When choosing human food to feed your dog with kidney disease, remember to avoid sodium and phosphorus and stick to lower quantities of protein. Good options include green beans, baby carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, broccoli, blueberries, watermelon, and air-popped popcorn.
These diets are formulated to help dogs with CKD avoid metabolic acidosis and are available from your veterinarian. Examples include Hill's® Prescription Diet® k/d®, Royal Canin® Veterinary Diet Canine Renal Support, Purina® ProPlan® Veterinary Diet NF Kidney Function®, and Rayne Clinical Nutrition™ Adult Health-RSS™.
Try canned
Wet foods are especially beneficial for dogs with kidney disease or urinary issues, and for dogs with a tendency to become constipated on dry food. “The downside to canned food is that the increased water content makes it less calorie-dense, meaning that large dogs need a lot of it,” says Basedow.
Home-cooked diets that cannot have high levels of fat as an energy source will need to utilize starchy vegetables for energy. Ideally, your dog can eat butternut squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin or yams. This provides some added calories and fiber.
Supplement your dog's vitamin intake with pet-safe fresh produce; carrots, green beans and broccoli are some of the best vegetables for dogs with kidney disease.
Wet foods are almost always a better option for dogs with kidney disease than dry foods. If you are feeding your dog kibble, ask your veterinarian about adding water to the dry food or other ways you can supplement their water intake. It's also important to keep an eye on the sodium levels in kidney diets for dogs.
You can offer your dog such tempting foods as egg whites, small amounts of lean chicken, beef, or fish, cottage and ricotta cheeses, or hard-boiled eggs. Your veterinarian will most likely advise a diet lower in protein since a low-protein diet puts less of a stress on the kidneys.
For example, diets for kidney disease must be lower in phosphorus. White rice, and especially the glutinous variety is extremely low in this mineral (and a great source of manganese) which allows some diets to include small amounts of other foods which would be impossible otherwise.
But, can dogs eat sweet potatoes? Sweet potatoes are a great treat for all dogs, even those living with kidney disease!
Tuna canned in springwater can be a good addition to renal diets. It is low in phosphorus, rich in omega-3 fatty acids and has a strong flavour, which can be used to increase the appeal of the carbohydrate component of the diet.
Increased Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Dogs with Kidney Disease
Foods with higher levels of omega-3 often contain salmon and other fish which many dogs enjoy, or your pup's food can be supplemented with fish oil, or flaxseed oil.
Foods to Avoid
Healthy dogs can safely enjoy some table scraps like lean meats, bland rice or pasta, and some fruits and vegetables. However, dogs with chronic kidney disease cannot safely enjoy the same table scraps. Many human foods are too high in sodium and/or protein to be safe for dogs with CKD.
Prioritize hydration and circulation. Eating: Providing proper fluid and electrolyte balance is key to supporting the health of the kidneys. In most cases, hydration can be improved with moisture-appropriate fresh foods and broths.
Prognosis is associated with severity of disease. Studies have shown shorter median survival times in dogs with higher IRIS stages. Median survival time for IRIS Stage 1 dogs was over 400 days, Stage 2 ranged from 200 to 400 days, Stage 3 ranged from 110 to 200 days, and Stage 4 ranged from 14 to 80 days.
White rice is lower in phosphorus than brown rice and cream of wheat, cream of rice, malt-o-meal and tapioca are low phosphorus alternatives. Try adding butter, meat juices or fat to add flavor and for calories or also cooking in broth or gravy rather than water. (sodium free if dog has high blood pressure).
Potentially high in sodium.
Some canned pumpkin brands with salt can have nearly 600 milligrams of sodium per cup, which is too much sodium for a dog with heart or kidney disease.
Don't give them to dogs that have kidney problems. Peas contain purines, a naturally occurring chemical compound, also found in some food and drinks. Purines produce uric acid that's filtered through the kidneys. Too much uric acid can lead to kidney stones and other kidney conditions.
Peanut butter contains fat so isn't ideal for dogs who are – or should be – on a diet. Leaner alternatives for training treats include chicken, ham and tuna. Dogs with kidney problems. Peanut butter can have a high salt content to isn't suitable for dogs with kidney issues.
Acute kidney disease in dogs can be caused by exposure to hazardous materials, including toxic plants such as lilies, certain drugs, harmful foods such as grapes or raisins, or antifreeze.
If your pet is a nibbler, leave food available at all times. Otherwise, feed 3-4 small meals daily rather than one large meal. Allow your pet to eat all that it wants, unless free-feeding causes obesity. If weight loss occurs in spite of good appetite, increase fats (cats) or carbohydrates (dogs).
Dietary restriction of protein does not benefit cats and dogs with progressive renal disease. Small daily feedings of high -quality animal protein is called for such as egg, calf liver, cottage cheese, a little yogurt, chicken, and tilapia fish.