Kidney Issues with my pup

[DonnaB]

@Dr. Jeff

Hi Dr Jeff,

Luke is a 5yr old male Australian Labradoodle. He is 34 lbs and is a happy free gentle spirit. He was neutered when he was a year old. He has people eyes and loves to have fun. When he was 1.5 he was diagnosed with Lyme in his blood. He was not diagnosed with Lyme disease even though I had found a tick on him. He has had puppy vax, just the p's no l's and 2 rabies shots. He just had the recent one last November. It was the one without the heavy metals. He is a holistic pup with organic cooked and raw foods, spring water and lots of exercise. He has had allergies especially in the spring with itching and ear infections, which I believe are from an issue in his gut because of the vaccines.

3 weeks ago he had a bout of vomiting which I took him to his conventional vet. They said he was fine and sent him home. The next two days he was more tired, so I took him to the vet for blood work and they found him to have low platelets and high BUN. He was feeling better and acting normal, then he had another bout of vomiting after drinking a lot of water, so we limited his consumption to drinking small amounts and pureed food. They did another round of bloodwork and his platelets went up to 218 and the BUN came down 12 points. But it showed high for Lyme. We are taking him to have a sonogram tomorrow and the vet wanted to start him on doxycycline, but I don't want him to have that which will wreak havoc with his gut and affect his kidneys. She is very worried about his kidney function and so are we.

In the meantime, we saw a holistic vet who did an acupuncture treatment with vitamin B-12. He also gave him Astra Essence to take twice a day. He recommended that we have bloodwork done at his vet.

This is just a quick synopsis in a nutshell. I will upload the results so you can see them. So here we are, I am open to any holistic, homeopathy, herbal remedies to help heal Luke.

Thank you for your help.

Donna Bradbury and Luke

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi again Donna!

Thanks so much for sharing your sweet Luke's test results so quickly!

Good job!!

When you told me today that his albumin was normal at 3.3, I was surprised by the diagnosis of a PLN (protein-losing nephropathy). However, now that I can see the prior result of 2.6 (2.7 is the lower limit of normal) and urine protein of 3+, then yes. A PLN is most likely.

It definitely may be associated with excess circulating antibodies to Lyme as reflected by his C6 over 300 (negative is usually less than 15). However, this does N=not mean Lyme nephritis.

The high BUN and his very high phosphorus level may indicate the need for IV fluids (not the SQ fluid bump that they gave him before).

However, his low albumin makes giving him IV fluids a bit tricky.

When SQ fluids (the "bump") are absorbed very quickly as you described today usually means that more are needed.

Maybe the vet can show you tomorrow how to give them at home.

Please let us know whenever you get more info or have other questions.

BTW-Have you ever been to Angell Memorial in JP?

 

[Dr. Christina]

Thank you for becoming a member, Donna, and making your first post. Luke is blessed to have you already being careful about toxins and feeding fresh food. So much more you will find as you explore the HA! site.

At this point, please read the article on finding a holistic vet. It will help you evaluate the holistic vet you are working with. Is he merely treating "the disease - kidney and lyme" or is he committed to totally rebalancing the energy field/chi/vital force which will also resolve the symptoms called "allergies"? the article will help you determine this, as will reading a number of the articles on the site for kidney and lyme.

We even have a lyme disease course. Be sure to take the 101 course, especially lesson one, to orient yourself to the goal of seeing symptoms as clues to the underlying imbalance. Reading Jeff's new book, the Path to Pet Wellness, will help you deepen your relationship and ability to share a great quality of life, and not focus on diagnoses.

Very useful is to keep a journal and learn about evaluations responses to any treatments.

Oh, and if you give Sub Q fluids, be sure to warm them first. I like to keep a mug of hot water 1/2 way between the fluid bag and the dog with some of the line coiled into the mug.

Dr. Christina

 

[DonnaB]

Thank you for becoming a member, Donna, and making your first post. Luke is blessed to have you already being careful about toxins and feeding fresh food. So much more you will find as you explore the HA! site.

