Dear Dr. Fox • My "grandbaby," a 12-year-old female German shepherd/husky-mix, has been diagnosed with renal/kidney failure.

She was losing weight, her fur was clumping in mats, and she was generally being cranky for at least six months before my daughter took her to the vet last month.

I just found out from another family member that Kachina has about three weeks to live because her kidneys are giving out.

I had been living with my daughter and all the grandbabies until several months ago. We parted on unfriendly terms. Kachina was crated most of the time — except when I was there or my daughter was home — sometimes with very little or no water. She was let out several times a day and night to do her business.

But there were times when I was not there, and my daughter would come home late from work and then go out very late at night. The poor dog was crated for hours and hours.

The dog did not like dry food only. Dinner was usually dry and canned.I am convinced that going without water, being crated for such long periods of time and being forced to eat dry food that wasn't good for her all led to this sad diagnosis.

Is there anything that can be done to help make my precious grandbaby more comfortable and maybe slow down or halt this disease? — P.B., Fairfax, Va.

Dear P.B. • I wonder, as you do, how a caring person such as yourself could have a daughter who mistreats a poor old dog as yours does.

If the dog were a human child, you would call the state child protection services.

But, regrettably, animal protection laws are inadequate and poorly enforced.

There is a man in Minnesota (where I live) who neglected several horses he owned or was boarding for other owners. Not until the horses were close to death from starvation were the local animal protection authorities able to seize them and put the poor animals into protective custody.

After a trial on misdemeanor charges for this repeat offender — who should have been prosecuted for felony animal cruelty — the judge allowed this man to keep the horses. Animal protection laws are trumped generally by business interests.

In the case of your poor Kachina, is it possible for you to make peace with your daughter and convince her that the dog should be living with you? If that is not feasible and she refuses to provide the dog with appropriate veterinary care, I would call the police and animal control and file a complaint, or at least threaten her with this if you think it might lead to her giving you the dog.

I am sure that Kachina's saga is not unique, and in many instances there is no family member like you to intervene.

twobitdog.com/DrFox Write to: Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo. 64106.

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