kidney failure...</3

skyblue

O.G.
Nov 2, 2006
760
2
so a month ago i was forced to leave home. i had 2 dogs. one which was mine and one which i purchased for my mother. i took care of them both. when i got kicked out, i could only take one because a) i already gave the dog to my mother and b) very difficult to find a place that would rent to a person with one dog let alone two.

now a month later...she has kidney failure. im living with so much guilt because everyone said she would go because of a broken heart. and i never thought much of it until now. shes in the ER. ive already 3000$ in the hole and will not be able to afford much more and be able to survive on my own.

kidney failure is fatal.

i am very scared
lost
confused and need advice. shes been on iv for 3 days in the ER, today she finally was able to walk and let me give her a tummy rub as well as eat a very tiny bit. even though i dont live at home, i still understand her the best and be able to make decisions about her the best. but not this time. i am so scared because she is so young, and the best little girl ever. but i need to be realistic. what do i do?
 
I'm sorry you are going through this with your dog.

I don't have experience with dogs in renal failure, just cats.

Has the vet given you any reasons for the kidney disease? Did she eat something toxic, like anti-freeze?

Is kidney disease common in the dog breed, like polycystic kidney?

In cats, you can get different kinds of renal failure, and though it is likely to eventually kill the cat, sometimes it can be managed with home care and special food. Is someone willing to go the extra mile to manage a special needs dog? An animal with chronic disease is going to have to be a priority in your life and require extra time and money.

I would talk to the vets at the hospital and see what your options and prognosis will be. Ask them what her quality of life will be like if you continue with treatment. Modern vet medicine can do a lot to keep an animal alive, but what quality of life will they have if you go that route?

I have always asked myself, "What's in it for my pet?" If the answer is a miserable life in a box tied to tubes and machines, just to keep them alive, then I know what I need to do. They will also let you know when they are ready to go as well.

Sometimes, the kindest and most loving thing you can do is to help them across the bridge.

(((hugs)))
 
What has the vet said to you? Have they said it will kill her right now? Or if she gets through this and will it be chronic, such that it can be semi-controlled with a special diet? What have they said to you? If they have you spending 3000 on a dog that will not live once out of the ER, they are not counseling you well.(JMO)

Do tell what the vets have said.

I am sad for you... this is so hard.
 
We definitely need more info. I had a dog die from kidney failure. I was able to manage it with diet and fluids for about 1 year. After that she let me know it was time to go. But she was 12 years old and a puppy mill dog. She had a lot of ailments when I adopted her. I would talk to your vet (a vet you trust) and ask them for your options. Also ask what they would do if it was their dog. So sorry you are going through this. I have been there and it is horrible. :cry:
 
I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you on kidney failure as I've never had an experience with it. Just want to let you know I'm wishing the best for you and your dog in this very hard time. :hugs:
 
I'm sorry you are going through this with your dog.


Has the vet given you any reasons for the kidney disease? Did she eat something toxic, like anti-freeze?

Is kidney disease common in the dog breed, like polycystic kidney?


(((hugs)))

thank you everyone for your kind words....after being in ER for almost a week and having IV administered constantly...some green toxins came oozing out of her bum. the vet said it isnt feces because it didnt smell. she he was thinking it MAY be antifreeze. my neighbours dont like my dogs and have been throwing food over the fence. i am a little worried that it may have been antifreeze soaked pizza as i regularly find huge slices of pizza in my yard :S uneaten.

i also paid extra to get an ultrasound done. my corgi is tiny and they did find that her kidneys are smaller than average. the issue with this is that she could perform fine on the smaller kidneys but because she caught pancreatitis from the toxins, it made her kidneys fail. so its a chain reaction. had she not eaten anything wrong she would not have caught pancreatitis and it would not have resulted in failure....

i visited the little girl today and she was bouncing up and down but its because she is still on fluids... not sure what will happen when shes off it. vet said i can pick her up at 8 but i will need to return her in 3 days to see if the levels go up. im so scared. i cant lose her. shes only 2. she doesnt deserve this...i am willing to sell my purses to see that she gets better.