At this point, please read the article on finding a holistic vet. It will help you evaluate the holistic vet you are working with. Is he merely treating "the disease - kidney and lyme" or is he committed to totally rebalancing the energy field/chi/vital force which will also resolve the symptoms called "allergies"? the article will help you determine this, as will reading a number of the articles on the site for kidney and lyme.

We even have a lyme disease course. Be sure to take the 101 course, especially lesson one, to orient yourself to the goal of seeing symptoms as clues to the underlying imbalance. Reading Jeff's new book, the Path to Pet Wellness, will help you deepen your relationship and ability to share a great quality of life, and not focus on diagnoses.

Very useful is to keep a journal and learn about evaluations responses to any treatments.

Oh, and if you give Sub Q fluids, be sure to warm them first. I like to keep a mug of hot water 1/2 way between the fluid bag and the dog with some of the line coiled into the mug.

Dr. Christina

Thank you for your response Dr. Christina. We did see a great holistic vet but he is only working one day a week. I did find and integrative vet and her hours are 4 days a week. There is one more person who is a holistic acupuncturist for dogs. She will be contacting me next week, so I do have other options. I sent Dr Jeff Luke'

Hi again Donna!

Thanks so much for sharing your sweet Luke's test results so quickly!

Good job!!

When you told me today that his albumin was normal at 3.3, I was surprised by the diagnosis of a PLN (protein-losing nephropathy). However, now that I can see the prior result of 2.6 (2.7 is the lower limit of normal) and urine protein of 3+, then yes. A PLN is most likely.

It definitely may be associated with excess circulating antibodies to Lyme as reflected by his C6 over 300 (negative is usually less than 15). However, this does N=not mean Lyme nephritis.

The high BUN and his very high phosphorus level may indicate the need for IV fluids (not the SQ fluid bump that they gave him before).

However, his low albumin makes giving him IV fluids a bit tricky.

When SQ fluids (the "bump") are absorbed very quickly as you described today usually means that more are needed.

Maybe the vet can show you tomorrow how to give them at home.

Please let us know whenever you get more info or have other questions.

BTW-Have you ever been to Angell Memorial in JP?

Thank you for becoming a member, Donna, and making your first post. Luke is blessed to have you already being careful about toxins and feeding fresh food. So much more you will find as you explore the HA! site.

At this point, please read the article on finding a holistic vet. It will help you evaluate the holistic vet you are working with. Is he merely treating "the disease - kidney and lyme" or is he committed to totally rebalancing the energy field/chi/vital force which will also resolve the symptoms called "allergies"? the article will help you determine this, as will reading a number of the articles on the site for kidney and lyme.

We even have a lyme disease course. Be sure to take the 101 course, especially lesson one, to orient yourself to the goal of seeing symptoms as clues to the underlying imbalance. Reading Jeff's new book, the Path to Pet Wellness, will help you deepen your relationship and ability to share a great quality of life, and not focus on diagnoses.

Very useful is to keep a journal and learn about evaluations responses to any treatments.

Oh, and if you give Sub Q fluids, be sure to warm them first. I like to keep a mug of hot water 1/2 way between the fluid bag and the dog with some of the line coiled into the mug.

Dr. Christina

Thank you Dr Jeff,

I sent you the sonogram results, so now you have the pieces to the puzzle. I also set an appointment for April 8th. Looking forward to creating a plan to support Luke.

s blood work and now we have the sonogram results...I do believe in miracles and hopefully after he has more acupuncture treatments and homeopathy, things will be different.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Donna!

This is a great ultrasound report.

Dr. Block did a wonderful job!! Normal kidneys!!

My only concern with the findings is the small splenic mass. We'll want to monitor it's size.

 

[DonnaB]

Hey Donna!

This is a great ultrasound report.

Dr. Block did a wonderful job!! Normal kidneys!!

My only concern with the findings is the small splenic mass. We'll want to monitor it's size.

Dr Jeff, as you know Luke had the ultrasound and they shaved him very close. Today Luke has been besides himself with razor burn near his penis. It's all red and raised and I've been putting warm coconut oil on it. What else can help this situation? Aloe? Any of recommendations?

