Hi,

Wondered if anyone could help x i have an old english sheep dog called Maggi who is 8 1/2 years old and has just been diagnosed with kidney failure x I have been looking on the net at some herbal tablets which say could help x has anyone had any experience with these or anything else they have tried for the same thing x i am absolutly devestated and have been told i have 2 months with her x yet she is still eating well on the hills kidney diet and i have days where she is happy to walk round the park x you wouldn't know she was so ill just by looking at her x this is also doubly painfull as i originally had Maggi's auntie but she passed away from something simular when she was 12 weeks old x so i'd like to try everything i can to make sure Maggi's time left is a comfortable one x

If you could help it would be deeply appreciated

Thank you

Maggi's Mum
xxx

So sorry to hear about Maggi, unfortunately I can't be of any help as the only dog that I owned who had this was put to sleep on the operating table when it was discovered.
I hope the next few weeks are happy ones for you and Maggi, make the most of it.
I had a dog with skin cancer and had a few weeks to say goodbye, they are precious weeks

A friend of mine had her dogs kidneys go on him and hes made as full a recovery as anyone could expect. She sent him to the vets after she noticed him drinking lots of water whenever he could. The dogs now on meds for life though he has perked up without doubt. Before it was diagnosed he was reasonably sluggish and now has a little spring in his step. I think she has to carry a bottle of water around incase he ever needs a drink. They do live on and make good recoveries in case your thinking this is the end of the road its just a matter of sorting it out and adapting. I dont know how serious the condition is though but my friends was cought early.

Oh dear, how awful what meds is she on at the moment?

Can i just say that although you are feeding a diet for kidney failure do check out a number of kidney diets as they can vary, get the one with the lowest protein and the lowest phosphorous.

We had a springer who had kidney failure caused by an enlarged heart causing congestive heart failure, he lost loads of what we thought was weight but it was actually muscle he was losing thats how his kidney failure was recognised, he was given every 6 weeks a steroid injection, dont know wether your dog is getting thin but if she is you could ask for this if she is, as little muscle left him very weak.

Hi

Thank you for your comments x i'm just waiting to here back with the results of the sterile urine sample x and i've just found a holistic vet near me x Maggi was on metronidazol for a week and a bit but has now finished them and the test results should be through on wed x i've just stopped giving her tap water as i keep coming across the fact it has loads of metals etc in it and will put more pressure on her kidneys x so now she is on bottled water x she doesnt seem to of lost any weight though, which is a good sign? one of my biggest worries is that her tounge and the skin round her eyes goes from being a lovely pink to whitey colour x is this because she will suffer from aneamia x sorry if im rambling but my head is spinning from this x

Thank you
xxx

The low red blood cells cause the anemia, have you been through the 1st phase treatment or has it gone beyond that,if you havnt and dont know what it is (ime not wanting to offend you) but not all vets give options,its where they try to "restart" the kidneys by flushing them out with large doses of intravenous fluids, ime mentioning this as all these things wernt an option for us as montys kidneys didnt fail by age or disease he had the other complications, but could help you.

I'm so sorry to hear sending my love to you both

Really sorry to hear about your dog and I really hope that she can be treated. Sending you lots of luck x

__________________

Holly, my precious girl waiting at Rainbow Bridge... You were my everything, rest in peace my beautiful angel xxx

Hi I hope Maggi is going OK. This is my first post, I am here for a reason so sorry if I sound a bit antisocial. Look forward to contributing more in the future

I've just joined this forum as we are in the same boat with Cherokee, and I hope you don't mind if I share your thread, as I would really like to find out all I can in the way of alternative treatments & options. Here's a brief resume:

Cherokee 9yo white neutered male GSD; had splenectomy 5yrs ago after which we put him & other dog immediately on BARF diet with Aloe Vera juice to support his system in lieu of his spleen.

All gone well til recently. He has had infected gums/bad teeth so was put on course of anti-b's and booked in today to have 2 or more teeth out. Had blood test done first and that has found first stages of kidney failure, with high levels of sodium and phosphorous, although he has been racing around and full of beans apart from his teeth. But I have only just found out OH has not been adding the Aloe Vera juice to his food for 'some time'

They are putting him on a drip for the day to flush out the kidneys and then he's coming home with more anti-bs and kidney medication.

Vet is keen to put him on a special diet but I want to stick to RMB which will be chicken carcasses when we can get them and rabbits hopefully (or at least BARF blocks). As long as it is low but good-quality protein (not red meat) that should be just what he needs.

They won't deal with teeth til kidneys stabilised, and it could be bad news that the cancer which attacked his spleen has now spread via the blood to his kidneys.

Was interested to see post above about holistic vet and think I may go that route too.

I said to vet that Cherokees urine seemed nice & clear - & that was bad apparently so if you think your dog can't be ill, the more colourless the liquid the more it is showing that toxins & waste products not being excreted. Obvious now I've been told

If anyone has any info at all, I would be so grateful as we're not giving up. When the boy was diagnosed with spleen cancer a friend (qualified vet btw) gave him some strengthening healing & acupuncture to get through his op, and though vets amazed at his recovery ('oh he's still alive' was last weeks response!!) they poo-pooed the alternative treatment.

We will do anything which might help and will not harm to improve the quality of however long he has left.

Thanks fo reading, and good to be among you!