesn’t feel very good at all. If you can stabilize the dog (reduce the level of waste products in the blood) the dog will feel fine and can usually be maintained in good quality of life for quite a long period of time. If you have a dog dialysis unit near you, the fastest and easiest way to stabilize is to get the dog dialyzed; if not, you might have to do sub-Q fluids etc. for a few weeks.

[StGermain]

pinkpony - I’ve done routine sub-q fluids on a cat with CRf, and she really didn’t mind it. She was much worse about taking her oral meds. It was easy to do at home. She’d just sit on my lap while the fluids dripped.

Good luck.

StG

[ColoredHares]

So sorry for you, but there is hope. We have a 14 year old Golden in the same situation. He had been not eating that well for months, but had always been a little finicky. Had blood work done in May, and he was off the charts— and not in a good way. We started the first week giving fluids everyday, and then the next week once a day. We are now heading into Sept, and he gets fluids 3 times a week. He is on the KD canned food, and hubby adds grilled chicken or other leftovers to make it smell good. Yes, we know that does not help, but he is so much perkier and quality is better than quantity. He was actually running in the yard this am.
He doesn’t mind the needle, and will show signs of improvement within an hour. Mentally, nobody is home, but as long as he eats, poops, and appears pain free, we are going to continue down this road.
Don’t give up! It may take several days of fluids before she feels better. But, with that said, know you are on borrowed time, make the most of it, and when the time comes give her the best gift you can.

[SquishTheBunny]

Sorry to hear the news. From experience, I can tell you that a JRT will laugh at SQ fluids. It certainly wont bother a terrier!

We have many renal failure cats come in twice monthly for IV diuresis, one is on year 3 and doing fantastic. He doesnt mind the procedure, which lasts 24 hours. Lots of cats dont enjoy the hospital visits, but this kitty is pro, he enjoys his stay with us

If you can get the creatine down to more reasonable levels, and your dog does start to eat you can often maintain them for some more time. However, when the creatine increases despite fluid therapy then the prognosis for even short term wellness is guarded. At age 16, I would hope your dog will respond nicely to fluids. Its usually the older critters who respond nicely vs. the younger animals with acute conditions.

Jingles

[pinkpony321]

Update from this morning…
After 24+ hours of fluid, new (better) vet says her bloodwork is slowly moving in the right direction. Most troubling value is BUN @ 110, and phosphorus numbers haven’t moved much at all.
They were finally able to run a urinalysis and discovered that she is losing protein in small amounts through her urine. She’s hypertensive, and still isn’t eating- but yesterday she didn’t eat anything at the old vets, but scarfed down 9 French fries in the car- shes always been picky, and I’m sure is not too enthused about the bland diet.
While writing this, the ultrasound vet called. Her right kidney is basically nothing but scar tissue and her left is largely inflamed, from
Both doing the work of two kidneys and an infection.
The vet seems to think that even if we get her through this, daily sub-q fluids won’t be enough to manage her at home.
I think we just got our answer:(

[Zu_Zu]

Jingles continue for BUTTONS and her family ~

Jingles & AO still continue for BUTTONS and her family ~

JINGLE & BINGLE & AO ~

Thoughts and prayers and tears and ((hugs)) and always some hope this turns in the right direction ~

Be brave for your dear BUTTONS ````

I am SO very sorry but still JINGLE & BINGLE & AO for you and BUTTONS ```

[Zu_Zu]

MORE Jingles of patience and hope and “come on BUTTONS”

MORE

JINGLES of patience and hope and “COME ON BUTTONS” [/I] [I][/I] [I][/I] [I]I have had cats and dogs and horses who have proved the vets wrong ~ and turned around ``` truly hoping for a turn around and that one kidney clears up ```[/I] [I][/I] [I]((hugs)) for both of you during this impossible time

[pinkpony321]

After talking with the vet, we decided that my poor puppy’s time had come, as prolonging her life meant continued hospitilizations and a constant poor prognosis. So we brought her home, fed her mcdonalds, and the vet came to send her across the bridge. I held her and told her over and over again that she was a good girl and I loved her, and that I’d see her again, while the job was done. She went peacefully, and is now spry and can see and hear where she is going again.
I’m still in shock, and I’m so sad. Loving them hurts so much.

Godspeed, Buttons. You were crazy and awesome.

[pj1]

[QUOTE=pinkpony321;6530464]
After talking with the vet, we decided that my poor puppy’s time had come, as prolonging her life meant continued hospitilizations and a constant poor prognosis. So we brought her home, fed her mcdonalds, and the vet came to send her across the bridge. I held her and told her over and over again that she was a good girl and I loved her, and that I’d see her again, while the job was done. She went peacefully, and is now spry and can see and hear where she is going again.
I’m still in shock, and I’m so sad. Loving them hurts so much.

Godspeed, Buttons. You were crazy and awesome.[/QUOTE]
Pinkpony, I am so sorry it was time for your friend to leave you. It’s not goodbye though, just see you later. I truely believe that.

You did the right thing. I think the greatest love we can give our animals is to be willing to release them from sickness and pain and take on that pain ourselves.
Peace.