Options for older dog with probable kidney failure?
Okay, first of all, I am discussing my options with the vet, but I'm waiting for them to look into some tests, so I thought I'd ask about other people's experiences.
My dog is a larger breed, and she is going on 9 years old. The only thing that gets her moving is her daily (slow) walk and her treats. For her treats, she will still prance and leap into the air, though since she almost fell down the stairs twice recently, I haven't been letting her do that as much. She only eats her kibble if we put canned food in it. The current kibble is the only kind we've found that agrees with her stomach.
Last year, she was having incontinence issues, so we took her in and thought it might be a UTI. Well, her incontinence cleared up, but the vet wanted to run some more tests on her kidney function. The results were inconclusive. We tried medication. No effect. The vet pushed for a prescription kidney diet, and said that was about the only option left, but no other snacks or treats. I brought up her food issues, and I was brushed aside. She'll eat it, they said, most dogs like it fine.
Most dogs are not my picky old lady. Her main joy in life is her food, and I don't want to take that away from her. I've also done some research on my own and am not convinced these kidney diets really help. We switched vets, and we're back where we started.
Bascially: She's getting old, sweet but not very active, and has lost a lot of weight in the past month. She has started drinking tons of water. She's not much of a fighter, so I just don't feel right putting her through tough treatments, but at the same time, I am afraid of not doing what's best for her.
Has your dog gone through this? If this is kidney failure, how much longer does she have? Will things get really bad? What treatment did you do, and were you happy with the results?