Dog on dialysis passes away

Pluto, the six-year-old Labrador from Lokhandwala Complex in Andheri, who was suffering from renal failure and was probably the first dog in the country to undergo home dialysis, died on Friday.

The dog owned by Dinesh Thacker, managing director at a leading broking firm, had been battling a kidney disease for six months. The animal was undergoing dialysis during the period. Pluto was put on the ventilator after blood tests revealed his creatinine level at an abnormal 19 milligrams per deciliter. Veterinary doctors says that normal levels of creatinine in the blood of dogs is between 1 and 2 milligrams per deciliter.

Pluto was cremated at the electric crematorium at Patel's animal hospital on Friday, the only such facility in the city. “Till last month, Pluto was responding well to treatment. But he was completely dependent on dialysis. Suddenly last week, there was a blood clot in the catheter that we put in his body to receive the dialysis treatment. We tried to remove the clot from the catheter, and treated him in the same manner humans with a similar problem would be treated. But he succumbed eventually,” said Dr Kaustubh Garud of Bombay Veterinary College, Parel, who looked after Pluto.

Thacker had also consulted senior nephrologist Dr Jatin Kothari from Hinduja hospital to treat Pluto. “I have learnt that pet owners should not rely completely on branded pet foods. I wish I had given more home cooked food to Pluto," said Vijay, son of Dinesh Thacker. He added, “We had hired a dialysis machine and set up a dialysis centre at home."  

According to doctors from BaiSakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals, Parel, there has been a substantial increase in kidney failure in dogs over the past few months — with 156 cases recorded in the period from October 2010 to January2011, which is roughly 40 cases a month. Two years ago, the figure was 10 cases a month. The main reason for the rising cases of renal failure, according to veterinarians, is a high-protein diet and inadequate exercise.