September Patient of the Month- Bentley!!!!!!

Bentley Potts, as he is formally addressed, is an 11 year old Pekinese mix that has been a part of the VCAHAH family most of his life. Adopted at four, his forever family has trusted us with all of their baby’s healthcare needs and overall Bentley’s health history was very routine- regular dental cleanings, vaccinations -an occasional cough. The best kind of patient!

Then, earlier this year, Bentley had what appeared to be a seizure followed by a loss of consciousness. As a patient of Dr. Patterson, Bentley had the very best care and an exam and blood work was preformed. His report card came in- Bentley’s kidney values were high. He had all the signs of chronic renal disease or- kidney failure.

The job of the Kidneys is to regulate, among other things, blood pressure, blood sugars, blood volume, water composition in the blood, and pH levels. Bentley’s episodes of ‘seizing and passing out’ were more likely syncope-the temporary loss of consciousness due to a fall in blood pressure.

While pets of any age can be diagnosed with chronic renal disease it is most common in older dogs. 9 in every 1000 dogs examined suffer from failure of the kidneys. This deterioration of the kidneys takes place slowly and is often not obvious until it is too late to treat. Curing or reversing kidney failure is not possible. Once it starts, managing it to reduce the causal factors and symptom will help to slow down its progression.
           

Mike and Bentley after his daily treatment.

Fortunately for Bentley Potts this was not his parent’s first experience with a CKD (chronic kidney disease) diagnosis. Earlier this year, their 13+yr old Tibetan Spaniel Gigi passed after over two years of managing this disease with medication and daily fluids.  Bentley had a good team.

After a few hospitalization stays for Bentley to get his kidneys as healthy as possible he was sent home with medications and the same order for daily subcutaneous fluids.

If anyone has had to give fluids to their own pet or knows anyone that has had to, you know that it is not always so easy to perform on your fur-baby. So for the past four months Bentley’s owner (our dear client Mrs.Sosnick) brings Bentley in everyday for fluid administration under the skin.  They are regulars. A patient and parent pair we all enjoy seeing.

Under the care of both Dr. Patterson & Dr. Shapiro, the careful hand of Veterinary Technician Mike and the entire patient support team at VCA HAH Bentley is feeling fine and enjoying life today- even with a daily trips to the Vet!

We are please to recognize this family for their dedication to all of their four-legged babies. We are grateful for the sheer joy they bring each day to our practice when they visit and we are happy to recognize Bentley as our September Team Member of the Month!

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How do I know if my pet is having kidney issues?

Bentley & brother-Cappicino

Bloodwork!!

Bloodwork is the only definitive way to tell what is happening with your pet’s kidney’s. A fair indicator of chronic kidney disease is urine that is either concentrated or dilute, thus indicating the kidney's inability to process the urine correctly.


Other symptoms that can be signs of Kidney Failure are:

Vomiting
Lethargy
Diarrhea
Constipation
Depression
Weight loss
Increased thirst
Lack of appetite (anorexia)
Acute blindness
Seizures and comas
Blood in the urine (hematuria)
An increase in the frequency and amount of urination

For tips and techniques to give fluids to your pet, visit our Youtube Channel for How to videos.