Missy continues to do just great. I was out of town all week and got a big happy greeting when I got back. She did well all week under the care of my husband and my girls.
This morning rather than going to the health club for me I went to the health club for the pups...the dog park. I took all three at about 7am. Already the parking lot was about 3/4 full. It was a wonderful crisp fall morning. The grass was still wet with dew. Missy immediately found a new friend. A 9 month old Portuguese Water Dog. He and Missy looked like they could have been related. She's bigger and has a shorter tail and no white markings but when they ran together and all you could see was a blur of black it was hard to tell who was who. We did the whole 70 acre walk with the PWD and his dad. Missy and Miles had a grand time running, playing and exploring while my Holly trotted along behind me. Holly was found the day after Christmas (hence the name Holly) by Animal Control in 2000. She was probably just under a year when she was found. So, she's getting up there and in the last few months I've really started to notice her slowing.
Anyway, Missy got compliments on her energy for a 4-5 year old dog. She kept right up with the 9 PWD pup and my Miles (he's probably about 3).
We've gotten some e-mails with suggestions for Missy. Thank you folks for the concern and suggestions! We have had a number of tests done and so I thought I would lay it out here. But, please keep the suggestions coming.
The vet initially thought she might have medulary wash out, diabetes incipidis or kidney problems. So, we did urine analysis, blood work and a water deprivation test. Her blood tests and urinalysis ruled out diabetes and full kidney failure. Her blood tests were normal and as was her urinalysis. The blood tests also didn't seem to support kidney problems but the vet said there has to be about 75% kidney failure before it shows up on a blood test. The vet then recommended a water deprivation test. I suggested possible thyroid issues but the vet ruled that out as well with the tests we did.
The water deprivation test entailed having Missy go without drinking and then measuring the concentration in her urine throughout the day. The test measures specific gravity in the urine. Ideally, the SG numbers go up throughout the day since there is no water being taken in to dilute the urine. Missy's results showed that her SG went down slightly, 1.017 to 1.016, throughout the day and did not go up. According to the vet, she can not concentrate her urine and she suggested that Missy most likely has early chronic renal disease.
Not the news I wanted to hear. This girl is just fantastic and this just pains me. The vet recommended keeping her on a low-protien diet (but high quality) and checking back in 6-9 months. The vet also offered that there is an vet locally who is a kidney specialist who could be seen if desired and that he would most likely recommend a supplement for Missy. Ironically, the first dog my husband and I had was a poodle also named Missy who suffered from kidney failure in her old age. Back then, we fed her a low protein but high quality diet and we administered fluids under her skin regularly which helped flush out her kidneys. She was much older than this Missy but she lived for years with the care and love we provided her.
I have read that there is no adverse effect from feeding a normal level protein diet (search the web and you'll find the same). However, if you read labels you'll find that some have lower protein levels than others. Generally, those with poultry as the protein source are lower than others. So, I am giving her a mixture of regular kibble (bison based) with one that is poultry based. I also am giving her a supplement which I just drop into her food and she eats right up. The supplement is inexpensive (about $20 for 45 days). I give her occasional treats just as always and occasionally drop some Instinct raw food into her bowl as well. I like to mix things up for the dogs. Wouldn't you get bored if you ate the same thing every single meal? Her energy is great (as always), her stools look good, she sleeps and eats well. She still is thin. Last I checked she was up to about 39 pounds. I think she will probably always be on the thin side.
So, there you have it. I'll tell you that outside of making sure she has access to water throughout the day (but not too much at once) and that she can get outside to relieve herself she's just like having any other dog around. In fact, she's one awesome dog. So smart and loving. Her and Miles have played a few times but I still think Miles is a little afraid of going full-on play with her. He's about half her size and she is energetic when she plays. I'm guessing he thinks he might get hurt accidentally. When they go to the dog park though they have a great time running and exploring together.
Thanks for reading and thanks for thinking rescue!!