Diagnosed with renal failure, the six-year-old dog is the first in India to have a permanent catheter surgically inserted into his jugular vein for dialysis sessions

Diagnosed with renal failure, six-year-old Louis was considered too weak to undergo stem cell treatment. With no respite in sight, his family brought together doctors from across the world to save him. The solution these great minds came up with has made Louis, a Labrador, the first dog in India to have a permanent catheter surgically inserted into his jugular vein for dialysis sessions.

Louis was diagnosed with leptospirosis in 2008, which led to renal failure. “He was extremely ill, had no energy to play and was no longer the happy dog he once was,” says Shreya Sawhney, the owner of the dog.

Worried about his condition, Shreya took him to Dr Ranjit Kharb, a leading veterinarian in the Capital.

Through web conference, doctors in Chennai, Delhi and California discussed the treatment options available for Louis. With help from doctors in Madras Veterinary College and the University of California, the family decided that Louis was not fit for a transplant as the success rate was low in such cases.

“We were exploring all avenues because there is no cure for renal failure. We consulted doctors in California who perform kidney transplants on dogs and the companies that provide stem cell treatment to animals. The companies could not guarantee success. They said he was too weak to survive the process of extracting his bone marrow from which the stem cells would be harvested,” explains Shreya.

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