Our 2 year old boxer, Jessica, has been diagnosed with severe kidney failure and a grade 4 heart murmur. This was about 3 weeks ago and she is being treated with Antepsin Sucralfate tablets and a diet of Hills KD food. This week she started rapidly losing weight, drinking and eating less, so we took her to liverpool uni where she is being treated. They've said they've managed to get her to feel better and are working out a medicine plan for her but her outlook is very very bleak. I've heard of people slightly improving the health of their boxers kidneys by mixng the KD diet, with rice, turkey etc. If anyone has any information on this or any anything else to do with improving Jessica's condition please get in touch.

I will pm you later this evening with some info that may be of use.

So sorry to read about Jessica.

Have sent you a PM

I hope you can get some help this is so sad. Keep your chin up.

Sorry to hear about Jessica Ricky, it is such a shame that she is so ill, do you have details of her breeding and do you know if any of her litter mates have suffered simillar health problems.

Very sorry that Jessica has this awful illness.bless her,thinking of all concerned.

Sheila xx

Oh that's so sad :(  Hopefully the vets can help & people on here can give you some great advice.

Might be worth contacting the breeder.........they may claim it's not their fault etc etc but worth letting them know incase they are a breeder who will listen & understand.

x

Hi,

I am so sorry to hear of your sad news. I have bred and lost some young boxers who have died from this and I am currently working with Dr Bruce Cattanach regarding Juvenile Kidney Failure in boxers and am interested in speaking with you.  Please can you contact me on 01776 860620 or email me mcrobs@hotmail.co.uk,
Kidney Failure is now killing too many young boxers.......we are hoping to get a gene screen started and try and eradicate this awful disease. 
If anyone knows of any cases please get in touch, our beautiful breed depends on it. 

Thank you

So sorry to hear this - you need to check the content of the KD food, my GSD had kidney failure and vet put her on tinned KD but the protein level was very low.  Now it's not a low protein your dog needs its low phosphorous.  You can look up what's in all the dog foods and look for phosphorus.  I had an added complication in that my dog was allergic to rice which is great for kidney problems.  A lot of fatty food is good - breast of lamb and chicken legs (cooked and feed the skin) butter is good too.  You should additionally feed calcium (not tablet form as it includes vit D) in the form of crushed eggshells or 'tums' for stomach upset.  Tums are calcium and very useful too.  Feed with one meal.  With the other meal feed whole fish oil (not cod liver ever for kidney problems) vit C and E.
Calcium inhibits the absorption of vitamins and phosphorus so feed with one meal.  Don't feed vit D as this stops the calcium from inhibiting absorption (which is why it's included in vitamin supplements but you WANT it to inhibit absorption).  Check phosphorus levels of everything you feed - needs to be as low as possible.  I know I ended up feeding I think Royal Canin puppy food as it was low phosphorus and no rice, but if you're not avoiding rice it's a lot easier.
Dogs fed on a low protein diet will not live very long - your dog needs protein and fats, but not phosphorus.
Good luck
Penny