thank you

Question
dear patti ,
                  thank you for all your help i will probobly write you back if any thing gets worse . um dad took belle to the vet and shes had this disease for so long that we cant give her the stuff you said we could give her the last time i wrote to you . btu i told dad to tell the vet about nutri-cal and we got that and a medicine called metoclopromamide and we just gave it to belle and instintly she got some of her energy back . my question is ... her breath smells really bad . why , and do you know how to make it stop ? we tryed brushing her teeth and that made it smell a wee bit better.
                                      from, happy erica

Answer

Hi Erica,

I'm glad Belle is doing better!

Just so you know, Metoclopromamide is used to treat heartburn caused by acid reflux. If it's expensive, you can ask your vet to recommend an over the counter antacid, such as Pepcid AC, or Zantec which you can probably find as a genetic "house-brand".

You might find that the nausea comes and goes. Smaller meals offered 3-4 times day, rather than one or two feeding times can help Belle from getting nauseas. Small meals offered offered more frequently during the day can increase Belle's overall food intake, which helps to keep weight on her. You may find that Belle's nausea happens at certain times of the day and not at other times. Feed her during the times when she's most likely to want to eat.

You didn't say what Belle's regular food is. Usually, a dog with kidney disease is given a decreased protein diet. This special diet will lighten the workload on the kidneys. Canned food is usually more palatable to the dog, but because it's moister than dry food, it's also easier on the kidneys.

It's important to control phosphorus levels for dogs with kidney disease, this is usually done by using a "Phosphate binder". Phosphate binders are a group of medications used to reduce the absorption of phosphate and taken with meals. This can be done by restricting phosphorus in the dog's diet, or it can be done by adding calcium to the diet. Phosphate binders should always be given with meals, to help bind the phosphorus in each meal. A simple and inexpensive Phosphate binder to use is regular strength Tums, but you need to talk to your veterinarian to get the correct dose, and to confirm that Belle's blood calcium levels are normal and not elevated (something which would be on any blood tests your vet has run).

Belle's bad breath might be caused by tooth decay, or another dental problem. She's probably not able to undergo a professional tooth cleaning, because for dogs it's more like surgery. The vet needs to put a dog under an anesthesia to knock them out, and Belle might not be healthy enough to undergo that. You should continue to brush her teeth since you've said it seems to help. If the cause of her problem is decay, keeping her mouth as clean as possible (by brushing daily) helps bacteria from spreading to her internal organs.

It's also possible that Belle's bad breath is caused by her Kidney disease. If this is the cause, it's due to toxic substances building up in her blood stream.

Feel free to get back to me if I can be of further help.

-Patti