natural diet for dogs with renal failure
A Homemade Diet for Dogs with Kidney Failure
Kidney disease is relatively common in dogs, especially in old age. The function of the kidney is to eliminate waste substances and toxins from the body. Animals, like people, generate toxins throughout the day and then expel them through their urine. When a dog suffers renal failure, the kidneys fail to carry out this function properly.
Here you can find a general guide on what to feed dogs with kidney failure. However, today, we take this one step further with an explanation of how to create a homemade diet for dogs with kidney failure. Keep reading this new AnimalWised article to discover homemade recipes suite to your dog's condition.
1. First visit your vet
Your vet's advice is essential when planning a homemade diet for your dog. Don't forget that every dog is different, and each one will have specific needs. You have to be even more careful with your dog's diet when it is suffering from kidney disease.
Your vet will indicate the type and amount of food your dog should eat on a daily basis. Renal feed for dogs can be found in shops. It is highly likely that your vet will recommend alternating this type of feed with homemade dog food recipes.
- Extra tip: decrease the amount of food, but increase the number of servings of food each day. This way, it will be easier for your pet to digest food.
2. Lots of fresh water
A dog with kidney problems needs to drink plenty of water. This is very important in helping the kidney get rid of toxins and you should always make sure you put out sufficient fresh water for your dog.
3. Don't use salt
Salt (sodium) is prohibited in any diet for dogs. In fact, a high consumption of salt can cause severe damage to your pet, including:
- Fluid retention
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Excessive thirst
- Mild intoxication
- Loss of appetite
- Excessive sleep
- Kidney damage
- Frequent urination
For a dog with kidney disease, homemade food should be low in sodium, as should any bought feed.
4. Provide a low-phosphorus diet
A low-phosphorous diet is also imperative when feeding a dog with kidney disease. Renal failure means they won't be able to process phosphorus properly in the kidneys. Lean meat is a good option, always in moderate quantities.
Remember that you should ask your vet what the correct amount of food is for your pet. Now that the basics are clear, put on your apron and let's prepare some homemade dog food for kidney disease.
Rice, turkey and beef recipe for dogs with kidney failure
The ingredients for this dog food recipe are:
Instructions
- To cook the rice you need two cups of water for each cup of rice. The rice will take 20 minutes to cook.
- While the rice is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Clean the turkey meat thoroughly and cut into small pieces.
- After the rice has boiled for ten minutes, add the turkey meat.
- Once everything is cooked, drain the ingredients and allow it all to cool.
- In another pan, bring water to a boil. Add the beef only once the water is boiling.
- Cook the beef for around 5 minutes. You will know it is ready when it turns for red to brown.
- Rinse the cooked beef in cold water and remove any white foam attached.
- Chop the beef into small pieces and add it to the rice and turkey.
And there you have it - a simple, homemade recipe for dogs with kidney disease.
Other ingredients you can use
Here are a few ideas:
- Substitute rice with for pasta or polenta.
- Use chicken instead of turkey.
- Add boiled vegetables (only in small quantities).
When choosing ingredients for homemade recipes for a dog with kidney failure, here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Low-phosphorus and low-sodium
- High in essential amino acids
- Only lean meat
- Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon
Nutritional supplements
Remember that your dog may be lacking other vitamins or minerals because of their kidney disease. For example, in some diets, it is advisable to incorporate calcium, omega-3 fatty acids or B-complex vitamins. Of course you should always consult your vet for advice, and only give your dog nutritional supplements specifically prescribed by the vet.
If you want to read similar articles to A Homemade Diet for Dogs with Kidney Failure, we recommend you visit our Homemade diets category.
Bibliography
7 Vet Approved Homemade Dog Food Recipes For Kidney Disease
A friend of mine is a huge dog lover. She has always had a dog (but mostly, dogs). Practically, she was born with them, and she knows a great deal about all the topics concerning a dogs health, nutrition, training almost everything.
