My dog has skin issues. Why is urine protein high on hydrolyzed food?

Hi, thanks for writing. Sounds like your dog has a protein-losing nephropathy, which we abbreviate PLE. Food alone doesn't do much, unfortunately, and we really have to treat the underlying cause. There are a huge list of things that can cause a PLE. Many breeds of dogs can pass this on genetically - Bernese mountain dogs, beagles, soft-coated wheaten terriers, cocker spaniels to name a few. All of these dogs have a specific kind of dysfunction in their kidney that causes the protein loss, and the only way you can tell which one it is is by doing a biopsy of the kidney. Infectious diseases can cause PLE's too - chronic bacterial infections, fungal disease, tick borne disease (like Lyme disease). Cancer can cause it, as well as drugs like steroids and other diseases like diabetes. What I'm trying to get at is that protein in the urine isn't a diagnosis - it's a sign of another disease. In order to treat it you have to figure out what's causing it. If you want to do a consult I'd be happy to talk more with you about this - it's a complicated problem.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So a bit of clarification- Having a somewhat increased protein level on bloodwork is uncommonly a problem and usually ignored - it usually just indicates mild dehydration. So maybe they were just mentioning that change? Severe protein increases on bloodwork could signal an infection or even certain types of cancer but I would expect her to be SICK if that were the case (fever, limping, weight loss, etc.) Regardless, dietary protein actually has little to do with blood protein so I wouldn't necessarily recommend changing her diet at all. The only times I really care about dietary protein are if the protein level is too low or for special cases like kidney failure. Now there are things on bloodwork like high triglycerides or cholesterol that ARE more responsive to diet change, so maybe there was a misunderstanding/miscommunication about what was actually too high. In closing - I can't be sure without seeing the bloodwork myself, but in general, I don't change diets for healthy young dogs because of protein elevations. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Nikke!

Poor girl. Depending on how much protein was found in the urine and her urine protein ratio, as well as clinical symptoms, a biopsy may not be needed. In addition, biopsies are indicated when there is detectable abnormal looking organs. So if the kidneys look abnormal on ultrasound, then a biopsy can be done to definitively diagnose the kidney condition. However, in some cases a biopsy isn't needed if it is obvious what the condition is. I would recommend starting with the ultrasound and also I would then consult with another vet who can go over all her lab findings and come up with a game plan for Dotty. If you wish you can also get all her medical records and then request a consultation with one of the experts here to go over her case more in detail. I hope that your pet Dotty has some improvement with her values soon. Best wishes and take care.

Yes a hydrolyzed diet such as royal canin hypoallergenic can be very helpful. In cases which respond well to treatment a near normal quality and life expectancy can exist. Some cases are less responsive and can struggle to maintain health and fitness despite immunosuppressive and chemotherapy medications but it would take 10-12 weeks before any assessment could be made on her progress

Yes you certainly can get him on the Urinary and Hydrolzyed protein diet; however, this food does not help for any underlying liver condition. There currently is no a combo diet that will help with both urinary and liver problems. You may have to discuss with your vet and determine which disease you will focus on with diet and which can be treated with alternative treatments (i.e. Denamarin liver protectant). You may have to end up consulting with an internal specialist in order to find out the best way to manage both conditions. Best of luck with your pet Malcolm moving forward. Take care.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This level of creatinine is still within relatively normal range (according to most diagnostic laboratories and analyzers). Such a small increase can be incidental, Mav may have had a recent meal, or have been less hydrated than he was at his previous appointment. It is unlikely that this is related to the protein content in his diet. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Your veterinarian is correct that it could be related to the diet and some dehydration. You definitely should follow up with another blood test in three months or have a different kind of test called an SDMA. The SDMA will catch kidney disease well before there is an increase in the kidney enzymes levels. Talk to your veterinarian about this option. The most important thing is to catch kidney disease early. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.