I have a 14 year old dog who is having kidney and liver problems.

I have a 14 year old dog who is having kidney and liver problems. Previously I had an old cat with similar issues, and subcutaneous fluids helped a lot (I did it at home). My vet said that my dog is too big for subcu fluids to be effective. The dog is 45 lbs, and has lost some weight, but her normal weight is about 50 lbs. Could fluids still help her? She is eating and drinking, but not well, and I was thinking the fluids might make her feel better and eat more. I don''t know if he''s concerned about the time involved, or the cost, or if it simply really doesn''t help big dogs. Any comments? Thanks!

Optional Information:
Age: >12; Female; Breed: chow/lab/other mix

Already Tried:
had been on prescription kidney food (n/f I think it's called) but she won't eat it any more. She is now eating boiled chicken/eggs, some soft dog food that she likes. Her teeth have been taken care of and are fine, according to a vet dentist, so that's not an issue. Her lab tests were not great last September, but ok for an old dog. Now the vet is surprised at HOW bad all the kidney/liver tests are, because he says clinically she doesn't look anywhere near as bad as the bloodwork says.

Customer (name blocked for privacy)

I'm very sorry to hear about your dog's diagnosis. The kidneys have an important job in the body. They are responsible for getting rid of things that should no longer be in the body and keeping things in that should remain. For example, your dog needs his protein, but failing kidneys often let protein slip through. You dog needs to get rid of building urea, but may keep it in failure.

The kidneys do a great job of having the body help it compensate when failure first starts and we don't see any outward signs that there is a problem. By the time symptoms appear, 75% of kidney cells have been affected. This sounds severe, and is, but remember the body can live with just one kidney (50%), so we aim to help the kidneys the best we can at this point.

If the kidney values (creatinine, BUN) are significantly high, we often hospitalize the pet and start intense IV fluid therapy to give the kidneys a boost and help it flush out the toxins that are building. This can often be completed in 3-5 days. Once levels are lower, we usually start a low protein diet and recommend both encouraging water intake at home, as well as giving subcutaneous fluids at home, regardless the weight of the dog. This helps keep the animal hydrated and flushed, the best chances at keeping the kidneys working properly.

I am sorry to hear your vet say something rediculous like your dog is too big. It just requires giving a larger amount of fluid. I've been successful in giving a rescued 110 pound dalmation SQ fluids for chronic kidney failure daily for 3 months. A Liter was given daily. For severe increases in creatinine, though, IV fluids (dog or cat) is needed to properly flush at first, then SQ at home.

I'm sure the fluids would indeed help her feel better for some time.

Good luck, and let me know if you need further help with this.

Christine

Christine M. Peterson, Licensed Veterinary Technician (NY)

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I have a 14 year old dog who is having kidney and liver ...

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