Pet Lovers

[tends2dogs]

@Julie928  I am so sorry to hear your news.  You are taking all the right steps.  You will do what is right.  You will do whatever it takes to give your girl the care she needs. 

Most of us here have been in your shoes.  We are here for you.  Please keep us up to date.

Your family (furbabies, too) are in my prayers. 

[Julie928]

@Sammycat1 ~ Thank you for sharing this.  I really need to be positive right now but it is all I can do to just function.  She is eating, but not much.  We purchased a bag of dry food, K/D I think it is but she wants no part of it.  If she would only eat ~ if I could get some of the "good" food in her....  If anyone has any suggestions to help get her to eat the prescription food I would appreciate it.  I'm willing to try anything.

And thank you to everyone who responded.  I appreciate all of your replies and it helps to read about those of you who have been in a similar situation.  I'm not looking for sympathy ~ believe me.  It's just that my appetite is gone since this happened.  I'm not even hungry.  Hey!  Maybe I can fit in those jeans that are alllllllll the way in the back of my closet, lol!  I stayed very busy today.  I ran some errands this morning while my husband stayed home with the "crew" then worked in the yard all afternoon.  It helps to stay busy.  Maybe tomorrow will be better.  Again, your words of encouragement mean more to me than you all will ever know.  Thank you....

[eddyandme]

@Julie928

Could you have your vet suggest a human food diet?  Also, I'm a big fan of acupuncture both for people and furbabies.  For what it's worth, my girl who had a fatal disease lived much longer than what others had survived using the university vet hospital nearby.  Got recommendations from her vet for acupuncture vets.  We then combined the acupuncture with eastern and western meds.  I realize Dres' situation is totally different.  But, stepping outside the box might help:  looking into it anyways, would not hurt. 

A very surprising thing I found was that my babe's fur became thicker and softer after feeding her a total diet of people food!  Also, the university hospital had heard of her long-time (much too short for me!) survival and requested we come back so they could check her out.  Her bloodwork and organs they found were that of a much younger dog.  It didn't contain the dreaded disease (metastatic bone cancer) but by learning from my acupuncture doctor might help them adjust their protocol and better help other pets out.

Since you wanted suggestions, I offered my experience.  Certainly not trying to influence your judgement but perhaps let you know there may be other avenues.  Follow your heart in Dres' treatment.  Do what you feel will best benefit her. 

Prayers and hugs to Dres and her family!

[Julie928]

@eddyandme ~ Thank you for your suggestion.  I am willing to try anything.  We have an appt for Tuesday but I am going to call in the morning to see if he can squeeze us in sometime tomorrow.  Again, I'll do anything if it will help her.  Thank you again.

[Sammycat1]

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@Julie928 wrote:

@Sammycat1 ~ Thank you for sharing this.  I really need to be positive right now but it is all I can do to just function.  She is eating, but not much.  We purchased a bag of dry food, K/D I think it is but she wants no part of it.  If she would only eat ~ if I could get some of the "good" food in her....  If anyone has any suggestions to help get her to eat the prescription food I would appreciate it.  I'm willing to try anything.

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@Julie928 Try to breathe -- and then educate yourself. There are many reputable veterinary-based websites with good info about kidney problems in dogs and cats. You'll learn a lot about diet, high blood pressure, nausea, and the ups and downs of caring for a pet with kidney insufficiency/failure.

We have been lucky to have an excellent vet who thoroughly educated us on traditional an holistic remedies, but I went the extra step to learn more on my own, and all of it was invaluable. For example, one reason pets with kidney problems lose their appetite:  they're nauseated because the failing kidneys allow acid to build up in the tummy.  When they eat less, they feel even worse.  A vicious cycle. 

For our cats in this situation, the solution was simple:  original formula pepcid, which our vet gave strict instructions on administering (by the way, VERY important, meds are different for dogs and cats -- if you suspect nausea, simply ask for something to relieve your dog's nausea).  Subq fluids on a regular basis that we gave ourselves also worked wonders for a long time.

So channel that worry into self-education from reputable sources -- you'll be a big help to your dog and it will help you deal with the anxiety of the situation by taking charge of things. 

We're praying for you both!  Stay strong!

[Venezia]

@Julie928 - Prayers for Dresden and you.  I don't have dogs anymore, just cats now but I know how you are feeling, believe me.

Earlier this year, my oldest cat went in for some minor surgery and the vet suggested blood work because of her age.  One of the tests (the most critical one) came back with a very bad result.  The only thing I could do was wait it out until a repeat test was done two weeks later - which came out completely normal!

There was no explanation for what caused the spike in the first test, but you can understand what those two weeks were like for me.

Try to stay positive and believe in the good Lord holding your precious Dresden in his loving hands. 

[Julie928]

@Sammycat1 ~ Thank you!  We gave her the sub fluids today for the first time on our own and she did great!  I was more of a mess than she was!  She threw up pretty bad tonight so I'm holding off on the doxycycline for tonight.  I hope this is the right thing to do as the label states to stop the meds if vomiting occurs. 

You are absolutely right ~ I need to breathe.  I need to stop worrying and focus all my energy on making her better.  Thank you ~ I needed to read that.  Goodnight...

[beastielove]

Julie..

Sending tons more very special healing prayers to your precious Dresden and tons more very special Comfort Hugs to the both of you.

((((((((JULIE & DRESDEN))))))))

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All of my children have paws =^..^=

[daisey10]

Prayers and hugs going out to you. I know exactly how you feel.

[Tissyanne]

Praying for your sweet dog. Please know that kidney disease can usually be managed for quite some time, and is not a fast moving disease in most cases. Take your dog to a vet you trust.