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Ask your vets for your dog’s full medical file (medical notes, labwork, images etc.)
Some vets will share these with you automatically, others will do if you ask. Reviewing the medical notes and labwork allows me to be more informed about my dog’s (Arlo’s) situation and have more in depth discussions about treatment options. For example, what stage of the kidney disease and which kidney values (from bloodwork or urinalysis) are elevated or below normal and by how much. Yes, the notes and labwork often contain a lot of medical terms and abbreviations, but they are not too difficult to understand after some quick research. It is also in my experience that vets are very willing to explain these terms and abbreviations to clients. Note, there is debate about what is “normal range” in the labwork especially for puppies (more on this later).
Having your dog’s full medical medical file in hand is also useful for when you need to see another vet (for example an internal medicine specialist or holistic vet on top of your primary care vet).
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Listen to your dog and be their biggest advocate
There is a lot of contradictory suggestions out there on how to best support a dog with kidney failure. Given the rarity of puppies with kidney failure, it is even more difficult to determine the best options for them. Different vets will have different opinions on how to best support your dog. They are trying to suggest the best care based on their clinical findings and observations of your dog, which in reality is just a snapshot (30 minutes when the dog is in the clinic). I strive to listen to Arlo and let him decide. Does he prefer a certain diet over others? How does he feel about needles and sub-q fluids? How is his mood and energy level? I share these observations with my vet team and occasionally pushback on their suggestions based on Arlo’s response. I am deeply grateful to have a vet team who understands my philosophy and respects (and maybe even appreciates) my questions and pushbacks. Ultimately, I want Arlo to be a happy puppy and enjoy life as much as he can.
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Get pet insurance if you can
I was initially on the fence about getting pet insurance for Arlo. Is it really worth the money? I decided to “try it” for one year and then maybe cancel if I felt it was a waste of money. Arlo was covered with pet insurance a few weeks after coming home, before any illness symptoms or diagnosis. Having pet insurance has helped me significantly reduce my financial burden in providing Arlo with the best medical care. Unfortunately, almost no pet insurance company in the US will cover pre-existing conditions (AKC Pet Insurance is the only exception that I’m aware of). I will write a more detailed post about pet insurance later.
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Join a support group
Supporting a puppy with kidney disease can be very overwhelming and difficult. At times I feel helpless. Joining a support group has helped me connect with others in similar situations and find hope and encouragement. See Useful Links for a few FB Canine Kidney Disease support groups.