Kidney Failure and a hard choice

[luvbug237]

I was finally able to get blood work done on my Jackson and he has pretty bad kidney failure. The vet says he will most likely not recover from this as he is so bad an to just keep him as comfortable as I can until he passes. He has also developed gout due to the high levels of acid in his body so he doesn't use his feet very much. We haven't had any falling accidents yet so that's a good thing. He hasn't eaten in almost two week and he just isn't interested anymore.

He isn't dark and unhappy looking at all so I don't know how much he is suffering but not eating for two weeks has to take it's toll on him and no kidney function can't feel good gosh this is breaking my heart to think about..

Do I keep loving him but let him suffer or do I let him go?

 

[ir0k]

sorry to hear about your little guy

I think that's a question only a owner could answer.

my thoughts are with you guys. Hope he does well the rest of the way.

 

[Cait0420]

Omg I'm so sorry! I honestly don't know what I would do in your situation. I'm sure whatever you decide will be the right choice for you

 

[jannb]

I am so sorry to hear the outcome of Derpy's bloodwork. The thing I worry about the most with these type post I see here on CF is how experienced is the chameleon vet and could the lab work be wrong? I have had to go through this many times in my 10 years of keeping chameleons and I have been so lucky to have two of the best chameleon vets in the US and perhaps the world. Dr. Mader's books are considered the bible in the chameleon world. I have had bloodwork repeated and come back very different several times. My vet once said he thought it got to hot in the shipping to the lab. The lab is another thing that I question. Is the lab experienced with chameleons? If it were me, I'd try to get a little food in him and see it that makes him feel better. Try to gently open his mouth by pulling down on his chin and put in a soft worm, if you have one and see if he'll chew. If he chews slide in another and then another. If that doesn't help and he continues to go downhill then you will need to make that decision. I am very luck to have expert vets that I can trust and they tell me when they think it's time and then I also go on my own judgement for how they act day to day with me. I love my pets way to much to make them suffer but am I going to jump the gun at the the sign of illness? No, or I would not have got to enjoy the past 23 months with my dog Red. I am so sorry that you and Derpy are having to go through this. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[CarlC]

I don't want to sound mean or cold hearted so please don't take it that way.

You know the animal is suffering. We as humans all to often put our emotions ahead of what's best for the suffering animal. If after testing it is shown that there is a zero chance of recovery why prolong the suffering?

Carl

 

[Ahtee]

I think the best thing to do is to let him go, he will just feel more n more pain as each day passes. I would rather let my hands take away a dying animals life rather than let pain kill it. Just my 2 cents worth

 

[Bush baby]

I was finally able to get blood work done on my Jackson and he has pretty bad kidney failure. The vet says he will most likely not recover from this as he is so bad an to just keep him as comfortable as I can until he passes. He has also developed gout due to the high levels of acid in his body so he doesn't use his feet very much. We haven't had any falling accidents yet so that's a good thing. He hasn't eaten in almost two week and he just isn't interested anymore.

He isn't dark and unhappy looking at all so I don't know how much he is suffering but not eating for two weeks has to take it's toll on him and no kidney function can't feel good gosh this is breaking my heart to think about..

Do I keep loving him but let him suffer or do I let him go?

Very, very, very sad after reading this. Jacksons are can be sooooo sensitive.

Looking back, do you have any clue as to what may have lead to this?

 

[Lathis]

Poor little Derpy. He is such a cutie. My thoughts are with you guys.

 

[carol5208]

I agree with Carl C. If he has gout, it is very painful. I would let him go peacefully. Sorry you are faced with this situation.

 

[houseofchameleons]

I have been faced with this situation before and I chose to end his suffering and let him go peacefully, now that I have had time to reflect I think I should have done it sooner. The truth is you do not want him to spend his last days being force fed or suffering when he could just go peacefully. I kept my guy around for me but not the good of him and I will never do that again no matter how gut wrenching painful it is.When I see them pass on their own it seems so traumatic compared to putting them into forever sleep. i am very sorry for your situation

 

[laurie]

I just had to go through this with a 14 year old dog. I had her 14 years. I got both she and her sister when they were 2 months old. Bear was riddled with cancer and they said they could give her drugs and make her comfortable for a couple months. My husband left work and we decided to do what was best for bear and we had her euthanized . David drove 6 hours to get home for her. But we did what we had to do for our beloved Bear. It has been a week and a half, and her sister still does not understand where her lifelong companion is. I am crying just typing this. But I know we did what was best for her. And evening knowing how much it would hurt all of us, I would make the same choice again.

 

[Carlton]

He hasn't eaten in almost two week and he just isn't interested anymore.

To me, I think this sentence says what needs to be said. If he's lost interest, he's not content, he may be just persisting...color change would come eventually as more systems lose control.

I also understand Jannb's comment about errors in bloodwork results. However, SOMETHING is definitely wrong and has been for quite a while, and he's not doing any better with your attempts to hydrate and help him. I don't know how sensitive or definitive kidney testing results are, so can't comment on the chance that more testing would change your mind. I also know gout is painful but treatable. I don't know if you can treat for gout if the cham is also in kidney failure at the same time.

You know Derpy and when he seems OK and when he doesn't. One thing that usually helps me think about the best option is to remind myself that your cham isn't dreading anything, he isn't regretful, he doesn't know what the choices are, nor is he worried or afraid of either. What you do will become his new reality and he won't judge anyone.

 

[luvbug237]

I said goodbye to him this morning. I found him this morning when I woke up laying are the bottom on his plant in the soil and I knew I needed to.

I will miss you my first baby boy. I love you so very much.

 

[dnallivah]

I'm so sorry

 

[absolutbill]

I'm so sorry to hear this, but he's in a much better place, munching on an unlimited supply of waxworms

 

[laurie]

It is so sad and so hard, but you love your Cham and put his best interest above yours. My thoughts and prayers are with you as you grieve.

 

[MelissaB]

I'm so sorry for your loss. It's hard to say good bye.

 

[zsazsa85]

That's terrible! I'm so sorry!!!

 

[luvbug237]

Gosh I miss him so much it really hit me this morning after I woke up to go check on him and Mojo. He wasn't in there

 

[Carlton]

Gosh I miss him so much it really hit me this morning after I woke up to go check on him and Mojo. He wasn't in there

Boy I can relate! The loss of some pets can be harder than others, sometimes for very different reasons. I've had to put an old dog down and didn't feel horrible because it was a kindness, but losing other pets due to a mistake, a trauma, or a complete mystery just makes me second guess everything I did for them.

A few years ago I lost 2 beloved indoor aviary birds to an attack by a rescue dog. I'd only had the new dog for a couple of months and had barricaded both of them in the kitchen because the rescue dog watched the birds a lot. Over time, I kept training the new dog to avoid the aviary and thought he'd learned the birds were off limits. One day I got home from work, let the dogs out, and went out back to split some firewood for the stove. I was outside for about 30 minutes. Came back inside only to find the aviary door mesh torn open and the bodies of both birds scattered all over the floor. I can't tell you how horrible I felt. To this day it still upsets me to think about it. One of the birds is my avatar.