My young dog has kidney disease: What diet and activities are safe?

I'm sorry to hear about your dogs diagnosis! Phosphorus is something we try to avoid with renal failure because the kidneys have lost the ability to excrete it properly. Because milk is high in phosphorus I would avoid giving it. A prescription renal diet like you are using is the best food to avoid giving too much phosphorus. If your dog's phosphorus levels are already high you can ask your veterinarian about giving medications like aluminum hydroxide. As far as additional things you can do at home for your dog, subcutaneous fluids may be worthwhile. Your veterinarian can teach you how to administer these fluids. Medications like Azodyl may also be helpful. As an integrative veterinarian I also manage my patients with kidney disease with acupuncture and herbal medicine. It may be worth looking into integrative veterinarians in your area. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best wishes to you and your dog!

It doesn't look like Pitambar received a urinalysis. This test needs to be run to help stage the renal disease or if dehydration is present and causing the increase in the renal values. Talk with your veterinarian about having this test run asap: https://www.petcoach.co/article/urinalysis-testing-a-urine-sample/ There is another test called an SDMA which will help stage renal disease: https://www.idexx.com/en/veterinary/reference-laboratories/sdma/ Pitambar should also have a urine protein:creatine ratio run to check for protein loss and the need to medication to control that if it is present. This website discusses how renal disease is staged: https://www.idexx.com/en/veterinary/reference-laboratories/sdma/sdma-iris/ Kidney disease is serious and if caught early, many pets will respond to easy treatment and this will not only slow down disease process but will also increase the life expectancy. Often the first step is changing the diet to a prescription diet meant for pets who have kidney disease. These diets have lower protein, phosphorus and high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids, higher amounts of antioxidants and have a higher calorie amount. Supplementing with an additional omega 3 fatty acid can also help. Pitambar will need followup bloodwork and a urinalysis 4-6 weeks after starting treatment. As things progress, other treatments will be needed. https://www.petcoach.co/article/kidney-disease-causes-signs-diagnosis-and-treatment/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that Lio is suffering from liver and kidney disease at such a young age. The most helpful treatment Lio could receive right now would be IV fluids for hydration. This will also help diurese him to flush out any potential toxins from his blood. With his age I would be concerned that the cause is a toxicity from him eating something possibly. Denamarin is a good liver supplemw t and getting him to eat a critical care formula food such as Hills A/D is good. If an abdominal ultrasound has not yet been performed, I would consider having that done for more information. I hope this helps and that Lio improves soon. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

Pets with renal disease need to eat a special dog food aimed at reducing the work load on the kidneys. Hill Science Diet and Royal Canin both make special formulas for this condition. Some of these pets need intravenous fluids for up to three days. Some of them need supportive care in the form of subcutaneous fluids, anti-acids and antivomiting medications. If she is leaking protein in her urine, she also needs a medication to stop this. Consulting with you local veterinarian will give you the best guidance as to what Soffiya needs based upon her physical exam and clinical signs. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This should be fine to do. Low protein is good for kidney disease but they also need low phosphorus. If he does not have kidney disease that should be OK too. So check the diets. I really don't understand the diagnosis. Kidney disease is very easy to diagnosis with simple blood testing. Can you post again with the blood testing results so we can help you better?

I hate to hear that Lily is having an issue eating her food. I would advise too try several renal diets. Royal Canin makes three different formulas. Purina and Science diet also make their own version. The best medicine would be for her to eat only a renal diet but sometimes pets have other ideas. If you cannot find a food that she likes and will readily eat, try mixing in about 25% of the renal diet in with 75% of her normal kibble. Every few days gradually increase the renal food. Even if she never goes on the renal diet fully, it's still better than not eating it at all. Try the canned renal diets as well (once again, all the brands carry this formula). If you want to try making her food at home, you will need to work with a veterinary nutritionist. Renal diets need carefully controlled protein, phosphorus and potassium levels. You can go online and find several who offer both phone and online consultations. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any further questions!

HE should be on a low protein diet, preferably a prescription diet for kidneys (such as Renal from Royal Canine). you won't find an over the counter food that is suitable for this condition. homemade diet is also an option, you can find some ideas here: http://eatswritesshoots.com/2014/06/16/recipe-for-low-phosphorus-dog-food-caring-for-a-dog-with-chronic-renal-failure/