I think she has, but would have to check. She’s been dealing with all this for some time now. … We did speak earlier and she said it was 13 years ago they put her on them for life. She was put in the Hospital a few times for clots, with the last time having massive blood clotting on both lungs. They said she was quite lucky. (They had her thinners for 5 months after the second time and it wasn’t a week after coming off them she ended up in the Hospital, so they put her back on for life) … She also never used to have a problem with colder weather before all this, being she could go out and it didn’t seem to bother her. But they also have her taking Folbic Tablets, since she said the thinners can cause issues with the immune system and they help treat or prevent low vitamin B12.
Dave's Progress Thread - Year II
Ok, so just a quick update on Kito… Took him back to the Vet tonight, and they re-ran his blood work. - His numbers were still on the high side, but were indeed lower then what they were last week. So they are at least moving in the right direction. 
… So at this point, we will have to just continue what we have been doing this past week and see how it progresses. (Not the subcutaneous fluid treatments, but just the foods, etc.) He did throw up a few times earlier this week, as well as last night just before bed. But this could have been from the combination of foods we were giving him? We were doing half a can of the soft food, 1/2 cup of dry and a 1/2 cup of the homemade recipe. So I told V to only do the soft & dry foods and see how that goes. Vet agreed and he did better today with this. (Plus, I gave him a shot this morning to help with any stomach issues, and will just give him shots for this, whenever needed) … But he still has a good appetite and has been eating the foods with no problems, which is the big thing. Apparently these specialized foods for Kidney Failure Pups are known for not being very tasty, and from what I’ve read and was told, some dogs won’t even eat it. So this is good that he’s willing to. 
We don’t have any appointments set up for him at this time, and will only be reaching out to them if any problems occur. If not, we plan to re-visit every 6 months to follow up and see how he’s progressing. I think the next month or two should be a good indicator as to how things are progressing. I understand it’s still early and only time will tell if he continues getting better. But we sure hope so. - But the folks at the Vet office have loved getting to see him so much this past week. They are all crazy about him and believe me, he loves the attention too. As V keeps saying, if you didn’t know he was sick, you wouldn’t know it by the way he acts. He’s still his old lovable self, playing like he’s still a pup and trying to get his Sisters to play with him in the yard. I actually had to tell him to stop rolling around in the grass before we headed out tonight. So I’m glad he’s still in good spirits through all this.
That is great news, Dave, I hope that the numbers will keep improving and that this special diet will work for him =).
Thanks, Susan. Seeing that he still has his appetite in tact, seems to be a good indicator at this point. And as the Vet said, he does appear to be in good condition overall, and good spirited. He said some pups they see are already too far gone by the time they are diagnosed, so this is a good thing for him.
Go Kito go!!
I am in no way comparing my Labrador’s stomach of steel with Kito’s, but I remember our vet telling us that it’s not good to mix kibble with actual food, due to different digestion rates. We used to give Tara her kibble and then add some leftover meat trimming in the same bowl, but we stopped combining once our vet told us of this.
Thanks, Sandy. And yeah, that was my thoughts on it too so it makes sense. He’s also never been a picky eater, but maybe having to deal with too many variables within the mix was what bothered him? … Last night he was actually acting like he was hungry so we gave him another serving and he just tore it up. Then this morning, he seemed to be hungry before I headed out to work (Not the norm, since they usually eat a little later in the morning or mid-day) but I thought with him going through all this lately and even getting sick the other day that he might be somewhat on the empty side? So V made up a bowl for him and he ate it right down. (1 cup of the dry mix with 1/2 can of the soft. Same product) He even tried to go get some of his Sister’s food, after he finished his, so it seems he’s getting more used to it and we are hoping to get him on just the dry mix at some point, maybe within the next few weeks or so.
Believe me, I have no issues getting him whatever he needs and will do so without a thought. But the Kidney Care dry mix does run between $65-$70 for just a 17 lb. bag. And the cans of the soft mix are over $3 a can. So since he will no longer be eating anything else but these foods, I would much rather just have him on the dry mix. (V’s already been researching as to where we can purchase it for lowest price, along with picking him up some of special treats they make for this as well.) This is so when we do happen to give his sisters some sort of treat, he will still get something too. Spoiled little brats! 
