One of my Basenjis is also diagnosed with early kidney disease. The vet prescribed Enalapril Maleate (generic for Vasotec). My vet allowed me to choose whatever prescription food I wanted to use. After some research I chose Blue Buffalo BLUE Natural Veterinary Diet KS Kidney Support. I looked into and tried a more holistic food, Dr. Harvey's - a dehydrated food, but Kushika couldn't manage to eat it without getting it all over the walls, kitchen floor, and herself so we went back to the kibble. I liked the Dr. Harvey food AND you can call to talk to Dr. Harvey, who asked me to send Kushika's lab results to him so he could make specific recommendations dependent on those results. Kushika came to live with us at almost 10 years old and was immediately diagnosed with kidney disease. At age 12+ she is still with us, going strong and looking better than when she arrived.
The end might be near. Wobbly and not eating.
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I don't think I've ever seen Senji this sick before. He'll be 16 next month. He had diarrhea 3 times yesterday. Drinking water constantly, but not eating. He ate a Nilla wafer yesterday, but nothing today. He's very wobbly and unstable on his feet. He won't even jump up on the sofa. She sits in front of the space heater and seems like he's shivering if he's not there. Seems very disoriented and gets startled if I try to touch him. It's a struggle to get him outside to pee. He almost seems like he can't see the door when I open it. He looks like he wants to throw up, but there is nothing in his stomach. Not sure what to do. I hate to see him suffer like this!
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Take Senji to the vet ASAP! Get a full blood panel done. Poor eye sight and bad hearing makes them jumpy naturally.
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Head to the vet immediately. He needs medical care even if it is serious enough to warrant the final decision he is suffering and needs to be cared for right now.
I would to blood tests and a throrough exam and figure out what to do next based on what the vet finds.
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Poor Senji. He has been a wonderful friend and companion to you.
It is always so hard to make a decision to not let them suffer, but honestly, get an x-ray, do the bloodwork, see what the vet says and then remind yourself that your wonderful basenji may need to pass over the Rainbow Bridge.
I will be thinking of both of you today, and wishing for the best, whatever it might be. Hugs to you both.
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He may have had a neurological event and it is important you get him to the vet immediately for an evaluation.
Jennifer
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She needs to go to the vet now. We had this happen to our 16 y/o Rory about 4 weeks ago. She was 4 days at Tufts animal hospital. They were able to stabilize her and give her fluids and supportive care. She was able to come home, but we have to hydrate her with iv solutions daily, and she is on several other medications. We try to daily access her condition, we don't want her to suffer. Will be sending healthy thoughts your way.
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Please, please take him to the vet straight away. Let us know how you get on. Loving and healing thoughts to Senji.
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It could be the end, or simple dehydration from the diarrhea. The vet will know.
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He still seems to be a little wobbly, but a lot better than this morning. I think it might be something neurological, or maybe he's losing his vision. He's mostly deaf anyway. It seems like shadows freak him out. His tummy seems to be really upset. Not sure if he ate something strange. He finally ate a little bit of chicken breast, but then he wanted to go outside, where he ate a bunch of grass. And he ate a scrambled egg just now. It just seems like something is really making him dizzy. Might be a combination of tummy troubles and an inner ear problem. The vet's office never called me back. I have to work tomorrow. Mom's going to keep and eye on him, and another friend is coming over.
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Find a new vet…..
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… And get to one real soon, IMO, I wouldn't wait
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Thanks to everyone for showing concern for my boy! All your prayers and positive vibes must've helped.
He seems to be recovering from whatever he had. I suspect he must've ingested something toxic or funky for him to get that sick. His appetite seems to be back, and he had a good BM. He was running around like a pup when I took him out. Senji is kind of "canis non grata" at the vet's office. He tries to bite everybody and needs to be muzzled when he goes. I didn't want to put him through that. It just stresses him out to the max. I was hoping I wouldn't have to take him, and that all this would clear up on its own. These dogs are amazing, aren't they? I want to apologize for overreacting. -
Do you have any choice of vets in your area? Perhaps a change of scene might improve his attitude. (has he always been bad at the vet, or did some incident bring this on?) Or can you get a mobile vet who will come to your home? I understand your concern over stressing him further, but it is worrisome not being able to get help when you need it.
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I think you underreacted, not over reacted. He should have been at the vet immediately, even if you had to go to a new vet. Luckily he improved, but that was luck. Please, please promise that you will make the decision to get any sick pet to the vet immediately when they appear that sick– not wait to see if they recover on their own.
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Do you have any choice of vets in your area? Perhaps a change of scene might improve his attitude. (has he always been bad at the vet, or did some incident bring this on?) Or can you get a mobile vet who will come to your home? I understand your concern over stressing him further, but it is worrisome not being able to get help when you need it.
I would agree with this statement. Kananga hated going to the vet until we switched to a different one. The vet we've gone to for the past couple years has been really great with him. They're a lot more progressive with the way they handle dogs. More specifically understanding when a dog is upset/anxious and using calming techniques to help make them be comfortable instead of simply resorting to restraining.
You'd be surprised how much of a difference there is between certain vets.
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I would agree with this statement. Kananga hated going to the vet until we switched to a different one. The vet we've gone to for the past couple years has been really great with him. They're a lot more progressive with the way they handle dogs. More specifically understanding when a dog is upset/anxious and using calming techniques to help make them be comfortable instead of simply resorting to restraining.
You'd be surprised how much of a difference there is between certain vets.
I agree, my old boy OJ hated his first Vet and had bad experiences there since they (the entire practice) really didn't like Basenjis. We changed Vets (when he was 3 1/2) and he was a lamb… he loved all his new Vets and Vet Techs for the remainder of his 17+ yrs.
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The vet thinks that he may have had a small stroke or spinal stroke. Due to his liver disease, I really didn't want him to be anesthetized for an MRI or CT scan. Senji doesn't seem to be in any pain at this time. He's able to jump up on the sofa and is eating and drinking pretty well now. He seems to walk at a bit of a diagonal sometimes and loses his balance a little when he lifts his leg. Otherwise, he seems to be able to run and climb around the neighborhood hills fairly well. In July, we think he may have gotten shocked when he chewed through an electrical cord. We think he may have had a small stroke from that too. He started to get spooked from shadows after that happened. Senji is going to be 16 at the end of this month. 5 years ago, he was diagnosed with severe liver disease. The vet didn't think he'd live more than a year. Here he is…4 years past his expiration date! He's had a good life. He eats good, mostly organic food, drinks filtered water, and gets lots of walks every day. As long as he's not in any pain or losing bladder and bowel function, I'm fine with the way he is. The vet just recommends palliative care at this point.
