If you have a dog who has kidney disease, you have probably been told that your pet may still live a long and happy life. You're probably also keenly aware that what your dog eats has never been more important.
It can be scary at first, knowing that you can no longer casually feed your dog table scraps (OK, not a good idea, even with a healthy dog), and that you need to really think about his diet in a way that perhaps you hadn't before. But if you're unnerved, it may be because you haven't yet fallen into a routine. Feeding a dog with kidney disease isn't always hard, but you and your pet may need to make some lifestyle changes.
Best Foods for a Dog with Kidney Disease
The good news, especially for the overwhelmed pet parent, is that you probably won't have to get too deep into the weeds to figure out the feeding process. There are dog food brands on store shelves that are formulated for dogs with kidney disease and dog brands that are available by prescription, so you don't have to set up a corner of your kitchen for food prep, where you'll be making special doggie meals. You can do that, of course, but you and your veterinarian may decide that you don't need to.
Why is that important?
The kidneys’ job is to rid the body of toxins, so when the proteins break down, you don't want there to be an excess of it. Low phosphorus levels are also important.
Phosphorus is an essential mineral, but too much of it can lead to hyperphosphatemia, an electrolyte disturbance in which abnormally elevated levels of phosphate appear in the dog's blood.
Moist Foods Are Good for a Dog with Kidney Disease
An internet article about how the word "moist" is the worst word ever went viral, getting four million views, but whether you hate that word or not, "moist" is a useful word to remember when feeding a dog with kidney disease.
After all, kidneys are all about water. Water helps everyone's kidneys remove waste from the blood, coming out of the body as urine. When a dog is having kidney failure, it’s vital that his food is moist to provide much-needed hydration.
In kidney failure, the body is not properly excreting toxins through the kidneys. As a result, more moisture is needed to flush out nitrogen, creatinine, phosphorous, and other metabolic wastes from the body. Therefore, the primary recommendation is to feed a diet that is moistened by water or low-sodium and free from vegetables of the onion and garlic varieties.
That doesn't necessarily mean that you need to buy canned brands of dog food that are formulated for kidney disease, or that you should stay away from dry dog food brands formulated for kidney disease.
Protein sources should be "highly bio-available, which means that the nutrients are readily absorbed and cause minimal stress on the body in the digestive process. Ideally, you would be feeding your dog "fresh, cooked, moisture-rich, lean protein sources, including chicken or turkey breast, or defatted beef."
Dog Treats for Dogs with Kidney Disease
If you want a healthy pet treat to give to your dog with kidney disease, an occasional carrot can be good for them. Green beans can be good sometimes, too.
The main reasons behind those foods are that carrots are low in calories and high in fibre and vitamins. Green beans have vitamins, too, as well as iron. But don't just start feeding your dog random fruits and vegetables. Grapes and raisins are toxic, in fact, those fruits can actually cause kidney failure in dogs.
Preparing Meals for a Dog with Kidney Disease
Whatever you and your veterinarian decide to go with, whether canned or dry dog food, or fresh and cooked meats, the hardest thing about having a dog with kidney disease is often not what to fix but to make sure your dog is eating regularly.
Dogs with kidney disease tend to have trouble keeping weight on. They tend to not have a great appetite, so you should lean towards feeding your dog a few times a day.
You'll also want to make sure your dog has easy access to water. That's vital for all dogs, of course, not to mention all living creatures, but especially so if your dog has kidney disease.
If your dog has not been diagnosed with it, it may be hard for you to know for sure whether your dog has kidney disease. But at least at feeding times and every time you fill the water bowl you can feel good knowing that you're making a difference in your dog’s quality of life and possibly extending his or her lifetime by years. As a general statement, a lot of what you do at home has a very good chance of extending your dog's life.