just food for dogs kidney diet
Healthy Cat Food Has Evolved
JustFoodForDogs has pioneered a new way to feed cats by asking a simple question: Is there a better way to feed our pets? The answer was clear. Feed them fresh whole-foodsthe same foods we eatand balance each recipe to meet the unique nutritional needs of cats.
While cats are a different species and true carnivores, they can also benefit from whole-food nutrition. We are now delivering the same health benefits of our whole-food diets to your feline family members with our healthy cat food!
Our fresh cat food recipes are made from human-edible ingredients such as Alaskan wild-caught cod, sardines from the clean waters of Norway, and succulent fresh chicken. Each daily meal of healthy food for cats is enhanced with our proprietary Nutrient Blend to balance the meal for long-term feeding. This blend is a compound of 100% human-edible ingredients.
As youd expect, this fresh cat food is much healthier than highly processed, mass-manufactured cat food. We believe that fresh whole nutrition is the foundation for more life, more years, more love with your cat.Lovingly made by hand in our open-to-the-public Kitchens, our homemade cat food is lightly cooked to retain its nutritional value. By minimally cooking fresh whole-food ingredients, we maximize both nutrition and taste.
In addition to our healthy cat food, we also make a delicious Salmon Bark treat for cats. Handmade several times a week in small batches in our Kitchens, our Salmon Bark is a treat that your feline will flip for. And so your cats canine companion doesnt get jealous, JustFoodForDogs has a variety of dog treats as well.
Which Diet did your Vet Prescribe?
Your veterinarian knows your dogs detailed health requirements. Consult with your veterinarian to find out which of these support diets are recommended for your dog.
Tell Us About Your Dog
Let Us Make Some Calorie Calculations to Help You Pick a Fresh and Healthy Recipe.
Feeding CalculatorVet-Prescribed Dog Food
Our vet support diets are the #1 veterinary recommended fresh food, as determined by an independent national survey of 16,000 veterinarians. This is because a whole-food diet is never more important than when you need to maintain your pets health. Our comprehensive line of whole-food prescription dog food is designed to help pets live their healthiest lives possible.
Our veterinary team, including board-certified specialists in nutrition, toxicology, and dermatology, has developed eight veterinary support diets for dogs. These prescription dog food recipes are explicitly formulated to meet the critical nutritional requirements of dogs and are prescribed by veterinarians based on their patients needs. All our vet support diet dog foods have been formulated for the long-term nutritional management of your pets health under the direction of your veterinarian. In addition, we can work with your veterinarian to create acustomized diet for pets who have specific health requirements or special complex needs.
Prepared in small batches in our open-to-the-public Kitchens, our prescription dog food is made from only the finest meats and the highest-quality produce; all the same wholesome food we choose for ourselves. Also, the proprietary Nutrient Blends used in our vet dog food meet or exceed the strictest certifications and requirements set forth for human nutraceuticals. We also regularly test our food through independent human food laboratories.
In addition to our vet-diet dog food, our exclusive line of veterinarian-developed dietary supplements for dogs addresses the most common ailments faced by our four-legged friends. We also offer fresh cat food for your favorite feline. Ask your veterinarian how one of our veterinary support diets can support your pets health today.
Tell Us About Your Dog
Let Us Make Some Calorie Calculations to Help You Pick a Fresh and Healthy Recipe.
Feeding Calculator,heading two ,
Let us help you determine exactly how much you need to feed your pet. Enter your pets information into our feeding calculator to get our veterinarian-recommendations for calories and recipes.
Fresh Frozen Dog Food
We believe the food your dog eats, more than any other factor, will determine his or her future health, happiness, energy level, and longevity. That is why we make all our healthy meals for dogs and puppies using ONLY fresh whole-food ingredients, such as wild-caught cod, restaurant-quality meats, and locally sourced produce.
With six nutritious and delicious daily dog food meals to choose from, you and your pup will feel the love in every bite. Each of our healthy meals for dogs features only one source of protein and has several different dietary options that your pets will love. We also offer seasonal specials that often include novel proteins. Whether its our popular daily dog food or a limited-time special, you can take advantage of our wide variety of meals for dogs to rotate recipes or select the meal that is just right for your four-legged family member.
