Senior dogs often develop chronic kidney disease (K/D) which causes sudden, major damage to the kidneys. It can occur due to chemicals ingested by the pet or due to an abnormal condition in your pet’s body. Kidney function can get impacted when the kidneys do not receive adequate blood supply or oxygen. A blood clot may block the blood supply cutting off blood flow to the kidneys.
Solutions like anti-freeze or certain poisonous plants can also damage a dog’s kidneys. Many household cleaners contain chemicals that can damage your pet’s kidneys. Sometimes, the dog’s own body may develop excess calcium or other substances which can cut off blood flow to the kidneys. Mild kidney disease can go unnoticed but over time the condition could lead to chronic kidney disease.
Symptoms
Acute kidney disease can manifest as sores in the mouth, lack of urination, poor appetite, fatigue, and even vomiting and diarrhea. A blood test can indicate whether a dog has acute or chronic kidney disease. Here are some more symptoms of kidney disease in dogs
- Bad breath
- Increased water intake
- Frequent urination but inability to produce urine
- Vomiting and diarrhea in advanced stages
Treatment
Treatment for dog kidney disease mainly depends on the results of the above blood test. It will mostly be aimed at making the dog comfortable. In some cases, a damaged or injured kidney can still recover to its full functional capability depending on the cause of the illness and treatment that follows. These days, there are good medicines available and most early-stage cases do well. Your doctor may advise homemade dog food for kidney disease and pancreatitis. Low protein dog food recipes can also help as they place a lesser burden on the kidneys. It is also important to reduce phosphorus content in your dog’s food.
What to feed a dog with kidney disease
Raw food
Many pets with kidney disease do well on the raw diet. This is because; the raw food diet mimics closely what a dog eats in the wild. Very few dogs are obese in the wild whereas most domesticated dogs are overweight.
Raw food or BARF diet is known to reverse skin allergies and dog kidney disease. You can check out my article on a raw diet for dogs. Always consult a vet before making any dietary changes in a sick pet.
Low protein diets
Typically, dogs with kidney disease do well on low protein diets. However, many commercial dog foods already contain a very poor quality of protein. This protein cannot be utilized by the dog’s body. It even causes overload on the already strained kidneys. Therefore, when designing a diet for your dog having kidney disease, you must select a protein source that least burdens the kidneys. Choose a high-quality, easy-to-digest protein that does not tax the kidneys and is readily digested as well. Meat proteins overburden kidneys while proteins from legumes and dairy are least burdening on the kidneys.
Prescription diet for dogs with kidney problems
There is an interesting story about how the first prescription dog food for dogs with kidney disease came to be. In 1943, Dr. Mark Morris became interested in treating canine disease with special foods and came up with a low-salt, low-protein recipe for his friend Morris Frank’s Seeing Eye dog, Buddy, who had renal failure. Originally Mr. Frank prepared the food himself but he traveled a lot and hence asked Dr. Morris to can the food. Thus was developed the first Hill’s Prescription food for dogs called Canine K/D.
The following commercial dog food brands work well for dogs with different stages of kidney disease:
- Eukanuba Veterinary diets: available as early-stage kidney disease dog food and advanced stage K/d dog food.
- Hills Prescription Diet Canine G/D (early stage) and K/d (moderate stage)
- IVD Royal Canin Select Care Canine Modified Formula
- Purina Veterinary Diet, NF Kidney Function
Canned food vs. dry
Veterinarians recommend feeding canned food instead of dry because the canned food contains more water which is beneficial for dogs with kidney disease. If you still prefer feeding dry food, simply add a bit of water or liquids like chicken broth to it.
For dogs with kidney disease and pancreatitis
Some dogs with kidney disease also have pancreatitis. In such cases, dogs need to be fed a diet low in fat.
Homemade dog food meal plans for dogs that won’t eat
Many dogs with K/D lose their appetite. You must work with your vet and determine a meal plan right for your dog. Feed your pet low-protein and low-phosphorus diet.
Here are some ideas:
- Chopped egg whites and cottage cheese
- Sweet potatoes with lean beef/lean chicken/lean turkey + broccoli
- Fish and brown rice if your dog isn’t allergic to these.
Homemade dog food recipe #1
- ¼ lb minced lean meat cooked
- 1 hardboiled egg
- 350 g brown rice
- 3 slices of gluten-free bread
- 1 tsp calcium carbonate
Add water or broth to the mix.
Homemade dog food recipe #2
- Unsweetened apple sauce 1 cup
- Grated, raw carrots, 1 cup
- 3 tbsp whole grown flax seeds
- 3 cups macaroni cooked
- 1 tbsp salmon oil
- ¼ cup canned tomato sauce
- 4 scoops renal supplement
Homemade dog food recipe #3
- 1 cup sliced, raw banana
- 4 Brussels sprouts raw
- 1 cup cauliflower florets steamed
- A tsp of cod liver oil
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
- One cup pork ground
- 1 large potato boiled in skin
- 1 tbsp salmon oil
- 4 scoops renal supplement
Homemade dog food recipe #4
- Grated, raw carrots – 1 cup
- Cod liver oil 1 tsp
- Flaxseeds whole ground 1 tbsp
- 3 cups brown rice
- 1 tbsp salmon oil
- 4 scoops renal supplement
Easy homemade treats for dogs with kidney problems
- 2 ½ cups rice flour or bleached flour as both these are low in phosphorus and that is ideal for K/D
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 6 tbsp low-sodium, low-fat chicken broth
- ½ cup cold water
- 1 cup mashed, cooked vegetables like sweet potato and zucchini which are low in phosphorus
Mix all ingredients and bake at 140 C for 15 to 20 minutes.
Conclusion
Older dogs can suffer from varying degrees of kidney issues. Thankfully, you need not rely solely upon home-cooked foods, particularly if you have a busy lifestyle. Many major pet food companies offer therapeutic diets for kidney disease and most have one for early-stage and for advanced-stage K/D as well. Many of these foods contain low sodium, low phosphorus, moderate protein, and low fat. They also contain easy-to-digest proteins that place a lower burden on the kidneys. Some also contain omega 3 fatty acids. Sick dogs lose their appetite, so if your dog refuses to eat one type, try another until you find what he/she loves. I hope the above homemade, low-protein dog food recipes for kidney disease make your life easier.