A Homemade Diet for Dogs with Kidney Failure

A Homemade Diet for Dogs with Kidney Failure

Kidney disease is relatively common in dogs, especially in old age. The function of the kidney is to eliminate waste substances and toxins from the body. Animals, like people, generate toxins throughout the day and then expel them through their urine. When a dog suffers renal failure, the kidneys fail to carry out this function properly.

Here you can find a general guide on what to feed dogs with kidney failure. However, today, we take this one step further with an explanation of how to create a homemade diet for dogs with kidney failure. Keep reading this new AnimalWised article to discover homemade recipes suite to your dog's condition.

1. First visit your vet

Your vet's advice is essential when planning a homemade diet for your dog. Don't forget that every dog is different, and each one will have specific needs. You have to be even more careful with your dog's diet when it is suffering from kidney disease.

Your vet will indicate the type and amount of food your dog should eat on a daily basis. Renal feed for dogs can be found in shops. It is highly likely that your vet will recommend alternating this type of feed with homemade dog food recipes.

  • Extra tip: decrease the amount of food, but increase the number of servings of food each day. This way, it will be easier for your pet to digest food.

2. Lots of fresh water

A dog with kidney problems needs to drink plenty of water. This is very important in helping the kidney get rid of toxins and you should always make sure you put out sufficient fresh water for your dog.

3. Don't use salt

Salt (sodium) is prohibited in any diet for dogs. In fact, a high consumption of salt can cause severe damage to your pet, including:

  • Fluid retention
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Excessive thirst
  • Mild intoxication
  • Loss of appetite
  • Excessive sleep
  • Kidney damage
  • Frequent urination

For a dog with kidney disease, homemade food should be low in sodium, as should any bought feed.

4. Provide a low-phosphorus diet

A low-phosphorous diet is also imperative when feeding a dog with kidney disease. Renal failure means they won't be able to process phosphorus properly in the kidneys. Lean meat is a good option, always in moderate quantities.

Remember that you should ask your vet what the correct amount of food is for your pet. Now that the basics are clear, put on your apron and let's prepare some homemade dog food for kidney disease.

Rice, turkey and beef recipe for dogs with kidney failure

The ingredients for this dog food recipe are:

  • Rice
  • Turkey meat
  • Beef

Instructions

  1. To cook the rice you need two cups of water for each cup of rice. The rice will take 20 minutes to cook.
  2. While the rice is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Clean the turkey meat thoroughly and cut into small pieces.
  4. After the rice has boiled for ten minutes, add the turkey meat.
  5. Once everything is cooked, drain the ingredients and allow it all to cool.
  6. In another pan, bring water to a boil. Add the beef only once the water is boiling.
  7. Cook the beef for around 5 minutes. You will know it is ready when it turns for red to brown.
  8. Rinse the cooked beef in cold water and remove any white foam attached.
  9. Chop the beef into small pieces and add it to the rice and turkey.

And there you have it - a simple, homemade recipe for dogs with kidney disease.

Other ingredients you can use

Here are a few ideas:

  • Substitute rice with for pasta or polenta.
  • Use chicken instead of turkey.
  • Add boiled vegetables (only in small quantities).

When choosing ingredients for homemade recipes for a dog with kidney failure, here are some tips to keep in mind:

  • Low-phosphorus and low-sodium
  • High in essential amino acids
  • Only lean meat
  • Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon

Nutritional supplements

Remember that your dog may be lacking other vitamins or minerals because of their kidney disease. For example, in some diets, it is advisable to incorporate calcium, omega-3 fatty acids or B-complex vitamins. Of course you should always consult your vet for advice, and only give your dog nutritional supplements specifically prescribed by the vet.

If you want to read similar articles to A Homemade Diet for Dogs with Kidney Failure, we recommend you visit our Homemade diets category.

Bibliography
  • Finco, D. R., et al. (1992). Effects of dietary phosphorus and protein in dogs with chronic renal failure. American journal of veterinary research, 53(12), 2264-2271.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1476305
  • Roudenbush, P., et al. (2010). An evidence‐based review of therapies for canine chronic kidney disease. Journal of small animal practice, 51(5), 244-252.
    https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1748-5827.2010.00932.x