Canine Diet for Kidney Failure
When your dog has kidney failure, feeding him a proper diet may be able to slow the process down. Finding the correct mixture of ingredients is essential to your dog's health and the diet should be tailored to your dog depending on the state of kidney failure he is experiencing.
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Protein
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When your dog has a high amount of protein in his urine, you may need to feed him a low-protein diet; however, some animals may require a high-quality protein diet. A high-quality protein is one that matches the mix of amino acids that your dog needs as closely as possible. You should consult with your veterinarian before decreasing the amount of protein that you feed your dog as this has a possibility of causing malnutrition, according to the website "happyhealthdogs.com." There are many canned dog foods that are specifically made for low-protein diets. Dry food is not a good option when it comes to feeding a dog with kidney failure.
Eggs have the highest amount of protein, while meats come second. Meat, eggs, milk and cottage cheese are the best choices for protein, while plant sources are the lowest quality.
Phosphorus
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The website "dogaware.com" states that a low-phosphorus diet can slow the kidney failure process. Feeding your dog fatty meats provides calories with low phosphorus amounts; however, if your dog is already overweight, you should feed him fat in moderate amounts. Be sure to slowly increase the amount of fat that you feed to your dog. Too much fat can cause diarrhea or mucous in the stool because the body may not be able to handle all of it.
Fatty meats include pork, lamb and the dark meat of turkey and chicken. If you are feeding your dog poultry be sure to leave the skin on for added calories.
You can also feed your dog ricotta cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt made with whole milk, but you must do so in moderate amounts as they can include a lot of phosphorus.
Fat can also be added by giving your dog moderate amounts of egg yolk, bacon fat or butter.
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Carbohydrates
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Dogs don't typically need carbohydrates; however, carbohydrates help reduce the amount of phosphorus in the body.
You will need to feed your dog a diet of 50 percent carbohydrates such as pasta, sweet potatoes or winter squash. Puree vegetables in a blender or boil them in order for the dog to have the ability to digest them.
You can also feed your dog fruits and vegetables including banana, pineapple, pear, avocado, cranberries, cucumber and mango.
Do not feed your dog raisins or grapes as these can cause kidney failure.
Supplements
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Omega-3 fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory action that can reduce the inflammation of the kidneys. Vitamin E can also be given with omega-3 as these two work together.
You can replenish vitamins lost through kidney failure by giving your dog vitamin B complex and vitamin C. B-complex vitamins may also help your dog to feel better and increase his appetite.
Restrictions
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You will need to consult with your veterinarian to find out what foods your dog should not have or should be decreased. Your dog could have a low or high potassium level, which may need to be treated. Your veterinarian can give you the best advice on what sort of diet you should feed your dog to help slow the kidney failure process.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit naughty dog image by MichMac from Fotolia.com