i hope this update gave everyone enough information. i havent posted in days as ive been in and out of the ER. thank you everyone for your support and to let me speak my mind. ive been living in guilt that i couldnt take her with me when i got kicked out. i know maybe partially its depression for her to lose me and my dog all at once. being human is hard...regret is the worst feeling and maybe something that i will never get over. i hope i didnt ruin her quality of life :sad:
 
chessmont, thank you i agree with you. the doctor is very kind. he said not to give up hope. he said shes very young and hopefully that she has youth on her side :smile: :heart: all you guys...again thank you thank thank you for letting me speak my mind
 
If you could find some of those tainted scraps of food I would call the police on those effin azzhole neighbors. If feasible I would take them to court and make them pay the vet bills. WTH is wrong with people? :rant::mad:
 
Thank you for the update. I hope she continues to improve on the treatment.

I agree with Poopsie that you need to see if you can find the scraps and call the police and/or SPCA to see if someone is poisoning dogs in the area. Did the ER do any tests for antifreeze poisoning?

You should probably stop letting the dog out in the backyard unless she is on a lead or with supervision to keep her from eating anything she finds in the yard.

(((more hugs)))
 
if i may ask, what is her(?) name?

You might try and ask your vet if there is any way (this is a long shot, but some vets *will* do this) they will allow you to administer fluids at home on your own, if it will get her strength built up and if they are trying to improve her kidney function. I did this for a cat in kidney failure, who they were sure would die.....and with a ridiculous amount of TLC, he came back. He had to have the fluids administered right under the skin on an area of the back.

either way, give the pooch a little belly pat for me.
 
I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. I guess it may be too early for the vet to give you a long term diagnosis. With a cat I had that was quite old who eventually died from the kidney problems my vet explained the bloodwork results, told me at which number levels the cat would probably start feeling bad, and about options like administering fluids. I'm hoping she continues to recover well.

Also when you're up for it I'd encourage you to report it if you think she was poisoned. just in case they're still at it.
 
if i may ask, what is her(?) name?

You might try and ask your vet if there is any way (this is a long shot, but some vets *will* do this) they will allow you to administer fluids at home on your own, if it will get her strength built up and if they are trying to improve her kidney function. I did this for a cat in kidney failure, who they were sure would die.....and with a ridiculous amount of TLC, he came back. He had to have the fluids administered right under the skin on an area of the back.

either way, give the pooch a little belly pat for me.

hihi, thanks for all this information. her name is chloe. shes only 2. My vet did mention giving her fluids, but i think they are hoping that she has youth on her side. shes been home for 2 days now and shes been eating like mad! something that she use to do when she was super healthy until the kidney disease kicked in. i have an appointment in 2 hours to get her bloodwork done again. hopefully the levels havent increased. but if they have i will have to put her back on iv again. i dont not want this little munchkin back in er. it must be lonely for her to be stuck where she knows no one and shes all alone... i will post updates when i get back from the bloodwork.

Also because im not living at home anymore i dont have access to the back yard. i have however asked my mom to look around and to baggie anything edible (such as the whole pizzas i would find in the back yard.) it makes me feel so sad that people would do such horrible things. how sad.
 
I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. I guess it may be too early for the vet to give you a long term diagnosis. With a cat I had that was quite old who eventually died from the kidney problems my vet explained the bloodwork results, told me at which number levels the cat would probably start feeling bad, and about options like administering fluids. I'm hoping she continues to recover well.

Also when you're up for it I'd encourage you to report it if you think she was poisoned. just in case they're still at it.

mothbeast...were you able to get long term diagnosis because your cat was old? i tried to ask for long term and they said that they cant say because they dont really know. my vet said 'you might be surprised at how chloe does in the long run.'

im also scared that when i return chloe back to my mum that shes going to miss me and stop eating again. but i also know its not realistic for me to be with her 24/7. any suggestions?