So, she is my emergency call person when it comes to any issue that bothers me about my pooch. If she says that my dog needs a vet, he really does. Thats what happened the other day when I came home with a whole book of vet approved homemade dog food recipes for kidney disease.
I noticed earlier that my doggie was not the same. He was not in the mood at all. He had just been dragging himself around, drinking enormous amounts of water, and always being thirsty.
Of course, after that much water, he had been peeing a lot. Besides urination, there was occasional diarrhea, especially at night. I was aware that he was no longer the healthy dog he used to be.
So, the first thing I could think of was to call my friend and ask for advice. I had described to her all the symptoms that I noticed. She said it was probably some kind of renal failure.
And, she was right. As a responsible dog owner, she first told me to make an appointment at the veterinary station. I took my dog for an examination, and the vet confirmed it was renal disease. I was shocked and terrified.
My dog got therapy, and I got all the instructions for the dogs diet. I got a recommendation to prepare homemade dog food for kidney disease. Here, I have collected a few recipes that helped us on our journey. I hope they will help you, too!
Vet Approved Homemade Dog Food Recipes For Kidney Disease
Kidney failure is not an uncommon condition. It certainly requires big changes in lifestyle and diet. When your dog gets some sort of diagnosis that is connected with impaired renal function, there is a big challenge in front of you.
The first thing is to listen to your vet. He knows best, and he will give you further directions as to how to cooperate. The most important thing is to change your dogs diet.
This is essential in order to prevent further adversities that could occur. There are a certain number of vet approved homemade recipes for kidney disease that you can include in your daily meal prep.
When preparing a meal, you should have a few things in mind. The most difficult thing is to balance the amount of harmful ingredients in meals.
Low phosphorus levels are the goal when you are feeding a dog with kidney disease. But, this is not easy to achieve due to the fact that it appears in almost all meat.
That is why you should choose wisely what your dog chews. To successfully avoid all the traps, here are six vet approved homemade recipes for kidney disease easy to prepare.
Recipe No. 1
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pound of ground pork
2 cups of white rice
1 cup of green beans
1/2 cups of chopped beets
1 cup of chopped sweet potatoes
1 cup of chopped carrots
Preparation:
Step 1:
Prepare the vegetables. Wash them thoroughly or defrost them if you use those purchased in the supermarket. Chop them into small pieces. Do this with the sweet potatoes, carrots, and beets.
Step: 2
Cook two cups of rice in four cups of water. Do not add salt in water. When the water starts to boil, add rice and cook it for up to 15 minutes. When its done, extract the excessive water.
Step: 3
Take a frying pan and put the meat in it. Fry it until it is well done with no blood. Remove all the excessive fat and leave it to cool down.
Step: 4
Take all the vegetables and put them in a pot filled with water. Cook the veggies until they are soft. When the vegetables are cooked, remove the excessive water and let it cool down.
Step: 5
Mix together all the cooked ingredients and mash them down. Serve the portions.
Recipe No. 2
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups of white rice
1/2 cup of water
0.25 pound of ground beef
1 teaspoon of calcium carbonate
3 slices of white bread
1 egg
Preparation:
Step: 1
Take the ground beef, put it in a pot, and cook it in a small amount of water. It is important to use ground beef, and not lean. Lean beef is not appropriate for this kind of diet. Boil the beef until it is well cooked. You will know it is cooked when the meat is soft and easy to pull apart.
Step: 2
While the beef is cooking, prepare the rice. Cook two cups of rice in four cups of water. Do not add salt in the water. When the water starts to boil, add rice and cook it for up to 15 minutes. When its done, extract the excessive water.
Step: 3
Cook the egg. It should be hard-boiled. When the egg is cooked and cold, peel it and chop it into small pieces.
Take the bread and crumble it.
Step: 4
Mix together the rice, the egg, the bread, and the calcium carbonate. When mixed, add it into the cooked ground beef. Stir it all together well.
