tsmith, none of this was news to those sufficiently interested to look into it several years ago. Reading something like the Shock Doctrine by Naomi Wolf might make sense of the revelations you are apparently just now having. Stressbaby, pit greenhouses really seem to be quite a bit more efficient given you have some slope on your property to allow for drainage. I have a design that I have been playing with which takes advantage of the insulative qualities of the soil which should give me quite a bit of the height I need without all of the insulation necessary for knee walls. South facing with a solid north wall and nearly half height knee walls to the east and west (block masonry painted a dark color or faced with dark red recycled brick). Triple glazing for the clear walls and roof (old french doors sandwiched with plexiglass), with automatic passive vents in the south knee wall and roof peak (knee wall vents composed of standard automatic foundation vents and roof vent cupola (same?)). Heated by circulating water pipes in the gravel floor (for dispersion of heat and humidity), underlain by a cement pad with drainage pipes leading down grade. The one factor missing was a good solar hot water heater system, these evacuated solar tubes just sounded like they would be a perfect fit! I could probably bury the hot water storage tanks behind the back wall so that they would have the soil for insulation as well. Plastic oil drums would probably be sufficient for storage. I think that they are a neat idea to play with. Probably pretty cheap too with craigslist recycled materials. The most expensive things would be the pad and the tubes. The only ongoing expense seems like an electric pump, probably hooked up to a thermostat, for water circulation!

I did a seach on Google and there are a lot of sites. Surely one of them will clue you in to a good course of treatment. I took a look at a few. They were more interested in selling a book or a product than giving any good information. However, there must be something there that might help. Do you have a holistic medicine store or a GNC store in your area? The woman that runs the one near me is most helpful. But, I am serious about trying to get this taken care of SOON. If the stone moves enough to block urine flow, you could be in deep trouble. Now, some States have a little known program designed to help people such as your self. It is not Medicaid in that it will not pay for ALL medical expenses, just the ones are concerned with a particular problem. That is, it would help someone with a tumor or a kidney stone, but not the usual chest cold, flu or broken arm. It would be just for the one thing. In our State, it is known as Aid for the Medically Indigent. It was set up to help those that were faced with overwhelming medical bills but were not eligible for Medicaid. It might be worth your while to investigate. Also, if you are near a teaching hospital, you might see if you could be treated as a teaching case. You would get poked and prodded more than usual, but sometimes that gets things done better than having just the one private physician. I am sure that there must be someone here that has had some experience. Cranberry juice is supposed to help prevent the stones, but I think you have passed that point. I don't know if it is also supposed to disolve them. I wish I could be of more help. My DH had several stones. I know that some of them caused a great deal of pain, and others, didn't, just a dull ache. I guess it depended on the location. PB

Looks like the link above talks about the translation from German. Here I found some good information from Michael Horn, [USA representative] for Billy Meier. Contact Report 216, Monday, March 16, 1987 Billy: But something else: a doctor urged me to ask you if you could provide information about whether susceptibility to kidney stones is inheritable. In regards to these matters, quite insufficient insights still prevail among the earthly doctors, etc.; therefore, it would really be of importance if you could provide some enlightenment. You should also be certain of the thanks of the doctor. Quetzal: That is actually the case, yes. Susceptibility to kidney stones can be inheritable through a gene-contingent, metabolic defect. CORROBORATED: Researchers link gene with kidney stones, bone loss in patients who absorb too much calcium - April 2002 "A team of researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center has identified a set of genetic abnormalities that increase risk for kidney stones and could indicate increased risk for osteoporosis." Here is a link that might be useful: General Information

Here's another canine renal diet from my clinical nutrition textbook, based on an 18 kg dog: 237g cooked white rice 78g cooked regular beef (not lowfat) 20g boiled egg 50g white bread 3g vegetable oil 1.5g calcium carbonate 0.5g iodized salt 1 adult vitamin per day This is a reduced protein (21%), phosphorus restricted (0.22%) diet, appropriate for early renal failure. Sounds a lot like the one you already found. Dr. Pitcarin's for dogs is: 1/4# hamburger (not lowfat) 2 3/4# cooked white enriched rice 2 large beaten whole raw eggs 1/4 cup cooked carrots 2 tablespoons cold-pressed safflower, soy, or corn oil 1 slightly rounded teaspoon eggshell powder 1/8 teaspoon iodized salt 20 milligrams vitamin B complex 1000 milligrams vitamin C optional- 1/2-1 clove minced garlic Mix and serve raw if accepted. Or mix everything except the vitamins together and bake 20 minutes in a moderate oven and wait until it cools to mix in the vitamins. Occasionally substitute 1-3 teaspoons liver for part of the meat. Will feed a 40# dog for 1 day. Provides slightly less protein (17%) 25% fat, and 55% carbs, low phosphorus. If you can calculate recipe nutrients or have a program that can do that, here are the recommendations from my clinical nutrition book for dogs with early renal disease: Phosphorus: 0.15-0.3% dry matter Protein:Sodium: Potassium recommendations vary based on individual- some animals especially cats become hypokalemic, whereas dog may become hyperkalemic. If Taco has normal potassium levels now, try to feed the same amount but make sure you monitor her renal profile including potassium on a regular basis so adjustments can be made. omega 6: omega 3 fatty acid ration There has been considerable debate on when to restrict dietary protein in dogs with renal disease, and by how much. I would definately have the urinalysis done on Taco to determine if she has proteinuria. If so, she needs more restricted protein than if not. However, the protein in either case should be high quality and easily digestible, like the eggs and hamburger meat, not plant-based which is harder to digest. My personal belief is that you should restrict the protein as little as necessary and monitor the pet to see how the diet is working. If you switch diets and the BUN (especially sensitive to dietary changes) goes up, may have to reduce the protein a little bit and recheck. The appropriate protein level will vary among individuals and by the stage of renal disease. You have to adjust as needed. It is not 100% true that there are no meds to help with kidney disease. Any medications are based upon the symptoms of each individual pet, and applied on an as-needed basis. For example, if Taco is protienuric, an ACE inhibitor such as Enalapril may be beneficial. Secondary hyperparathyroidism may require more restricted phosphorus or phosphorus binders. Anemia may require erythropoietin. If she is dehydrated and cannot drink enough water to compensate, she may need subcutaneous fluid maintenance. If she has GI signs such as vomiting or nausea, then histamine blockers (cimetidine) or proton-pump inhibitors (omeprazole) may help. If she develops hypertension, the ACE inhibitor may help but if that is not enough then can add calcium channel blockers. Proteinuria is managed through the diet. Keep in mind that you can only safely restrict the protien by so much, since protein is required for a healthy immune system. Also at some point, restricting the protein more can contribute to worsening protein-losing nephropathy, which is definately not wanted. Chronic renal disease affects pretty much the entire body. But quality of life and survival can be enhanced by careful frequent monitoring (I'd do blood pressure, CBC, renal chemistries every 3-6 months depending on progression of signs) and appropriate treatment of signs as they occur. It is not easy nor inexpensive, but I think it's worth it to keep on top of things. The single most important thing to be careful about, as others have alluded to, is water. Even a short episode of dehydration in a pet with kidney disease can be devestating and send the animal over the edge and into failure. Second most important thing is to make sure she eats well. Eating doggie junk food is preferred over anorexia, even in animals with kidney disease. The best thing though, as always, is the easiest- provide lots of love and attention as you already do. Good luck.