Westie with kidney failure - advice please

[Heebychick]

Hi all,

My mums dog is 15 and has kidney failure, she is quite poorly and my mum is having to make that awful decision very soon.

What i wanted to know was if anyone else has experienced this with their pet? if the progression of the failure was quick and if there was anything we can do to make her comfortable in her final days?

She is having a special renal diet, plenty of water all the time and some drops to help with the weeing (but sadly it doesn't help her)

Thanks for listening

x

Hi Heeby- sorry to hear your mum's wee dog is going through this . As a vet, I've seen lots of older dogs and cats with renal failure, but unfortunately it can be difficult to predict how quickly they will go downhill. Is she eating? Vomiting? If she will eat the renal diet this will help, but unfortunately I've found many of these guys are inappetant anyway, and reluctant to eat the diet. Sometimes you will find they don't eat for a few days, their urea levels (which are the toxins that make them feel so crappy) come down a bit, they feel a bit better, start eating again, urea levels go up again (from digesting the protein in their diet) and they become poorly again, so they can go up and down. It sounds like you are doing everything you can. Only other thing might be to get the vet to check her electrolyte levels, which can get out of sync when their kidneys aren't functioning properly, and make them feel worse. Sometimes we stick our renal patients on fluids for a day or so to perk them up a bit, but obviously this isn't a long term solution.

I'm afraid it does come down to quality of life, of which you and your mum will ultimately be the best judges. I hope she picks up a bit for you soon.

Thank you so much jools - how are you by the way honey? I've been thinking about you.

This is really helpful, thank you. She is eating the renal diet and in fact enjoying it more than her usual food and eating a bit more than normal, so hopefully she might put on a bit of weight. She is drinking around 3 bowls of water a day and weeing constantly which is quite hard for mum to cope with (and of course poor Gem is feeling quite distressed no doubt after being clean for 15 years). I will mention to mum about the electrolytes as she can call the vet to ask. Her back legs are almost not working at all and she just seems to sleep and need cuddles all day. She isn't being sick but the vet said her gums are really bad and she looks very weak.

My mum really doesn't want to have to make the decision this week as it is a difficult week and i think she is hoping she will know 'when the time is right'.

Thanks so much for this jools xx

I'm sorry i thought you were another MNetter (name is similar!) - thanks for your input though, really helpful jooly

xx

no problem! I'm sure your mum will know when it's time- people always worry that they won't, but they do! She actually sounds like she is one of the better ones, considering she is eating etc. The wetting is a pain- has your mum got some incontipads for the floor? You can buy them for toilet training pups, and may help your mum if she is having to do a lot of cleaning up carpets etc.

That's a good idea, thank you, i shall pop in to our pet store later today for her.

You're right, i'm sure that as they are so close she will know. I only hope it's not this week for obvious reasons!

Very sad so thank you for your support x

sorry i don't think i explained that Gem was my sister's dog and sadly my sister died 2 years ago leaving Gem with my mum. My sister's birthday would of been tomorrow and the anniversary was last Sunday so all in all an awful week for us.