Recommended Diet For Dogs With Renal Insufficiency
Dogs often suffer from kidney failure, especially as they get older. This problem is mostly related to diet. It is therefore necessary to match your dog’s nutritional needs to the functionality of his kidneys.
Dogs with renal insufficiency: disease features
With renal insufficiency, the functioning of the kidneys is impaired, which has various consequences. This is because the kidneys cannot properly filter pollutants from the blood.
Renal insufficiency usually occurs as the animal ages, often in connection with high blood pressure or diabetes. But circulatory problems or the accumulation of toxins can also lead to this.
However, since it is a paired organ, the function can often be balanced. Even with a kidney, dogs (and humans too) are able to survive. However, eating right is particularly important in this case.
Dog with Renal Insufficiency: Consequences, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Various symptoms can indicate kidney failure:
- concentrated urine
- thirst
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
Sometimes more serious symptoms such as vomiting and bad breath odor (such as ammonia) may also occur. Renal insufficiency can therefore also be confused with a urinary tract infection, which could be associated with it.
If you have any complaints, the first thing you have to do is bring your pet to the vet. He will make a diagnosis and tell you what to do.
Dog with Renal Insufficiency: Recommended Diet
Proper nutrition in this case is fundamental. Your vet will advise you accordingly. We will then give you additional tips on how to feed the sick animal.
The absorption of fluids can be guaranteed not only through water, but also through wet food. Care should be taken especially with minerals, such as sodium and phosphorus, and proteins.
While proteins are extremely important to dogs, you should make sure that they are of high quality.
Don’t forget to never add salt to the food. Since phosphorus is also bad, you should not feed your four-legged friend liver, fish, dairy products or legumes.
Cooked rice and chicken are good choices. Eggs can also provide high quality protein. Check with your veterinarian to confirm that these foods are also specifically suitable for your dog.
It is important not to use cheap dog food: often this food contains inferior proteins that are not from meat products and that put a lot of strain on the dog’s kidneys.
If you follow your veterinarian’s advice and your dog’s diet, they can live a happy life for a long time.
