My puppy has kidney failure and is struggling. Should I let him go?

I think it is too early to think about euthanasia, however Bucky does need to see a vet/emergency vet again today. He will need to be put on fluids again the very least. Have a talk with the vet about his condition, ask what the chances of him having a good quality of life are and then this will make your decision based on facts rather than feelings. Sometimes it takes a while for a dog to get better and in the meantime we think he is suffering terribly. But there may be a chance to recuperate.

Poor Bear! Sorry to hear he is going through so much trouble. The first step is to figure out if he actually has kidney failure through some bloodwork. Your vet can test the blood and urine and see how well the kidneys appear to be functioning. If they are in the early stages of failure, you may be able to help by changing to a prescription diet and giving medications to support kidney health. If they are very badly damaged, then the situation may be harder to treat. Palliative care and keeping Bear comfortable for as long as possible may be the best option. Another thing to look into is pet insurance to see if you could get some or all of Bear's care covered by insurance costs to help reduce the financial burden on you. This link may also help give you some ideas about how to handle finances and give Bear a fighting chance: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html No matter what, it sounds as if Bear is in very good and loving arms and is very lucky to have such caring people.

I don't really have any insight into his lab work without being able to see the results, but it sounds like you're not ready to consider euthanasia. You may want to ask your vet if there's anything else that can be done for Baxter - depending on the cause of the kidney failure he might benefit from more intensive 24 hour care at a specialty hospital. Since he is still eating and drinking you could also ask about hospice care - he may be comfortable for a little while longer with fluids at home. At some point it sounds like you will need to make a decision regarding euthanasia - these links might help: https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-decision-of-euthanizing-your-pet/ https://www.ahelpproject.org/ https://www.iaahpc.org/images/BarkArticleSpring2014Goldberg

In cases of kidney failure, it's not so much the BUN number, it's the quality of life that's examined the most. Some dogs can have only moderately high levels of BUN, but their quality of life has deteriorated to a point when it's kinder to let them go peacefully. Losing weight is a common problem of kidney failure, and given that Beau is a toy breed, a pound and a half is a lot for him to lose. I would make a list of five things that he loves to do, and if he isn't doing at least two of them anymore, then his quality of life has deteriorated to a point where euthanasia should be considered. Weight loss is another consideration, and if he's becoming very skinny, that's not a good quality of life for him as well. Because I can't see him in person, I would discuss with your vet as well what they think his quality of life is at this point, and their recommendations for him. It's never easy to make the decision to let a beloved pet go, and often they are ready to go before we are ready to let them go. I work for a home euthanasia company, so I face these questions all the time from clients, and I'd be glad to consult with you further if you'd like to talk more. Just click on the "consult online" button under my answer. Good luck with Beau!

I'm very sorry to hear about this situation. Sadly, even if Kody would tolerate fluid therapy at home, it would not reverse the renal failure. When we are giving subcutaneous fluids at home, we are trying to keep our pets comfortable and give them more time. In patients that do tolerate it well, it still only helps for a while. Making the decision to euthanize is never easy. What I never want to see is a patient that ends up resenting the care their family is trying to provide, and making their last days miserable for everyone involved. If you absolutely wanted to keep going and keep trying, you could hospitalize with IV fluids, or take him to the veterinarian for daily subcutaneous fluids, but if he hates the treatment, I'm not sure that is what most people would want their pet's last days to be like. I can only access how Kody is doing based on the information provided, but it sounds like you are at a point when it would not be wrong to consider euthanasia. Even knowing it is the right thing does not make it easy. I wish I had better answers for you.

Greetings. First, I'd like to say how very sorry I am for your loss. I know how hard it is to say goodbye to a pet, especially when we can never be sure what they're thinking or feeling. At 15 years old, it sounds like Rocky had a wonderful, long life with you. Without knowing his exact history, I'm afraid I won't be able to tell you a whole lot about what he might have experienced specifically, but what I can tell you is that chronic kidney failure is a debilitating, painful disease process that only gets worse with time. With 100% certainty, I can say that if Rocky was exhibiting the classic symptoms of kidney failure and not responding to the suggested treatment, you absolutely made the right decision to let him go. Euthanasia is, of course, and extremely personal and heart-wrenching decision to have to make, but it is, in all regards, the last great gift that we can give our beloved pets. Unfortunately, I can't have a proper back-and-forth discussion with you about Rocky in this particular format, but if at any time you would like to discuss his particular condition in more detail, please feel free to look me or any other of our pet experts up in the Consultation Center for one-on-one guidance. Please try to take comfort in knowing that Rocky can no longer experience any pain or distress from his chronic disease, and that he loved you for giving him the best of his life, and for the great gift of choosing to let him go during the worst of it.

I'm so sorry that you are dealing with this difficult decision with Whisky. If your vet has said that we are out of treatment options for Whisky's liver and kidney disease and he has stopped eating and drinking, then I think it would be the kindest to euthanize him at this point since we do not have any hope of him getting better, and we do not want him to suffer. Again, I am so sorry.