[Continued from My Treatment]

Dog kidney disease support was so necessary to me as Pnut was exhibiting such SCARY SYMPTOMS.  I needed to reach out immediately to anyone that might offer help.

Dog kidney disease support – where should i look?  I needed it so badly when our vet diagnosed my 11 yr-old (then 3 lb) Chihuahua Pnut with kidney disease.  It was heartbreaking, just terrible.  She had lost a half pound she couldn’t afford to lose going quickly down to 2.5 lbs and slipping on down to 2.4 lbs. 

I had driven her to the vet immediately because she was throwing up water which is bad for any dog but dangerous for such a tiny elderly dog.  And in hindsight I realized she had been drinking far more water and urinating far more frequently in the weeks before. For the loss of water after this rush visit to the vet, their advice was to administer Pedialyte (from a dropper every hour) while waiting for the CBC ((bloodwork) which when we got it back confirmed renal failure. The vet said 70% +of her kidney function was probably already gone since it doesn’t show up until likely too late and this was confirmed by what I read online [ 2 ].  And Pnut had been all hunched up with a big arch in her back which I had mistakenly assumed to be from arthritis since she was getting old and she had luxating patellas in both hind legs.

But she had all of the horrible symptoms I read about online- drinking more water, urinating more including accidents, humped back, pain in the abdomen and no appetite – not wanting to eat at all, vomiting what she might try, often even vomiting water.  Truly Heartbreaking.

Right after kidney disease diagnosis my dog was near death.  I was sure she was going to die.  She so needed my  help!  I had to find dog kidney disease support.

The explicit instructions from the vet was to immediately change her diet and greatly reduce protein by switching to commercially available canned kidney foods such as Hills Prescription K/D and Purina’s NF.  She hated both.  HATED them!  One time she ate a little which thrilled me, then wouldn’t touch any after that. Cut pieces into different sizes, mashed it, warmed it, tried different bowls – nothing worked.   I had read online that you have to get them to eat something so tried many advised foods such as baby food and junior baby turkey links which she liked but it made her hurt inside and she would be all hunched up and cry in pain if you touched her.  Wouldn’t eat baby food or cream of wheat or sticky rice.  It was exactly like I read in online stories: the horrible every day stress of:  Will she eat, won’t she eat today?  Will she, won’t she?  My feeling of helplessness, the feeling of failing a beloved pet as a parent and caregiver was overwhelming and the stress was taking a toll on me just seeming to watch her vomit, have no energy or interest in anything,  apparently about to die a painful death.   Hard to enjoy life when a favorite pet is declining rapidly and feeling so poorly.   I HAD to get her to eat!       [Continued in Turning Point]