Molly Has Kidney Probs
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nowhavethreebears
New member
Sending many prayers for sweet Molly....So sorry to hear this news.
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dumainedogs
New member
So sorry to hear about Molly. I know every case is different and her problem might not respond.. but I managed to keep a lab with renal failure pretty healthy with diet changes for quite awhile. In the end.. he died of something totally unrelated. Healing thoughts coming your way from New Orleans.
BoundlessNewfs
New member
Hopefully, you can make some changes to her diet which will make it easier on her kidneys, and will give her a little more "quality time", before she starts to feel bad.
Here are a couple of articles I found, doing a search for just such a diet:
http://www.alternativepethealth.com/kidney-failure.html
http://www.healthypetjournal.com/default.aspx?tabid=25105
Here are a couple of articles I found, doing a search for just such a diet:
http://www.alternativepethealth.com/kidney-failure.html
http://www.healthypetjournal.com/default.aspx?tabid=25105
skillie
New member
Thank you so much for your kind words and advice. Yesterday was just the worst day ever really and we were totally bowled over by it all. I know we only have our furry friends in our lives for a short while but it doesn’t make it any easier when you are faced with them leaving. Shes 7 and we knew she was getting on to that stage of her life where things could get tricky, retrievers are prone to such things I suppose and we’d always feared cancers etc, but we really hoped to get her into old age at least.
The talk with the vet yesterday went as expected its at stage III he says we got a copy of the bloodwork and the urinalysis and the results were
UPC 3.97 (he said anything above 0.5 is bad)
Specific Gravity 1.016
HCT 35.7% low
RDW 18.3% High
BUN 27.6 mmol/L very high
CREA 436 micro-mol/L very high
Phos normal
AMYL 1694 U/L
He was non committal on how long she’d have without seeing how she’d do in the coming weeks to months, he said worst case a month to 3 months, absolute best a year to 2 but he’d be thinking months rather than years. He said it depends on how fast its progressing and things like that. No idea of causes but he just said it was common in retrievers of her age and it was just one of those things no point in trying to look for causes we have what we have and need to deal with that. He’s started us on the Hills K/d and ACE inhibitors but said he’d hold off on phosphorous binders a while as her levels are ok. Thankfully she ate the food ok anyway last night and this morning as that was the main worry.
Shes been on the raw food diet for 2 years so going back to dry food was a worry but so far so good shes eating it. Her form is good she had her walks last night and this morning and was happy out, she has had no vomiting or diarrhoea just weight loss (she has gone very boney in the space of 2 months) increased water consumption, bad breath and a bit of a loss of appetite. She has been eating but over the last few months shes been turning her nose up at meals a lot more esp in the morning. We thought it was just getting bored with the food etc or fussiness or that the bowls were bothering her. She can be noise sensitive. So we changed bowls that didn’t work, changed food and she was still picky, but still eating enough and we weren’t too worried as shes always been carrying a kg or 2 more than she should, she was always around 34/35kg but never too heavy. Then it just dropped and dropped the last couple of months shes down to 31kg now and feels very boney.
As I said we are still in shock over it and still in that frame of mind where we don’t know enough yet to know whether it would be better for her to go fast or slow. The main thing is we don’t want her to suffer a minute of pain or illness. I take on board what people are saying here about how it can be managed to an extent but at least if we’re prepared for the worst anything else is a bonus. She really is the sweetest and greatest dog I’ve ever had and I’ve had dogs all my life. Right now it feels like shes on death row we’re glad shes here and we’re able to enjoy her and appreciate her as much as possible but we also feel helpless and like we’re just gonna be watching her and waiting for the inevitable to happen. Hopefully over the coming weeks we’ll have a better picture of where its at and where its going. Shes back for more bloods in a couple of weeks but for now I suppose we just have to read as much as we can and do what we can.
Thank you all so much for your input and thoughts
The talk with the vet yesterday went as expected its at stage III he says we got a copy of the bloodwork and the urinalysis and the results were
UPC 3.97 (he said anything above 0.5 is bad)
Specific Gravity 1.016
HCT 35.7% low
RDW 18.3% High
BUN 27.6 mmol/L very high
CREA 436 micro-mol/L very high
Phos normal
AMYL 1694 U/L
He was non committal on how long she’d have without seeing how she’d do in the coming weeks to months, he said worst case a month to 3 months, absolute best a year to 2 but he’d be thinking months rather than years. He said it depends on how fast its progressing and things like that. No idea of causes but he just said it was common in retrievers of her age and it was just one of those things no point in trying to look for causes we have what we have and need to deal with that. He’s started us on the Hills K/d and ACE inhibitors but said he’d hold off on phosphorous binders a while as her levels are ok. Thankfully she ate the food ok anyway last night and this morning as that was the main worry.
Shes been on the raw food diet for 2 years so going back to dry food was a worry but so far so good shes eating it. Her form is good she had her walks last night and this morning and was happy out, she has had no vomiting or diarrhoea just weight loss (she has gone very boney in the space of 2 months) increased water consumption, bad breath and a bit of a loss of appetite. She has been eating but over the last few months shes been turning her nose up at meals a lot more esp in the morning. We thought it was just getting bored with the food etc or fussiness or that the bowls were bothering her. She can be noise sensitive. So we changed bowls that didn’t work, changed food and she was still picky, but still eating enough and we weren’t too worried as shes always been carrying a kg or 2 more than she should, she was always around 34/35kg but never too heavy. Then it just dropped and dropped the last couple of months shes down to 31kg now and feels very boney.
As I said we are still in shock over it and still in that frame of mind where we don’t know enough yet to know whether it would be better for her to go fast or slow. The main thing is we don’t want her to suffer a minute of pain or illness. I take on board what people are saying here about how it can be managed to an extent but at least if we’re prepared for the worst anything else is a bonus. She really is the sweetest and greatest dog I’ve ever had and I’ve had dogs all my life. Right now it feels like shes on death row we’re glad shes here and we’re able to enjoy her and appreciate her as much as possible but we also feel helpless and like we’re just gonna be watching her and waiting for the inevitable to happen. Hopefully over the coming weeks we’ll have a better picture of where its at and where its going. Shes back for more bloods in a couple of weeks but for now I suppose we just have to read as much as we can and do what we can.
Thank you all so much for your input and thoughts
Erika
New member
Im so sorry the news wasnt better, sure wish we had a miracle to send your Luv:angel:. We have been down the same road. For now take lots of pics, make lots of memories. Sometimes a shock like this leaves us feeling helpless. The fear of the unknown tears at your heart. She has been so well loved and knows this and will lighten your heart threw this journey. I always say when something like this comes along, Think like dog, live for that moment enjoy it and cherish that memory. Hugs to you and your from our gang:hugs: Id love to see more pics of her.:hugs:
skillie
New member
thanks guys, theres never been another dog whos been loved and pampered as much as her she's spoilt and is such a diva but with a beautiful heart. We will just have to live in hope that she does well for as long as possible and try not to think of the end until we have to. Its charlie i feel sorry for most as she really is his universe and he worships the ground she walks on shes taken such good care of him and taught him the ways of the world since he was 16 weeks old.
Dawn bought me a "Name a star" gift for my birthday this year and we haven't gotten round to naming one yet. I don't think theres any doubt that this one will be named "Mollydoll".
here are some pics of our princess
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v188/Skillie/Molly/
Dawn bought me a "Name a star" gift for my birthday this year and we haven't gotten round to naming one yet. I don't think theres any doubt that this one will be named "Mollydoll".
here are some pics of our princess
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v188/Skillie/Molly/
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Ocean's Edge
New member
I am so so very sorry,
I lost a beloved cat to kidney failure years ago
Keeping you and Molly in our thoughts
I lost a beloved cat to kidney failure years ago
Keeping you and Molly in our thoughts
ardeagold
New member
I hope she will beat the odds and enjoy many more years. Don't give up hope.
Our Maggie had acute kidney failure with extremely high phosphorus values. They flushed her kidneys for 5 days, but she never rebounded. She also started being picky with her food...then started acting "off" and within a couple of days her urine was brown. This all happened within a week and a half.
She too was a wonderful Golden girl with a heart of gold. She would have been 8 this September. We still miss her so much, every day.
Hugs to sweet Molly. Sending lots of positive thoughts from here.
Our Maggie had acute kidney failure with extremely high phosphorus values. They flushed her kidneys for 5 days, but she never rebounded. She also started being picky with her food...then started acting "off" and within a couple of days her urine was brown. This all happened within a week and a half.
She too was a wonderful Golden girl with a heart of gold. She would have been 8 this September. We still miss her so much, every day.
Hugs to sweet Molly. Sending lots of positive thoughts from here.
KodysGrandma
New member
Hugs to all of you. Erika is right, try to live in the moment for her and above all don't let her see how upset you are. They pick up on our moods so and you want the rest of her life to be as happy as the first part.
skillie
New member
In true Molly fashion she is milking all the extra attention shes getting and loving it. its actually made us laugh shes like "em excuse me; lavish me with praise and hugs and rubs continuously please; its only fair i've got a serious medical condition...."
Right now shes great she's eating, walking twice a day, wagging, play fighting with Charlie, enjoying her comforts as always etc. we're determined to just continue that and let her enjoy life to the max and us enjoy her for however long we have
the pic shows her last night enjoying her comfort lying beside the couch on her bed i brought down stairs to the living room. shes was lapping up the rubs and affection.
Right now shes great she's eating, walking twice a day, wagging, play fighting with Charlie, enjoying her comforts as always etc. we're determined to just continue that and let her enjoy life to the max and us enjoy her for however long we have
the pic shows her last night enjoying her comfort lying beside the couch on her bed i brought down stairs to the living room. shes was lapping up the rubs and affection.
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Melissakins
New member
Oh, what a beautiful girl on her pillow 
Princess Molly. Definitely deserves it.
Give her big hugs and scritches from me. Thinking about you guys!
Princess Molly. Definitely deserves it.Give her big hugs and scritches from me. Thinking about you guys!
skillie
New member
spoke to a very well renowned (in these parts anyway) holistic vet earlier who has agreed to help us out to come up with a program of diet and suppliments to help molly out. he's emailed me a questionaire as long as my arm with questions about every aspect of her life. he says he's very experienced in treating this and is hopeful she will see the benefits. he cured charlies junior pyoderma before we got him, at 4 weeks charlie got pyoderma, lost all his hair was covered in sores and nearly died. this vet cured our boy and we stuck by him even though the breeder offered us another pup instead. aren't we glad we did. his hair all grew back he made a greta recovery and we wouldn't swap him for the world
heres his blog http://tomheals.blogspot.com/
heres his blog http://tomheals.blogspot.com/
Diana
New member
I'm so very sorry to hear you got such bad news, Molly is truly a beautiful golden and obviously so well loved. I really, really hope your holistic vet can help and she will have many more years. I think sometimes vets are overly pessimistic, our Teddy lived much longer than his cardiologist thought he would. Hugs and prayers to you all.
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