This recipe is enough for one meal. If you want, you can prepare a couple or three portions in advance and freeze them. Your dog should be fed twice a day with this mixture. In addition to the main meal, your dog should be getting supplements.
Recipe No. 3
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
2 pounds of ground turkey meat
3 cups of water
6 eggs
2 sweet potatoes (three if they are small)
6 cups of white rice
1/2 cup of cranberries
15 ounce of peas
1/4 cup of parsley
1/4 cup of hemp hearts
3 tablespoons of chopped rosemary
3 tablespoons of chopped sage
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Preparation:
Step: 1
Cook the ground turkey meat in three cups of water. Let the water boil and then cook the meat until it becomes soft and easy to pull apart. When it is done, remove the excessive water.
Step: 2
Cook six cups of rice in 12 cups of water. Do not add salt in the water. When the water starts to boil, add the rice and cook it for up to 15 minutes. When its done, extract the excessive water.
Step: 3
Make six hard boiled eggs. When cooked, peel them and chop them into small pieces.
Step: 4
Take two large or three small potatoes, wash them, and peel them. Chop the potatoes into cubes and put them on to steam.
Step 5
Cook the peas shortly in a small amount of water. While the peas are cooking, slice cranberries in thin layers.
Step 6
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Be sure that you stir the ingredients well. When done, place the bowl in the refrigerator. Feed your dog three times a day, and keep the rest of the blend in the fridge.
READ NEXT: How To Boil Chicken For Dogs: Everything You Need To Know!
Recipe No. 4
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
2 pounds of ground pork
2 cups of white rice
1 pound of green beans
1 pint of egg white in liquid state
1 pound of sweet potatoes
1/1 cup of chopped parsley
4 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 apple
pinch of pepper
Preparation:
Step: 1
Cook two cups of rice in four cups of water. Do not add salt in the water. When the water starts to boil, add the rice and cook it for up to 15 minutes. When its done, extract the excessive water.
Step 2
Take the parsley and wash it. Remove the leaves and stems, and chop the leaves. Try to chop them as finely as possible. When done chopping, take the parsley and stir it in the cooked rice.
Step: 3
Peel the sweet potatoes and cook them.
Step: 4
Take the green beans and steam them in a separate pot.
Step: 5
Take the ground pork and put it in a frying pan. Fry the pork for about 10 minutes and then put it aside. Add a pinch of pepper, even though it is optional. Consult with your vet first.
Step: 6
Put half of the pork and the beans together in a blender and blend it until you get a smooth mixture. Then, stir the mixture along with the rice. Blend the rest of the pumpkin and beans with 1/4 of pork. Stir the mixture into the rice. Add the remaining pork.
Step: 7
Melt the coconut oil in a frying pan. Add the egg whites and stir them until they are cooked.
Step: 8
Stir all the ingredients together, and separate it into small amounts. You can use freezing bags for this purpose. Serve your dog 1/2 a cup up to five times a day.
Recipe No. 5
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup of chopped chicken
1/4 cup of brown rice
1/4 cup of green beans
1/4 cup of carrots
2 tablespoons of yogurt
Preparation:
Step: 1
Take a chopped chicken and boil it until it is cooked. Hard-boil the egg. Let it cool down, and then peel it. Chop the egg. Combine the egg and chicken in one bowl.
Step: 2
Steam the green beans and carrots separately. Then, add them into the chopped chicken and egg mixture.
Step: 3
Cook 1/4 cup of rice in 1/2 cup of water. Do not add salt in the water. When the water starts to boil, add rice and cook it for up to 15 minutes. When its done, extract the excessive water.
Step: 4
Add the rice to the mixture and stir it all together. Then, add 2 tablespoons of yogurt and mix it thoroughly. When done, separate the mixture into smaller portions, and keep them in a cold place. You can keep them like that for five days. If you want it to last longer, you can freeze it.