Well Loved! Glad to hear there is improvement, and hope the changes help repair what’s happening. That’s an interesting note about mixing types of food. I’ve been making up food with chicken, rice, veggies and feeding it 1/2 & 1/2 with their dry kibble and haven’t seen any issues. A former client of mine worked for Merrick, and just hearing how they procure dog food ingredients makes me doubtful of processed stuff for my dogs (as it does for me).
I completely understand, we sometimes joke that our dog eats better than we do 
Who are we, Rockefeller? Then I see her eating dirt, compost and who knows what else…might as well buy her the cheapest food. I also try to find special deals, expenses pile up.
I’m glad Kito’s feeling better, it’s hard to see them ill. Maybe it was just one of those stomach “bugs,” one of those days?
They are, they have us wrapped around their little claws!
Thanks, and yes, they are indeed much loved. But unfortunately, there is no cure for Kidney Failure. The only thing you can do is put them on a Low Protein/High Fat Diet, which can help manage them some by basically slowing down the process of the disease itself. 
Same here, and at times, they definitely do. I once had someone stop by my house while I was grilling up some steaks in the backyard. When they were done, I gave them to the dogs and then threw some Hot Dogs on for us to eat. 
(Not kidding) I still get shit about that from time to time, (not by V or anything, just folks who think we’re crazy to do something like that) but I have no issues making them something like Steak or anything else. They deserve it, and more… 
Yep… And sad thing is, like a lot of other per owners, we’ve joked how our Pups get treated better then most folks treat their kids. And as sad as that really is, unfortunately it’s true most times. 
This is impressive. You sort of have the same journey behind you that I’m in the middle of.
However, I’m working out with heavy weight lifting 4-5 times per week.
Are you working out at all?
Dave what is that special dog food made from? I wonder how necessary it is and why. Might Kito benefit more from a carnivore diet and ketosis? With the dry food costing $4 a pound might it not be cheaper and better feeding him chicken, ground beef and eggs rather than grain based food? Meat is the natural food for dogs and cats. Just curious if it was discussed with the vet. 
Thanks, @steka. Yeah, I’m happy with the results I’ve seen thus far. I actually lost 87 lbs. my first 7 months, but then had a bit of a bump in the road, when I had to have surgery back in January for the repair of 3 Hernias. It set me back some, but seems I haven’t done much as to weight loss since. … I do have a Total Gym in my basement, along with a Treadmill, Exercise Bike, Elliptical and Rowing Machine, but I haven’t really had time to work with them much, since I’ve been extremely busy. … I mean I do still get some working out, but mostly cutting grass, cutting and splitting wood, etc. Also, lately I’ve been finally getting to Hunt again, so that means long hours, walking quite a bit and steep inclines at that, plus a lot of climbing in and out of trees, not to mention dragging deer out when I can. But yes, I do plan to get back into working out more, hopefully when things calm down some. I’m actually dealing with quite a lot of other issues presently as mentioned above, so time has been even more limited lately. Plus, as to working out, I also wanted to concentrate on weight loss before I started looking at working out more. I know some do them both at the same time but for me I thought working on weight loss first might be more beneficial. Plus the 3 Hernia’s that I had repaired kind of put me in a position where anything strenuous was out of the question. I surely didn’t want to do any type of activities that would re-injure them. But I’ve been doing much more here recently, and feeling quite good with no problems. Like moving a 1500 lb. wood splitter around and it didn’t seem to bother me at all. So I’m thinking I should be good to go.
Yeah, don’t they though! Probably thinking another pillow would be nice! … Mine own our house too, we just live there. … Shelby used to sleep with us when she was younger, but then the two siblings arrived and now they both sleep on our, um, their bed. 
If Kito isn’t on the bed, he sleeps on the floor, right next to me. Have to make sure I don’t step on him whenever I need to get up in the night. … You’d think he’d use that $100 bed he has in the living room! But only when we are out there with them. Soon as I head toward the bedroom, they run past me to get on the bed thinking it’s bed-time. But sometimes I’m just going to the restroom. 
But they do follow me from room to room though.
