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Expert
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Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | Took my dog to the vet today because he's been sick with a cold or something and hasn't been able to get rid of it. Turns out he just has a simple sinus infection but after running some blood work and that led to some other tests he is in mid to advanced stages of kidney failure. Does anyone have any experience with this? Only thing he could tell me to do was put him on a special diet. I'm fine with the special diet. But here's what I thought about. He's 14. He's always ate table food for the most part. Yes I know this isn't the best. Vet told me the special diet food was nasty. So if he's going to die anyway I would almost rather him keep living the good life eating great food than nasty food unless it will prolong his life by a significant amount of time. |
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Regular
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| I was a tech for a while and have seen the special diet work really well, if you can get them to eat it. You may be able to visit with your vet about any additives you may be able to put with the new food to make it more appetizing. Good Luck! |
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 Wide Darn Open
Posts: 2141
| Praying for your dog  |
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Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1841
| well my sisters dog had one kidney removed, and is on a special diet - low protein because she makes kidney stones. It is pretty bad. the dog gets hyper from the low protein and is overweight from the diet. she can't exercise much because she has a bad leg - patella injury. It ties my sister down alot. they would have been better to just put the dog down. But that's me I'm a bit more practical and up front with issues like that. They rather hold on to her as long as they can. But from my perspective its not that fun for the dog either!
Sorry about your dog. I'm not sure what diet your dog will be on. But yeah I'm like you if they can't live a full life its pretty difficult for the owners and the dog! Most of our dogs don't live past 14 maybe just our bad luck lol! |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | We went and had a 2nd opinion this afternoon just to make sure. He is in the mid stages of kidney failure. So new diet so he can't have very little to no proteins and he gets a lot of veggies. Both vets seem confident that this diet would significant extend his life. |
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Posts: 110
| Prayers to you and your dog  |
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | You will feel better if you do what you have to to extend his life. If he has bad health problems, well, you'll know when it's time. When his quality of life is so bad that it's better to help him pass. Until then, if the vets say it will help, I say do whatever you need to.
Add lots of time on the bed with you and whatever his favorite things are. Go to the park, the beach, rides in the front seat with his head out the window. Just make him smile. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 634
| for your doggo, hoping for the best! |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas |
Edited by hoofs_in_motion 2016-07-26 8:30 AM
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Go Get Em!
Posts: 13503
Location: OH. IO | many prayers for your dog |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Since the dog always gets table food, and you want to do the best for him.
Why not make your own dog food?
There must be someone who can teach you or tell you what each meal should consist of. |
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Regular
Posts: 67
Location: TN | I just went through this with my Corgi. In April he was diagnosed with cancer. First of July, during a check-up found he was in beginning to middle of kidney failure. The vet "gave" me a couple cans of the Purina Kidney formula canned food. My dog ate it pretty good but it was expensive ($2+ a can). Research online and you can find receipes for dogs with kidney disease. Yes low protein and lots of fiber are key. Also make sure your dog drinks plenty of water. They suggest distilled water to cut down on impurities that the kidneys have to filter out. Same goes for the food, the sites suggest organic foods (chicken, peas, brown rice). If you decide to go with a prepared formula you may want to look at the canned formulas as they are high in water content which is important to kidney function. Sadly to say, I lost my Dually a couple of days ago to the cancer. |
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 pressure dripper
Posts: 8696
Location: the end of the rainbow | No experience with it in dogs but have had Silver Lining herbs kidney do great things for a horse whose kidneys had all but stopped functioning. And the SLH general support for dogs has given my geriatric (15 yr old) fat jack Russell a new lease in life. Give them a call, very nice company to deal with. |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Turnin3inTN - 2016-07-26 3:00 PM
I just went through this with my Corgi. In April he was diagnosed with cancer. First of July, during a check-up found he was in beginning to middle of kidney failure. The vet "gave" me a couple cans of the Purina Kidney formula canned food. My dog ate it pretty good but it was expensive ($2+ a can). Research online and you can find receipes for dogs with kidney disease. Yes low protein and lots of fiber are key. Also make sure your dog drinks plenty of water. They suggest distilled water to cut down on impurities that the kidneys have to filter out. Same goes for the food, the sites suggest organic foods (chicken, peas, brown rice). If you decide to go with a prepared formula you may want to look at the canned formulas as they are high in water content which is important to kidney function. Sadly to say, I lost my Dually a couple of days ago to the cancer.
