Longtime member, not active. Had a basenji with the same diagnosis back in 2004. He took a tremendous amount of bicarb each day, his Fanconi was being well managed, but he started having seizures at night. Our vet gave us something to stop the seizure that we'd administer rectally. We kept track of the number of seizures and they started becoming more frequent, to about twice a week, if I recall. The final seizure he had he went temporarily blind and howled and howled and we knew that was it was time. I just sat on the floor with him and cried. A couple months later we looked at photos we had taken of him right before and he looked very, very tired. Very much the hardest thing we had ever done was to let him go across the Bridge, but after looking at those photos, we had done the right thing. Our vet had told us that it was possible he would have a seizure and not come out of it, and we certainly didn't want that.
My Haley has Fanconi…........
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Re: The yahoo fanconi group,
I bet the moderator is just busy with Thanksgiving stuff - I'm sure they'll get to your membership soon! There's tons of good advice there so I'll look forward to seeing your welcome post shortly!
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Good idea….I'll try the once a day feeding. I should make it at a different time than when I'm giving her 10 to 12 pills that are coated in yams or other food.
Yeah, try it and see how it goes - in general - feeding twice a day helps to reduce the bile throw up from empty stomach… and if she takes pills on an empty stomach it might not sit well with her, but maybe she'll be fine with it. keep trying things until you find something that works. something will work. I pill tayda in the morning before i go to work, and just give her a few baby carrots, or a little pasta or rice (she has to be on a low protein diet cause of her high BUN/CREATININE) so that her stomach isn't empty. she gobbles those things up. then when i get home I feed and pill separately. Seems to work so far....
So how are Haleys kidneys doing besides the Fanconi? Is her BUN/Creatinine under control? What food did your vet recommend?
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What prescription food are you feeding? What are the ingredients? My first thought would be a corn allergy or a grain allergy.
It's Royal Canin Renal MP….....low/medium protein because we are expecting that her kidneys are involved or that she also has a kidney infection. I'll know the answer to that when we get the results of the urine culture - probably Friday.
The DRY FOOD has rice, corn, wheat, chicken meal and fat, egg, oil and lots of vitamins and stuff.
The WET Food has meat by-products, water, chicken by-products, rice and a bunch of minerals and vitamins.
Doesn't sound appetizing to me.
So, there's lots of grains.....I guess because it's low protein.
Hmmmmm......I wonder if she getting way too much of one or more of the vitamins or minerals since she's also taking Pet-Tabs Plus, Centrum and a potassium supplement per the Fanconi Protocol?
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So how are Haleys kidneys doing besides the Fanconi? Is her BUN/Creatinine under control? What food did your vet recommend?
Her BUN/Creatinine was high as of Friday. I think we'll do another blood gas and urine test in a couple weeks. Friday I'll find out what her urine culture says about kidney involvement, too.
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Tayda is also on a low protein diet cause of her kidneys - I haven't had her on a prescription formula yet… vet hasn't recommended one, Dr. Gonto recommended switching her to a senior diet.... I've fed her all of these with moderate success..
Blue Buffalo Senior - 18% protein
http://www.bluebuff.com/products/dogs/lp-senior-chick.shtmlWellness Senior - 18% protein
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog_wellness_dry_super5mix_Just_for_seniors.html?page=dog_wellness_dry_super5mix_seniorNutro Ultra Senior - 22% protein
http://www.ultraholistic.com/senior-dog-food-kibble.htmlI also mix in some wet food that is around 8% protein. She only likes the crap wet food so I won't tell you what that is….
Obviously, I'm not a vet or anything, but just wanted to share what foods have worked for my picky little eater that needs low protein. Oh and sometimes i pour some hot water into her food, mix some random things in - like veggies, potatoes, rice, pasta, pumpkin... whatever I have around that is low/no protein. basically, i put more effort into preparing her meal than I do for my own!
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i put more effort into preparing her meal than I do for my own!
ISN'T IT THE TRUTH?!!!!
When my sons come for Christmas they'll say I didn't put THAT much effort into feeding them when they were kids! Which is so NOT true, but that's what they'll say!!!
I'll write down your dog foods…...because the more I think about it, the more I think that the prescription food has too many vitamins and minerals to use while on the Fanconi Protocol that includes a ton of vitamins and minerals. That will be one of my questions to Dr. Gonto.
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You also should have a full thyroid panel done, not just the part that is done with regular blood work. Many times Fanconi affected dogs have very low thyroid which can effect them in a number of different ways with hair coat, things like hives, mood, temperament, eating (or not eating), weight gain or loss… Here is a link about thyroid testing. You should tell your Vet you want the full panel done. Also Dr. Dodds is another one that is happy to talk to people about thyriod problems, test results (even if they are not done through her), and treatment.
http://www.hemopet.org/services.html -
You also should have a full thyroid panel done, not just the part that is done with regular blood work. Many times Fanconi affected dogs have very low thyroid which can effect them in a number of different ways with hair coat, things like hives, mood, temperament, eating (or not eating), weight gain or loss… Here is a link about thyroid testing. You should tell your Vet you want the full panel done. Also Dr. Dodds is another one that is happy to talk to people about thyriod problems, test results (even if they are not done through her), and treatment.
http://www.hemopet.org/services.htmlOK…..I will. Thank you, Pat!
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Haley's urine culture came back and it shows e-coli, for heavens sake! So, we're keeping her on the low protien diet that gives her kidneys a break and adding an antibiotic to the daily regimine for the next couple of weeks.
