Does dry food cause kidney disease in pets? What are the real causes?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

• Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA

  Veterinarian

  Published on February 24th, 2017

  The causes of kidney disease is very complex and no direct link between the type of diet, cause and effect has been determined. Once developed kidney disease can be managed by diet change and increased fluid intake to compensate for the reduced circulation in the kidneys but feeding such diets from an early age is not recommended as they are very restricted and not suitable for normal growing or active pets. Toxins, inflammation, infections and increasing age are contributory factors but in many cases the original damage can occur months to years before the signs of disease appear

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

• Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

  Veterinarian

  Published on February 25th, 2017

  You are correct that high protein is a stressor in the kidneys if kidney disease is present, but there is no need to go low protein unless your animal does have kidney disease. Going low protein could be detrimental to your pet's health, especially if you have a cat. That's because they are obligate carnivores, meaning they have to have protein in order to survive. When a pet has kidney disease, the protein is lowered but it's still a high quality protein.
  
  As for dry food, it's fine to feed dry food when the disease in present as long as the animal is drinking lots of water. In cats, the wet food is recommended simply because they don't seem to drink a lot of water. The dry food is fine with dogs, and you can add extra moisture to the diet for both by soaking their food in water. I hope this helps you understand :-)

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful