We have an older Cairn terrier mix. We think he is about 14 yo. He was adopted from a shelter when he was young; and the guess then was he was about 1.5 yo.
The little stinker had some blood work done last week, and the vet says his kidney numbers have gotten worse over the last six months. She says the test results indicate he is in Stage 2 kidney disease and said it’s common in older dogs.
We were told to put him on a multi-vitamin specifically for kidney trouble, and to bring him back in another six months for more blood work.
The vet asked me if he was urinating more frequently (no), or drinking water more frequently (no).
Our older Cavalier King Charles died of kidney failure. We had no indication until it was too late. Blood tests were always fine. Apparently sometimes dogs can hide it for a long time, until they are in full blown kidney failure. Consider yourself lucky that you have the information, and maybe you can do something about it. But just a multi-vitamin? Seems like there would be something else, a medication or kidney failure diet.
I am so sorry to hear about your dog’s illness. Try to keep an eye on him and if something bad happened again then please do not hesitate to visit your vet.
We had a wonderful dog who died just a month after her sixth birthday from kidney failure incident to Lyme Disease. She had had it for a long time before she gave any indication that anything was wrong – she was the same active, athletic, affectionate dog as always. By the time she was tested, she was basically past the point where any recovery was reasonably possible.
We kept her alive on a special diet that I cooked for her for about five months after the diagnosis. It still makes me cry to think about it.
Human physician here. Sounds to me like you need to have a discussion with your dog’s vet about what the stage 2 disease means, the likelihood of progression, how long it may take, et al, just as you would for a human. So many possible factors enter into treatment and prognosis.
Gosh it feels like dogs’ kidneys are so sensitive. Like @JHS , our Lab ended up with Kidney disease incident to Lyme when she was about 5. I posted about it back then and there’s some details on the different meds they recommended.
Our Sabadog died earlier this year, not from kidney disease but the first sign of his illness was a change in urinary frequency and volume when his kidneys were finally impacted. I understand that kidney disease is not unusual in older, smaller dogs and they can live for several years with a stage 2 diagnosis and supportive care. I would want to see a specialist though for recommendations on diet which I understand to be very important. Sabadog and Sabapup both took Denamarin for liver support - is the multivitamin something similar?
We’re pulling for your pup to have many more years!
We had one blood test that hinted something was going on. None since. You need to learn more about what it is, what Stage 2 means, treatment options.
Best wishes.
Our dog who best guess age is getting close to 13 started having UTI issues a few weeks ago. He is finishing out his second round of antibiotics and as of this morning is showing no infection in his urine. The vet says though that his urine is not as concentrated as it should be - thus maybe why the infections - kidneys are not being as efficient, leaving bacteria behind = UTI’s. They are going to do some blood work on kidney function. He seems otherwise healthy and has no history of any accidents or change in peeing besides during this bout. I’m hopeful that if there is an issue medication can do it’s job for awhile yet…we shall see!
Dr. Google is never encouraging, but I personally would want more diagnostics before I started panicking. Please call your vet and request a referral to a specialist - our vet is wonderful but when Sabadog and then Sabapup got so sick she sent us for specialist care immediately. Knowing exactly what you’re dealing with will help you decide on a course of treatment. I know how hard this is, big, big hugs.
2nd opinion today. Vet said declining kidney function is very common and there is not much to do about it.
She wrote down a few recommended dog foods that are lower in protein — which might help the kidneys by lessening the work load. And, she wrote down a few recommended supplements to support kidney function. It’s not crystal clear whether these make a big difference or not — but it’s part of the recommended course of action.
I asked whether glutathione was appropriate for dogs bc I know 2 humans who improved their kidney numbers after a period of time on this supplement. Vet said no.
She said if his blood pressure gets high, a BP med can help take pressure off his kidneys.
She said he could hum along nicely like he is now, and then suddenly be in trouble as he gets ancient.
He is not showing symptoms of excessive thirst or urinating.
She did hear a heart murmur today; also common.
We talked a little about what end-of-life might look like, and I found that helpful.
I have not had to put down a dog before. He is the only dog I’ve had as an adult.
The dog of my childhood blessedly died in her sleep at a very old age.
Glad you got a second opinion. Heart murmurs are also quite common it seems as dogs age. Our dog was diagnosed with one almost a year ago but not prescribed meds - recently the vet evaluated again and said it appears to be the same a year later and still does not recommend any meds (he is not doing a lot of coughing or struggling with exertion etc.)
Our dog is off his antibiotics for the UTI we have been fighting for a month now. He did have blood work this weekend to check his kidneys. The doc was concerned that his kidneys weren’t filtering enough. Blood work came back normal! Now I’m just holding my breath that he doesn’t redevelop an infection…