renal diet for dogs uk

Kidneys

Kidneys

Kidney disease can be painful and debilitating for your dog, so support its overall health and wellbeing with a renal dog food diet. Here at zooplus we offer a great range of renal dog food, including both wet and dry food varieties that are bound to please every palate as well as offering key nutritional support, encouraging kidney function and helping to reduce the formation of oxalate stones.A dog with kidney disease will be no less fussy about its food than a dog without, so the range of renal dog food here at zooplus is extensive and delicious, providing complete and balanced diets that every canine will love. They contain optimum levels of key nutrients and minerals to ensure the best possible health, supporting those with kidney disease, chronic or acute renal insufficiency and other such problems.Browse the full range of Renal Dog Food here at zooplus:

Our range of renal dog food is available in both wet and dry varieties.Important information: Please consult your vet before feeding your pet with a therapeutic veterinary diet. You should take your pet to the vet for a check-up every 6 months. Should your pets health worsen while using this product, please seek veterinary advice immediately. By adding this product to your shopping basket you are confirming that you have read and understood the above information.

• Dry Food: this range of dry renal dog food has been specially formulated for those with kidney problems, helping to relieve strain and ensuring overall good health. Many of the recipes are enriched with antioxidants and EPA/DHA, with key ingredients to help combat stone build up and ensure the best possible renal function. There are also specialist options that also support healthy joints, weight loss or metabolism.
• Wet Food: bring variety and texture to your dogs renal dog food diet with a wet food dish, also enriched with key nutrients and designed to ensure your dog can take in the correct combination of ingredients it needs to ensure best possible renal function.

Here at zooplus we offer a a great range of Renal Dog Food, supporting your dogs kidneys throughout illness.

Choose the ideal renal dog food diet to meet your pets individual needs.

Browse the full range of Dog Vet Food & Specialist Food available here at zooplus, to meet the specific nutritional needs of every unwell dog.

What food is best for dogs with kidney disease?

If your poor pooch has dysfunctioning kidneys, perhaps because of kidney disease or kidney failure, youve probably been recommended they go on a renal diet. Its not only vital that a dog with kidney conditions eats a diet that is perfectly suited to their needs, they need to want to eat it - as their illness can mean that theyre turned off from food. We know this can be worrying for pooch parents, who only want whats best for their dog - so how do you make sure youre feeding your dog the best food for their kidney problems?

Read on to learn the attributes of a renal diet for dogs, so you can feed the right food for your dogs kidney dysfunction and ensure they live the happiest life possible.

Nutrition and diet for dogs with kidney disease

Just like all dogs vital organs, the kidneys are important for many reasons - they filter toxins from the blood, regulate levels of potassium and sodium, conserve water and produce urine. When a dogs kidneys start to malfunction, they can get very ill. You can read all about the causes and symptoms of kidney disease in dogs right here. However, if your dogs already been diagnosed with kidney issues, youve probably been instructed to put them on a renal diet.

Its essential that you feed your dog with kidney problems a renal diet so that they can live a happy, relatively stress-free life with alleviated symptoms from their poorly kidneys. Its actually the most important part of your dogs treatment and could significantly improve their life expectancy.

What foods are good for dogs with kidney failure?

So, what does a renal diet mean? Renal, or kidney-friendly food for dogs has special attributes, and it can be confusing for a worried dog owner to understand all the various weights and restrictions involved. Put simply, a renal diet for dogs supports the kidneys while providing a dog with all the nutrition they need to live and function happily.

Generally speaking, a renal diet has:

• High water and moisture content. Staying hydrated is important for the kidneys, which dont function well without a lot of water to produce urine.
• Low protein levels. Protein creates waste products that are tricky for damaged kidneys to process, so monitoring protein intake takes the pressure off.
• Low phosphorus levels. The kidneys are fundamental in filtering phosphorus in urine, so dogs with kidney disease tend to get a build-up of phosphorus. Reducing the amount of phosphorus in the diet significantly helps.
• Low sodium. Salt can worsen symptoms of kidney disease in dogs.
• Omega 3 fatty acids. The vital AHAs and DHAs found in fish oil, for instance, reduce inflammation in dogs and improve their kidney function.
• Delicious flavours. Pooches with kidney failure feel too ill to eat sometimes. A tasty fat booster (such as chicken skin) makes the food irresistible!

Best dog food for kidney disease

So now you know what constitutes a sensible renal diet for a dog, what is the best food to feed a dog with kidney disease?

• Firstly, bear in mind that relying on cheap commercial dog food to support your dogs ailing kidneys is doomed to fail. Cheap brands of dog food tend to contain preservatives, artificial flavourings and filler ingredients that will put stress on a dogs kidneys and provide little nutritional value. Its important to look a bit further for a nutrient-rich specialist food that supports your dogs health condition.

• Some pooch parents opt for a homemade or raw food for dogs (sometimes called the BARF diet), as they like to know exactly what goes into their dogs meals. Though this can be successful for dogs in good health, its more difficult when your pooch has specific dietary requirements. Preparing a renal diet from scratch is time-consuming and harder to balance than choosing a high-quality, specialist dog food that has been created for that purpose. If youre dead-set on sticking to a homemade diet, chat to a pet nutritionist first for some expert advice on preparing it.

