feeding a dog with canine kidney disease?my baby basset, who is not quite 2 years old, was recently diagnosed with kidney disease. this was a severe shock to me since he is showing no signs of renal failure. the vet is recommending a low protein diet - hills vet formula to be exact, which i am not a fan of. just wondering if anyone out there has gone thru this with your furkid. i'm looking for alternatives to feed him, even if it's something that i have to whip up myself. i've taken away his normal food and have been feeding canned, raw diet, yogurt and water mix to him twice a day. i'm open for any type of herbal remedies - since the dog food that i was feeding to both of my dogs was a holilistic blend. the hills diet that is recommended by the vet contains 6% protein - doesn't seem like a lot of nutrition to me. does anyone know if lab results leaning towards kidney failure could be the sign of something else. i am seeking a second opinion just to be on the safe side but in the meantime i need to be able to feed my dog
Posted by Casey L
Your vet can prescribe Science Diet K/D (kidney diet) for your dog. You can pick it up at the vet clinic or at a local feed store. It's good stuff.
Posted by SMB
I dealt with extensive kidney disease with my 5 year old cat for a VERY long time.. Sad part is that he exhibited NO signs until he only had 18% of his kidneys left. Fortunately, I was able to keep him happy and healthy for many years.
It depends on what the root cause of his kidney disease is. Is it that he is a stone producer, and that has destroyed his kidneys? Or, is it something else? Depending on the reason, there are not only good medications that help stabilize them, but there are good and different kinds of diets they can be put on.
Email me at: smb4469@yahoo.com if you want to chat more. Also, join the CANINE CRF GROUP. I learned alot from Feline CRF, and from the kindness of strangers...
Prayers!
Posted by lizzy
What you are feeding him now will make his condition WORSE. Recent research shows that dogs fed raw or high-protein diets will have elevated kidney and liver values on bloodwork compared to traditionally-fed dogs. Whether or not these elevated values lead to organ dysfunction in later life is not yet known. If you are feeding a canned formula, the percentages are misleading because of the high moisture content of canned foods. You have to factor out the water and compare diets on a dry matter basis, which is a big long equation I don't have in front of me at the moment. Byproducts of protein digestion are difficult for the body to get rid of, and put a lot of stress on both the kidneys and the liver. This is why kidney and liver diets are formulated to be low in protein-easily digestible, high quality protein. Hill's K/d and Purina NF are the prescription options. Canned is better because of the high moisture content. Kidneys lose the ability to concentrate urine early on and that leaves animals prone to dehydration. If you would like to continue cooking for your dog, you can have a veterinary nutritionist design a diet specifically for him, I believe the website is www.veterinarydiets.com. There is a fee for the service.
Additionally, you want to pay particularly close attention to his dental health. Canned food does lead to increased tartar and gingivitis, so you'll want to brush his teeth and keep up on dental cleanings. When there's dental disease in the mouth, the gums get raw and inflamed. Then bacteria in the mouth have easy access to the bloodstream through the gums. These bacteria tend to collect in the kidneys, which filter the blood, and often also cause damage to the liver and heart.
Posted by kate c
I would try a raw diet. It has shown so much improvement in my three dogs that I can not recommend anything else. Heres is a good forum for dogs www.bigdogsporch.com, and a few other sites for feeding raw, www.rawfed.com/myths, www.rawmeatybones.com, and www.rawlearning.com
Dont listen to vets nutrtional advice. Purina, Science diet, Iams and a few other big names teach vet students in school plus nutrition classes are not required to graduate and get a license.
If you read on purinas site... http://www.purina.com/science/partnerships/OtherAlliances.aspx
the site states purina combined with the american college of veterinary nutrition and formed the curriculum. Not something to be proud of.
Posted by Crystal
Ambertech has a product called Kidney Rejuvenator that is herbs to help with kidney function. http://www.ambertech.com/kr.php
A diet suitable for dogs with failing kidneys can be prepared at home by adding one-half cup of cooked ground chicken breast or two crushed large hard-boiled eggs (no shells) to four cups of mashed potatoes or four cups of boiled brown rice. 30ml (Two tablespoons) of Canola oil, one-quarter Centrum tablet, 100iu of vitamin E, and 500mg of absorbable Calcium from any human calcium supplement, which is free of phosphorus on the label. Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol acetate is known to slow the aging process by scavenging free-radicals). The amount prepared should feed a 25 pound dog for a day or two, depending on its activity level and metabolic rate.
A second recipe, originally published by Hill's Pet Foods, for renal failure in dogs consists of ¼ pound ground regular beef (not chuck or round), 1 large hard-boiled egg, two cups of cooked white rice, three slices of white bread, and a teaspoon full of calcium carbonate and also a multivitamin with vitamin E.
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