My dog collapsed. Vet says weak heart & CKD. What should I do?

I'm sorry to hear your dog isn't doing well. No, this isn't normal - if he has been diagnosed with kidney failure then I recommend keeping him hospitalized and on IV fluids until his kidney values improve and he's feeling better and regains his appetite. Sometimes we can turn kidney failure cases around, and sometimes we can't - it really depends on their response to our therapy. Your vet may have not been open for the weekend and therefore had to discharge him Friday, but I recommend looking for the nearest 24 hour emergency vet location if he's still doing poorly, and then potentially transferring him back to your vet Monday morning.

I'm sorry Brownie isn't doing well! It sounds like he has heart disease, which can be common in senior dogs. Unfortunately there is no cure for heart disease, but the symptoms can be managed with medication. The echocardiogram (ultrasound of his heart) will give more information on how his heart is pumping blood and how serious his heart disease is so that a prognosis can be given. This doesn't necessarily mean he will die soon, but it's unfortunately a possibility given his age. Hopefully the heart disease isn't significantly progressed and medication can help him, and the echocardiogram will provide more information. I hope this helps.

Sometimes a kidney biopsy or ultrasound might show changes to the kidneys that are consistent with a problem present since birth, but other times it’s impossible to know what initially triggered chronic kidney disease. I’m concerned about the bloody stool and collapse - it sounds like Angel is in serious condition. I’d recommend taking her to a veterinarian if you’re able. Dehydration can be more serious for dogs with kidney disease and at the very least your vet your vet may want to give her some fluids.

It sounds like Ingmar could have a serious health issue related to heart disease, seizures, or toxin exposure. I strongly recommend you have him examined by a veterinarian right away as some of these issues can be life threatening. Your veterinarian can assess Ingmar for a heart murmur and take X-rays to determine if emergency heart medication is needed. If seizures are suspected, then medication may be needed to prevent them in the future. Blood work should also be done to ensure no organ issues are present. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Ingmar makes a full recovery!

Those are a lot of issues to manage at once. Kidney disease can make many painful conditions harder to manage since some pain medications can’t be used. Gallstones can cause issues that may require surgery. There isn’t a good treatment for tracheal collapse other than to keep them calm, manage coughing and inflammation, and weight loss if they are overweight. Your question may be better suited to the vet that has all of the lab results. If you can get a copy, you can use a Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach consult so we can evaluate them and help you decide where to go next.

I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. Unfortunately, chronic renal failure is a common problem in elderly dogs, and is often in the late stages already by time it's diagnosed. The situation was likely complicated by the fact that your girl also had CHF, because the treatment for renal failure (lots of fluids) is essentially the opposite of what dogs with heart disease need to control their symptoms. So we are often stuck between a rock and a hard place, when it comes to trying to treat dogs who have both of these problems. It sounds like your girl had a wonderful life, to have made it to 17 years old. It doesn't sound like there's anything at all you could have done differently - these are both just bad diseases, that are unfortunately common in older pets. Again, I'm very sorry for your loss.

I'm so sorry that happened! That is so scary and stressful. It may be a good idea to talk to your vet about having some chest X-rays taken. If her heart is enlarged, an echocardiogram (sonogram of the heart) would be indicated to see if she has heart disease. Other things we may find on chest Xray would be possible concern for cancer. Since Tally is 8, she is at an age where that has to be something on our list of concerns. Even without a heart murmur, she may have some heart dysfunction that lead to collapse. Additionally, though her ECG was normal, sometimes arrhythmias are not persistent, and a cardiologist may recommend telemetry (wearing an ECG for an extended period of time). Its even possible to have a significant arrhythmia abnormality without an enlarged heart on Xray, so if a cardiologist consult is in your budget, you might talk to your family vet about a recommendation. Please watch her closely at home. If she is vomiting or is not eating, if she seems very dumpy and lethargic, or if she is having a hard time breathing or is breathing very fast at rest, please have her seen today instead of waiting until Friday. I hope she is doing well today; thinking of you guys. My best to Tally!