Needing some advice regarding early kidney and renal failure in a flat coat?

My father in law has a 10 year old Flat Coat Retriever (retired guide dog) and he's been told that the dog is going into renal and kidney failure. His regular vet retired but the new vet put the dog on a Hills science k/d diet, however the dog refused to eat it and has seemed very miserable.
He'll eat anything else and the food he used to have but the vet has said if he goes back onto his other food he will go downhill really quickly. Surely there is some medication that the dog can go on to help slow the illness down?

Any help or suggestions from geniune vets who know what their talking about or any dog owners who've experienced this would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

I lost my Missy to Renal failure. She showed no early symptoms so unfortunatly she was chronic before we knew. She would not touch any of the Science Diet stuff or anything else we tried. She was needing very costly fluid treatments which we kept up for 2 1/2 months to the cost of around $4,500. We would have carried on, but they stopped helping. She started to have seizures and was starving to death as she would not eat anything. In the end we did the only humane thing we could and let her go. No way would I let her suffer. Im sure your father in law will be the same way.

During that 2 1/2 months I slept on the floor with her at night. For some reason she would vomit terribly at night even if she had heardly eaten. She would get so scared so I would not leave her alone.

I have since learned from my new and much better vet that the stage Missy was at the treatments were never going to work for more than a few days. The other vet kept leading us on saying that one more might give her a year or two before needing more. Of course we clutched at strews and kept doing it. Now I do truly believe he was just taking us for the money. I guess at least we did get that 2 1/2 months, but for her they were not the best although not terrible.

Try the group animal artwork suggested. Anything is worth a try. They may have some suggestions for you.

I will be praying for your father in laws dog. For him too. It's not easy. There is no cure just sometimes you can buy a little time. Just make sure the time bought is of the quality type and not just quantity.

I'm not a vet, but I have been where you are now.

I think you are right to put him back to his old food if he will at least eat a little. When it gets this bad as I see it they may as well have whatever they want because nothing is really going to help. Report It

http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/kf.html

Sorry that's not personal experience, but it might help anyway... I would put him on any healthful food he will eat. There's very little evidence to prove that 'medicated' diets help renal failure all that much anyway. The very best thing might be to switch to a homemade diet- cooked or raw : chicken breast, beef, cottage cheese, eggs, vegetables, apples, blueberries, oatmeal, brown rice, etc. Natural diets tend to help with almost any health issue. There are medications that are suggested for renal failure, I'm not sure how effective they are. I will say that you should watch carefully, because any animal with renal failure can go downhill quickly, and there often comes a point when the best thing to do is let the pet go. :-( It's devastating, but renal failure is a chronic, painful, incurable problem.

Good luck with your pup, I hope things go well for him.

Unfortunately there is no medication that will for sure slow down the progression of the disease. Some animals succumb to it quickly while others go for years with it. There are other renal prescription diets out there and a number of people on the K9Kidneys yahoo group (think about joining as they are VERY helpful) feed Royal Canine Renal diet. Also try www.dogaware.com which talks about foods that are low in phosphorus which is the main thing to watch for in food and not protein content like many people think. Sub-Q fluids help with kidney function but are only good when necessary. If anemia develops, erythopoietin shots are recommended. Good luck and again think about joining the yahoo group for kidney dogs (K9Kidneys).

Acute or chronic?

Renalfailure is bad no matter what?

However; if it is by a miracle of god at age 10 acute start with diet change. Boiled chicken and lots of fluids. Do they have an idea of the cause.

Trauma? Crystals? That can make a difference to.

Renal failure is painfully deadly make him comfortable.

Impressed someone had a flat coat. Mine is my big baby!!

I am sorry I am unable to help you with this but I just wanted to wish you good luck. I had a Flat Coated Retriever, he was fabulous. It broke my heart when he died last year.

Yahoo! has a group called K-9 Kidney Diet. They may have some answers. I found them incredibly helpful when I was dealing with a dog that had bladder stones.

FWIW: A LOT of dogs detest Science Diets k/d diet. The K-9 Kidney group offered recipes that were tailored to individual issues and I found that to be much easier on the dog and myself (the dog is doing VERY well on a homemade diet).

My dog is suffering from the same thing.She's nearly 14 and refuses to eat the k/d dog food,so I have just been letting her eat what she will,which isn't much.At this point,I am only focusing on keeping her comfortable.She's had a good, long life,and I know she's not long for this world.I know that I am going to have to make "the decision" soon,but until then,I will let her eat what she likes and do as she pleases so that her last days will have at least a bit of pleasure.

Hey Check his ears inside of the skin is turning yellow then he is in kidney failure. My Min Pin had to be put to sleep Thursday because a snake bite did the same to him

Hi, I am so sorry to hear your father in law's dog has been diagnosed with renal failure. Unfortunately, renal failure is a progressive disease and irreversible.

In my experience, few dogs like k/d prescription food. In those cases we recommend boiling chicken. Your goal is to have a very low protein, low salt diet.

Fluids are a MUST. We have two dogs in renal failure that come in for SubQ Fluids every day and every-other day (you can be taught to do fluids at home). Fluids are very helpful in helping the kidneys produce urine, which flushes waste out of the system.

Your best bet it to have a meeting with his veterinarian, you can all sit down and come up with a plan specific to his case.

My thoughts and prayers are truly with you, your family, and this dog. If you could, contact me with updates.