Month: March 2013

Well, Maggie is now fighting a different battle than cancer…she has the start of kidney disease………..:-(

Earlier this winter, she got a tad picky on her Honest Kitchen foods, so I found another food that she just loved, Dr. Harvey’s premix with her usual raw meats added to it. She had been going along great with that food. Then a couple weeks ago, she started get a tiny bit picky about that food.. I just figured it was “old age” finally catching up with Maggie… Then shortly after that, she started drinking a lot more and peeing more. I made an appointment to a new vet practice as I wanted Maggie to have some laser treatments – as her mobility/flexibility was getting worse as well. This was a welcome thing to see a vet practice up in my neck of the woods. Not a common modality in this area! Maggie has had laser treatments before but the holistic vet I use for that is 4 hours South of me, so as you can guess, can’t get regular treatments.

So off to the new vet practice(to us) we went…with a urine sample in hand(and fecal). Dr. Adrian of North Country Animal Hospital, drew some blood and ran a urine test and fecal test on Maggie. Fecal test results were negative. Urine results came back with a little bit of protein in her urine. Her blood work wonky numbers are as follows:

RBC – LOW

HCT – LOW

MCH – HIGH

WBC – LOW(which is very normal for Maggie her entire life)

BUN – HIGH

CREA – HIGH

PHOS – HIGH (which is causing the nausea and lack of wanting to eat sometimes)

ALT – HIGH

Conventionally, I was told there wasn’t much to be done regarding her kidney disease. It will progress. It was suggested to lower her protein(I have since read in my research that it isn’t protein you need to lower but phosphorus). And eventually, I could get subQ fluids into her when needed or they’d show me how to do it at home.

So, I left there and immediately called my sister, Gina (LVT), to tell me what can be offered holistically for Maggie. Gina suggested the following:

Give her subQ with B Complex added, 2 times per week for a few weeks…to see if that would make Maggie feel better(flush out bad stuff and see if it would help her appetite).

Start Maggie on the following supplements:

Azodyl – Helps support normal function and health of kidneys.

This treatment is important for pets with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), which begins with azotemia. Azotemia occurs when nephrons decline and non-protein nitrogenous compounds build up, impairing the kidney’s ability to filter and eliminate waste. Azodyl helps reduce azotemia and slows the progression of CKD.

Renal Advance – can help support throughout the stages of kidney disease by preventing hypokalemia, replenishing the loss of B Vitamins, controlling metabolic acidosis and helping to reduce azotemia.

• Reduces Phosphatemia: Calcium carbonate and chitosan act as binders to reduce intestinal absorption of phosphorus.
• Restores Acid-Base Equilibrium: Potassium citrate acts as a metabolic acidosis buffer.
• Helps Prevent Hypokalemia: Potassium citrate provides a safe source of potassium.

Standard Process Renafood – designed for kidney support and detox.

Standard Process Arginex – promotes a physiological diuresis. It also aids in metabolizing urea for excretion. The effect is produced by arginase which breaks down arginine. Arginine builds up in the kidney as a result of protein metabolism.

So far, she’s been on the supplements for a week, as of today. Her drinking has gone down some and peeing less. Her appetite is still iffy..more so in the morning. This is due to the excess phosphorus, so need to find foods that are low in phosphorus. I have ordered Grandma Lucy’s premix and Essex Cottage Farms Kidney Diet premix. They can’t get here soon enough! 🙁 In the meantime, there is one Honest Kitchen diet that is also low in phosphorus, Preference, that I have been able to get her to eat but she isn’t all that crazy about. And another one, Honest Kitchen Keen, that is low in phosphorus but Maggie doesn’t want to eat that one.

She will however, eat Greenie Pill Pockets(JUNK FOOD!) until the cows come home with her supplements in them! Oh and she still adores duck feet chews 🙂

And the other item I went to the vet for – laser work – in hopes to help her mobility/flexibility. She was getting so she didn’t want to go in certain places in the house and had fallen down in the house and loosing strength. So, they are doing laser on her for about 10 minutes per session, 2 times a week for 6 sessions. After that, we’ll go on maintenance ‘dose’. I have seen an improvement in her strength/flexibility and willingness to move around in the house in certain areas on her own free will now. But it may be the kidney supplements may be playing a part in that too.

Here’s a photo of Maggie in her first session of laser. She has to wear ‘doggles’….she’s pretty cool in them 🙂

The reality that Maggie IS 13 years old and she isn’t going to be here forever, hit me today on our walk together. 🙁 Here’s some photo’s of her and a short little video showing that she still has her Maggie attitude 🙂

‘Til next time, keep on hoppin’!

Maggie & Tracy