Kidney diseases are now quite a common issue with dogs. It
is a serious matter though. If your dog is diagnosed with a kidney diseases,
you will have to make changes to his diet so that everything balances out.
One of the common cause of diseases in dogs in the
increasing usage of commercial dog food. As I have also mentioned in my earlier
posts. Commercial dog foods have a lot of chemicals, preservatives and flavors
added to them. All this is not a natural diet of dogs. Such kind of a food over
a couple of years can lead to many diseases and this can easily be one of them.
So How Do You Know If Your Dog Has A Kidney Disease?
It is tough to just look at a symptom and just conclude that
it is some kind of a diseases. Proper tests will tell you the true picture of a
dog’s health. However there are a few symptoms which you should be looking for,
if you find 2 or more of these symptoms, just get your pet checked for his
renal health.
·
Increased or decreased urine
- · Urination while sleeping
- · Blood in urine
- · Reduced appetite
- · Vomiting
- · Diarrhea
- · Weight loss
Diet Plays A Vital Role In Treatment Of Disease
Your dog’s health status, his size, breed, activity level,
age all play an important role in defining the diet. Its best to consult a vet
to find out exactly what the health status of your dog is. It is very likely
that he recommends low protein homemade dog food for this. Homemade food for
kidney disease has to be low on protein, as a high protein diet will put more
stress on kidneys.
A diet with high quality protein, low phosphorus and
nutritious whole foods is highly recommended. Avoid anything with synthetic
nutrients and processed ingredients.
Why High Protein Diet Is Bad For Your Dog
There are many types of proteins, there can be good quality
as well as bad quality proteins. Good proteins are broken down and digested
more easily and efficiently. When it is digested, there are some waste products
like Nitrogen. One of the kidney’s functions is to remove this waste from the
body. When kidney are not functioning properly or when the animal suffers from
kidney disease, this waste is not removed effectively and builds up in the
blood stream known as Blood Urean Nitrogen (BUN).
Higher quality protein will leave less of nitrogen as waste.
When it comes to dogs, two of the best quality sources of proteins are raw meat
and eggs. This protein is essential for a dog’s diet and meet his protein requirements
Many people believe that dogs with kidney problems should
not have any proteins at all. This is not true. They need high quality protein for
healthy tissue, bones and muscle growth.
No Commercial Dog Foods
Even if some commercial dog food is specially formulated for
kidney disease, it is better to avoid it. Most of these foods are refined,
processed and made from poor quality ingredients. They lack good quality
nutrition.
Cheap Easy and Quality Meals Are Prepared At Home
Its easy and cheaper to make homemade meals for your dog.
This way you know what exactly are you feeding your dog. You can easily make
decent quantity of such meals and freeze them up for later use. This will also
save your time.
You can add things like rice, eggs, lean meat, oatmeal, fruits,
veggies (except onions, grapes and raisins), sweet potato etc to your dog’s
diet. A mix of these things can be really good for his health.
