New to the breed

[Twice]

Sad news to report. We took her to the vet for the way she was acting and have been told she is in kidney failure. She has been there since Wednesday. They will be re running test on Monday to see if the treatment is getting her better. If it seems to be we will get an ultrasound of her kidneys and go from there. If no major improvement we will prepare ourselves for goodbye.
Thank you all gory your kindness and input from earlier! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Nina. I'm Bev and I'd like to tell you about my Abby.

I bought Abby, a gorgeous, spunky little redheaded bully from a woman who told me that her daughter was allergic to her. She was 12 weeks old. The first night with Abby was a mess. She stunk to high Heaven!! She peed all over herself and she had bloody diarrhea. I was at the vets before they even opened. We ran a blood panel and urinalysis to test for infection or a UTI. About a week later I brought her in for a untrasound and got the news... Abby had bi-lateral renal dysplasia. Both of her kidneys were deformed and she was in full on kidney failure. Abby's kidney values were so high they told me the humane thing would be to put her down. When I refused the vet tech there told me that I was taking her home to say goodbye. They said she wouldn't last the month. They filled my car with prescription foods and sent us on our way.

Abby didn't look sick. She didn't act sick. She peed on the floor. She was a puppy, aren't they supposed to pee on the floor? She drank like a sailor on leave but so what. It's water. I decided to take her for a second opinion. I found an internist specializing in canine urinary diseases and made an appointment. Abby had another ultrasound and the diagnosis was confirmed. She also told me that Abby would not last the month. But she taught me to give Abby sub-q fluids and gave me more of that prescription food.

I smelled that crap in a can and decided no way was she going to spend her last days eating that stuff. I hit the internet and read everything that I could find on kidney failure. Both the human and animal kind. I learned what foods help, which foods hurt. I took all of my research and consulted with a nutritionist and together we designed a home cooked diet for her. A month later I took Abby for another blood panel. Her values were down! She wasn't critical any more.

I decided that as long as Abby had fight in her, I would fight for her. I would give her the best life possible, no matter how long it lasted. That's the thing that Abby taught me. None of us are guaranteed a long happy life. All we can do is love the life we are given. I loved her with everything I had.

I got copies of all her test results and studied them. I learned how to read a CBC. I learned what each value was and adjusted her diet each month based on that months results. I knew more about canine kidney disease than our vet. I got certified in canine nutrition. I have a holistic certification now too. I learned everything that I could to give her the best life that I could and I think I did that.

The little sweety head that I was told would be dead by the end of the month actually got to see her first birthday. The doctors were wrong. I didn't have to give up on her just because she was broken.

On my journey with CKD I met many other people dealing with the same disease. Some lived for just a few weeks, some survived for years. There are groups who can help you. I can give you their names. There are websites and books and blogs. I have them all. I can't tell you what to do. All I can do is to tell you what I did. I loved her even though they told me not to. I didn't give up on her when they told me there was no other choice. I loved her and I miss her like crazy. But I'm honored to have shared her in life. My life today is better because she spent some time in it.

 

[schimpfy]

Incredible share thanks for the education and very sorry sure Abby must of been as incredible as her owner