Couple of questions about my kidney girl

Question
Hi Dr. Chambreau,

I have an approximate 7 year old Doberman, Lucy, who has kidney disease. I am working with both a holistic and traditional vet to help my girl. Her kidney numbers are sky high. Her latest results are: BUN 215, Creat 5.2, and Phos 13.1. I am doing 750mls of sub-q fluids 2 times a day and aluminum hydroxide as a phosphate binder.

My first question is about food. Prior to her getting sick I was home cooking for her, she will not touch anything that I make for her now, so unfortunately I must resort to commercial food. She doesn't like the prescription diets much, so I was hoping that you might be able to make some suggestions of regular canned dog food that I can feed her that will be lower phosphorus and lower fat (because she just had a bout with pancreatitis). I need to find a way to get more calories in her because she is not consuming enough with the diet that her vet has her on (g/d or Royal Canin LP - she doesn't much like the LP). Is there anything that you could suggest for an appetite stimulant. I can get her to eat, just not what she should and I am trying incredibly hard to stick to her kidney diet.

She is becoming mildly anemic. Can you recommend a good supplement or food to help with this? I've read a lot of people use the pet-tinic, but with her size I don't think it's feasible to use.

My other question is about the ATCH stim test for Addison's. She tested 1.1 for an in-house cortisol at her regular doctor, so they immediately put her on pred for highly suspected Addison's. Her regular doctor doesn't feel the need to confirm diagnosis, especially since she would need to be off of the steroids to do the test and they are afraid of her crashing. Her holistic doctor wants to do the test but she would still be on a lower dose of steroids. I've been told that we would not get an accurate reading if she is on the pred still. What is your feeling on testing her while still on the pred?

If you could think of anything that may help her I would definitely appreciate the help. Overall she doesn't act very sick. She is not vomiting, she plays with her ball for hours a day, chases rabbits.

Her currents meds are:

40 mg famotidine 2x/day
500 mg of Amoxicillin 2x/day (in case this is Lepto or something like that)
10 mg pred
750 ml LRS 2x/day
4 tablets Rhemmania 8 2x/day
Urtica 2x/day
Moxibustion
Pet alive liver and immunity support 1 cap/2x/day
Kidney-tone
Inflamma-tone

Thank you so much for any help that you can give us,
Have a great night,
Ricki and Lucy

Answer
You are already doing an awesome job of treating your dog. I will make some comments that may help guide you. You need to follow your guidance, as you have been doing. Keep looking for new approaches for healing. Remember that health is a journey that always ends in death, so it is how we live each day (joy or worry/ fun or treatments; etc) that is most important. You are making enough good choices for her that she is playing for hours and chasing rabbits - she loves you for being able to do that.

Her latest results are: BUN 215, Creat 5.2, and Phos 13.1. - I have seen values much higher where the dog recovered.

Food - most importantly feed her what she loves (we want her to be happy, even if it shortens her life). Protein restriction is not critical, especially if she will eat raw meat. You say she will not eat the home cooked diet - have you tried individual foods? If not, start now - anything and everything - raw meat, fish, poultry, dairy, egg; then try cooking it; soups; baby food; canned tuna, salmon, oysters, clams, etc; fresh vegetables and fruits; even pizza, egg rolls, bagels and cream cheese. Then try all the processed foods, starting with those that say they are organic. do not worry at this point about the protein and phosphorus. Just get her eating.

Now, she may not be eating because of all the drugs and supplements she is on, so work with your holistic veterinarian (or find a new holistic veterinarian if this one is at her limit- if near wilmington - Epstein; Chester - Judy shoemaker - see FIND A HEALER, below) to use acupressure stimulation point, different chinese herbs, which drugs to try stopping for a few days, etc. My experience is that when we can re=balance the chi, or vital force, the appetite returns. Very importantly is to learn Reiki and then Reiki her food before offering it. also offer her Reiki twice a day (offer, not hands on give it).

Injectable vitamin B can temporarily help stimulate appetite. It should be in the fluids you are giving.

Find a source of Ozone therapy and use that with the fluids, and maybe as an enema.

the anemia is because the energy field is not fully balanced, so finding the acupuncture and TCVM treatments or homeopathy treatments that are best for her will resolve the anemia. If she will eat liver, that is great for anemia (must be organic).  Yellow dock, Red clover, Burdock, and Raspberry are good liver tonics and blood cleansers. Vitamin C is also good because it helps to absorb iron. I cannot recommend dosages for you as you need your integrative/holistic vet to be doing that to be sure of no interactions with all the other treatments.

I refer all my Addison cases, so I cannot help you with that decision. Again, the TCVM or homeopathic practitioner can treat without knowing those test results.

checking with several intuitive/animal psychics may help - just use your judgement about what they say, just as you do with the vet. www.pettalk.net

If you decide you need a new holistic vet, try these sites.
1. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine: www.IVAS.org & www.TCVM.com
2. Homeopathic veterinarians (these can often help you by phone if no other holistic practitioners are nearby that you like): www.theAVH.org and www.DrPitcairn.com. To find homeopathic practitioners for yourself, and homeopathic products, go to
http://www.nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/products-and-services;  http://www.homeopathicpharmacy.org/members/; http://www.nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/resources/practitioners
3. Chiropractor - www.animalchiropractic.org
4. Wide range of other treatments: www.AHVMA.org, American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and www.civtedu.org

Or, ask your TCVM vet to consult with some of the top vets in that field for more help.

Good healing, Dr. Chambreau