 

[GinnyW]

Aloe would be great. Not messy or greasy, and edible, too.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Yes!

Massage in aloe liquid, gel, or even use some brave “volunteers” from your aloe plant.

Do this every two hours if he’s still beside himself

 

[DonnaB]

Dr Jeff, as you know Luke had the ultrasound and they shaved him very close. Today Luke has been besides himself with razor burn near his penis. It's all red and raised and I've been putting warm coconut oil on it. What else can help this situation? Aloe? Any of recommendations?

Thank you for your response. I've tried the coconut and aloe, but was concerned with the aloe and him licking it because I read it's toxic to dogs. Anyway, he has been so agitated and cannot get comfortable. I've even put cool towels on his belly but it is not helping. The area under his arms on the side is red and raised like a rash, so I've been concentrating there. The agitation caused him to vomit the water he drank before bed. We are giving him small amounts and he's been eating and drinking fine and has not vomited in a while. Then he does this huffing sound like dry heaves. He's been doing it more at night and nothing comes up but sometimes it seems he is trying to get something out of his throat. I'm so confused and concerned and don't know where to turn at this point. I am looking forward to going over all the results and making a game plan with you. I hope you have some healing tricks up your sleeve. Thank you.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

How is Luke today?

Have you continued the Aloe (it's fine if he licks it off)?

 

[DonnaB]

Hi Dr Jeff,

Thank you so much for reaching out on a Sunday. It was such a nice feeling to know that you already care about Luke. I have also been reading your book and I absolutely love it. My views on Wholis-tic are exactly like yours! It's great to know that a wonderful veterinarian feels the same way as myself about animals.

Luke had a tough night because of the burns. Yes, we used the aloe from the leaf, but it did not have much of an effect. He was so restless and could not lay down and was pacing. He was so distraught that he kept huffing and sounding like he was hacking. We gave him water around 1:00am and he vomited just the water. I wasn't surprise because of the irritation and pain he was in. He finally fell asleep at 4:45am and slept until 7:30.

We took him out to pee around 8:00am and he chased the squirrel and when he came in he gave me the "feed me" look. He ate and forgot about the burns and was acting fine. The BEAM was helpful in determining how he's actually feeling. But when he starts to sit or rub against his abdomen, he starts the sprinting looking to find comfort.

I also spoke with Jane this morning and she recommended that I give Luke Apis 3X and to let 3 pellets melt in a glass and pour it on a towel to place on his abdomen. He is better today and Jane walked me through how to check for dehydration and he looks fine. She also recommended Lemon Balm in his food as well. We are taking him to his vet on Tuesday for an IV bubble.

I'm looking forward to talking with you so we can start Luke on a wellness protocol. We give him the Astra Essence 2x a day in his food that was recommended by holistic vet Dr Mark Russo. He is more into Chinese herbs and he did a wet acupuncture session with B-12. I am open to different modalities to heal Luke. Jane is the one who introduced me to homeopathic remedies. I use them on myself and my husband as well.

BTW, the ER where Luke had his ultrasound will also send the pictures of his abdomen. You might want to see them to get a clearer picture.

Thank you again for your caring heart,

Donna and Luke

 

[Dr. Jeff]

I'm so glad that he is better today and that he is responding well to the Api!

(when we talk I'll tell you the story of how Dr. Hering used to burn his finger on a flame as part of a demo about the effectiveness of homeopathy that he used to give).

start Luke on a wellness protocol.

You've already started (and are almost there).

The missing piece is also the first (of four) P of scientific wellness. Personalized.

Luke's body has been trying to speak to us through his symptoms, for all of his life. This week we'll start to figure out what it's saying.

And manage is "morbid susceptibility" (this is a term used in the older homeopathic literature).

As an unrelated aside, one of the hats I wore about a decade ago was as an early coordinator for Andre Saine's worldwide Materia Medica Pura Project (MMPP).

Home - Materia Medica Pura Project

mmpp-saine.com

The mission of all of us in MMPP around the world was to go through the thousands (millions?) of pages of digitized older homeopathic journals. So we could start to document the wealth of wisdom known about homeopathic medicines but which has been lost.

