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HI ALL. IT’S BEEN AWHILE SO HERE’S AN UPDATE.

Miss Mary

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Mary
Hi all. It’s been some time since I’ve posted anything so thought I’d bring you up to date. It’s been a crazy and hectic summer with so much going on. To start we had 5 weddings from July-September. We also had our front porch closed in during the month of June and sadly my 12 year old pup Roxie became very ill in June and test revealed that her kidney’s were not functioning right. Her doctor felt that because she has a strong heart and clear lungs she was a good candidate for dialysis at home. June and July were tough months but I am happy to say that she is responding well to the treatments which she gets every day. She is doing well with bad days few and far between. Unfortunately her time with us is only as long as she responds to her treatments. Could be days, months, or years.

Regarding Kai, he is still thriving and as loving as ever. He loves eating a large variety of foods so I am making and freezing. I am excited to let you know that he now has a vocabulary of 22 words and 9 phrases so a BIG THANK YOU to all your replies on how to teach him to talk. I just love chatting with with him and he loves talking. He is an excellent traveler and has made many trips back and forth to Pennsylvania over the summer. He seems to have adjusted well to the changes in the two houses. I brought Kai home in late November at the age of 8 weeks and feel he has done beautifully in the 9 and a half months he’s been part of our family. I have all of you to thank. Everyone who has replied to my concerns with suggestions on what to do or what not to do has added to the well being of my little guy and I gratefully THANK YOU ALL.

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful summer.
 
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fashionfobie

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I am very sorry Roxie is having some hard times. I lost my dog Oct 2018 from pancreatic problems. It was really hard. I am very glad that Roxie is responding positively to the treatments. Treasure your time with her.

:sadhug::sadhug::sadhug:

I am so glad Kai is doing well :) I had a funny feeling he would adapt to your lifestyle with him!
 

Nikomania

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@Miss Mary I am extremely interested in your Roxy's home dialysis treatment. My 12 year old German Shepherd was diagnosed last month with moderate kidney failure. They recommended SQ IV hydration several times per week and putting her on a renal diet. I have yet to do the SQ treatment because her drinking and peeing seem to be within normal limits, and she's still acting 'non toxic'.
What do they have you doing for her? Do you have a special blood filtration machine at home???
 

Miss Mary

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@Miss Mary I am extremely interested in your Roxy's home dialysis treatment. My 12 year old German Shepherd was diagnosed last month with moderate kidney failure. They recommended SQ IV hydration several times per week and putting her on a renal diet. I have yet to do the SQ treatment because her drinking and peeing seem to be within normal limits, and she's still acting 'non toxic'.
What do they have you doing for her? Do you have a special blood filtration machine at home???
I am so sorry to hear about your pup. It’s so heartbreaking when our loved pets are sick. Prayers for your pup.They call it home dialysis but no there is no blood filtration machine. She is on an IV bag and gets 150 ml of fluid administered under her skin between her shoulder blades every day. She also has several medications she takes. Azodyl twice a day at least one hour before feeding. Epakitin twice a day on top of her food. Gabapentin (for nerve pain) 2-3 times a day. Medrol (for inflammation) once a day. She was also taking an appetite stimulant once a day 45 minutes before her morning meal but has been off it since the middle of July because her appetite got better She is also on a prescription dog food (Urinary SO) which she has been on since she was five years old because she was producing crystals. Roxie was very sick in June. Just woke up one morning and was having difficulty walking. Took her immediately to her doctor. Knowing she has arthritis he put her on arthritis medication but two days later she wasn’t eating so her doctor ran a complete blood test and did an X-ray as she had a lot of sensitivity when touching her on the back end of her back. X-rays was fine but I got a call the following morning to bring her right in. Her kidneys were loaded with poison and not filtering properly. Because she has a strong heart and good clear lungs he thought she was a good candidate for home treatments. I was taught how to insert the IV needle which is no small needle. She will be on the IV bag and the medications for the rest of her life. I am happy to say that she has come a long way from where she was in June. I pray that she will continue to respond to treatment and have a good quality of life. The hard part is there is no cure for her nor will she get better. She is on borrowed time and each day is a gift. Hope this helped.
 

Miss Mary

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I am very sorry Roxie is having some hard times. I lost my dog Oct 2018 from pancreatic problems. It was really hard. I am very glad that Roxie is responding positively to the treatments. Treasure your time with her.

:sadhug::sadhug::sadhug:

I am so glad Kai is doing well :) I had a funny feeling he would adapt to your lifestyle with him!
Truly sorry to hear about your pup. I’ve had two dogs before Roxie. My Lass lived to be 14 and a half years and my Kassie lived to 15 and a half years so I know how heartbreaking it is to lose a loved pup. It’s always hard but I think losing a pup to an illness is the toughest. My heart goes out to you.

Regarding Kai, thank you. He certainly puts a smile on my face.
 

Nikomania

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The only thing that our vet prescribed was IV SQ boluses as needed and a renal care kibble. I added a kidney support supplement that contains, don quai, astragalas and rehmannia root, plus a few more herbs.. Will look up your baby's meds to see if I need to look into adding something else to her treatment regimen.
 

Miss Mary

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Mary
The only thing that our vet prescribed was IV SQ boluses as needed and a renal care kibble. I added a kidney support supplement that contains, don quai, astragalas and rehmannia root, plus a few more herbs.. Will look up your baby's meds to see if I need to look into adding something else to her treatment regimen.
I would check with your pup’s vet before giving her any of the medications Roxie is on. Their conditions may be entirely different. Roxie was very ill. At her worst she was disoriented, could hardly walk, and had a hard time breathing. She stopped eating and was starting not to drink. She was on Entice (appetite stimulant) and Prednisone along with the IV and other medications (except Medrol) for a long time before she started eating on her own again. I was hand feeding her trying to get her to eat. I’m happy to say that she slowly started eating on her own a and now has her healthy appetite back again. Her doctor also switched her from Prednisone to Medrol (which is similar to Prednisone. All her other medications are the same. I will be thinking of you and your pup so please keep me posted on how she is doing. The best to you and your pup.
 

Nikomania

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Thank you, @Miss Mary. My baby's renal failure was picked up during routine bloodwork last month. I would have never known she was in renal failure otherwise. The only symptom she had was a slight increase in thirst!
 

Miss Mary

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Thank you, @Miss Mary. My baby's renal failure was picked up during routine bloodwork last month. I would have never known she was in renal failure otherwise. The only symptom she had was a slight increase in thirst!
It’s a good thing your pup was due for a routine blood workup and her doctor caught it in it’s early stage. Unfortunately Roxie had her annual checkup months before and her bloodwork came back fine. She was in perfect health at that point.
 
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