Kidney problems in small dogs help advice

Hi my 13yr old 8lb Yorkshire Terrier has just been diagnosed with (early stages (the vet thinks)) kidney problems. I am looking to find the best food to feed him so that he is as happy and as healthy as he possibly can be in he later years. I have been researching online and have some concerns regarding prescription diet foods, so I am after some homemade recipe's tailored to small dogs or advice on how to make my own with everything in it that he needs to be healthy and happy. As all I've found are for larger breeds. Is there a list anywhere that can give me all the foods he can have or needs to avoid as there are lots of conflicting information online and I have gotten nothing of real help from my vet. Also I have read that he can't have over the counter flea treatments. what does everyone else use? Is there anything else I should avoid for him, and what are the alternatives? also while researching online I've come across recommendations for Chitosan and Ipakitine are they similar, if not can they be used inconjunction together safely? A very concerned pet parent.

Hello!  I am sending trust issues between yourself and your vet.  It is interesting that you have read something online that conflicts with the veterinary advice and are immediately choosing to believe it over the professional advice that you paid for. That is not to say that all vets are always right about everything and it is always good to ask questions.  My question to you is, who wrote the online information?  Does science support what they are saying?  What ARE the precise  concerns you have about the prescription dog-food?  It will probably help you to write these down in advance, so that you are clear.  You then need to present these to your vet. Remember that your vet is obliged to tell you the truth to a reasonable extent based on the science they have learned.  If they record that they have told you incorrect information and harmed your pet, they will be responsible for this.   Online, people can make claims without any obligation to check the sources or their information whatsoever. However, if you still have concerns after speaking to them, your vet should be able to cite the sources of their information in order that you can check the scientific basis for yourself and make up your own mind. Most people find this to be a lengthy process and hard work, requiring a level of scientific understanding and vets (and all the guidelines regulating vets) exist so that you have a reliable short-cut based on generally-accepted current science, to save you this trouble.

Sorry - I lost track there.  Let me come back to the questions. I think you need to list your concerns and ask your vet whether it is appropriate to prescribe the alternatives eg Ipakitine that you have found.  In general, I am a supporter of renal food and your vet or the pet food company should be able to show you scientific papers that their recommendation is based on.

Hi Liza Buchanan your right I do have trust issues with the vet as I was given no information on my furbabys condition all I was told was (take him home if he deteriorates bring him back and he will be put to sleep) I was told that there was no other treatments available but online there are treatments that he could be getting. Since coming home he is a far cry from the (end of the road) they put it across that he was. I wasn't even told to bring him back for a follow up appointment. There are a lot of people and sites that have information on how bad the renal diet food is. I asked the vet for advice on both the prescription food and homemade and the way they acted was as if I wasn't wanting to do my best for him which is all I want to do. I feel like they have written him off because he is 13. So I have no confidence in them when they didn't even tell me something as important as he cant have conventional flea treatments. I have asked them questions and gotten no information back i.e. what level of kidney problems does he have?? What symptoms to watch out for?? How much water should he be drinking a day to stay hydrated and for his kidneys?? plus many more. I am asking on here so that I can make sure that my furbaby gets everything he need to live a long and happy healthy life for as long as possible. My concerns for the dog food are inferior quality products at 3x the price. Also the fact that he is a picky eater regarding dried dog food and I don't want to buy something that he may possibly not eat that is so expensive. He eats cooked veg and meats now so I know that he would eat homemade food. As I said earlier I only want what is best for him and if that means I research online and ask every site/organization/ people possible to find out what is the best for him then that is what I will do.

It sounds extremely stressful for you.  We cannot safely tell you what level of kidney problems / what diet / how much water, but it sounds as though you need someone to tell you pretty quickly. This leaves 2 options:. (to follow)...      

1) Write a list of the things that your vet hasn't told you, and that you need to know.  Finding out the answers is the most important thing.  Ask for a consultation with your (or a different) senior vet, let them know you are not happy with / clear on the plan and would like to go over it.  Hopefully you may get an explanation that is clearer to you this time around.

Or 2) Reading your comments, you may be at the point where you feel you want to move vets.  This is best done by choosing a vets, telling them that this is an ongoing problem already under treatment and where,  and perhaps calling the previous vets (you don't have to enter into a discussion about the reasons) to ensure that they know it's ok to forward the information on. Best of luck

It is worth mentioning that when people move vets and don't correctly transfer the past history, it can end up costing much more because the second vets will want to run the tests again to work out what's wrong for themselves. I haven't perceived any clinical errors with your first vet, but it does sound as though communication is not currently working well between you and this needs to be remedied in one way or another for the sake of your dog.