Jasper (12 yr old Mini Schnauzer) is now at peace

Hi Tina

Have you talked to your vet about the UPC, I would be inclined to put the rise down to the fact Jasper had been a bit off colour recently. Hopefully your vet agrees and when it is repeated we will see it come down again. They do seem to go up and down and it is the same with Flynn. That is a good point Lori made about any sediment skewing it. I took Flynn's sample in with him this morning for his checkup and I thought it looked slightly cloudy so I will see what the results are when they come in.

I like the plan!! It is so hard with diet when you are facing a few different health issues. I have had a similar talk with my vet, when I was worried about liver, kidney, tumour issues.. at that stage he said well we have to concentrate on the MOST pressing issue, which at that stage was the same as Jasper's which was getting his gut right as that was having the biggest impact on quality of life issues so we work on that and hopefully it will not adversely affect his kidneys. Our boys are holding up pretty well considering what they have been through!! Hopefully next time I check in on you there will be an update on current thoughts of your vet :) Hope this week is being kind to you and all good with your Nana too xxxx

Hi Tina,

I think Trish is right, when they are feeling off tummy wise, it seems to affect their UPC, they can throw protein for so many reasons.

Hugs to you and our boy and Nana too

Thanks for your post Tina. I was in a panic yesterday. As you know going through those really bad bouts of gastro/pancreatic upset are so awful. Thankfully this did not escalate into something worse but it's still worrisome that Trixie has the episodes intermittently and after a time when she seems just fine, something is causing it. Maybe many of these things point back to the high trigylcerides? Wish I knew.
She had so many tests when hospitalized last time and nothing glaring showed up, but it really makes me nervous that something inside Trixie isn't right. For today she's fine but I stayed with white rice today and added a little bit of chicken this morning. I guess like all of us I need a vet on call at all times for my questions!! Having a vet in the family would work too!! :D
I hope Jasper is feeling good and doing well...and Shelby too. :p

Barbara

Tina, what's happening with Jasper? You mentioned there were a few issues but haven't updated yet!! Hopefully nothing major to worry about but now I have read that I am worried about the wee man!! Talk soon xxx

Hi Tina

Hope the week finished better than how it started and you are spending some much needed time with Jasper and Shelby! Hope it is a relaxing weekend with no new problems! xx

Hi Everyone,
I'm finally posting an update on Jasper. Thanks for checking on us. Lori - as far as checking the urine sample for sediment, I have asked about this in the past, and my vet has told me that they always spin it down to check for sediment, rbc's, etc. before sending it off for the UPC. So I would guess it was done this time also.

I talked to my vet about the most recent increase in his UPC (1.81 on 3/12, up from 1.63 in December, normal < 0.5). She basically said she felt it was a mild increase and was not concerned. She said she was pleased with this result since we had switched his food to low fat and he is no longer on the renal diet. She admitted that she had been concerned that it would have increased much more than this and she said she feels "it is the best we could hope for". :confused: I guess this comment caught me a little off guard, because my hope was that it would have decreased. That may have been unrealistic, especially with the need to change his diet, but at the very least I had hoped it would stay the same. :(

I mentioned the 0.6 result that we had in August. She said that this was several months after we first started all the treatment, and his kidneys were responding to the meds and diet. She said after time, the kidneys adjust and the protein loss will increase again. She said that although the UPC does fluctuate and on a different day it could be a bit lower, we probably won't get a value like 0.6 again. She reminded me that it is a progressive disease and the protein loss is going to go up no matter what, that we can't stop it. :( :mad: The goal is to slow the progression. She did say that it could stay steady for a year or more, but of course there is no guarantee, and no way to know.

I don't know why I have been so upset over everything she said. She told me in the very beginning when Jasper was diagnosed that protein losing nephropathy is a progressive disease and that the goal was to slow the progression. I guess I have put that fact out of my mind, especially when the UPC had been decreasing and we got that 0.6 result. So this was a big reality check that I guess I wasn't ready to hear. She pointed out that it was still under 2.0, and she feels that the 1.0 to 2.0 range is a gray zone. She said once it gets up to 2 or 2.5 it is more of a concern.

I feel that I have been stalling posting all of this because I have been upset over it. I am concerned that we really aren't very far from the 2.0 mark, and the 1.81 is the second highest it has ever been. But I am trying to focus on the positive that it didn't go any higher than it did with the change in diet, and also that my vet said with continued treatment it could stay steady for a year or more.

There have been a couple of other things going on with Jasper that I will post later. Hopefully I can get some feedback and suggestions from you all on that.

We have had a pretty good weekend. He seems to be feeling good. I had a horrid week at work last week, and was away for longer hours than usual. It was so nice having the time home with him the last couple of days. I sure appreciate our down time, I love just hanging out at home. He is the most affectionate and loving little boy, and sometimes he looks at me in a way that just chokes me up. It's like he's trying to tell me he is so grateful that I'm there. I love my sensitive little boy so much. ❤️

Hugs,
Tina and Jasper xo

Hi Tina

I do not like what your vet is saying either :o I am still of the opinion that the protein loss is worse when other things are playing up, like I know when Flynn's IBD flares his proteinuria is higher as I have seen that direct correlation twice now, but it has righted itself too, so I am going to hang on to the thought that we can still see the UPC turn around and improve. Especially considering Flynn's is 2.5 right now!! Next time I am not even going to test it if he has been in the least bit off for a couple of weeks prior, it is not worth the stress for me to see these higher numbers. I guess what she is saying is right, it is progressive. Mike explained it to me by asking me to imagine a metal sieve in the kidney, it has holes in it that should not let the protein molecules though. But over time they can slowly wear down and rust :eek: until finally it does not hold the protein back anymore at all. But THAT is not going to happen for a long long time for either of our boys as we have them on treatment and are managing this, so chin up Tina!! I am sure we have better UPC days ahead and I will be there celebrating them with you!! Hopefully catch up over the weekend x

Hi Tina,

I don't really understand much of your update, but I just want to send you and Jasper lots of love and hugs and let you know that I'm thinking of you. Xxxxxx

Oh Tina, I too think that the protein can be affected by other illnessses, I would hope you may still see some lower readings. I know it is a progressive disease but other issues factor in as well.

I know it is hard not to be upset and to just go day by day and enjoy and love your little boy but try to take a moment to hold him and just enjoy him, even if only for a few minutes, putting the rest in a drawer.

Hugs and love to you and Jasper and your Nana.

I agree with Addy. Sure, progressive, but that doesn't mean that it is progressing right now, after all he has just gone through some upsets and that could affect the protein I think too.

I would think that you really don't know that it is progressing until you've had several tests come back with continuous higher levels. Until then it could be other things affecting the current levels.

You and Jasper have been through so much. You are all due to just have a good summer and no emergencies. :)

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin