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Question

I was told my dog has irreparable kidney damage after his urine and blood was tested. He is not eating and has lost half of his body weight. He now has some fine body tremors. What can be done for him? How do I know if he is in pain?

Submitted: 169 days and 21 hours ago.
Category: Dog
Value: $15
Status: CLOSED
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Optional Information

Age: 10; Male; Breed: Shitzu

Already Tried:
He has been taking Metoclopramide and Bioclav for almost 3 days now. His condition is getting worse.

Posted by Dr. Marie 169 days and 21 hours ago.

Info Request

I'm sorry to hear that your dog is having these problems.

I just have a few questions for you before I answer:

Has your dog stayed in the hospital for intravenous fluids at all?
Do you know what his blood levels for his kidney enzymes (BUN and CREA were?)

Dr. Marie.

169 days and 21 hours ago.

Reply

Yes, he stayed in the hospital for IV.   I don't know what his BUN levels are, but his CREA levels were about 10 times more than normal.

Posted by Dr. Marie 169 days and 20 hours ago.

Answer

OK, thanks for that info.

I'm afraid I don't have a lot of good news for you, but you are probably already prepared for the worst. It really does sound like your dog's kidneys are not recovering.

The only chance that I can see for your dog to recover would be if he stayed on IV fluids at an emergency hospital over the weekend. However, even then his chances are not good with what you have told me.

There are really no other oral medications that will improve his condition at this point. He may have some mild relief from small amounts of unsweetened pedialyte given orally throughout the day. Additionally, pepcid may help his belly feel a little better. You can read about dosing pepcid here:

Pepcid


But, it really does sound like it may be time to say goodbye to your friend. From what you have described I think the chances of him surviving are very small. If possible, you may want to consider an emergency visit for euthanasia so he does not have to be uncomfortable for any longer than necessary.

I am so sorry for the bad news.

I hope this information helps! If you have more questions regarding this problem, just hit reply. If I am online I will respond right away. Otherwise I will respond as soon as I come online again. Or, if my answer is sufficient, then please hit accept. Thanks!
Dr. Marie.

The above is given for information only. Although I am a licensed veterinarian, I cannot legally prescribe medicines or diagnose your pet's condition without performing a physical exam. If you have concerns about your pet I would highly advise contacting your regular veterinarian.

169 days and 20 hours ago.

Reply

Thank you. I'll accept your answer, but I would like to know in your experience, do you believe he is in pain now? He doesn't make any noise to lead me to believe so, but he is also very weak and can't stand on his own anymore.

Accepted Answer

This is always a tough question to answer. We don't know what degree of pain a dog in kidney failure is feeling but what I tell clients is that he probably feels like he has the worst flu you could imagine. He is deifnitely sick.

Dogs are very good at not showing their pain. They don't always wimper or cry. However, signs of pain include lethargy and inappetence.

Again, I'm sorry for the bad news. I do hope I have helped with your difficult decision.

I hope this information helps! If you have more questions regarding this problem, just hit reply. If I am online I will respond right away. Otherwise I will respond as soon as I come online again. Or, if my answer is sufficient, then please hit accept. Thanks!
Dr. Marie.

The above is given for information only. Although I am a licensed veterinarian, I cannot legally prescribe medicines or diagnose your pet's condition without performing a physical exam. If you have concerns about your pet I would highly advise contacting your regular veterinarian.

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Expert: Dr. Marie
Pos. Feedback: 100.0 %
Accepts: 
Answered: 6/7/2009

Veterinarian

Compassionate licensed veterinarian with >20 years experience with cats, dogs and pocket pets

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