Lovingly made by hand in our open-to-the-public Kitchens, our complete meals for dogs are carefully prepared to retain their nutritional value. By optimally cooking fresh whole-food ingredients, we maximize nutrition. Each daily dog food diet is enhanced with proprietary nutrient blends to balance the meal for long-term feeding. Tested humanely using AAFCO feeding trial procedures and independently conducted digestibility studies, our healthy meals are the only food for dogs proven healthy by the scientific community. Our veterinary nutrition team can also formulate
customized dog foodto meet specific health requirements.All our meals are available Fresh Frozen, which is the leading option for serving our healthy meals for dogs to your pet. You can also prepare
homemade DIY mealsin your kitchen using our proven recipes. And for the especially good pooch in your life, dont forget to check out our healthy whole-food
dog treats and snacks. For dogs with specific requirements, ask your veterinarian how our vet-support diets can help impact your pets health.
What To Feed a Dog With Kidney Disease
Nutrition plays a big role in the management of dogs with kidney disease. Because dogs with kidney disease usually arent feeling well, the first step is often to merely get your dog to eat anything.
Kidney disease can make dogs nauseated, and they can also develop ulcers in their mouth or stomach, which makes eating painful. A feeding tube may be necessary to get dogs with severe kidney disease the nutrition they need.
Once your dogs condition is more stable, you can turn your attention to providing more optimized nutrition. Kidney diets for dogs have to tick a lot of boxes. Heres a guide that explains nutritional needs and what to feed a dog with kidney disease.
What To Look For in a Kidney Diet for Dogs
Kidney diets for dogs are significantly different from regular dog foods. However, no single kidney diet is going to be best for every dog throughout the rest of their life.
For example, a dog in the early stages of kidney disease could thrive on a kidney diet with more protein, but as their disease progresses, a diet lower in protein and phosphorus might better control their symptoms.
As a rule of thumb, good kidney diets for dogs tend to have anutrient profilethat looks like this:
Nutrient | Grams/1000 kcal |
Protein | 31-41 |
Phosphorus | 0.5-0.8 |
Sodium | 0.4-1.2 |
EPA and DHA | 0.4-1.2 |
Unfortunately, it can be hard tofind this information on dog food labelsor on pet food manufacturers websites. If you are having trouble getting the numbers, your veterinarian can help you pick a good kidney diet based on your dogs needs.
Here are several important elements to look for in kidney diets for dogs:
Taste
The most important characteristic of a kidney diet for dogs can be the hardest to achieve: It has to be delicious! Thats because the metabolic and physical changes associated with kidney disease can lessen a dogs appetite.
To counteract this effect, kidney diets need to smell and taste great. After all, a kidney diet that isnt eaten isnt going to do a dog any good. Kidney diets should also be calorie- and nutrient-dense, so dogs can eat less and still get a lot of nutrition.
Hydration and Water Content
Kidney diets should also contain a lot of water. Dogs with kidney disease struggle to maintain their hydration. All dogs always need to have access to bowls of fresh clean water, but a diet that has high water content is a great way to boost a pets water intake when they have kidney disease.
Wet foods are almost always a better option for dogs with kidney disease than dry foods. If you are feeding your dog kibble, ask your veterinarian about adding water to the dry food or other ways you can supplement their water intake.
It's also important to keep an eye on the sodium levels in kidney diets for dogs. Too much sodium increases the chances that your dog will becomedehydrated.
The Right Amount of the Right Protein
Next comes the balancing act that is protein. Dogs with kidney disease need protein, but not too much. The breakdown products of protein digestion are responsible, in large part, for making dogs with kidney disease feel yucky.
The goal is to feed just enough protein to meet a dogs needs for muscle maintenance, immune function, and the other vital jobs proteins have in the bodybut not to feed too much more. Extra protein will only be turned into calories that can be more safely provided by carbohydrates and fats.
Protein quality is also important. Proteins should be highly digestible and supply all the essential amino acids dogs need.
Low Phosphorus Levels
Theres a close relationship between protein intake and blood phosphorus levels. Dogs with kidney disease gradually lose the ability to excrete phosphorus in their urine, so it backs up in the bloodstream. Reducing phosphorus intake has been shown to slow the progression of kidney disease in dogs and increase their lifespan.
