Have to decide how to handle serious illness!

Caro said:
Something that may help with dehydration is lactose free milk. My dogs get some every day (I mix one of the tablets into it), they prefer the full cream variety. I sometimes give it to the cats - but they are finicky eaters and like theirs with the cold edge taken off (I warm it a little in the microwave). I sometimes warm up the dogs' in winter, but Deska is so eager to get his he doesn't like to wait.

Btw - SD Kidney does come in a tinned variety for dogs.
Click to expand...

Does it make a difference if it isn't lactose free? We used to give him milk after the kids ate cereal in the morning, but haven't for quite a while because we were afraid it wasn't good for him.

Had an appt. with a new vet over the weekend. Liked the new vet quite a bit. Gave us plenty of time, explained things well, encouraged us to ask questions or suggest alternatives to what he suggested. He basically confirmed what the other vet had already told us, so not a lot of new info. In addition to what the previous vet had Fasb on (Adequan and NSAID for arthritis, prescription vitamin supplement for nutritional imbalance), we're starting him on Royal Canine's kidney diet.

We talked about steroids, but new vet feels like they pose a reasonable risk of side effects and a couple potential side effects could complicate things. We're not considering steroid right now. Going to try to cut back Metacam as much as reasonable without causing Fasb discomfort, but we feel like NSAID offers more short-term quality of life than a medication change.

We talked to vet before appt., so he knew what to expect when he saw Fasb. He was surprised how lively Fasb he seems. He doesn't see any observable signs either. Fasb seems mostly his happy, healthy self. He's still very vocal and active at home.
 
Good to hear that Fasb is feeling well. Most dogs cannot tolerate lactose. Never bothered Cody, but any dairy product gives Zulu the runs. When Cody wasn't drinking much, I added a little bit of lemon juice to his water. He liked that for a good while.
 
Thanks. Fasb's previous owner gave him milk regularly (she let him drink the rest of the milk after her kids ate their cereal). We let him do it for a bit after we got him, but decided it might not be good for him so we discontinued the practice. Don't recall any issues with the runs, and his first owner (my sister-in-law) says he was fine most of the time. I would guess he can tolerate dairy just fine.

I'll try the lemon juice. Thanks.
 
Fasb's Owner said:
Does it make a difference if it isn't lactose free? We used to give him milk after the kids ate cereal in the morning, but haven't for quite a while because we were afraid it wasn't good for him.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. Dogs are lactose intolerant so human milk can give them an upset stomach, gas, cramps and soft stools. Being lactose intolerant myself I know it can be uncomfortable. The degree of the side effects depends on how intolerant and also how much lactose is consumed. A small amount may just give a little bit of wind and nothing else. But as I give it to the dogs daily I only use lactose free.
 
Caro said:
Absolutely. Dogs are lactose intolerant so human milk can give them an upset stomach, gas, cramps and soft stools. Being lactose intolerant myself I know it can be uncomfortable. The degree of the side effects depends on how intolerant and also how much lactose is consumed. A small amount may just give a little bit of wind and nothing else. But as I give it to the dogs daily I only use lactose free.
Click to expand...

I didn't know that. Previous experience leads me to think Fasb isn't that sensitive, but no reason to take a chance. I picked up lactose-free milk at lunch and dropped it off at home.

Any idea how much is safe to give him? We don't really have an idea what a reasonable quantity is.
 
As much as he wants to drink really. I think mine would get about 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup at a time, it's enough to cover the bottom of their bowls anyway.
 
Not entirely sure Fasb wouldn't drink a quart at a time if we let him. He seems to quite like milk.

Not too keen on his new kidney diet chow yet.
 
Fasb's Owner said:
Not entirely sure Fasb wouldn't drink a quart at a time if we let him. He seems to quite like milk.

Not too keen on his new kidney diet chow yet.
Click to expand...

Try warming it up a bit in the microwave. Just enough to increase the smell. That worked with Cody for a while. I also added a little low sodium chicken broth. He liked that too.
 
Nothing new to report. It's been six weeks since initial diagnosis and we still don't see definite symptoms. A few mild, sporadic signs that might be related, but mostly he seems his usual self. Day to day, he's seems content, plays hard, barks a lot, follows us around the house, sleeps with us, etc. Nothing out of the ordinary aside from the test results.

We feel like he's doing very well. I hope this means he has a fair bit of time left, but this could be the sort of thing that goes bad very suddenly.

We're not doing too well with his KD kibble. Fasb's still not wanting to eat it. We'll keep trying. In the meantime, he's eating some of the kd diet kibble and we're doing some cooking to give him something he will eat. Long-term, we'll probably have to find an alternative to a commercial kidney kibble.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top