Recipe No. 6
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1 pound of turkey meat
2 cups of white rice
Preparation:
Step: 1
Prepare the turkey meat. Wash the meat, remove the bones and skin, and chop it into cubes.
Cook 2 cups of rice in 2 cups of water. Do not add salt in the water. When the water starts to boil, add rice and cook it for up to 15 minutes.
Add the turkey meat and cook it until it is mushy.
Step: 2
Fill a pot with water, and put it on the stove. When the water is boiling, put in the meat and cook it for five minutes. When its done, extract the excessive water and fat. Wash the meat under tap water.
Step: 3
Chop the beef into small parts. Mix together the meat, the rice, and the turkey mixture. Cool it down before serving.
Recipe No. 7
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
3 pounds of turkey meat
3 cups of spinach
2 big carrots
1/2 cup of peas
1 zucchini
1 1/2 cups of white rice
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Preparation:
Step: 1
Cook 1 and 1/2 cups of rice in 3 cups of water. Do not add salt in the water. When the water starts to boil, add rice and cook it for up to 15 minutes. When cooked, remove it from the stove.
Step: 2
Take the olive oil and put it on the stove on low heat. When the oil is heated, add the turkey meat and fry it until it turns goldish.
Step: 3
Take the veggies and cut them. Cut the carrots into small cubes, and chop the zucchini and spinach.
Step: 4
When the meat is fried, add the vegetables and the rice. Stir them together, and continue to cook for up to five minutes. When done, make portions and put them in the freezer. Now, you have a fine, gluten-free meal for your dog.
Things You Need To Know About Kidney Disease
At one moment, due to different causes, the kidneys may lose their function. Or, that function can be weakened. If not treated properly, acute problems could develop into chronic kidney disease.
The main function of the kidneys is to filter blood and wash out toxins, which are extracted through urine. Kidneys extract phosphorous and calcium.
When there is a problem in their function, phosphorus and calcium can not be extracted, and they build up in the body. Over time, these sediments can cause further problems, such as heart failure or problems in other organs.
The problem with kidney failure is that one of the protein products is phosphorus. Due to the fact that this can not be easily extracted, you should prepare food that is low in phosphorus. It is important to know what the color of your dogs urine means so you can react in time.
Proteins are essential for muscle growth and overall health. That is why you want to keep them in a meal. All in all, it is best to use ingredients that are low in phosphorus, have a low sodium rate, and have a moderate protein level. That is the reason why it is good to use vet approved homemade food recipes for kidney disease.
Symptoms Of Kidney Disfunction
There are certain symptoms that are indicative of kidney problems. They are mostly connected with water intake and urinating. Also, general health changes like a loss of body weight are often an alarm. In order to be sure, it is best to visit a vet and do a few checkups.
You can find out a lot from blood work. The levels of creatinine, calcium, potassium, sedimentation, and phosphorus can tell a lot. Here is a list of the most common symptoms of kidney dysfunctions, which can serve as a guideline. However, there can be other symptoms that are not listed here.
Excessive water intake
Excessive urinating
Decreased urinating
Urinating while sleeping
Blood in urine
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Low energy level
Acidic stomach
Nausea
Weight loss
Lost appetite
READ NEXT: Why Does My Dog Poop So Much? Healthy Pooping Amounts
What Does A Dog Need To Eat If It Has Kidney Disease?
There are certain ingredients that should be included in its diet, and also, those that should be excluded from its diet. You should take extra care if your dog has other issues. Some dogs have allergies, or other chronic diseases like pancreatitis.
Some dogs are already on a raw diet regiment. In that case, it is an even bigger challenge to balance protein intake. This all means that there are more ingredients you should exclude from the diet. It is best to consult with your vet about this.
Related: How Much Raw Food To Feed A PuppyEverything You Need to Know
Some foods contain significant amounts of possibly harmful matter. Vet approved homemade dog food recipes for kidney disease will balance these ingredients in the right amounts.