An important way to reduce phosphorus levels in the diets of dogs with kidney disease is to not overfeed protein and to ensure thatproteins relatively low in phosphorusare included in the diet. Plant-based sources of protein tend to be lower in phosphorus than animal-based sources of protein.
Supplements
Nutritional supplements can also help dogs with kidney disease. Supplements often included in kidney diets for dogs include:
Omega-3fatty acids:eicosapentaenoicacid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which can reduce inflammation in the bodyincluding in the kidneysand possibly improve kidney function
Antioxidants,which neutralize free radicals that can further damage the kidneys
Fermentable fiber,which helps get rid of protein digestion waste products in poop. This allows dogs to eat more protein than they might be able to otherwise.
Prescription Kidney Diets vs. Homemade Kidney Diets for Dogs
What abouthomemade kidney diets for dogs? Astudypublished in 2012 showed how hard it is to find nutritionally complete and balanced kidney diet recipes in books and online. Of the 39 recipes evaluated, none met all the National Research Councils recommended nutrient allowances for adult dogs.
In contrast, prescription kidney diets produced by reputable dog food manufacturers undergo testing to ensure they are safe for long-term feeding and have a positive effect on a dogs health.
How To Cook for Dogs With Kidney Disease
One big benefit of homemade kidney diets, however, is taste. If your dog simply wont eat anything else, a homemade kidney diet is worth considering. To avoid nutrient deficiencies or excesses, make sure a veterinary nutritionist or a service likeBalanceIT, which requires veterinarian approval, is involved in formulating recipes for your dog.
Common Prescription Kidney Diets for Dogs
After a dog has been diagnosed with kidney disease and their condition is stabilized, veterinarians typically recommend switching over to a prescription kidney diet. Your veterinarian may have recommended a particular food based on the details of your dogs case. Here are three popular options:
Hill's Prescription Diet k/d Kidney Careis available in wet and dry formulations and different flavors:
How To Transition Your Dog to a Kidney Diet
special attention to how you make the transition. Do notchange your dogs foodwhile they are still nauseated or feeling bad. They may associate their symptoms with their new food and refuse to eat it.
Once your dog has a good appetite, start making the switch very slowly. Give them lots of time to get used to the new flavors, textures, and ingredients. This reduces the chance of food refusal and lets your dogs digestive system adapt.
Here is a timetable for taking two weeks to switch your dog to a new diet:
Days 1 and 2:Mix 5% of the new food in with 95% of the old food
Days 3 and 4:Mix 10% of the new food in with 90% of the old food
Days 5 and 6:Mix 20% of the new food in with 80% of the old food
Days 7 and 8:Mix 40% of the new food in with 60% of the old food
Days 9 and 10:Mix 60% of the new food in with 40% of the old food
Days 11 and 12:Mix 80% of the new food in with 20% of the old food
Days 13 and 14:Mix 90% of the new food in with 10% of the old food
Day 15:Try 100% of the new food
If at any point your dog turns their nose up at their food or develops signs of digestive upset, move back a step in the timetable and proceed more slowly.
Signs to Watch for After Starting Your Dog on a Kidney Diet
Dont give up if you initially have trouble switching your dog to a kidney diet. Call your veterinarian if your dog wont eat the recommended food. They can help by:
Recommending an appropriate food topper to make the food more appealing. Avoid products that are high in phosphorus and salt.
Prescribing medications to reduce nausea, stomach inflammation, ulcers, or other symptoms that may be reducing your dogs appetite
Recommending a different prescription kidney diet or, if necessary, a suitable over-the-counter food
Referring you to a veterinary nutritionist to get recipes for homemade kidney diets
Talking to you about the benefits of a feeding tube
Many dogs with kidney disease live happily for quite a long time, particularly if they get the right kind of nutrition. Onestudyshowed that on average, dogs who were fed a kidney diet lived 13 months longer than those who ate regular dog food. Thats certainly a goal worth striving for!
Featured image: iStock.com/RichLegg
WRITTEN BY
Jennifer Coates, DVMVeterinarian
Dr. Jennifer Coates is an accomplished veterinarian, writer, editor, and consultant with years of experience in the fields of veterinary...
