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Saturday, January 16, 2016

KIDNEY FAILURE - DON'T GIVE UP HOPE


Meet Bodie. Bodie is a middle-aged Cavachon (Cavalier/Bichon). Bodie was diagnosed with kidney failure on July 10, 2015. His veterinarian said he only had a few days to live, he was suffering, and the family should euthanize him. His BUN and Creatinine levels were very high (200 and 10, normal 31 and 1.5). He had not responded to fluid therapy, was vomiting, and not eating. Luckily, his "mom" wouldn't accept that recommendation and decided to try alternative care.

This picture was taken January 15, 2016. As you can see, Bodie is alive and well, happy, and loves life. He races around with his sister and loves to play. His blood values are still pretty awful (in the same range), but he's not letting on that he has a problem. Sure, he has some not-so-good days, but the family takes them in stride, hoping he will continue to bounce back.

Bodie receives subcutaneous fluids with B vitamins at home (he is not a fan, but his dad gets the job done), along with supplements to keep him feeling well. He gets acupuncture every two weeks. He is NOT fed a prescription diet. We didn't like the ingredients and he didn't like the food (smart boy). Mom cooks for him and when he's having a really bad couple of days she's been know to stoop so low as to get him a McDonald's burger - really bad, but he bounces back!

His family has learned to go with the flow. Accept that not all days will be perfect. Some days he turns his nose up at food. Sometimes he vomits, but not often. When he has a bad tummy day, mom reaches for the pepcid, but it's not often.

I have treated many dogs with kidney failure and many have had this kind of response. As long as the good days outnumber the bad, you don't have to give up. By using alternative therapies combined with traditional medicine, Bodie has the benefits of both worlds and he is thriving.

3 comments:

  1. Thank you for taking such good care of him, I am sending prayers

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  2. Thanks for an interesting post. Do you ever deal with cats with kidney disease? I've noticed you seem a bit more focused on dogs, in general. Just curious.

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  3. Yes, a lot of the same issues occur in cats. The biggest thing with kidney and bladder disease is moisture. Cats should not be fed dry food; they need high moisture diets. I talk a lot about dogs because they are generally easier to fix LOL. Cats are difficult to medicate and it's difficult to get them to accept diet changes. In general, veterinarians treat many less cats than dogs. People don't like dragging cats in boxes in cars.

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