I’ll have to get the ingredients posted up when I get home tonight. But yes, we spoke a lot about the foods he will require, and I wish it was as simply as making him strictly Keto, or even Carnivore. (I would actually love that!) But he actually needs to get very little protein, and high fats, not to mention some other vital vitamins, etc. And these new foods are produced to provide the best amounts of what’s needed for Pups that have Kidney failure. So from speaking with the Vet and from what I’ve read on this so far, these new dog foods are said to be quite effective and a lot of folks have seen good results using them. Our Vet actually has one of his Pups on the dry mix presently, since it too was diagnosed with Kidney Failure 4 years ago. But said she’s doing pretty good presently. … But believe me, I’m not done researching. It’s not the money mind you, but the fact I want to do what I can to make sure he’s getting the best things he needs.
Ok, just pulled up some information and copied the ingredients of the Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets.
Here’s an insert of information provided for this product…
Thus far, V has been finding prices for this to still be in the $65 to $70 range for the 17 lb. bag, and $96 for the 34 lb. bag. But she’s still looking around and plans to call around more tomorrow.
It just looks like regular dog food without any meat! And SUGAR is the fifth ingredient after grains and animal fat. Bummer he has to live on that. Almost sounds like the standard SAD junk food snack. I wonder how they taste? 
As a person who lived with renal failure I can totally understand the need to keep phosphorus low. I had to take very expensive phosphorus binders when I ate, about $750 per month. And I had to try and limit it by cutting out dairy mostly and keeping meat consumption moderate. I had a special condition where I actually needed more protein than other patients because I lost protein through my kidneys (microalbumin). So it was a problem needing the protein and dealing with elevated phosphorus levels. Of course I had the luxury of dialysis three times a week to keep me alive which isn’t a reality for dogs. I hope he continues to do well on it.
Thanks, same here. But yeah, if this is what it takes, I’ll do it. But do wish it was something easier, like making sure he got so much of this or that. But oh well.
Sorry to hear you had to go through your stuff. Doesn’t sound fun and I hope things are much better for ya now. Especially if eating LowCarb is part of what’s helping.
Tara is also an “inside” dog and, just like you said, we live in her house.
She’s 12.5 years old, so we allow her more than before, she should enjoy the few years she has left. She never slept with us in her bed, she’s doesn’t like change - she’s had her spot since the beginning and is very confused if we put her mat elsewhere. My husband said he tried sleeping with her for fun when she was younger, pre- me, and he gave up quickly - she used the edge of the bed to stretch and get him off the bed.
She’s my husband’s dog, I got her as a package-deal. I never understood the love between an animal and a human…now I can’t imagine being without her.
Of course, she drives me nuts sometimes, but I forget quickly.
We have a million different brands of dog food in Europe, I’m sure you have more in US - have you looked at any other brands?
I remember a friend of mine buying food from the breeder of his Ridgeback, it was much cheaper because they get special deals. You could also try that?
Yeah, all of my dogs have always been inside Pups, and have always been given the run of the house. I like them to know it’s their home and that they have free run, and I find it makes them even more part of the family. Plus, ours are pretty smart I have to say. If one of them is maybe on the couch, chair, etc. you can simply just ask “can I sit there” and they immediately get up and move over. (Or wait for you to sit down and then get in your lap. ) But I’ve never been one to put, or even like seeing, a dog that has to stay outside in a pen or chained up. I just don’t see that as being any type of enjoyable life and you don’t get to enjoy them as much either. I want mine to be with us and not just be some type of guardian or living security system. They can protect the house even better being in the house.
As to the food brands, I think this one was suggested since our Vet’s finds it to one of the ones they’ve had good results with, not to mention one they use themselves. But did say there are plenty of others out there we could look into if we wanted. They said the main thing was to simply find one that Kito likes and so far he seems to be doing ok with this one. … He’s been eating good the past couple days, and thankfully hasn’t thrown up as well. - So I thought similarly to what you said, that maybe he just had a bug or something, or maybe it was all the stuff we were trying for him to eat? Or just a combination of everything, including all the stuff he was going through at the Vet? Can’t say, but he does seem to be feeling better presently, which is good. … But I’ll also let V know to check out some breeders as you suggested. It makes sense that they might get special deals, or possibly buying bulk. Thanks
@Elle79 Thanks, Ellen. I know it’s still quite early and that only time will tell. But he seems to be doing pretty presently and in good spirits. We are hoping for it to continue as well. Thanks
Have you guys checked chewy.com? They have a huge variety of foods and you can set up an auto delivery plan that works best for you. I have found their prices to be significantly lower than most brick and mortar stores. Delivery is free with a $50 order, which it looks like you’ll have no problem meeting! Best of luck with your 4 legged son.