Ingredients That A Dog With Kidney Disease Can Consume
Your dog needs to consume protein in some measure because it is an ingredient that builds up muscles. He needs carbs for energy. Without vitamins, he will get sick. These foods are all rich in nutrients that are necessary.
Vet approved homemade dog food recipes for kidney disease include the following ingredients:
Fat Source avocado oil, coconut oil, butter, yogurt
Carbohydrate Source pumpkin, sweet potatoes, acorn squash, apples, carrots, rice, popcorn
Protein Source egg whites, ground beef, white fish, ground pork, ground turkey, ground chicken, chicken breasts
Vitamin Sources veggies such as kale, green beans, broccoli, collards, watermelon, bananas, blueberries
Omega-3 fatty acids salmon oil
Ingredients That A Dog With Kidney Disease Should Avoid
There are numerous ingredients that are not part of vet approved homemade dog food recipes for kidney disease. For example, you should avoid giving bones, bully sticks, treats, pig ears, raw hides, antlers, organ meat, and yolks to a dog with kidney disease.
You should also avoid polyunsaturated oils such as soy, corn, flaxseed, cod liver, and sunflower. Besides that, there are four main ingredients that sick kidneys cant extract.
Those are:
Phosphorus Phosphorus accumulating in blood affects other systems in the body, and causes hormonal balance and less bone density
Omega 6 fatty acids This causes inflammations
Sodium Sodium increases blood pressure, which can lead to heart arrest, and it also causes water retention, which can cause dehydration
Vitamin D The kidneys have a hard time extracting Vitamin D
Useful Tips For A Quality Life With Kidney Disease
Provide your dog with clear and filtered water, and be sure it does not contain any toxins. Water from your tap is not always chemically correct.
A kidney diet often requires a lot of water because your dog is often thirsty. It is recommended to purchase a slow water feeder. You can find this in your local pet shop or online.
It is recommended to feed your dog with his homemade diet in several smaller portions during the day. Combine this with a lot of exercise to get the best results in kidney function.
Do not forget toinclude supplements in pet food kibble. A Prescription diet for kidney failure does not cover all the nutritional needs of a dog. No matter how much of a high-quality, homemade meal you make, your doggo still needs a few more vitamins and minerals.
Senior dogs with kidney failure need meat that contains a lot of fat. Their kidney diet should be a low protein diet. This means you should use ground meat with less protein and more fat.
If you are often short on time, it is good to prepare meals in advance. Make bigger amounts of food, and separate it into portions. Put the portions in the freezer, and take them out when you need them.
Invest in a kitchen scale. This is an essential thing for cooking homemade recipes. There are a lot of choices online, on sites such as Amazon, along with going to your local supermarket.
You should avoid feeding your dog human food, such as vienna sausages, because they are rich in additives. Also, fish sticks because they are too salty. It is not recommended to feed him with industrial foods like cheerios, doritos or sour cream. Try to stick with vet approved homemade recipes.
Conclusion
We are living in a chaotic world with almost no time to stop. Take in a deep breath and take it easy. In all of that hurry, we forget to take the time for proper and mindful eating. It is more effective to take some quick snacks and continue with work.
And, if you have a dog, then life is even more complicated though it is sweeter. Maybe you are used to feeding your dog with quick solutions like commercial dog food. He is probably used to dry food, dog treats, or Royal Canin in the best case.
If your dog is having health issues, then you should probably consider preparing homemade meals. Nutritionists will recommend the proper food diet considering your dogs health conditions. When it comes to kidney health, there are a number of vet approved homemade dog food recipes for kidney disease.
Do not panic. With the proper diet, your furry friend can live a happy life for quite some time. First things first it is of major importance to consult your veterinarian before starting a diet. Then, take it day by day.
It just takes a few changes in your daily routine and your overall lifestyle. But, if those changes are for the better, then a little bit of effort should not be a problem. After all, it is all for our puppys good and our own benefit, too.
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