# Toby's lab work



## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Overall, better than you expected  

Can hypertension cause protein to be leaked from the kidneys? And if so, being on meds for the BP may help?

Continuing to send good thoughts...


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

Sending prayers for Toby.


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## DaisyGolden (Jan 4, 2008)

Saying a prayer for Toby.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Yes, I think it can. My vet wants to have Toby on the Enalapril for a month, then repeat the labs. Also at that point he will have been off the ivermectin a while longer, so we might get a more true reading of the liver values.
Yes, it really was not nearly as bad as I had braced myself for. 
This is from the email my vet sent: ".....I honestly feel OK with his labs. I will want to watch his counts, but overall, I think he is doing well and that's all thanks to you......"

(isn't he a sweetie?)






Sunrise said:


> Overall, better than you expected
> 
> Can hypertension cause protein to be leaked from the kidneys? And if so, being on meds for the BP may help?
> 
> Continuing to send good thoughts...


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## BayBeams (Jan 3, 2010)

So glad to hear the labs are better than you thought. These oldsters really keep us on our toes. Keeping Toby in our thoughts...


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

Your vet sounds great! It's nice that he's really invested in his patients.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I happy his blood work is better than you expected it to be. Hopefully with time the liver values will be better. 

This may sound odd but I'm going to throw it out for you anyway. Barkley had a lab report that showed some protein in his urine. Our vet thought, for reasons I'm not totally clear about, that it might be due to the stress of being away from us while the techs got a urine sample. She instructed us to get a clean soup ladle and collect the urine at home, first urine of the day, and then use a syringe to collect sterile samples. I put those in some packaging she provided and she sent that in for analysis--it came back normal, no protein in the urine. We continued to do that for his lab panels. Maybe collecting a sterile sample at home might yield different results?? In any event I hope the new blood pressure medication helps him as well.


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## lucysmum (Sep 2, 2010)

We are sending Toby healing thoughts from Japan.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

My Casey also needs his urine collected at home - 1st urine of the day or his results are never right - but are good with the collect at home method. 




Dallas Gold said:


> This may sound odd but I'm going to throw it out for you anyway. Barkley had a lab report that showed some protein in his urine. Our vet thought, for reasons I'm not totally clear about, that it might be due to the stress of being away from us while the techs got a urine sample. She instructed us to get a clean soup ladle and collect the urine at home, first urine of the day, and then use a syringe to collect sterile samples. I put those in some packaging she provided and she sent that in for analysis--it came back normal, no protein in the urine. We continued to do that for his lab panels. Maybe collecting a sterile sample at home might yield different results?? In any event I hope the new blood pressure medication helps him as well.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Better than expected is a good thing. I hope he continues to do well and gets back his interest in eating. How's his weight?


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## Packleader (Nov 27, 2007)

Good thoughts and prayers for you Toby!!


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

"This is from the email my vet sent: ".....I honestly feel OK with his labs. I will want to watch his counts, but overall, I think he is doing well and that's all thanks to you......"

I am so relieved his values are better than expected. I shall keep you both in my thoughts and prayers.:smooch:


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

As I am sure you do, I wish they were better but glad they are not worse. I have no suggestions other than give the old guy a BIG hug for me.


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## goldencontriever3 (Nov 7, 2008)

So glad to hear the results were better then expected. We will keep you and Toby in our prayers. Please give Toby a big hug from us!


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## GoldensGirl (Aug 2, 2010)

Glad the news is better than expected.

Is Toby on a low protein diet, at least temporarily? That might ease any strain on his kidneys.

Sending healing thoughts and prayers.


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

It certainly sounds like you have a great vet. With all your experience with your own dogs and others I doubt I could give you any advice that would make a difference. I wish Toby (and Tiny too!) the best. Tucker was passing protein towards the end but it was because of a UTI. That was a shock, it appeared out of nowhere, he did not show any symptoms of a UTI. Good thing I was having so many tests done on my boy in his last year, I would have never known.



GoldensGirl said:


> Is Toby on a low protein diet, at least temporarily? That might ease any strain on his kidneys.


Low protein diets being better for our senior friends is a myth. Studies have been done to disprove it. Here is one by Purina:

Today's Breeder Magazine - Issue 27 - Demystifying Myths About Protein

And another good read (and website)

DogAware.com Articles: Diets for Senior Dogs

I currently feed Fiona (8yrs) a food with 24% protein but supplement that with chicken, egg, sardine, liver, steak or whatever else I have at the time for some added protein.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Thanks Anne, but I did collect it at home....