• A premium quality, specialist dog food that comes prescribed or recommended by vets is the best route if your dog has kidney disease or failure. This food will be specially prepared to support a renal diet, and should boost your dogs overall health as well as protecting them from getting more unwell than they need to be. It should also be simply delicious for a dog, so that even if theyre off their food, they cant help but lap it up.

Best non-prescription dog food for kidney disease

Some premium quality vet-recommended foods on the market are just as effective as prescription dog foods - our Pooch & Mutt Veterinary Renal Food, for instance. It has been specifically formulated in accordance to a renal diet, containing salmon, peas and eggs for protein rather than meat, as meat has high levels of protein which is tougher to digest. It contains chicken fat, for a super delicious taste theyll love to eat every day - and salmon oil for those essential Omega 3 fatty acids.

A lot of renal dog foods on the market contain grain, making life difficult for dogs with kidney disease and a grain allergy, or difficulty digesting grain. For this reason our vet-recommended renal food is also entirely grain-free.

Can my dog eat renal dog food for kidney disease and problems?

If your vet has instructed that your pooch eat renal dog food, then a specialist renal food such as our Pooch & Mutt Vet food is a great choice - but chat it over with your vet first to be sure. Its typically given to dogs with chronic kidney insufficiency, especially those in the late to end stages of the disease.

If your dog doesnt have kidney problems, do not feed them renal dog food - it doesnt contain the right balance of ingredients to support a dog with regular health.

Dog food for kidney disease FAQs

Youre almost fully clued up on how to feed your precious pooch a renal diet. To finish, lets go over some commonly asked questions about feeding a dog with kidney disease.

What foods can cause kidney failure in dogs?

Foods arent necessarily the cause of kidney failure - there can be many causes including genetic factors, toxins, underlying health conditions etc. However there are foods that may exacerbate symptoms which tend to contain high protein, high salt or high phosphorus levels; all of which are hard for damaged kidneys to tolerate. For this reason its best for your dog to avoid foods such as red meat, jerky, pigs ears, rawhide and bones.

Is cat food bad for dogs kidneys?

Even for dogs with regular health, its generally not a good idea to feed a dog cat food as both cat and dog food is made to different requirements. This is particularly true of dogs who are unwell or have health issues such as kidney disease. Cat food contains a very different balance of food groups that makes it suitable for a cats digestive system, not a dogs. It usually contains high levels of fat and protein and therefore shouldnt be fed to a dog with kidney dysfunction.

Is tuna good for dogs with kidney disease?

Tuna might be a favourite fishy snack for some dogs, but for dogs with kidney disease its a big no-go. Tuna contains high levels of phosphorus, which is damaging for a dog that needs to be on a renal diet.

What vegetables are good for dogs with kidney disease?

Lets not underestimate the wonders of vegetables on a dogs kidney health! Plenty of veggies contain nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are kind to kidneys.

These include:

Carrots, which help promote good digestion; cucumbers for their high moisture, high fibre and low salt content; peas as a tasty and digestible source of protein; and potatoes and sweet potatoes for being starchy carbohydrates and a great source of B vitamins.

Vegetables you should avoid:

X Tomatoes, as dogs with kidney issues need to avoid high levels of potassium, and tomatoes contain a lot of it. Tomatoes also contain oxalates, which can contribute to the formation of kidney stones. Best to keep tomatoes in your salad bowl, but not your poochs.

Can dogs with kidney disease have peanut butter?

Lots of dog parents feed their pooches peanut butter and see no issue, but when it comes to dysfunctional kidneys, youll definitely want to steer clear. Peanut butter contains harmful trans fats, which arent nutritious at all and tough for a dog to digest. Many peanut butters on the market also contain the artificial sweetener Xylitol, which, though fine for humans, is toxic for dogs and can cause or worsen kidney failure. Unsurprisingly, we recommend you avoid feeding your pooch peanut butter altogether.

Which fruits are good for dogs with kidney disease?

Eating healthy fresh fruits is a great way for a dog to nourish their kidneys, in moderation as part of a specialist renal diet.

• Blueberries and strawberries are perfect options, as they both contain antioxidants to battle toxins that may further damage the kidneys, and fibre to aid gentle digestion.
• Watermelon can also be a juicy treat for a dog with kidney disease, as its deliciously hydrating but low in phosphorus.
• Apples cut up into munchable pieces are fine for your pooch to eat in moderation. Apple is rich in pectin to absorb damaging toxins.

• Bananas are fine to feed your pooch in small amounts as theyre relatively low in phosphorus, protein and potassium - however, whether its low enough depends on what else your dog is eating. Some dogs also have difficulties digesting bananas, so make a decision based on what you know about your dog, and always ask your vet.

When your dog has been diagnosed with a serious health condition, it can be nerve-wracking deciding what to feed them, but it neednt be. With the right choice of expertly-prepared, vet-recommended food, youll know youre doing the best you can for your dogs long and happy life. As always, if you arent sure about what exactly you should and shouldnt feed your dog, ask your vet during regular check-ups.

If your dog has been instructed to eat a renal diet for kidney disease, our Pooch & Mutt Veterinary Renal Food is your dogs dream choice. Our specialist vet range has a specialist recipe for all kinds of health conditions - browse the full collection here.

If you're worried your pooch might be suffering with kidney problems, take a look at ourblog post all about kidney disease in dogs.