Quick Thoughts on elevated BUN

Lepto is relatively rare.  Not everywhere but if he's asymptomatic, and the **vet** is thinking ulcer then that's how I'd go.

 If you do a search for "Slippery Elm Cocktail" -- I've posted it 100 times on the IMHA thread (I can send it to you later but I'm at work).  If you are thinking it's an ulcer it is THE BEST healing treatment (and you can use it with whatever else your vet says -- it's a recipe my holistic vet uses all the time -- feel free to show it to your vet).

It's liquid aloe, slippery elm, liquid chlorophyll and a mild acidophilous probiotic (all health store items).  This actually will **Heal** an ulcer -- protects the stomach (you give it like half an hour before food).  It's not bad tasting at all (you just load it in a child's medicine syringe). 

You aren't feedin raw are you?  I know that can skew some bloodwork. (I'm ignorant about that -- but I do know that much.)

Some ranges for BUN go fairly high!  What's the reference range here?

High(er) protien diet coupled with an improper fast prior to testing the blood???

 Thanks. As far as BUN levels go, the vet said from 3 - 10 is normal and yes some dogs do run higher, however the fact Buddy was at 4.5 last year the vet is concerned. We have ruled out the diet pretty much. He eats a kibble that is not overly high in protein. Lepto is rare around here but it does exist so I guess it's a possibility. Buddy has absolutely no other symptoms to suggest either an ulcer or lepto. He eats, poops and behaves normally. He has lots of energy. The urine tests were clear but I still have to take a stool sample in. I somehow missed it this morning so I am still waiting for another bowel movement. I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary in his stools but I haven't exactly been examining them either. The only thing that has changed is the new puppy. I suppose he could be stressed but he has adjusted so well to Ribbon and really shows no signs of being overly worried or bothered.  From what I've been reading ulcers can result from extreme stress, NSAIDs (N/A), liver or kidney disease or mass cell tumors.  Now I'm scared.  The only other thing I'm thinking is that he has picked something up from Ribbon. She has has loose stools the last week. The vet dewormed her again and prescribed a probioctic which I started today. I'm not sure if it was her puppy shots she got yesterday but she has even worse runs today.

I think my plan will be to get Ribbon's and Buddy's stool samples tested and see if there is anything there of note as an ulcer may show blood in the stool (?). If not then I will start the ulcer meds and the slippery elm thingy. At least the meds seem safe.

Is there any chance it was a lab equipment issue for that specific test given there are no other symptoms? Just a thought. Otherwise, I would probably do the stool sample and at least the slippery elm cocktail. I hope that it's nothing serious!

denise m

The urine tests were clear

     Meaning his urine protein creatine ratio was good and so was his specific gravity? If that's the case, his kidneys should be fine. Kidney problems show up in the urine much sooner than in the blood work. It's also unlikely that he has liver disease, since the alkaline phosphatase, ALT, GGT, and bilirubin in his blood work would be elevated.

denise m

. He eats, poops and behaves normally. He has lots of energy.

    If he has an ulcer, you've caught it early. More advanced ulcers can cause anemia, which would show up in the blood work.

   Sending healing thoughts for the handsome boy. (((Denise))); it seems like your vet is on top of this and Buddy will be fine.

 Denise just for reference on Bugsy's bloodwork the BUN range is 6-31 and his results consistently are at the upper end of normal (28-30) however his BUN/creatinine ratio is always mid-range and his urine results are spot on. His Creatinine levels are also high normal.

He does eat a high protein food and some raw which is what I was told was causing those results. So I wouldn't worry too much if he has no symptoms.  Good luck and keep us posted

I just pulled out a stack of Frisby's old lab reports. The BUN range for the lab we used for almost all testing is 7-27 (and 14 would be right in the middle of "normal"; 4.5 would have been "low";).  Do you have a copy of the lab report? (With our IMHA dogs, we tend to get pretty obsessed with having copies of every lab test ever done.)

And, most important--how is Buddy feeling today?

One other thing you may ask the Vet....Bun is sometimes elevated with dehydration???