My chihuahua/terrier is 15 years old. She has congestive heart failure and kidney failure. And right now she is refusing to eat. Please help

[whiskipops]

The vet has her on 4 different pills to help with her heart. Enalapril, Furosemide, Pimobendan, and Pepcid. Which she takes morning and night.

At the moment she is going through a serious kidney failure. She has been throwing up stomach acid and refuses to eat. She hasn’t eaten in 4 days and she no longer will take her pills. I’m afraid that giving her pills on an empty stomach will mess with her kidney even further. She is also pooping soft/liquid stools that smell really rancid. She is still drinking water however which is great but she’s losing muscle mass quickly and is looking terribly frail.

Currently she is on a kidney diet at the moment (Hills Prescription k/d diet) which she refuses to eat.

I have tried to give her steamed boneless/skinless chicken with rice which she nibbles on but eventually refuses to eat.

Last night in desperation I gave her a few pieces of rotisserie chicken which she happily ate. But rotisserie chicken has too much sodium and will mess with her heart. I feel that having some sort of food (any food) is better than starving to death regardless of sodium.

So my question is. Should I continue to feed her rotisserie chicken until she has enough strength to get better? Or is that worse than just attempting to feed her boneless/skinless chicken which she will most likely refuse to eat?

 

[didergreen]

@whiskipops I'm so so sorry to hear she is not doing well. It unfortunately sounds like quality of life question right now. The best advice is of course to see a professional, get a vet appointment as soon as possible.

My personal advice, since you mentioned an er visit is too expensive, would be to spoil her: give her rotisserie chicken, all her favorite foods in bed, maybe even stop her medications, and make her as comfortable as possible. It will be hard to say goodbye, but at least she can be at home with you.

 

[whiskipops]

@didergreen We understand that she doesn’t have much time left. Making her comfortable and happy at the end of her life is for sure our priority.

I just want to make sure we are doing everything we can correctly to maximize our time together. Thank you.

 

[didergreen]

@whiskipops Sending you extra love during this difficult time. My personal rule is, are you counting how many good months due has left? How many good weeks she has left? How many good days? When I get to more bad/difficult days than good, I find it time make the last vet visit appointment. Its so hard, but I try not to be selfish when they love us so much.

 

[whiskipops]

@didergreen I understand what you mean. I don’t think my wife could handle euthanasia though unless she is in visible chronic pain. She got upset at me when I told her I euthanized my previous dog because she was in so much pain. This chihuahua is her daughter and convincing her to do that would probably damage our marriage.

 

[typical_girl]

@whiskipops You don't need to be the one to convince, the vet can help you with that. Maybe when you call ahead quietly tell them that your wife is struggling to come to terms so they understand the situation better. Maybe ask the vet/look into at home euthanasia options for your Lil chi, that might bring you and your wife more comfort. Sending you love and strength, it's never easy.

 

[pblongfellow]

@whiskipops Do not stop the medications unless your vet specifically instructed you to do so. The furosemide can be hard on the kidneys, but it also is keeping her lungs clear so she can breathe. The pimobendin helps her heart pump.

Is your vet office closed or is there another doctor you could talk to? If the office is not closed, insist on talking to someone.

As others have said, any food is better than no food. In fact, my vet has said this as well.