Dog's stomach gurgles, diarrhea, won't eat. Seeking second opinion.

Poor Bubbles! There are so many things that can cause these things. An elevated creatinine level could be secondary to true kidney issues or dehydration or other illnesses. I would have your vet do a urinalysis on her to see how well her urine is concentrated. If it isn't directly related to the kidneys I would be looking for other things that can affect the kidneys like dehydration, leptospirosis, addison's disease, etc. I would also have your vet check her fecal for any parasites. Your vet should also be able to do x-rays to ensure there isn't a blockage or tumor in her abdomen. I hope this helps!

BUN and CREA are severely elevated and the cause of it should be ideally understood by performing a urine analysis (and specifically a urine specific gravity to rule out kidney failure). Mild anemia (lower RBCs) can be present during kidney failure. Amylase is another important value as severe elevation could be compatible with pancreatitis, which can cause the signs you are describing. CPLI test can be performed as well to rule out pancreatitis. Please discuss all the options with your local vet.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. With an elevated kidney value (creatinine) and fluid in the abdomen, I would be worried about protein loss (albumin) through the kidneys, resulting in decreased oncotic pressure within the vessels of the body. This is called a protein-losing nephropathy (PLN). This can result in fluid leakage out of the vessels and into the abdomen. But, without knowing what the type of fluid is in the belly, it is difficult to know what the true cause is. The best option would be to have a sample of this fluid analyzed, and an ultrasound of his abdomen to be performed, and a urinalysis + urine protein:creatinine ratio performed. A creatinine of 4.1 is quite high, so Ludo likely has a component of acute kidney injury. He would benefit from further workup by a veterinarian to best understand his underlying disease process, and therefore what his prognosis is. I hope this is helpful - best of luck with Ludo!

Hello, thank you for your question about Loki. ALT is a liver enzyme and elevations can be a sign of underlying liver disease (caused by infection, inflammation, etc). BUN is considered a marker of kidney function but can also be elevated for other reasons, such as GI bleeding. Depending on the severity of these elevations and Loki's history I would recommend testing him for an infection called leptospirosis, as this disease can cause liver and kidney abnormalities. Alternatively, If Loki is still feeling well and the metronidazole is improving his symptoms, you could continue with this treatment regimen and monitor him for development of any symptoms. I would recommend rechecking these values after he has finished the course of metronidazole and considering the need for other diagnostics at that time. Hope this helps, good luck!

Hi there and thank you for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear Simba is not feeling well. It is hard to say exactly what is going on with her sight unseen, and there can be many causes to the symptoms you have described. Ingestion of a toxin, internal organ dysfunction like liver or kidney disease, and pancreatitis are just a few possibilities. I agree with you that it sounds like she is experiencing some pain and should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible so a diagnosis can be made and treatment can get underway so she starts feeling better soon. Best wishes and best of luck to you and Simba!

The bilirubin is a bit high, as is the ALP (alkaline phosphatase) but neither of these values is super specific in terms of what the cause or the best treatment is. We can see the ALP be elevated with stress, age, and sometimes even normal cell regeneration within the liver. The bilirubin can be slightly elevated when the blood sample is what we call "hemolyzed," which can sometimes happen when blood is spun down for a blood test to be run. Therefore, if he is still showing symptoms of illness, I would echo what Dr Ana said; it may be time to consider imaging. Either X-rays or an abdominal ultrasound maybe helpful in identifying the problem and therefore identifying the best way to treat it. Take him back to the vet if he's still having troubles, as he probably is in need of some more fluids as well. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach, I hope he's feeling better.

The BUN and creatinine values are extremely high indicating that the kidneys are not working to clear the toxins out of his blood stream and this is very serious and indeed potentially life threatening. The low red blood count or anemia is also a concern and may be linked either to blood borne parasites or kidney failure. Intensive fluid treatment and kidney support is required, in many cases of sudden onset kidney injury in younger dogs, recovery is possible if there is enough normal kidney working in the short term