So sorry about your pup. . . . I lost my Foxy to kidney failure not long ago; once he was diagnosed it wasn't very long at all. He told me as plain as day when it was time to let him go. We did any and everything he wanted right til the end.
Many prayers to the OP for her dog. I'd definitely do what the vets say plus spoil him rotten as long as you can. |
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 Half-Eaten Cookies
Posts: 2075
Location: Fort Worth / Springtown | I am not familiar with the diet food and haven't had a dog with kidney failure.....but I have read about it off and on....I want to mention you might consider adding raw apple cider vinegar to your dog's diet. Google.
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Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1841
| TessBelle - 2016-07-25 6:10 AM We went and had a 2nd opinion this afternoon just to make sure. He is in the mid stages of kidney failure. So new diet so he can't have very little to no proteins and he gets a lot of veggies. Both vets seem confident that this diet would significant extend his life.
The new diet will keep him going. my sis's dog has lasted 2-3 years past the surgery of kidney removal. |
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Location: OK | My 15 yr Schnauzer eats Purina Pro Plan for Kidney Function and seems to like it fine, you can add green beans low sodium. She also takes AminAvast. Both from the Vet. Her Kidney function has improved a lot. |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | His new food came in yesterday but he won't eat it. I've tried everything. He licks it but won't eat it. He hadn't had anything else sunce Tuesday night so he's got to be hungary.
Edited by TessBelle 2016-07-28 10:54 AM
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  Veteran
Posts: 241
| Hills Prescription diet makes the k/d (kidney diet) in a stewed version (chunks of beef/vegetables in sauce) instead of the regular kind of wet food, it might be more appetizing and they have a couple of flavors. I used to sell a lot of prescription diet dog food at a veterinary hospital that I worked at. Unfortunately none of those diets are super appealing due to the low protein. You can also try the l/d (liver diet) as it is low in protein also. My 8 year old corgi has advanced liver disease and she eats the canned l/d pretty well. I have also heard that royal canin brand prescription diet is pretty palatable but I have not fed it personally. |
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Expert
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Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | Love2runbarrels - 2016-07-28 4:01 PM
Hills Prescription diet makes the k/d (kidney diet) in a stewed version (chunks of beef/vegetables in sauce) instead of the regular kind of wet food, it might be more appetizing and they have a couple of flavors. I used to sell a lot of prescription diet dog food at a veterinary hospital that I worked at. Unfortunately none of those diets are super appealing due to the low protein. You can also try the l/d (liver diet) as it is low in protein also. My 8 year old corgi has advanced liver disease and she eats the canned l/d pretty well. I have also heard that royal canin brand prescription diet is pretty palatable but I have not fed it personally.
The Royal Canin is what we got. That's what the vet I work for sells and suggested so at $73 for 24 cans that was we got but he just licks it. They have 2 different kinds. One is kinda like the traditional wet mashed up dog food and the other is like meat chunks. So we got the meat chunks thinking it would be more appetizing but maybe it isn't. |
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Veteran
Posts: 241
| I know it is so expensive!! Hills is slightly cheaper but not by much lol! Maybe see if you can get one can of the Hills and try it before you buy a bunch :-) Petsmart sells the Hills Prescription diets, you just need to get a script from your vet and take it to any Petsmart that has a Banfield Vet in it. They will give you a prescription card and then you can but the food there. That way you can buy one can at a time and see if your dog likes it. |
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Expert
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Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | Love2runbarrels - 2016-07-28 6:05 PM
I know it is so expensive!! Hills is slightly cheaper but not by much lol! Maybe see if you can get one can of the Hills and try it before you buy a bunch :-) Petsmart sells the Hills Prescription diets, you just need to get a script from your vet and take it to any Petsmart that has a Banfield Vet in it. They will give you a prescription card and then you can but the food there. That way you can buy one can at a time and see if your dog likes it.
If he ends up not eating this the vet said he would take it back. The 2nd vet suggested the Hills so that's what I'll try next. And if that doesn't work we will look into the home cooked diet. And since he's used to mostly home cooked food anyway I'm afraid that's what we're going to have to resort to. But if we have to then we just have to. What ever it takes. |
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Dog in kidney failure