Renal failure

L

lroggli

Forums Novice
My precious Sophie (age 13 almost 14) has been fighting renal disease for 18 months. Her creatinine and BUN levels were off the charts (135/ 3.8) and yet she is still around. I did an expensive consult with a nutritionist and got her on a decent diet that was low phosphorus (we always do home cooked meals but was probably feeding too much protein).
My question: is she in pain? She is reluctant to walk with me although she puts on her stoic face and does it anyway. If she is in pain, where??? Just all over blah? Any points I should avoid when I pick her up?
She is almost deaf and I think she is blind in one eye - her depth perception is way off. So I need to carry her but it makes her cough from the danged toxins that are building up in her system. I think her back legs are getting weaker. So I carry her upstairs but she can get halfway down to the landing before I need to carry her the rest of the way. Honestly I think this is more about low vision than weakness but can't be sure.
I just don't know what/how she is feeling. She is eating normally (like a chow hound) and she is STILL ALIVE (whew). Just want to make the rest of her life as comfortable as possible...

BTW she is one of four Shelties at my house and the oldest. I have two more 13 year olds and a four year old so I expect declining health from the oldsters. Ditto for trying to make them all comfortable.
 
Been through this scenario twice. Unbelievable that she is still eating with gusto with numbers like that. I was an RN for many years. If you talk to people with renal failure they say it is miserable. Usually very nauseous, you can also become very anemic. I don't think Sophie is likely experiencing pain as such, but overall discomfort likely. Is she on fluids that you give under the skin? That helps flush them out and will help for a while to make them feel better.

IMHO when she stops eating, it would be time to say goodbye. That means the toxin buildup in her blood is just making her feel awful.

I'm very sorry you're going through this with a beloved dog. It is really tough. :hugs
 
My 16 year old has had kidney disease now for 4 years. I was devastated when I found out, and yet she's still here (knock on wood). I also have a nutritionist diet and that is probably helping a lot. There are times when she's not hungry and that's the scary time. She's now on two lots of nausea meds. I didn't realise how nauseous she was until we tried some maxalon - she started play bowing and chasing my youngest around, it was such a big change and I felt so guilty because she must have felt like that for ages but was too stoic to complain. The only other big differences has been the need to take her out more regularly to toilet, and there is a lot of sediment in her urine. I've got water bowls (actually soup tureens) near her beds so she doesn't have to wander around looking for water as she's also 90% blind, she uses the one closest to her bed in the lounge the most.

I carry Tully around, the low vision can make things very hard - I keep her in a harness with a handle to guide her around. Might be time to adapt the house? I've got Tully's bed in the lounge close to me now, I have plug in lights all over so she can get around.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top