The twice daily pilling is going pretty good at this point (probably shouldn't have said THAT out loud!!!!) and her appetite seems to be getting a bit better.
She still doesn't know she's sick and continues to antagonize Prince (the BRAT rescue)!
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Haley's urine culture came back and it shows e-coli, for heavens sake! So, we're keeping her on the low protien diet that gives her kidneys a break and adding an antibiotic to the daily regimine for the next couple of weeks.
The twice daily pilling is going pretty good at this point (probably shouldn't have said THAT out loud!!!!) and her appetite seems to be getting a bit better.
She still doesn't know she's sick and continues to antagonize Prince (the BRAT rescue)!
That is great, keep up the good work….. and I am sure she will feel loads better with the antibiotic
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Good to hear that she is doing better..keeping my fingers crossed she will take to the protocol with huge leaps..
is that Prince form TX?..if so he is beautiful…
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Syber-
Did you decide to go with a raw diet? Was just wondering what you decided to feed Haylie. I was also going to say that I'd be hesitant to start a dog on raw if she had some health problems or a compromised immune system. However, I will say that I do not feed raw to my dogs, so I may be biased. I do know many people who feed raw and their dogs do great on it. I think in Haylie's case, if you want to try raw, I'd start with cooked and get her healthy first.
I feed my dogs Evo or Evo/Canidae, but would NOT NOT NOT suggest Evo for a dog with Haylie's health problems.
Anyway, sounds like she's on the upswing and that's great news.
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Good to hear that she is doing better..keeping my fingers crossed she will take to the protocol with huge leaps..
is that Prince form TX?..if so he is beautiful…
Yep! The Texas Prince! He's famous! He's also as sweet as he is handsome!
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Syber-
Did you decide to go with a raw diet? Was just wondering what you decided to feed Haylie. I was also going to say that I'd be hesitant to start a dog on raw if she had some health problems or a compromised immune system. However, I will say that I do not feed raw to my dogs, so I may be biased. I do know many people who feed raw and their dogs do great on it. I think in Haylie's case, if you want to try raw, I'd start with cooked and get her healthy first.
I feed my dogs Evo or Evo/Canidae, but would NOT NOT NOT suggest Evo for a dog with Haylie's health problems.
Anyway, sounds like she's on the upswing and that's great news.
I'd started researching the raw diet thing just before all this Fanconi stuff hit….....I'd fed the kidz one or two meals raw when we got the diagnosis. So, I stopped the raw thing and Haley went on a Rx renal food.....but, I stopped feeding the Rx food a couple days into the Fanconi Protocol because her skin got VERY pink! The vet thought she may be allergic to the Rx food, but I think she was getting WAY too much of one or more vitamins because the food has a lot in it and so does the protocol..............so, now I cook healthy whole foods for both of the kidz with a little high-end kibble mixed in. I got some sample packs of dry food from a local store called "Bark Avenue". Both dogs seem to be loving the new meals. I've been feeding them a small a.m. meal and a larger p.m. meal. I went to two meals a day so that Haley would have food in her tummy when I give her the twice a day tons of pills. Couldn't NOT feed Prince if I was feeding Haley, so he gets a little breakfast, too! He's overweight.....she's underweight.......good grief! It's going to take me awhile to figure all this out!
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Glad to hear Haleys doing ok, thanks for the update
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Sadie,
Join the fanconi group that Pat recommended. It is amazing! They support you from beginning to the end. My experience with the group has been benefical for both me and my basenji. Keep us posted and hugs to Haley
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Hello everyone out there in Basenji Forum Land!
Thank you all so much for all of your advice. I have joined the Yahoo Fanconi group and have already learned from reading some of the posts….....AND I have contacted Dr. Gonto and had all of my questions answered. He's actually a pretty funny guy! I've really enjoyed my email conversations with him! He corrected me on the amount of bicarbonates and vitamins I was giving Haley and also suggested the cranberry tablets as one of you suggested. Actually, had I not been corrected by Dr. Gonto, I would have harmed her by continuing the toxic level of vitamins I was giving her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm not kidding!!!!!!!!!! So, thank you all for encouraging me to contact him! :eek:
Haley has now been on the protocol and antibiotics for 3 weeks. The first change I noticed was her fur. Her coat is so much softer now! Then just yesterday I noticed that she's finally starting to have a much bigger appetite. I've never known her to be a big eater.....but, then I've probably never known her when she's not been showing signs of Fanconi (since I think she's gone undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for at least 2 years). She seems to be playing with her toys more and acting younger, too. She's also been antagonizing Prince (the new BRAT rescue) a lot..........which is a good thing - unless you're Prince!!
We went through a rough patch with all the pilling, but I think we've worked out the bugs. I'm using some of the suggestions I've gotten on this forum and the Yahoo Fanconi Group. What a great support system Haley and I have!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!!
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Sadie..
I am so glad to hear an update on Haley, I was thinking of her the other day(I guess I should've asked, but you beat me to it..). Sounds like things are going very well..keep us posted.. -
Thank you for update on Haley best news of the day. Sounds like all is great and doing better every day. Thank you for caring and reading looking until you found what would help Haley and for not giving up your super. Merry Christmas and Best for Happy New Year.
Rita Jean
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That is great to hear….. and you would want to see if your Vet would get in contact with Dr. Gonto, so that he/she understands how the protocol works.
