Oh Lucy, I'm so sorry (understatement) that has to be the utter pits ... and I'd be in your boat, I have to depend on the good will of the two vets I use here ... and thankfully I haven't had anything serious.

Very poor timing, but were they able to give you any idea of a cause?

They said even after all they think they can do for her, she still has a high chance of not making it.
I just told them to euthanize her.
I can not even begin to describe how I feel and how hard I am crying right now.

Oh, Lucy, I am so sorry to hear this. Do they have any idea why she has kidney failure?

They said they don't know enough about her history, they had a long laundry list of things they wanted to test, to see if it was a disease, if it was hereditary or if she was born with it....

Oh my god, Lucy I am so sorry. Are there any other vets around there that may be less expensive?

All they knew was the number for something was supposed to be like 1. something and hers was 7. something. She had a fever of 107.... I just can't even begin to comprehend what happened.

I already told them to put her to sleep. And no, there was no where else I could have gone that would have made a difference.

Oh god I'm so sorry I did not read that post. We went through a similar situation with our weimaraner mix. It wasn't a kidney problem, but she became paralyzed and grew massive lumps all up and down her spine, even though the vet checked for cancer. It's a horrible decision to have to make and I would not wish it on anyone. You did your best for her, and she's not feeling any pain anymore.

My heart is breaking for you but at least she will not be suffering anymore. It is a very selfless decision to have to make and it is not one I would wish on anyone.

Oh no. That is surprising considering the first time you went in they said nothing was wrong with her. I am so sorry. If you were closer and willing I would adopt her and see what I could do for her. I have a University vet now and they are more willing to work with payment plans. This is just terrible.

oh god, Lucy, you're not alone, I'm in tears - that sucks.
regrettably, acute renal failure - with her age and your comment, that's what it had to be - is seldom reversible.
but it still sucks!!!!!! << tears >>

I'm so sorry Lucy. That's terrible.

So very sorry Lucy!!

Yes Al acute renal failure, went through it with our first cat, she did go into chronic, which meant dialysis, but her symptoms were the same as Gaia's, so sorry Lucy, it's heart breaking, and I understand the helplessness you must feel. I wish I had put those symptoms together for you earlier in the week, she is far too young to have crf, so I just never put two and two together........so sorry.

sorry to hear, my heart go out to you. and the diction that needs to be made i wouldn't wish it on anyone.  you gave her the best life possible, and she won't be suffering any more.

So so sorry! This is a tragedy!

I read this earlier when I was at work and have been on the verge of tears ever since. Such a beautiful little girl with what should have been a long life ahead of her. Just too sad for words.

Give Okami an extra big hug from us here, they may not have known each other for very long but from the pics I saw of the two of them together, they were really good together and for each other. Okami will miss her little sister I'm really glad Gaia had Okami. (Ok, I've been on the verge of tears...now I'm in tears)

Lucy - since Gaia was so young, I would really want to know the cause of her kidney disease. Especially with the high temp (which in and of itself can, via rhabdomyolisis, cause kidney failure) I would want to know if it was infectious (leptospirosis comes to mind) or a toxin - you don't want something that Okami could also get...

Again, I am so sorry to hear this, I know you were so joyful when Gaia came to stay...

Lucy, I do not want you to go into panic mode, however, Amy brought up some good points, in which I agree.....with rhabdomyolisis, it is primarily an over exertion related problem, however, this could have been brought on by her trip from Texas to Michigan at the hottest time of year, and perhaps on her trip no one paid attention to her water and food intake, nor her peeing. Therefore she could have had this from the moment you got her, which sadly, I think that may be the cause. With leptospirosis....ugh, yes you need to know if this is the case. It is a zootonic(spelling) disease, it is prevalent in the Dallas area, there is a vaccine for this for dogs, it can be transmitted to other dogs of the house as well as humans, it can show up almost anywhere in the US, especially this year with all the rain and then severe heat. Lastly, and since I don't think it would be possible, she could have accidentally ingested poison, which would have been almost an immediate crisis, which does not sound like what happened to Gaia. So please talk with the vet, heredity issues, I would think, imho, would have shown some signs at some point in Gaia's life, I would believe something like that would have shown up on tests when she was prepped for her spay.

MiyasMomma wrote:

Lucy, I do not want you to go into panic mode, however, Amy brought up some good points, in which I agree.....with rhabdomyolisis, it is primarily an over exertion related problem, however, this could have been brought on by her trip from Texas to Michigan at the hottest time of year, and perhaps on her trip no one paid attention to her water and food intake, nor her peeing. Therefore she could have had this from the moment you got her, which sadly, I think that may be the cause. With leptospirosis....ugh, yes you need to know if this is the case. It is a zootonic(spelling) disease, it is prevalent in the Dallas area, there is a vaccine for this for dogs, it can be transmitted to other dogs of the house as well as humans, it can show up almost anywhere in the US, especially this year with all the rain and then severe heat. Lastly, and since I don't think it would be possible, she could have accidentally ingested poison, which would have been almost an immediate crisis, which does not sound like what happened to Gaia. So please talk with the vet, heredity issues, I would think, imho, would have shown some signs at some point in Gaia's life, I would believe something like that would have shown up on tests when she was prepped for her spay.

Any infection with a high fever can have the fever itself generate rhabdomyolisis.

Agree, Amy, but infection has to come from something. I read up on that, it is primarily a sled dog/racing dog(mainly grey hounds) issue, and is brought on after extreme exercise, and resembles heat stroke.

It's been 11 years, but my first cat had this, at 7 years of age she was diagnosed with CRF, after ARF when brought in. The vet believed that it took almost 6 months for her lack of appetite and lethargy to be present, however there were subtle signs we missed. It all stemmed from us free feeding her for 7 years to feeding her at set times, and this disrupted her system. Although older than Gaia, a healthy 7 year old cat will not have ARF over night.

From vetstream


"A metabolic disease usually affecting athletic and working dogs.
Results from extreme muscular work to the point that the muscle cells are damaged.
Cellular damage creates secondary problems ranging from minor muscle pain to death.
Few references in canine veterinary literature although well documented in equine medicine, and has recently been a topic in the human literature.
Mostly seen in Sled Dogs, Racing Greyhounds, bird dogs, coursing dogs and Field and Trial competitors.
Greyhound and Sled Dog veterinarians in Sports Medicine deal with this problem much more commonly than the general practitioner.
In general veterinary practice condition seen occasionally in the pet dog that has escaped and run away.
This problem is also seen by the wildlife veterinary practitioner. A condition called capture myopathy is seen in animals that have been stressed too greatly during the capture process. This is a common cause of death related to the capture process."

I again, agree that Lucy needs to consult with the vet, if it was Leptos, it is contagious.

Edit to add, from vetstream..... Differential diagnosis.....Hyperthermia...."Cause : high external temperature, high humidity, close confinement in hot weather with inadequate ventilation.
Signs : collapse, hyperpnea, oral mucosae bright red; rectal temperature very high (up to 43°C); staring expression, vomiting and diarrhea can occur.
May progress to disseminated intravascular coagulation and cerebral edema.
Diagnosis : signs, high rectal temperature.
Treatment : cool patient.
Prognosis : guarded"

I think the trip may be the cause, with the above explanations, although a thorough talk with the vet is needed, to rule out Leptos.

MiyasMomma wrote:

Edit to add, from vetstream..... Differential diagnosis.....Hyperthermia...."Cause : high external temperature, high humidity, close confinement in hot weather with inadequate ventilation.
Signs : collapse, hyperpnea, oral mucosae bright red; rectal temperature very high (up to 43°C); staring expression, vomiting and diarrhea can occur.
May progress to disseminated intravascular coagulation and cerebral edema.
Diagnosis : signs, high rectal temperature.
Treatment : cool patient.
Prognosis : guarded"

I think the trip may be the cause, with the above explanations, although a thorough talk with the vet is needed, to rule out Leptos.

If the trip were the cause, she would have been seriously ill way before 1 month. And there are many sources of infection in addition to leptospirosis...

I suspect we are all trying to come up with an explanation because, not only are we saddened by Gaia's passing but it resonates with all of us how brief a time we have our dogs...and maybe, if we understand what happened to Gaia, we can prevent the same happening to us. Unforutunately, I doubt it will ever be known how Gaia came to acquire kidney disease, whether it be acute or chronic.

Lucy - again, I am so sorry for your loss