Food for a dog with Kidney problems.....

[annie_so_pink]

My dog was recently diagnosed with kideny failure....
Our vet told us that we had to change his diet, he cannot have much salt or protein......I was wondering if anyone knows of a good low salt/low protein dog food or dog treats......Also if anyone else has had a dog with kidney failure, some info would be helpful as well.....
Thank You!

[elegy]

there's a really great yahoo group called K9KidneyDiet. i'd check them out. they are very into home-prepared meals and there are some extremely knowledgeable people there.

the bad news is there really isn't any over the counter food that is good for dogs with kidney problems. it's all too high in phosphorus (which is actually more of a concern than protein). there are veterinary prescription diets.

how bad is your dog's kidney failure? are you guys giving fluids under the skin at home?

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

Hi there ~

So sorry to hear about your dog. Our boy Ty was in renal failure for the last year of his life so I'm very well versed on the subject. Below you'll find a link to a wonderful group of folks online for support, just to exchange ideas and information with as well as tons of great diets for your dog. It's VERY important to make sure he is not eating certain foods. I've also included a link that contains additional links as well as information for you.

Antiprogressive treatments including SubQ fluids are an absolute must for dogs in renal failure whether it be acute or chronic if the numbers suggest it and getting your baby started right away is really important. Do you know what the numbers were from the bloodwork? I know how hard this is for you as well as confusing and the information that will be thrown at you can sometimes become overwhelming but hang in there, it does get easier to understand in time and I'd be happy to help with any questions you may have.


The first link requires Adobe Acrobat to open it, if you do not have it you can download it for free online. It's well worth it.
Celebrating Cleo

K9 Kidneys

[annie_so_pink]

Thanks Elegy,
I signed up to join the "K9KidneyDiet" yahoo group...
how do you get the veterinary prescription diets?
We go to a really little vet and i don't think they sell dog food but could i just take like his records to a bigger vet in the area and buy it from them?
[quote]how bad is your dog's kidney failure? are you guys giving fluids under the skin at home?[quote] I don't think it is that bad.....because we don't have to give him the fluids under the skin at home.....

And Thank You Crossfire Bulldogs,
I'm sorry about Ty....how old was he?
I signed up to join the "K9Kidneys group"
But I can't get the "Celebrating Cleo" link to work....when i click on it, it tells me that the page cannot be found....
[quote]Antiprogressive treatments including SubQ fluids are an absolute must for dogs in renal failure whether it be acute or chronic if the numbers suggest it and getting your baby started right away is really important.[quote]
What are these "Antiprogressive treatments w/ SubQ fluids"?
Are they really expensive?
[quote]Do you know what the numbers were from the bloodwork?[quote]
At the moment, I don't know....but I will try to find them....
[quote]I know how hard this is for you as well as confusing and the information that will be thrown at you can sometimes become overwhelming but hang in there, it does get easier to understand in time and I'd be happy to help with any questions you may have.[quote]
Thank You so much! I'm sure I will have more questions as time goes on.....

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

And Thank You Crossfire Bulldogs,
I'm sorry about Ty....how old was he?

Thank you Annie, Ty was 3 1/2 years old when he passed.

I signed up to join the "K9Kidneys group"
But I can't get the "Celebrating Cleo" link to work....when i click on it, it tells me that the page cannot be found....

The link does require adobe to read it but it could also be that the page was down at the time. You'll find this link in the K9Kidneys folder section as soon as your membership is approved.

What are these "Antiprogressive treatments w/ SubQ fluids"?
Are they really expensive?

I depends on what stage of renal failure your dog is in as well as what type of treatments your comfortable with. In Ty's case, he was given a week to two weeks to live when first diagnosed and his bloodwork showed numbers higher than most to live. His treatments were something I did here at home but averaged about $45.00 a week.

Do you know what the numbers were from the bloodwork?
At the moment, I don't know....but I will try to find them....

Specifically what I'm looking for as well as what people will be asking you on K9 Kidneys are the numbers shown on his bloodwork such as his BUN, Glucose, Total Bilirubin, Phosphorus, Creat and a few others. If you can get the sheet from your vet that shows the entire panel its always a plus.

As for food, it really depends on what stage of kidney failure your dog is in, the degree of reduction in things such as protein, phosphorus and salt greatly depends on the degree to which the kidney failure has advanced. Some veterinary offices do carry a prescription diet that may very well be what your dog needs right now but, the dog could also be far enough advanced where that diet is not what is best.

[3newpuppies]

i am so sorry for both of you. having a sick pet is never fun.
does anyone know what causes kidney failure?? i havent really heard of this being a common problem so i need to be informed so my pups wont get it. then again, there may not be a reason why dogs get this..hmm.

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

Originally Posted by 3newpuppies

i am so sorry for both of you. having a sick pet is never fun.
does anyone know what causes kidney failure?? i havent really heard of this being a common problem so i need to be informed so my pups wont get it. then again, there may not be a reason why dogs get this..hmm.

Thank you 3new - There are a number of different reasons why a dog may suffer from renal failure, some are from outside factors such as drinking something tainted with or a straight out puddle of ethylene glycol ( antifreeze ) or other chemical, some kidney issues are hereditary, and some happen due to severe kidney infection or virus which is what happened to my boy.