what food is good for dogs with kidney issues

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, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Jennifer Coates is an accomplished veterinarian, writer, editor, and consultant with years of experience in the fields of veterinary...

What Foods Should A Dog With Kidney Disease Eat?

Dogs are susceptible to contracting many diseases that also affect us, since there are very few diseases that can only be diagnosed in humans. As your dog ages, there will come a time when you must pay closer attention to its care and plan some dietary and hygiene measures. This done with the end goal of preventing common diseases among older dogs and improving your dog's quality of life. If your dog suffers from kidney problems you need to offer it a specific dog with renal failure diet.

Kidney problems are common in dogs, making it very important to be aware of the symptoms of kidney disease in dogs and know how to ease it. This is why in this AnimalWised article we'll go over the best food for dogs with kidney failure problems.

Dogs with kidney disease

Like us humans, a dog's kidney aim to filter out the body's waste through urine. Kidneys are also responsible for balancing out the body's blood pressure and electrolytes. In addition, a dog's kidneys aim to:

• Promote red blood cell production.
• Maintain salt and water concentrations.
• Help a dog's calcium metabolism.
• Keep up phosphorous levels.

With all of these responsibilities and considering the necessary function of a dog's kidneys, if they fail it can result in severe illness.

A dog can suffer from acute or chronic kidney failure. Acute kidney failure can often be treated. Chronic kidney failure in dogs, however, only shows symptoms after a period of time and is more difficult to diagnose. For more, we recommend reading our article on kidney failure in dogs: symptoms and treatment.

Dogs with kidney disease: symptoms

In order to offer your dog with kidney failure the adequate diet, it is equally important to be aware of the symptoms of kidney failure in dogs. Dogs with kidney disease symptoms include:

• Polyuria: A dog urinating more is one of the most common symptoms of kidney disease, but it can also be the case that the dog stops urinating completely (anuria).
• Poldipsia: to compensate for the elimination of fluids, the dog drinks more water.
• Vomiting and diarrhea, sometimes even with hemorrhage.
• Blindness.
• Dehydration.
• Thinning and, in general, poor appearance, poor body condition and muscle weakness.
• Anorexia.
• Ulcers in the oral cavity and/or bad smell.
• There may also be ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdomen) and edema (fluid in the extremities).
• State of shock and, in the last stages, coma.

If your dog is suffering kidney damage, it's important to be able to spot whether it is acute or chronic. The symptoms vary depending on whether kidney failure is acute or chronic:

Symptoms of acute kidney failure:

• Complete loss of appetite
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Reduction in urine production
• Disorientation
• Uncoordinated movements
• Physical weakness

Symptoms of chronic kidney failure:

• Reduction in urine production
• No urine
• Bloody urine
• Poor quality fur
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Hunched posture
• Bad breath
• Mouth sores
• Dehydration
• Weakness
• Swelling as a result of fluid retention

Kidney failure is a serious condition in dogs since it affects a vital organ, and as such it requires urgent treatment. This treatment will include changes in your pet's normal diet.

Kidney failure in dogs: diet

As we already mentioned, kidney failure in dogs can be acute or chronic. The acute form can carry a high risk of mortality, although it is reversible. Chronic kidney failure, however, entails irreversible kidney tissue damage.

Under normal conditions, the toxins that circulate in the blood are dissolved in water through the kidney, and are then duly filtered and subsequently excreted via urine. However, with kidney failure the kidney requires a greater quantity of water in order to excrete the same amount of toxins. There comes a point in which maximum hydration isn't sufficient for the kidney to withstand the normal workload, and the toxins in the bloodstream increase.

Many of these toxins come from the environment, while others come from the metabolism of particular nutrients such as proteins; this process generates ammonia, a toxic substance that needs to be converted into urea in order to be excreted through urine.

As always, food is one of the most influential factors for health. Diet is particularly important for dogs with kidney failure, so you should avoid certain foods and make sure that your friends receives enough calories for to maintain its body weight.

Dogs with kidney disease: diet

When giving food to dogs suffering with kidney failure, the main aim is to reduce the workload of the kidneys. This is because now a dog's kidneys are no longer able to adequately filter all toxins and keep the dog at a healthy weight. By doing this one aims to prevent a state of malnutrition in the dog.

A dog with renal failure diet should meet the following requirements:

• It should be low in sodium and phosphorus.
• The diet should contain proteins of high biological value - rich in essential amino acids - but in moderate portions.
• Hydration should be of optimum importance. As such, the dog should always have fresh and clean water available, and it will have a preference for wet food.

A diet that meets these principles can be given both through dog food - or homemade dog food, with much debate existing over which is the best method.

Dog kidney disease diet: homemade

There are specific dog foods that are perfectly suited to the nutritional requirements of dogs with kidney failure. However, some experts believe that the best food in such cases is that made at home, and that dog food should only be offered as a supplement.

It's important that you seek advise from the vet. A professional will be able to advise you on how to give your dog the best food for kidney failure whilst taking into account your dog's individual case.

If the decision is finally made to feed your dog with renal failure homemade diet, you should avoid incorporating these below mentioned foods; owing to their high levels of phosphorus. Don't give a dog with kidney failure:

• Milk and dairy products
• Fish
• Pig liver
• Chocolate
• Walnuts
• Legumes
• Eggs
• York ham
• Bacon
• Sausage

On the other hand, the following foods should be included in your dog with kidney disease homemade diet:

• Boiled rice
• Chicken
• Carrots
• Very lean beef
• Peas

In any case, it will be the vet or canine nutritionist who will you exactly how to provide your dog with all the nutritional requirements. This can be done through dog kidney failure diet recipe, traditional store-bought dog food or a home-made dog food diet, adapted to your dog's specific case^[2].

For more, we recommend reading our article on: homemade diet for dogs with kidney failure.

Dog with kidney disease not eating

If your dog is suffering from kidney disease, has been offered the above dog kidney failure diet recipe and is still not eating: consult a veterinarian immediately. A veterinarian dealing with a dog with kidney disease not eating might provide your dog with an appetite stimulant and/or fluids.

Dog with kidney disease life expectancy

Kidney disease in dogs is more common in older dogs. The life expectancy for a dog with kidney disease will depend on whether the kidney disease is acute or chronic. Additionally, life expectancy for dogs with kidney failure will depend on the dog's specific case, breed, size and treatment. Offering a dog with kidney failure the adequate diet will not cure the problem, but it can help your dog live a more comfortable life. For more on your dog with kidney disease life expectancy, consult your veterinarian.

If you want to read similar articles to What Foods Should A Dog With Kidney Disease Eat?, we recommend you visit our Homemade diets category.

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