Health Question about my son's girlfriend's Golden Retriever

[Sandy]

So - a question about...not a doodle, but a half doodle - a retriever.  :)  The puppy was fixed at 6 months (it's a female).  Shortly after it started having health issues.  During the spay they found out that a kidney was attached to an ovary - they ovary was removed, the kidney stayed.  The dog is happy as a clam, but has been found to have high protein in its urine, is losing its hair at an alarming rate, the shaved hair from the spay is not growing back, she is always starving but really skinny.  She has also been found to be allergic to grass, and has trouble controlling her bladder.  The puppy is 10 months old and is just really skinny and quickly becoming hairless.  So sad.  :(  Any ideas?  There is apparently a high white blood cell count in her blood test, but they can't put their finger on where that is coming from.  Poor puppy.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

poor thing. What are they feeding her? Maybe she isnt digesting the protein properly? I dont really know what to suggest apart from digestive enzymes, but Im sure some people on here will be able to help!

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

Has she been tested for Cushings disease? It sounds like her kidneys are not working properly.

http://www.vetinfo.com/dcushing.html#b

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

thyroid??

[Carol Brand]

This dog has all of the symptoms of some sort of renal disease: weight loss, incontinence, coat issues, protein in urine etc   Juvenile Renal Disease is being seen more frequently in Goldens but it could be something else causing renal failure.    Why haven't the vets considered this option?

 

Exerpts from a vet site:

 

Failing kidneys leak blood proteins into the urine. Most of this protein is albumin. A high urine protein content is often an early sign of sudden or long-term kidney damage. The presence of white blood cells and debris in the urine help veterinarians tell the difference between sudden (acute) and chronic (long-term) kidney disease.

 

[Sandy]

Wow, Carol.  That does indeed sound just like what is happening.

 

I am losing confidence in the vet she's been going to.  I just feel like they should have been able to put their finger on what the issue is by now.  We feel like this all started with the spaying, and my guess would be that the kidney was somehow damaged in the process. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

But she has two kidneys and one kidney should be adequate, if one were injured. Also the vet probably got a look at the kidney during surgery and it must have looked normal although that doesn't exclude kidney disease. I would take her in to a good center, I know the U. of Guelph, has a veterinary program for a consultation. You want to get an accurate diagnosis based on lab work, etc. not on symptoms alone.

[Sandy]

Funny you should mention that, F.  My son's girlfriend's aunt is the head of anesthesia at the U. of Guelph.  I think the next step is to go there.  Unfortunately this is all money coming out of her pocket, and she's just a college student.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Maybe the girlfriend's aunt can help get some of her colleagues to give her a break. The aunt might even be able to do at least the bloodwork and preliminaries for cost or free.

[Tina, Clover, Plus 5 More]

Here are a few resources and some of them provide assistance in Canada.

 

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/golden-retriever-health-anatomy...

http://www.goldstockfund.org/tgf/index.html
http://www.angels4animals.org/

[Sandy]

Thanks Tina.  I'll have to look through those and see which provide assistance in Canada.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

I would really want to go to another vet for advice. There's so many things that it COULD be that it could worry her to the deep end. Poor puppy hope they can help her improve her life! Keep us posted!

[Sandy]

Thank you.  The thing is - the breeder gave her a 24 month health guarantee, but says nothing that is going on would be covered by the guarantee, so they won't help with the vet costs.  I would be reporting that breeder to the CKC if it were my puppy.