Wizard's Heart And Kidneys

[Guest SusanP]

My Wizard is 8 1/2 and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure last year sometime. At the same time, his kidney values were elevated, and the vets believed that addressing the heart problem would help reduce the strain on his kidneys. So he began taking enalapril, and his kidney levels went back down.

 

Recently, he began coughing and was put on a low dose diuretic, which has cleared up the coughing, but now his kidney levels are elevated again. Not too much for now, but at the rate his heart issues have deteriorated, I'm already worrying about what will happen to his kidneys if he begins coughing again and needs a higher dose of the diuretic. The vet said there is no good answer to this problem.

 

But just in case there is an answer anyone knows about, I wanted to post here. Has anyone been through this?

[Remolacha]

I walked that tightrope with Sugar for about three years. One thing that did help, when I started taking her for acupuncture for her back end weakness, I mentioned that she had heart problems. Her vet did a few heart points each time, and after a few months when she went to the cardiologist for a checkup, the enlarged part of her heart had actually gone down a bit (you could see it on the ultrasound). Her cardiologist was amazed, and reduced her Lasix (diuretic) dose! Unfortunately, all the meds for heart and arthritis caught up with her a few months later, and she passed from acute kidney failure, but especially since Wizard is younger (Sugar was 12 1/2)

[Guest Greensleeves]

Oh, gosh--what a young guy to have so much trouble. Our kidney girl was 8, too (but she had a birth defect, which is totally not what you're dealing with). If there is concern about kidney values, you might look into kidney specific diets and phosphorus binders, just to avoid taxing the kidneys even further.

 

Good luck!

[MandysMom]

No advice, just sending good thoughts and prayers for Wizard.

[Guest argolola]

Poor little sweetheart. He will be in my prayers.

[Cully]

Susan no advice. Just take it one day at a time.

[RaineysMom]

no advice but sending hugs and prayers!

[nyGreys]

No advice just sending prayers!

[Batmom]

Ask your vet if a salt-free diet would help. Might allow you to reduce dose of enalapril.

 

Sending hugs.

[Guest SusanP]

Thanks, everyone. I will ask the vet about diet. I think before we opted not to change his diet just because he enjoys his food and his problems weren't that bad. For now, he doesn't seem to feel ill at all. He is a happy boy.

 

The enalapril hasn't been a problem--it's the diuretic that elevated his kidney values again. But i'm thinking a lowsodium diet might help keep us at a low level of diuretic?

 

Wizard is such a character. I can't wrap my brain around the idea that he won't be with us forever.

 

Are low sodium kibbles available only through a vet, or are there some brands we can buy anywhere that are good?

[Batmom]

The lowest sodium is Hills KD (or the equivalent other brand prescription kibble). I don't know of any nonprescrip kibbles that are low in sodium. But there are nonprescription canned meats that have no additives and that are reasonable in cost; Evanger's is one brand that offers 100% canned meats with no extras.

 

For Zema, who had a weird drinking/peeing problem which may be sodium-related, we went to home cooking instead as the KD didn't help her. We also use primarily salt-free treats (at least some of Newman's Own and Simon and Huey's have no salt added). She gets supplements for her vitamins and minerals (including iodine). At least in her case, the shift to very low salt diet made a significant difference in her blood pressure, bringing it down into the realm of reason even at the vet's office. So it might be worth a try for your pup.