Airedale

Question
QUESTION: I recently lost my airedale to rental fairure is this common.  Do you know how
this happens?  He was only 8 yrs old

ANSWER: Mary Ann -

I'm so very sorry for your loss.

I assume you mean renal failure - which is when the kidneys stop filtering the toxins out of the blood and they build up in the dog (or person for that matter).  But we don't do kidney transplants or dialysis on dogs.

It is pretty common, and a very sad way to see a loved one go.  There are so many factors - like genetic problems, cancer, other illnesses that are hiding but causing the kidney failure.  While I am ***not*** a vet, I have come to believe that many of these cases are caused by the terrible quality of the food that most dogs eat.  Commercial dog foods are just chock full of the cheapest crap they can put in there - especially corn.

Again, I'm very sorry for your loss. Airedales are wonderful dogs.

-Beth

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Beth
My biggest problem is the fact that i made his dog food.  There has to be
something else.  It really sucks.  I lost his older brother 5 months ago to cancer.  
Bad year

Answer
Mary Ann -

Makes me wonder if there wasn't some kind of hidden cancer that caused the renal failure.

My gordon setter is now 10, which is a very mature dog for her breed and especially her bloodline.  She is the only one of her litter still alive as the others have all succumbed to cancer or bloat.  I have absolutely no idea why she is doing better than her siblings, but I will take it !

I am so very sorry for your losses. I know how devastated I was to lose my first gordon and then my cairn within 4 months of each other....

Be sure to go read the Rainbow Bridge... The boys are waiting for you there !

-Beth