My dog has kidney disease, how can I get him to drink more water?

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A more specific dose of fluids for her body weight would be 900ml daily to every other day. However, this is only dependent on her being able to tolerate this amount meaning for example that she does not have any heart disease. Please make sure with your veterinarian who knows her medical history, that this amount of fluid would be well-tolerated. Good luck and have a good night!

Poor Emma. If she is suffering from kidney problems and potential kidney failure. She may be painful, nauseous, or not feeling well from toxins that are building up in her body due to poorly regulated kidneys. I would recommend discussing with your vet about doing some fluid therapy on her and potential pain management as well to get her feeling better. If she does have advanced kidney disease, then starting fluids (either IV or subcutaneously) could potentially help her condition tremendously. Also offering her a liquid diet like Hill's Rebound liquid can really help keep her nutrition up. You can also try slightly warmed cans of baby food OR appetite stimulants (i.e. Mirtazapine) prescribed by your veterinarian. I hope your fur baby feels better soon!

I'm sorry Boomer is so sick. The SQ fluids will be keeping him hydrated, but IV fluids would be better in that they are absorbed faster. The drugs he is being given are supposed to stop the nausea and stimulate him to eat, but it sounds like they aren't helping at the moment. Unfortunately I don't think there really is much you can do to get him to eat or drink. I'd recommend taking him back into a vet immediately. In my opinion, it sounds like his quality of life is quite poor at the moment, and in all honestly, it may be time to let him go via humane euthanasia. You say yourself he has really declined over the weekend, he can't stand or walk well, and he won't eat or drink. That's a very poor way for a dog to live, and kidney disease is not something that can be cured. I would be afraid you've reached all you can do with him. It's worth taking him into a vet now to discuss his quality of life. I imagine this isn't an answer you want to hear, but honestly is best in these cases. Again, I'm sorry.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Chico. Chicken broth is typically a very low protein source. I think it's a good idea to add this to try to entice Chico's appetite. Serving the food warmed up may help bring out the aroma and flavor also. There is a new kidney supplement for dogs in kidney failure but I can't think of the name of it. It starts with Nef..... I believe. Might be worth asking your veterinarian about. Good luck with Chico. Another thing you can try is a different carbohydrate such as pasta to entice Chico.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry about your little girl. Any food is better than no food, so if you can get any food into her, keep going. Low protein diets are best, so see if you can increase the rice portion, and also try to get some fibre (pumpkin/squash) into her. You can talk to your vet about prescription diets, as these are often designed to be yummy, so trial that out. Best of luck with your little girl, I hope she feels better soon!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I agree, that is some very dark urine which indicates he must not be drinking enough. You need to increase his water intake. The best way to do that is to add some chicken or beef broth to his food; use the low sodium kind. The added salt (even in the low sodium variety) should encourage him to drink more. If this dark urine continues for more than a few days you should take him to your vet for an exam and urine test.