Good news first: Milli is fine right now.
Potential bad news: she might have kidney damage.
The problem: what do I FEED her????
The story:
Milli was 12 weeks old when I was asked to foster her at the end of June. We worked on house training even with a trip out of state (with the crate, the toys, the food, etc.). At high noon on the Fourth of July (hot, hot hot), she licked the DRY pavement of our driveway before I could stop her (it looked like she was licking bird poop, honestly).
Several hours later, she was lethargic, walking like she was drunk and I panicked. Raced to the ER but they seemed unconcerned. As an afterthought, they suggested we test for ethylene glycol poisoning. I was non-plussed. We don't even STORE antifreeze at home because we have two other dogs and I know the dire consequences.
I was shocked to find out she was POSITIVE for ethylene glycol in her system!!!!! Thank goodness there is an antidote (I had no idea there was even a test for it, let alone an antidote). She spend three days at the ER vet with IV fluids and the antidote, pronounced "cured" and came home to a very relieved family.
After that kind of trauma, I couldn't let her go - we adopted her immediately and fell in love. I was actually afraid the rescue group wouldn't let me adopt her because of the incident (oh if you only knew how CAREFUL I am with my furry friends - this was devastating - how could I let this happen¿???).
The aftermath: Milli's BUN and phosphorus are elevated ... creatinine is normal. Vet put her on a phosphate binder (Epakitin) and ordered a low protein diet (Royal Canin kidney mixed with senior canned food). I hate commercial food, so supplemented with some home cooked protein (lamb and beef = no chicken since it is higher in phosphates) blended with rice and lots of water.
Retest showed lower levels but still too high. I am flummoxed. I have read site after site that contradict each other -- "yes to dairy" vs "dairy is high in phosphorus;" "never feed kidney diet to puppies;" "commercial foods are the only way to balance the nutrition for puppies" vs "home cooked is fine for puppies;" " high protein is terrible for puppies" vs "high protein is essential for puppies."
Honestly, I don't know what to do. I went to Phydeaux (cute name for a dog store, eh?) and read every label of canned food. Most were pretty high protein (the kidney diet is only 6% protein). Most don't give the phosphorus levels but I steered away from chicken and organ meats. In the end, I bought several different brands (senior formula) and mixed them with home cooked protein and rice and veggies.
But...am I killing my darling Milli with too much protein? Should I just give up and feed her that darned canned food with a little kibble at the end for her teeth?
I wish I had a good answer...perhaps the wisdom of the forum can help?
I feel so bad about the whole thing, I just want to do what's best for Milli so she can lead a long, vivacious life to match her sparkling personality!
Potential bad news: she might have kidney damage.
The problem: what do I FEED her????
The story:
Milli was 12 weeks old when I was asked to foster her at the end of June. We worked on house training even with a trip out of state (with the crate, the toys, the food, etc.). At high noon on the Fourth of July (hot, hot hot), she licked the DRY pavement of our driveway before I could stop her (it looked like she was licking bird poop, honestly).
Several hours later, she was lethargic, walking like she was drunk and I panicked. Raced to the ER but they seemed unconcerned. As an afterthought, they suggested we test for ethylene glycol poisoning. I was non-plussed. We don't even STORE antifreeze at home because we have two other dogs and I know the dire consequences.
I was shocked to find out she was POSITIVE for ethylene glycol in her system!!!!! Thank goodness there is an antidote (I had no idea there was even a test for it, let alone an antidote). She spend three days at the ER vet with IV fluids and the antidote, pronounced "cured" and came home to a very relieved family.
After that kind of trauma, I couldn't let her go - we adopted her immediately and fell in love. I was actually afraid the rescue group wouldn't let me adopt her because of the incident (oh if you only knew how CAREFUL I am with my furry friends - this was devastating - how could I let this happen¿???).
The aftermath: Milli's BUN and phosphorus are elevated ... creatinine is normal. Vet put her on a phosphate binder (Epakitin) and ordered a low protein diet (Royal Canin kidney mixed with senior canned food). I hate commercial food, so supplemented with some home cooked protein (lamb and beef = no chicken since it is higher in phosphates) blended with rice and lots of water.
Retest showed lower levels but still too high. I am flummoxed. I have read site after site that contradict each other -- "yes to dairy" vs "dairy is high in phosphorus;" "never feed kidney diet to puppies;" "commercial foods are the only way to balance the nutrition for puppies" vs "home cooked is fine for puppies;" " high protein is terrible for puppies" vs "high protein is essential for puppies."
Honestly, I don't know what to do. I went to Phydeaux (cute name for a dog store, eh?) and read every label of canned food. Most were pretty high protein (the kidney diet is only 6% protein). Most don't give the phosphorus levels but I steered away from chicken and organ meats. In the end, I bought several different brands (senior formula) and mixed them with home cooked protein and rice and veggies.
But...am I killing my darling Milli with too much protein? Should I just give up and feed her that darned canned food with a little kibble at the end for her teeth?
I wish I had a good answer...perhaps the wisdom of the forum can help?
I feel so bad about the whole thing, I just want to do what's best for Milli so she can lead a long, vivacious life to match her sparkling personality!