From there, MMPP started writing monographs about remedies. Some of them up to 500 pages long (e.g. for Conium maculatum).

The excerpt from the digitized journal linked below has a fun and informative article about being overly susceptible to stressors due to the vital force being out of balance:

Preparing to download ...

 

[DonnaB]

Dr Jeff,

Luke was doing fine on Sunday. By 8:30 pm he was acting weird, just standing and staring. His burns seemed better which was a good sign. We all went down to bed because as you know we did not sleep on Saturday night. So he went to sleep until about 12:50, then he got up and just stood there. We figured he had to pee so we took him out at 1:30. Steve thought he might be hungry so we gave him some food to see if this would make him feel better.

We went downstairs to go to sleep and Luke tried but just kept standing up and trying to lay down for 3 hours. I took him out at 4:30am to poop. He did and we came back in to try to get more sleep. He tried and I believe he did lay down for a little while because we all fell asleep, I believe. Anyway he was standing up at 7:00am again. We took him out to pee and he did fine. He ate breakfast and we took him to the vet for an IV bubble. He was shaking all the time we were there. He is shell shocked with all the tests and needles that he has put into his little body. When we arrived home he had a snack then slept for 3 hours.

Reading your book his BEAM was off with his behavior and energy. He only wants to eat the pureed steak and turkey and his beef liver treats. He does like that.

I have heard so many good things about you from other practitioners that I work with. I am hopeful for a complete recovery. I'll do all the things you recommend and be as calm as I can for Luke. He needs me to be that way.

Sincerely,
Donna

 

[DonnaB]

Just following up with our call...

Succuss the cup 5x, dip a Q-tip into it and touch the wet swab anywhere on Like's gums. Save the cup for reuse for all the doses. You do not need to add any other pellets. - I assume I'm giving him this everyday for a week and if so am I succussing it 5x everytime is dose him?
Am I also giving him this if he vomits?

Another question, I know we are addressing the vomiting because that's the most urgent issue. Once that is stabilized we will work on the spleen/blood and the Lyme issue and also the weirdness after sundown?

I would also like to give him Bachs rescue remedy to help him relax. Are you ok with that?

I will also purchase the food and binder for the kidneys.

Sincerely,
Donna

 

[Dr. Jeff]

I assume I'm giving him this everyday for a week

Nope! My homeopathic patient journey starts with a test dose of the remedy. That's a single dose. Once.

I will need to check Luke's records to know what else I advised during our two hour appointment.

and if so am I succussing it 5x everytime is dose him?

Correct. You will always be succussion 5 (or 19,15, etc.) before every dose. It has been found that patient's respond better when succussing the remedy.

Am I also giving him this if he vomits?

It depends (on his BEAM and the other context at the time.)

we are addressing the vomiting because that's the most urgent issue. Once that is stabilized we will work on the spleen/blood and the Lyme issue and also the weirdness after sundown?

The remedy will stimulate his body to eventually rebalance all of his dis-ease symptoms.

Are you ok with that?

Yes!

 

[DonnaB]

Dr Jeff,

Luke is doing well this morning and did pretty good last night. He did not vomit, but it seemed he had a little reflux. After just one dose I'm so happy and grateful. He ate his favorite steak and eggs this morning, chopped and pureed the meat. He also had a couple of spoonfuls of my blueberry and banana smoothie. He is hungry this morning as well. He looks great and has clear shining eyes. He slept from 11:30-5:00, had dinner, went out to sniff an pee. He came in and slept from 6-8, then we went to bed and he slept from 8-12. He woke at midnight and was wide awake when I was just sleeping. So, I massaged him and took him out to pee and possibly poop at 4:15am. I have to get him back on his sleep schedule because I am exhausted. Steve sleeps upstairs because he has to get up for work. And he still hasn't pooped yet. I'll take him out later to see if he goes.

This is the Aventi product I found, the one you sent was out of stock. Is this the right one?

