Content
- Kidney failure in dogs and food
- Identifying kidney failure in dogs
- Symptoms of Acute Kidney Failure:
- Symptoms of chronic kidney failure:
- Food for dogs with kidney failure
- Feed or homemade food?
Puppies are susceptible to multiple diseases, which also affect us, since there are few pathologies that can only be diagnosed in humans.
The aging process of our dog will also be a stage in which care and dietary hygiene measures must be taken with the aim of preventing the disease and improving the animal's quality of life.
Kidney problems in dogs can be common and it is very important to know all the signs of this pathology and to know which is the best food for dogs with kidney failure problems.
Kidney failure in dogs and food
Kidney failure in dogs can be acute or chronic, acute can involve a high risk of mortality, although it is reversible, on the other hand, chronic kidney failure involves damage to the kidney tissue that is irreversible.
Under normal conditions the toxins circulating in the blood are dissolved in water through the kidney, properly filtered and later excreted through the urine, but when there is renal failure, the kidney needs more of water to be able to excrete the same amount of toxins, equally, there comes a point where more hydration is not enough for the kidney to support the normal workload and these toxins pass into the blood.
Many of these toxics come from the environment, while others come from the metabolism of some nutrients, for example, proteins, whose metabolism generates ammonia, a toxic substance that must be converted into urea in order to be excreted through the urine.
In conditions of renal failure in dogs food is of special importance., since we must avoid certain foods and maintain a caloric load that allows our friend to maintain his body weight.
As always happens, food is one of the factors with the greatest influence on health.
Identifying kidney failure in dogs
If our dog is suffering kidney damage, it is important to be able to identify him so he can go to the veterinarian as soon as possible. Symptoms vary depending on whether it is acute or chronic kidney failure.
Symptoms of Acute Kidney Failure:
- Complete loss of appetite
- Lethargy
- vomiting
- Decrease in urine production
- disorientation
- Lack of coordination in movements
- physical weakness
Symptoms of chronic kidney failure:
- Decrease in urine production
- absence of urine
- urine with blood
- hair in bad condition
- vomiting
- Diarrhea
- stooped posture
- Bad breath
- mouth ulcers
- Dehydration
- Weakness
- Swelling due to fluid retention
Kidney failure in puppies is a serious condition as it affects a vital organ and therefore requires urgent treatment, a treatment that will include changes in the dog's usual diet.
Food for dogs with kidney failure
Feeding a dog with kidney damage is primarily intended to minimize the workload of the kidney, as it can no longer properly filter out all the toxins, and keep the dog at a proper weight, thus preventing a state of malnutrition.
A good diet for a dog with kidney failure should meet the following criteria:
- must be a diet low in sodium and phosphorus
- It must provide proteins of high biological value (rich in essential amino acids) and in a moderate amount
- Hydration should be great, for this the dog should always have fresh and clean water at his disposal and should preferably opt for wet food.
A diet that respects these principles can be administered through balanced food (ration) or through homemade food, there is controversy about which is the best method.
Feed or homemade food?
They exist specific rations that adapt perfectly to the nutritional requirements of the dog with kidney failure, however, some experts believe that the best diet in these cases is one that is based on homemade food and that offers only balanced food as a complement.
It is important that you allow yourself to be advised by the veterinarian, as he will be able to advise on how to offer your puppy the best food, taking into account its individual characteristics.
If you finally decide to feed the dog through homemade food, we should avoid incorporating those foods that are rich in phosphorus. don't give you:
- Milk and dairy products
- Fish
- pig liver
- Chocolate
- Nuts
- Vegetables
- Eggs
- Ham
- Bacon
- Sausage
On the other hand, the following foods should be present in the dog's homemade diet:
- boiled rice
- Chicken
- chicken liver
- Gelatin
- Cooked Corn Meal
In any case it will be the veterinarian or canine nutritionist the person responsible for specifically indicating how to give your puppy all the nutritional requirements he needs, whether through feed or through homemade food adapted to his needs.