Dallas Gold said:


> I happy his blood work is better than you expected it to be. Hopefully with time the liver values will be better.
> 
> This may sound odd but I'm going to throw it out for you anyway. Barkley had a lab report that showed some protein in his urine. Our vet thought, for reasons I'm not totally clear about, that it might be due to the stress of being away from us while the techs got a urine sample. She instructed us to get a clean soup ladle and collect the urine at home, first urine of the day, and then use a syringe to collect sterile samples. I put those in some packaging she provided and she sent that in for analysis--it came back normal, no protein in the urine. We continued to do that for his lab panels. Maybe collecting a sterile sample at home might yield different results?? In any event I hope the new blood pressure medication helps him as well.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Thanks everyone for the kind words and good thoughts.
Toby is not on a low protein diet, and with his IBD it's really hard for me to change his food because he is very limited to what he can eat. My vet hasn't mentioned reducing his protein, in fact, we supplement his protein. 
His weight is holding constant, another good sign. 
I still wonder if he has a UTI, despite not showing any signs of one. We're doing a follow up in a month, I hate to put him on antibiotics before that because it's possible the high blood pressure is causing some of the protein in the urine and I'd like to see how it looks after a month on the enalapril.
Happy New Year, it's a very happy one for me, all my guys are still with me. We don't know for how long, so we're taking it day by day and enjoying them every day.
I was thinking yesterday I sure hope Toby makes it to spring, he LOVES to lie in the green grass and relax.


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

I am glad his weight is holding, that is a good sign 



hotel4dogs said:


> I still wonder if he has a UTI, despite not showing any signs of one. We're doing a follow up in a month, I hate to put him on antibiotics before that because it's possible the high blood pressure is causing some of the protein in the urine and I'd like to see how it looks after a month on the enalapril.


Here is a copy of Tucker's results. described to me as a major UTI. The collection method was in the vets office. He was a boy where you could tell him to go pee or poop and he would. And give a best effort even if he didn't have to.










After this I opted for a needle guided ultrasound for a pure sample from his bladder in order to find the appropriate antibiotic for him with no results. I kind of regret it too, he seemed sore for a while after that. Started with Cephalexin but later changed to the more broad spectrum antibiotic Baytril which helped a lot more. Live and learn I guess.

Hope that helps in your personal figuring out if he has a UTI or not. Maybe you have a copy of his urinalysis. As I said before, seems like you have a great vet. They can glance at this stuff and know what it means. For us we can spend a lot of time looking on the web trying to figure it out, all the time keeping in mind how results of certain tests apply to the whole condition of our individual dog. Lots of our senior friends may have things out of whack when it comes to a CBC or what have you, but underlying conditions may make it OK (as you know) for a particular dog's certain conditions. 

I know how Toby has his share of problems and must say you are a great dog mom for taking such great care of him.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Thanks Steve. I do have a copy of Toby's urinalysis, as well as a chart that compares the values to his previous ones, courtesy of my vet. He has no red or white cells, no blood, no bilirubin. There are about 20 other things on Toby's, too, and all seem within the normal range or close. The only thing that's off at all is the protein, which is listed as 3+ also.
I just have a gut feeling that he's got a mild UTI. Not even sure why I think so.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

hotel4dogs said:


> Thanks Steve. I do have a copy of Toby's urinalysis, as well as a chart that compares the values to his previous ones, courtesy of my vet. He has no red or white cells, no blood, no bilirubin. There are about 20 other things on Toby's, too, and all seem within the normal range or close. The only thing that's off at all is the protein, which is listed as 3+ also.
> I just have a gut feeling that he's got a mild UTI. Not even sure why I think so.


If I were a betting woman I'd definitely bet you are correct because you know your dogs so well and are usually correct on everything else!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Hotelfordogs*

Hotelfordogs

I, too, believe you could definitely be right!!


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

How is his phosphorus level? Normal is 4-27 I believe. If that is high it could be a clue to Toby having a UTI. Tucker's was 51 :uhoh: and still can't believe how fast things happen with our seniors, he had a bunch of tests not even a month before this which all came back very good.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

his phosphorous was normal. There's really nothing in the urinalysis that points to a UTI....except my underlying suspicions.....
When we get his blood pressure under control, and after we take the next blood/urine samples (end of Jan) I'm going to ask the vet about doing a round of Baytril, just because I want to. My vet's pretty cool, I'm sure he'll be okay with it.


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## 2golddogs (Oct 19, 2009)

Sending good thoughts and prayers for Toby. Good to hear he is maintaining his weight.


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

Barb, hooray that Toby's lab work is better than you expected. You're an excellent dog owner, so your gut feelings are likely right on the money. A round of Baytril will knock out your "suspicions". Happy New Year!


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