Raw Food Diet, Day 40- A Change of Heart: Good News After All

brother takes the computer once again:

Well, I'm exhausted from all of the research I've been doing with my human about the effect of the raw diet on BUN and creatinine levels. My human wasn't particularly thrilled with the feedback from the vet. She found the whole situation to be somewhat peculiar. The vet asked her why she wanted a blood test, and she told him that I needed another check after having a "dramatic change in diet." Well... he never asked her what that change was! In fact, he didn't even seem interested. Strange, no? So she went online to her favorite K9Nutrition group and asked if anyone else had seen elevated BUN on a raw diet. Guess what? They did! They mentioned something that she didn't even think of: that I should have been fasted before my test. That doesn't sound like a good idea whatsoever to me, but I guess my RMB meal that morning could have had a huge effect on my BUN since there were only 4 hours between feasting and testing. But overall things are looking up, and the more research we do the more normal my numbers appear. In fact, tests have shown that dogs on a raw diet normally run higher numbers and it's quite okay -- as long as other kidney tests come back within the healthy range. (Creatinine, BUN and urine specific gravity are the major 3 in kidney function testing.) We were able to find this K9Nutrition archive which explains the situation, and which links to this article by Antech diagnostics. Everything seems to point to elevated BUN numbers, normal creatinine, and normal USG. Hooray! Looks like I may actually be better off than I was before. I couldn't have hoped for better news. Yet another example of why the raw diet is full of magical feasting-awesomeness.

Boy have I come a long way from my pre-feasting days. (I couldn't resist including a picture of those hard-livin', shelter times below... please don't laugh at my Elvis 'do.) Life is good when you're as spoiled as Stan and I are.

I think I'm done with my napping now, and I'm going to go thrash my St. Paddy's day toy from grandma until it's dinner time.

Happy feasting!

Some good news, some okay news

Just got my blood test back from my doctor. I could hear what he was saying even though the phone was up against my human's ear. There was some good news, and some just sort of okay news. I guess by BUN levels went up, but my creatinine levels dropped down. This means I still have to get my blood tested every year, but I'm not in harm's way and there's nothing really to be concerned about right now.

BUN (blood urea nitrogen) is a measurement of nitrogen-containing urea compounds that are found in the blood. They are the byproduct of the body's breakdown of large protein molecules that we ingest with our foods. BUN numbers are effected by what we eat and our protein intake. These urea compounds are of no use to the body, and the kidneys are responsible for removing the toxin from our bloodstream. If the kidneys are not functioning as they should, the blood winds up with a build-up of these chemicals. Normal BUN numbers range from 7-27 mg/dL. A number too low can indicate problems with the liver, and a number in the 60s to 80s indicates early kidney failure. This time my number went up from 28 to 34. It's something to watch, but every vet I've seen has told my human that there are anomalies, and this might just be normal and healthy for me. Plus, I've got some mighty fine creatinine and red blood cell readings to keep me in the safe zone.

Creatinine is less dependent on our protein feasts than BUN, even though it is also a protein metabolyte. Normal ranges go from 0.4-1.8 mg/dL. My previous readings were 1.4, but this time I came back with a 0.9. This extremely important reading with regard to kidney function puts me in the low/healthy range. The combination of BUN and Creatinine is the key to catching kidney disease, and so far I seem to be just fine.

Not to mention that my red blood cell count was very good. I show no signs of anemia which can be an indicator of acute renal disease. I am not drinking water excessively (in fact, I hardly drink water from my bowl at all anymore since the BARF diet!) and my hydration is good. I'm an energetic, active boy and plan to stay that way for a long time!

Happy feasting!

Keep your paws crossed for big brother

My human and I just returned from my least favorite place... the doctor's office. They put me on a cold table that moved up and down and I was so scared I couldn't stop shaking. Then a man with a nice voice came over and squeezed my belly, looked at my teeth and absolutely traumatized me when he stuck something that beeped in my bum. I tried to protect myself with my tail but that little nubby thing did no good! When I heard the beep I tried to sit on that darn thing to squish it, but the doctor took it out for me and announced that I was a healthy 101. Am I really that old?

The reason my human brought me there was so that I could get a blood test. I really don't like it when strangers grab at my legs so this is one of my least favorite things to have done -- after that beeping thing. That's pretty bad too. I tried to lick the doctor's face profusely in an attempt to disorient him and make him feel guilty for torturing such a cute animal, but he was immune. Next thing I knew I was being restrained and then jabbed with a needle. It didn't really hurt but I screamed at the top of my lungs to let the world know that this doctor man has superhuman powers and not even puppies can act as his kryptonite. How can that be?!

Tomorrow my mom gets the blood tests back. I'm nervous, because my BUN levels have always been 1 point too high, and my creatinine readings are always at the high end of the healthy range. These numbers are a way to check kidney function, and numbers that creep up too high indicate renal failure. While I'm a healthy boy, I have to keep getting these numbers checked 1-2 times per year to make sure I'm doing okay. This time, because of my big diet change, it was time for another check.

After the appointment was over I had "sad tummies" all over the vet's waiting room because my nerves got the best of me. I felt better during the walk home and right now I'm eyeing a chair that has some of my mom's stuff on it. I really love to sleep on her stuff. It's time for a nap.

Well, keep your paws crossed for me. I'll let you know what happens tomorrow.