Have you ever heard of kidney failure from an allergic reaction to a shampoo?

Question

We went to the Vet today with our 10 month old West Highland Terrier. She lost some of her hair on her hind legs. We used a new shampoo by Hartz to treat her for Fleas ticks all your regular stuff. This was a new brand for us cant remember what we used before.

So she wasn't acting herself and with the hair loss we decided to take her. They said she had an allergic reaction to the shampoo. And they gave her some medicine and said we should give her 10 mg of pepcid ac for upset stomach.

So we get home and they call, her blood work came back and she is having kidney failure. WHAT?! Can an allergic reaction cause kidney failure, I used the shampoo on her about a week ago. I am so confused. Any input on anything you have heard of or seen first hand would be nice.

She has eaten nothing but pedigree and her mothers milk of course since she was born. And I am pretty sure that it isn't from that because that food brand wasn't recalled.

She is at the Vet we took her to the emergency hospital as soon as we got the phone call. She is on an IV and we will pick her up in the morning. And take her to our regular Vet who will then do blood tests to see her progress.

The Vet says she thinks that it was the hartz shampoo. She had a case of this a month ago she said. When we walked in with her she said did you use Hartz on her by any chance because she looks just like dog X did.

She says that the shampoo is harsh enough that it will get in to their blood stream. On some dogs not all depending on breed and a lot of other factors.

Answer 1

Indeed the shampoo can cause MANY problems. Hartz products have a horrible reputation. The shampoo was for fleas and ticks so it had chemicals and pesticides in it. These things can and do kill some dogs. I would have that bottle tested by an independant lab. Be sure to send a sample to a lab for testing to see just how much pesticide was in it. Do NOT send the bottle. You will need that if you should decide to sue Hartz.
Never use over the counter pesticides on your animals. I will post a link to the trouble with Hartz as soon as I find it again. Bad stuff!
http://www.hartzvictims.org/

People who try to make themselves feel better by feeding the crapiest foods and giving over the counter cheap chemicals to their dogs give thumbs down on answers because ignorance is bliss. They are to cheap to spend any money on their dogs health and well being then turn around and whine and complain and don't understand what is wrong with their dogs.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Did your vet say that the shampoo was to blame for the kidney failure? Because I have a feeling the two are separate incidents.

It is possible your dog had an allergic reaction to the shampoo, much the same way we may be allergic to types of soap, shampoo, colognes, lotions, etc. Also, if you failed to properly rinse off all the shampoo when you bathed her, this could have caused her skin to become dry and irritated, accounting for the hair loss. So be sure to properly rinse your dog very well, use very mild, trusted, shampoos (ones with oatmeal - even for fleas/ticks - are good) or go to a groomer (some grooming services let you wash your own dog - they charge a small fee, but it's worth it as they are set up for this, whereas most homes are not). Lastly, check to see if your pup got into anything - including digesting some of that shampoo. She may have eaten a poison from the outside as well. So check your area, inside and out, very well for anything suspicious.

As for your kidney failure - don't fret just yet. All the blood work is telling the vet is that your dog has elevated counts of certain liver and kidney proteins and metabolites. Most likely she has elevated counts of creatinine, which is a breakdown product of creatine phosphate from the muscle. Creatinine is mainly filtered by the kidney, so elevated counts of creatine is a good way to test her kidney function (but your vet may have also had tests done for urea and electrolytes). Her white blood cell count may also be elevated. This can be due to a WIDE array of things, from, sadly, true kidney failure, to simply having a "flu".

Given your dog's very young age, if she truly has failing kidneys then it's one of several things. First, this was inherent - that is, she was genetically pre-disposed for kidney failure. If you bought this dog from a breeder, I would talk to the breeder about this. If your wonderful pup passes on (God forbid!) because of renal failure, a good breeder will give you another pup from his/her next litter. But it is also possible your dog ate something (note the food scare - did your dog eat any of the tainted food, because this may be the cause of her renal failure) or got into poison some how.

I do not believe this is due to the shampoo, unless there are some VERY strong pesticides in there that can penetrate into her bloodstream. That is, the poison would have to soak through her fur and penetrate through her skin to get into her bloodstream and then attack the kidneys (I work in topical pharmaceuticals and the skin barrier is a stong one). Most flea/tick shampoos have been thoroughly tested, so I doubt this is the problem. It was just coincidental that she had the allergic reaction at the same time your vet noticed the kidney problems. However, if you really think the shampoo is related, talk to your vet and have the shampoo analyzed by a lab (but save some of it to have as evidence for any future legal proceedings).

As far as treatment, most likely your vet will have you give subcutaneous fluid injections to your pup. This will help flush her kidneys (a form of dialysis) and help them perform better. I hope and pray that this is temporary and that she can recover. As I wrote above, don't fret just yet. That said, you may want to prepare for the worst as often renal failure is fatal. :-(

I hope, though, that your vet can provide you with the best. And your dog may recover or only have a temporary situation. Please talk to your vet about the next steps. I wish you and your pup the best.

Answer 4

First, I'm so sorry to hear about your terrible situation. Kidney failure is quite serious and irreversible.

I'm not a vet tech/veterinarian so I can't tell you if that is possible but I do know that many things can cause kidney failure, so it wouldn't surprise me.

And on another note: do not use anything from Hartz. Their flea stuff has caused problems in dogs for years from stories I've heard. I don't understand how they still are able to sell pet products. Spread the word and call Hartz for a serious complaint. Don't let anyone else use their products!

Answer 5

It would be much more likely that you got some of the poisoned food. Don't throw it away. Maybe you can have it tested to see if it has melamine in it. I can't see how the shampoo had anything to do with the kidneys, unless the dog ate the shampoo. I would say that the hair loss and kidney failure are related though.

Answer 6

This is something to bring up with your vet, she will have info on any known issues with the product. Usually shampoos are harmless, but the flea killing product may cause reactions. Kidney failure has become a big issue with the pet food scandal, you may wish to check your food against the recall list to see if that is an issue. It is also possible the kidney failure is unrelated to the shampoo or food.

Answer 7

We have had 5 cases so far this month involving the Hartz products (shampoo and the imitation Frontline flea/tick monthly product). I hope your pet does well with treatment. And tell everyone you know to avoid these products!

Answer 8

I couldn't just sit around and do nothing like my doctors suggested.

They didn't want me to do anything or to take herbs or herbal remedies, but I had to try something - they just wanted me to do dialysis!

This program allowed me to take control of my health. I went from Stage 4 to Stage 3 kidney disease.

It was easy to do and my BUN, creatinine and anemia are all in better ranges.

Reversing Your Kidney Disease?

Answer 9

I would probably point to your food as a source of kidney failure, but would not rule out the Hartz product. There are very harsh chemicals in most grocery/mass pet products.

Answer 10

I really can't see the kidney problem coming from a shampoo reaction. Never heard of this. I have a feeling the two are unrelated. Some pups can be born with bad kidneys, or they can have problems from ingesting a toxic material. Infections can also hurt the kidneys. Some kidney problems can be treated and some can't. You need to follow through with your vet to get to the bottom of it.