Aventi Kidney Complete - Heartland Vet Supply

Aventi Kidney Complete Powder is a supplement formulated to promote healthy kidney function and provide antioxidant support in dogs and cats.

www.heartlandvetsupply.com

When I asked about addressing the Lyme and spleen bump, you mentioned that the remedy will stimulate his body to rebalance all of his dis-ease symptoms. Are you referring to the Nux Vomica, the structured water and the phosphorus binder?

I also found a cobalt blue bottle to create the structured water and I ordered the vegetarian treats. The other link with the food for kidneys, was not working so I left a message.

I also gave him a couple of doses of the Rescue Remedy for pets and that seemed to help him relax last night.

If there is anything else you think of, please let me know. I am on a mission to help him live his best life ever. Charlotte Gerson, Dr Max Gerson's daughter quoted, ""You can't keep one disease and heal two others—when the body heals, it heals everything."

Thank you so much for your hope and healing,

Donna

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Luke is doing well After just one dose

That's great to hear!

the remedy will stimulate his body to rebalance

are you referring to the Nux Vomica

Yes (or any homeopathic medicine that matches his internal energetic imbalance as determined by all of his symptoms).

Is this the right one?

Aventi Kidney Complete - Heartland Vet Supply

Aventi Kidney Complete Powder is a supplement formulated to promote healthy kidney function and provide antioxidant support in dogs and cats.

www.heartlandvetsupply.com

Yes!

 

[DonnaB]

Dr Jeff,

The Avant brand is all on backorder. I've been searching and I found this product. Would you recommend this one?

CORE KIDNEY CARE - Daily Phosphate Binder for Dogs

Veterinarian-formulated daily phosphate-binder supplement for supporting your dog's renal health. Core Kidney Care is appropriate for low phosphate diets.

petwellbeing.com

Luke had a great day yesterday. His BEAM was around an 8 and he ate 3 times and had plenty of energy. Last night he started that standing thing, so I gave him a shot of the Bach's rescue remedy which I had used the night before. About 15 minutes later he was doing that huffing thing and he vomited a medium amount. He was huffing and putting his nose up like he was smelling something and his body was jerking with the huff huff. I waited until that stopped and he was more relaxed. The I gave him the Nux Vomica according to your message. After that, he finally settled down and slept the whole night.

This morning he had no energy even when we took him outside he was kind of going through the motions. And he has not pooped in 3 days! I put some pumpkin in his food this morning which he only picked at. I think he needs to go and it's making him feel bad. What can I do to help him to have a poop?

And is this normal behavior, one good day and the next not to energetic?

Donna

 

[DonnaB]

So after I panicked about Luke's BEAM this morning, I spoke with Jane and she put my mind to rest about homeopathy. She mentioned that the way it works is that they go through a period where they seem to be not well for a few days, then they recalibrate and balance.

After your last message, Luke did improve on Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday. Today, he took 3 steps back, you had mentioned that if there was no improvement or he vomited to give him the remedy once daily until we have our 15 minute call.

He still hasn't pooped and was hoping you could shed some light on that as well. He is eating tonight and showed a little more energy.

Please advise and let me know that we are on the right track.

Thank you,
Donna

 

[DonnaB]

Happy Saturday Dr Jeff,

Luke finally pooped last night and he had more energy in the afternoon and wanted to eat. We all had a great nights sleep and felt refreshed. This morning we took him out and he was dragging a little, but he peed and ran after what he thought was a rabbit. We brought him in and he was hungry. We made him eggs broccoli and some beef. He ate most of it and drank small intervals of water. I did want to mention that a semi retired holistic vet suggested that I order him a mix to go with his food from Pet Child. It has all the vitamins and minerals that he needs and I would mix it with his meat. I wanted to run it by you first. And I sent you the version of the Aventi product you wanted me to purchase, it's a different brand. So before I ordered it I wanted you to let me know if this will work.

He is laying down now sleeping. We will be working in the yard this afternoon so he will be outside most of the day.

I booked our 15 minute follow up and I want to address where he is but also the hacking, what's causing it and why does he spit up water if he drinks too much.

Thank you and looking forward to speaking with you.

Donna