It is a fairly recent breakthrough in veterinary products that helps to slow down uremic toxin buildup and to prevent further kidney damage by providing natural Enteric Dialysis through the use of beneficial bacteria that support kidney function. It has widespread availability, is not terribly expensive, and does not require a prescription.
My vet recommended it. It brought down my dachsie's levels quickly. Ask your vet about it ... google it and you will find a lot of info ....
Thanks, Dennis. Right now he seems to have stabilized on his own. Vet says he's not in true renal failure, just that his kidneys aren't functioning as well as they could be. He's lowered his water intake and he hasn't been having accidents. I've changed his food to a Bil-Jac variety (senior, 7+) which has only about 20% protein. It's a higher protein level than I wanted (was looking around 18%) but those seem to have corn-meal as their #1 ingredient. We'll see how he does and if there seems to be a downward spiral again I'll look into the meds. That translates to about $30 every 20 days for a dog his size, but if it makes all of us more comfortable it may well be worth it.
I've had first hand experience with renal failure in a dog. I was very aggresive in the treatment of the disease and educated myself. The physical symptoms of the disease do not start to show until there has been some major damage to the kidneys. It is very important to start the animal on a renal friendly diet so future damage is minimal. For early stages of the disease, use a diet low in phosphorus, diets high in phosphorus (protein is a major source of phosphorus) have been shown to increase kidney damage. For later stages, the diet should limit protein and include a phosphorus binder.
I had a 10 lb dog and the diet I fixed for her was based on Dr. Strombeck's book and chapter about renal disease
Protein - 1.0 to 1.6 grams/pound of body weight/day
Phosphorus -max of 11 mg phosphorus/pound of body wt/day
My 10 pound dog got 11-16 grams protein/day and a max of 110 mg of phosphorus/day
Here is a quote from Chip Coombs, D.V.M.
Whereas clinical features of kidney failure do not manifest themselves until 75% of kidney function has been lost, calcium deposition within the kidneys occurs when only 50% of kidney function has been lost. In other words, kidney damage is occurring well before any damage can readily be detected by blood testing or clinical signs.
Kim with DOTL Minpins, Spc. Rusty and Spc. Cappi
2005 Ford F250 Lariat, PSD, FX4, Crew Cab, Reese 16K slider
2004 Northwood Arctic Fox 29-5T, twin Honda EU2000i Some minds are like concrete thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
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