My dog has protein loss. What diet is best and what's the prognosis?

Poor Peanut! I'm assuming that he's been diagnosed with either PLE (protein-losing enteropathy) or lymphangiectasia - both of these disorders would cause the symptoms that you describe, and are unfortunately fairly common in Yorkies and Yorkie mixes. You are correct that many dogs with these problems can benefit from an additional immunosuppressant drug like azathioprine (Imuran) in combination with prednisone. Many vets are reluctant to do this without a definitive diagnosis via biopsy since there can be some dangerous side effects to these medications, but it's definitely something that you could discuss with your veterinarian. Vitamin B12 is also helpful in many cases, and I would definitely suggest starting this with Peanut since there are no risks or side effects with it. Many dogs also benefit from a prescription hypoallergenic diet like Hills z/d or Purina HA, so this is also something that you could discuss with your vet if you haven't already.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Oaklee. That particular diet is great for skin disease and is worth a try if you have not had luck with her previous treatments. The protein in the urine is unlikely related to the skin disease. It can mean several things. First, if she has a urinary tract infection, that will increase the protein level in the urine. If this is not the case based on the urinalysis, then I recommend a test known as a urine protein creatinine ratio to measure the exact amount of protein in the urine. If this ratio comes back elevated, then she will need treatment to help limit the protein loss in the urine as it is an indicator of kidney disease in a dog. I typically will measure blood pressure next and run bloodwork if it has not been done recently. Then I will start a medication. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not so much about the amount of protein per se but more so the right protein. It is a matter of using a new protein and carbohydrate that he may tolerate better. For example, if he is on chicken and rice, switch him to lamb and potato for instance. Another option is a hydrolized protein diet and finally something like Royal canin low fat GI. That is actually what my dog is on who also has severe food allergies and he does great. Good luck!

Hello, and thank you for your question. Dogs with IBD should definitely be on a hypoallergenic diet of some sort. The good news is that there are a wide variety of hypoallergenic diet options. Hill's i/d is actually NOT a hypoallergenic diet. It is a bland diet designed for sensitive stomachs, but not for food allergies. There are two main categories of hypoallergenic diets: 1) Novel protein diets, which consist of protein sources that most dogs have never been exposed to before. This includes venison, duck, kangaroo, rabbit, etc. You would choose the novel protein that you are sure Toby has never eaten before, including through treats or table scraps. 2) Hydrolyzed protein diets most often consist of hydrolyzed soy protein, where the molecule is broken down in such a way that the body does not recognize it as an allergen. These are a good option as well, but it is not guaranteed to work in all dogs. Both types of diets come in wet and dry options (e.g. Hill's z/d comes in wet and dry). I would talk to your vet about trying a brand with a wet option. Once he is weaned onto the new diet, he should be kept on it for a minimum of 8 weeks with no other treats or table scraps. I hope this helps, and that Toby gets better soon!

This is a very poorly understood condition with each case being very variable. Specialist diets, medium chain fatty acid supplements and medications can help in many cases but outcome and prognosis is very individual and hard to predict. Generally 4-6weeks are allowed for recovery prior to assessing any responses

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. I'm so glad to hear that Chelsea is doing better. Yes it is possible that this was the cure for her. Some Protein-loosing- enteropathies (PLE's) are related to severe inflammation related to diet allergy or sensitivity. Even if the diet does not stop it entirely, it sounds like it is at least a big part of the puzzle for Chelsea. My advice is, whatever you do, do NOT switch her diet or give her new treats - not even in 3 years after everything is settled down. Don't mess with what's working. Best of luck to you and Chelsea!