My dog won't stop vomiting; vet says kidney reduced. What to do?

A urinalysis would be needed to see if the increased kidney values are because of kidney disease or dehydration. I am concerned about liver failure causing the low protein levels and hypoglycemia. Additional diagnostics would be needed to determine the cause and most appropriate treatment. An ultrasound, biopsy or culture may be indicated. Symptoms can be treated individually, so discuss the use of anti-nausea medications with your vet. Other medications may also be indicated to reduce the effects of digestion with a failing liver, like metronidazole, lactulose, denamarin, and others.

It sounds like their treatment didn’t resolve the symptoms. Things like pancreatitis or GI obstruction won’t show up on routine blood work, so I would recommend calling the vet today for what needs to happens next. If an obstruction is one of the vet’s concerns, they may recommend x-rays or ultrasound. If pancreatitis is a concern, then usually they need to go on IV fluids for a day or two.

I'm sorry to hear that Goldie is feeling so unwell. Thank you for attaching his blood results. They do show signs of liver disease (high ALT, ALP). Low albumin can also be tied to liver disease, as the liver is responsible for making albumin. A low creatinine value is less of a concern than a high value. Some possible causes of elevated liver enzymes may include infection, toxicity, liver shunt, liver mass, or chronic hepatitis. I would suggest an abdominal ultrasound and a bile acids test as a next step. If Goldie is still vomiting and feeling unwell, he may also need to be hospitalized back on IV fluids again to restore his hydration and energy. I hope this helps, and that Goldie is feeling better soon!

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

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If xrays and general labwork have been performed already, I would start looking for other possibilities causing this with more advanced diagnostics such as an abdominal ultrasound and GI panel to begin with. Another disease they could investigate is Addison's disease. This would expand the diagnostics to the point of being able to more extensively look into what may be causing this in him. Treatment if any would depend on findings. Good luck!

I'm sorry Athena is so sick! Yes, I would be concerned that not being able to keep down water is an indication of something worse, such as cancer which is always possible in a senior dog. It could also be an indication that her kidney disease is getting worseI would definitely take her back into a vet immediately. It's very serious when a dog with kidney disease cannot keep down water, as that will quickly lead to dehydration and damage to her kidneys. She needs IV fluids to prevent dehydration and testing to diagnose what is causing her vomiting. I'm not sure what testing was done, but I'm assuming blood work was done if her liver values were not not elevated. An abdominal x-ray may be called for in this case, but the vet can decide what tests would be best. Regardless, dehydration has to be avoided at all costs, so take Athena back into the vet right away.

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.