Guest IGmom4now Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 My two IGs went to the vet for their annual check-ups, senior blood work, etc. My girl, Stella, had "high normal" kidney values last year, this year they are higher, and out of the normal range. A vet at the clinic called to tell me this, and described it as "chronic renal failure." My usual vet will be back on Friday, and we'll discuss treatment options then. Stella will be 12 in February, so aging but not ancient for an IG. What questions (numbers) should I ask for when I talk to my vet? I don't want her to eat Science Diet if there are more "natural" options. I currently feed some Eagle Pack Duck, and I cook for them (crock pot with chick and vegetables), yogurt, etc. Anybody out there dealt with this? I know I can't keep her around forever, but I want to support her health as long as I can. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IGmom4now Posted December 13, 2007 Share Posted December 13, 2007 My two IGs went to the vet for their annual check-ups, senior blood work, etc. My girl, Stella, had "high normal" kidney values last year, this year they are higher, and out of the normal range. A vet at the clinic called to tell me this, and described it as "chronic renal failure." My usual vet will be back on Friday, and we'll discuss treatment options then. Stella will be 12 in February, so aging but not ancient for an IG. What questions (numbers) should I ask for when I talk to my vet? I don't want her to eat Science Diet if there are more "natural" options. I currently feed some Eagle Pack Duck, and I cook for them (crock pot with chick and vegetables), yogurt, etc. Anybody out there dealt with this? I know I can't keep her around forever, but I want to support her health as long as I can. Thanks Nobody feels like giving me basic kidney info? I think I'm supposed to ask about BUN and creatine but I don't know what's normal. Anybody? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvAPuppy Posted December 13, 2007 Share Posted December 13, 2007 Bun, creatinine and phosphorus are the kidney values. phosphorus will be elevated in chronic and end stage kidney failure, BUN/creatinine only in not as significant failure. BUN normals 6-25, Creatinine normals 0.5-1.6 and phosphorus normals 2.5-6.0. those will vary by lab, those were our normals for Antech Diagnostics. Other food manufacturers make kidney diets as well: Waltham/Royal Canin/IVD for one. Purina I think as well. Unfortunately most vets seem to carry SD. Quote Angie, Pewter, and Storm-puppy Forever missing Misty-Mousie (9/9/99 - 10/5/15)Fort Wayne, Indiana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IGmom4now Posted December 13, 2007 Share Posted December 13, 2007 (edited) Bun, creatinine and phosphorus are the kidney values. phosphorus will be elevated in chronic and end stage kidney failure, BUN/creatinine only in not as significant failure. BUN normals 6-25, Creatinine normals 0.5-1.6 and phosphorus normals 2.5-6.0. those will vary by lab, those were our normals for Antech Diagnostics. Other food manufacturers make kidney diets as well: Waltham/Royal Canin/IVD for one. Purina I think as well. Unfortunately most vets seem to carry SD. Thank you so much for your reply. I love my vet, and she's open to discussing options. Stella's values were described to me as "elevated" but not a "crisis". I'll wait and see what her numbers actually are. Thanks again. Edited December 13, 2007 by IGmom4now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ola Posted December 13, 2007 Share Posted December 13, 2007 (edited) I don't have any kidney experience myself, but here is what I've picked up from my reading. You may not yet be at a stage where they recommend reduced protein, but if you are, it's actually phosphorus that you need to lower, not protein. I'm not sure if it's possible to evaluate commercial foods for this or ask the manufacturer how much phosphorus they have, but that is one option you could try. Then you can compare this against the various prescription foods that your vet is recommending so you have more choices. Here is a very comprehensive site about kidney disease, hopefully it will be helpful: http://dogaware.com/kidney.html (it also talks about the various tests available and what the results might mean) Edited December 13, 2007 by Ola Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spider9174 Posted December 13, 2007 Share Posted December 13, 2007 ask for an ERD test. it tests for microalbuminaria in the urine. it is more sentitive than the normal protein urine tests and it is considered a better indicator of kidney failure. really make sure you ask about phosphorous. if she is in early stages, you may be able adjust her diet as a way to treat the condition. Phosphorus is difficult to remove form the blood stream. For normal kidney's it's no big deal. You may be able to switch to a kibble that is lower in Phosphorus to help the condition. You may not have to go to a kidney diet if it is early. If you'r eopen to raw or homemade check into some holistic vet references to prepare proper foods. Another thing...Vitamin E and Fish oil/Omega 3s are currently thought to help kidney function. You may want to consider that as a supplement. I could be wrong on this, but I think with kidney/renal disease, you don't want to supplement with vitamin D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ss556 Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 Alan has a form of kidney disease - PLN. He gets a urine test - protein/creatinine ratio in addition to the blood tests for BUN, etc. Phosphorus should be modified and salt intake. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IGmom4now Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 Thanks to all who replied. I did a little reading, and I realize it's phosphorus I'll need to control. I home cook meat and veggies, and give yogurt and grizzly oil as supplements. They all get a bit of kibble. I know I can change her kibble. What can I do about the home made part of her diet to control phosphorus? I give plenty of veggies and fluid with her meals. I know they'll say reduce her protein, but I also know seniors need protein to maintain muscle. Anybody else have some input? I'm open to anything holistic, and I don't mind fixing her special meals. I think we're catching this early. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spider9174 Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 if you want to control phosphorus, you will want to use meats that are lower in phosphorus and watch the amount of raw bones or bone meal she gets. bone is high in phosphorus. i have a list of foods and phosphorus content that someone sent me. i can forward it to you. pm me. try looking into some of the natural home remedy books like the Pitcarin reference. It's really good. also look into feeding omega three oils and vitamin e. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IGmom4now Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 if you want to control phosphorus, you will want to use meats that are lower in phosphorus and watch the amount of raw bones or bone meal she gets. bone is high in phosphorus. i have a list of foods and phosphorus content that someone sent me. i can forward it to you. pm me. try looking into some of the natural home remedy books like the Pitcarin reference. It's really good. also look into feeding omega three oils and vitamin e. I sent you a message, but I'm not sure if I did it right. Stella's phosphorus was lowish normal (2.8), BUN 52, and creatinine 1.9. I'm open to modifying her food any way I can. I got some K/D kibble to mix with her Eagle Pack. I'll cook whatever's good for her, the more natural the better. She already gets fish oil (Grizzly Salmon) and I can add E easily. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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