chronic kidney disease in german shepherds

[frankie]

I have just found out from my vet that my german shepherd dog who will not be 9 until october has been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.
I have been told there is no cure.
I have been told that the disease could have started from as far back as 2 years ago but unfortunately the disease takes hold before the symptoms show as they have just done so.
My vet who i have great faith in has told me that fireking will last for maybe 6 - 12 months but she could not be certain of that as it is a degenerating disease.,
She also told me that he could as soon as 2 - 3 weeks start becoming confused and disorientated.
BUT she told me he is not in any pain.
Does anyone else out there know more about the condition and what i can do to help the love of my life?

[DaneGirl2208]

hi again i am so glad you posted on here, once again i am sorry to here about fireking and wish i knew how to help, someone will come along that knows somthing im sure

[arfvol]

I'm very sorry to hear about your German Shepherd. I know how it feels. My own dog was in acute kidney failure 3yrs ago, and while the symptoms come on fast and he dropped quickly, it was also something we could work on and get his kidneys back to functioning (minus 75% of his cells, of course). He's now turning 9 and doing well.
With chronic kidney failure, it does come on slower, and your vet is correct that kidney cells do not repair themselves. However, there are things you can be doing to both extend his life and keep him more comfortable. I don't know what your dog's kidney values are, but if he is close to becoming toxic from not filtering them out through his kidneys, you may want to discuss IV fluid therapy for a few days in the hospital. At home, you can be giving him fluids under the skin to keep him hydrated and "filtered". The more water he can drink on his own, the better. If he likes ice cubes- great. Add some to his water also to incourage drinking. Keep his diet a low protein, low phosphorus one; there are several on the market you can try, some prescription, some not. If his phosphorus levels are high, there are phosphorus binders available through your vet as well. The less the kidneys have to work at this stage, the better. i hope I've helped a little, and don't give up- you are obviously a concerned, loving owner to your dog and he can still be with you for quite some time. Unfortunately, no one knows when they'll be taken from us, but you can be there for him and do what you can. Keep us updated.

[frankie]

Many thanks to the responses and encouragement. obviously i shall do anything that is possible for fireking to get better and more comfortable.
It is nice knowing that there are other dog lovers out there who can offer support and comfort through a very distressing time.
Thanks and Blessings to all.
Frankie